Managing Change, Resistance, and Conflict

Managing Change, Resistance,
And Conflict

Gemini Skills Workshop

May 1998

Objectives

• To appreciate change at an organisational and a personal level

• To provide some sensible models that describe the process of
change, in order for it to be managed as a process

• To understand how to be proactive in managing the change process
and reducing resistance

• To understand the good and bad sides of conflict

Gemini Consulting Limited • Proprietary and Confidential -2-
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Truths about change - why it happens
creates . . . creates
External personal
organisational
change . . . change
change . . .
– Technology – Strategies – Role
– Economy – Structures/de-layering – Responsibilities
– Habits
– Government – Practices
– Thinking
– Society – Processes – Values
– Customer/competitors – Products – Behaviors

• Change thus requires individuals and organisations to think, act, and perform
differently
• No matter how well motivated, an individual cannot make change alone
• . . . and an organisation changes only as fast as the percentage of people
within the organisation change
• . . . thus the individuals within an organisation are as important as the leaders
in changing organisations

Our model is predicated on involving all parts of an organisation in
making sustainable change.

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The Five Essential Ingredients of Change

Vision

Sense of Willingness Capability Action Plans/
Urgency to Change to Change Rewards

Successful Change

The process can break down if any of these five are not in place.

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A simple view of change is presented by Kurt Lewin’s
change model

Refreezing

Unfreezing

Movement
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Successful change is a continuous process

• Communication

• Feedback

• Reinforcement

• Repetition: try it, fix it, try it again

• Interim milestones

• Celebrate frequent successes

. . . and everyone must be involved!

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We can use Kurt Lewin’s change model to help us in
each phase of implementation:
• Acknowledge feelings and empathize
• Give people as much information about the change
Techniques to as possible
reinforce • Say what will not change
unfreezing • Treat the past with respect
• Create the motivation and readiness to change

• Provide focus and direction
Techniques to • Strengthen peoples connections to one another
reinforce • Open up two-way communications
movement • Provide the individual with a specific role in the
change process

• Ensure that individuals are reinforced for new
Techniques to behaviour
reinforce • Implement quick results and highlights successes
refreezing • Build feedback mechanisms
• Celebrate!

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Some change tools & techniques

Unfreeze Movement Refreeze Unfreeze

Communication Plan - who, when, what, how

• Stream charters • “To-Be” analysis • Problem solving / • Continuous
• Stream logic – Roles and team building Plan-Do-Review
Responsibilities • White papers
• Activity plans – KPIs
and milestones • Implementation Gantt
– Process flow
• A&D findings charts
• Route / cause
• Quick hits • Implementation RACIs
analysis
• “As-Is” analysis • Pareto analysis • Implementation KPIs
and baselines • Manage resistance
• Mobilisation to change
– Brown Paper fair • Roles and responsibilities
– Town meetings charting
• Reward and recognition
– Small group events
– Workplans • Coaching
and feedback
• Benefits tracking
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But this only tells part of the story - Change involves
giving up - and this is more of a personal choice

The Rational

(c. f. Kurt Lewin)

Unfreeze Move Refreeze

Emotional - “Me”

(c. f. Bridges)

Endings Transitions Beginnings

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Our role is to help others through change

• Clarify Endings – Listening
– Disengagement – Focusing: ask questions to pinpoint
– Disorientation real issues
– Disidentification – Restating: hearing it restated
– Disenchantement by someone else can help a person
to clarify their real interests
• Share Transition – Signal shift-take control of conversation
– Explain
– Explain purpose of change
– Confront / identify
– Link to his/her concerns
– Neutralise
– Summarise: bottom line
– Transfer

• Engage Beginnings
– “Were my comments clear”
– Vision & Plans
– “What are your ideas for the future?”
– Communications
– “These are my ideas”
– Symbols & ceremonies
– Agree to finite steps
– New Starts
Gemini Consulting Limited • Proprietary and Confidential - 10 -
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Unfortunately what you want and what you get in times
of change often differ

What people in change want: What people in change (usually) get:

• Empathy • Autocratic Behaviour

• Information • Avoidance

• Ideas • “Rah rah”

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People feel a sense of loss during change

• Security Control, knowledge of what the future holds and place in
the organisation

• Competence What to do, how to manage (can be embarrassing)

• Relationships Familiar contracts (customers, colleagues, managers,
group membership)

• Sense of Understanding of where and why you are going
direction
• Territory Area that ‘belonged’ to you (work space, responsibilities)

This sense of loss generates an emotional cycle which can stall in a
number of unproductive phases before acceptance of a new direction
is complete.

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Change always results in a roller-coaster ride of
Emotions
The Emotional Cycle of Change

Satisfaction
Certainty Confidence
Optimism

Hope
Time

Pessimism Doubt

What is important to recognise is that it’s a roller-coaster ride where
different people will be in different places at different times.

Source: Daryl Conner.
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Understanding the Emotional Cycle of Change helps
us deal with it
Phase 1: • Honeymoon period
Uniformed optimism – • Ideas look great on paper
Certainty • All major obstacles appear to have been anticipated

Phase 2: • Problems surface, not all solutions are obvious
Informed pessimism – • Morale drops (“Why did I ever get involved in the first
Doubt place?”)

• A turning point occurs, a sense of accomplishment
Phase 3:
replaces a sense of pushing against problems
Hopeful realism –
Hope • Problems have not all disappeared, but people’s hopes are
based on realistic data

Phase 4: • Optimism continues to develop
Informed optimism –
• A fresh burst of energy appears
Confidence
• Successful change has been made
Phase 5:
• Official change effort is complete
Rewarding completion –
Satisfaction • The outcome is frequently much different from that
anticipated in Phase 1
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Gemini’s Evolving Change
Model

The context for evolving Gemini’s approach to change

• Our perspective on change has largely been driven by the experience
of companies in the 1970s and 1980s.
– Relatively stable periods followed by sudden reaction to events largely imposed from outside.

• The business environment of our clients is changing:
– Rapid shifts, discontinuities, continuous process of disequilibrium moving to equilibrium and
back to disequilibrium.

• Increasingly, clients require the capability to evolve and adapt their
organisation to these shifting market conditions on a continuous
basis.

• It is therefore no longer sufficient to understand change as discrete
event that can be managed, and which is experienced as a crisis.

• Change in this context is better viewed as a creative process of
choice, learning and growth.

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We are developing our thinking around change as a
process of learning and capability development

Capability is defined as the
readiness to respond adaptively and
creatively to new or unforeseen
circumstances so as to achieve a
specified intent.

A capability-oriented approach requires a new perspective on how
we consult . . .

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Chaos theory changes how we view the change process
and how we view the emotional experience of change

Disintegration

Chaos Creation of a
Equilibrium Turbulence higher order

Self organising and self renewing
systems possess innate
properties that use chaos as a Order does not equal structure.
necessary stage to move to
higher levels of order. Order = dynamic energy that
creates form and shape that suits
present circumstance.

If creating a “higher order”, on any dimension, requires turbulence,
chaos and disintegration, what will enable, rather than disable, this
process?

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We focused on understanding what happens when we
work in conditions of uncertainty

Emotional responses to
working on an unknown task

• Excitement
• Fear of failing, being wrong,
not having the answer
• High levels of anxiety
• Block: “I can’t think”
• Rigidness: “It’s not my job”
• Envy of people who seem
to be coping
• Blaming of others

. . . In order to understand how we can create conditions for learning
and capability development.

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The challenge is to work with anxiety to create insight,
avoid defensive behaviour and no learning—not to remove anxiety
Cycle of Emotions Cycle of Emotions
Promoting Learning Discouraging Learning

1. Healthy 1. Unhealthy level
Anxiety of Anxiety

5. Insight 5. Willing 2. Fight or
or ignorance flight
A
Authority and
inactivity
2. Uncertainty
#
3. Denial or
avoidance
4. Struggle 3. Risk
4.
Defensiveness
o
or resistance
Role modelling and the use of structure (tasks, time) act to contain
anxiety to healthy levels.

Adaptation: “Inside Action Learning” by Russ Vince and Linda Martin, in “Management Education and Development”, Vol. 24, Part 3, 1993.
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From here, we identified possible conditions for
capability development

Conditions for Capability Development

Anxiety owned
and managed

Aspiration

Developmental
Perspective

Reflective
Space
Interpersonal dynamics
worked with,
not suppressed

Sources: Discussion with Tavistock Consulting Service; Group Focus Interview on capabilities and conditions for capability development (London, March 1998).
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If the conditions are met, a virtuous spiral of capability development takes
place—without them, we generate defensiveness in ourselves and our
clients

Conditions for Capability Development

• Anxiety as stored energy
• Provide direction and a Anxiety owned
reason for change • Unhealthy levels of anxiety
and managed creates stress, defensiveness,
• Motivate and inspire denial, avoidance
• Touch people’s hearts • Owned and managed anxiety
Aspiration creates healthy tension and
discovery
Developmental
Perspective • Nurturing approach
• “Valuing the other person’s ability
and handling it as a jewel”
• Enabling people to make own
Reflective discoveries, vs. controlling them
Space
• Time to reflect
Interpersonal dynamics
• Readiness to reflect on self worked with,
and others not suppressed • Emotional issues surfaced
• • Emotional energy channelled
Create space for learning
• Facilitates self-discovery
• Working with unanticipated outcomes
• Discussing the undiscussable
• Respect for needs for safety, support,
protection and value

These conditions can be translated into day-to-day working practices
for consultants and teams.

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Managing the Players in the
Change Process

Both support and resistance can come from the same
area - it is important to recognise which
“..we don’t have the resource
to do this” “..the benefits are enormous”
Some above
the surface “..this could risk delivery”
“..the increases agility will really thrill
customers”
“..quality will suffer”
Rational “..satisfaction indices will
soar”

“..I’ve been waiting for
this moment for years” ...and some
below
Emotional Political
“..but that will affect
my pay!” “..de-layering of the
organisation makes such good
sense ”
“..how will this affect our
relationships with
“..the benefits will be enormous” clients?”

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In making change a success, it is important to
understand where the various players’ energy lies

Drive Support Observe Resist

20% 60% 20%

?
Both sides try to influence the ‘undecided’ to move to their side - it’s
a delicate balance.

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So how to manage this?

• Focus on the Resistance NOT on the Drive

• Seek Champions

• Mobilise the Undecided

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Change requires individuals and organizations to
think, act, and behave differently

CALVIN AND HOBBES Bill Watterson

T HE M ORE Y OU KNOW , O NCE Y OU BECOME Y OU R EALIZE T HAT N OTHING BEING A M AN O F ACTION ,
T HE H ARDER I T I S T O I NFORMED , Y OU S TART I S AS C LEAR AND S IMPLE C AN’T AFFORD T O T AKE
I
T AKE D ECISIVE ACTION . S EEING C OMPLEXITIES AS I T F IRST APPEARS . T HAT R ISK.
AND S HADES
O F G RAY . U LTIMATELY , KNOWLEDGE
I S P ARALYZING . Y OU’RE I GNORANT .
BUT A T L EAST
Y OU ACT O N I T .

Neither ignorance or inaction make Change a success.

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Change also requires leadership

“To deal with the change, I committed us to try certain
things with the understanding what they might not all work.
Later, I realized that what I started - even through I didn’t
see it at the time - was to create two things: an action plan
and trust

The action plan had varying degrees of success and
failure. But the trust was always there. If we didn’t have
that trust, we would have complained ourselves out of
business a long time ago.”

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So what you can do to proactively to Iead the change
effort
Show we are
serious about Team
Show getting there – Member
demonstrate Communicat

ge
personal Support
support e ‘learning’

n
and

ha
Demonstrate
that we know professional

C
where we are stability
Rewards
headed and consistent
have a plan

ge
with the
to get there
‘To Be’
n Broad-

ha
cast

C
the
truth

Involve
teams
in owning
Clarify why change
change is
needed

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Dealing with Individual
Resistance and Conflict

50 Reasons Why It Won’t Work
1. We tried that before. 26. It might not work.
2. Our systems are different 27. Not that again!
3. It costs too much. 28. Where’d you dig that one up?
4. That’s beyond our responsibility. 29. We did all right without it.
5. That’s not my job. 30. It’s never been tried before.
6. We’re all too busy to do that. 31. Let’s shelve it for the time being.
7. It’s too radical a change. 32. I don’t see the connection.
8. There’s not enough help. 33. What you are really saying is …
9. We’ve never done it before. 34. Let’s not be the first.
10. We don’t have the authority. 35. Maybe that would work in your Branch but not in mine.
11. There’s not enough time. 36. Head Office will never go for it.
12. Let’s get back to reality. 37. It can’t be done.
13. That’s not our problem. 38. It’s too much trouble.
14. Why change it? It’s still working OK. 39. It’s impossible.
15. I don’t like that idea. 40. You’re not here to think.
16. You’re right, but … 41. Can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
17. You’re two years ahead of your time 42. Let me think about that and I’ll get back to you.
18. It isn’t in the budget. 43. Let’s wait until the next generation.
19. We’re not ready for that. 44. The rules say we can’t do that.
20. Sounds OK but impractical. 45. We can’t fight local government regulations.
21. Let’s give it some more thought. 46. That’s old/new business and can’t be discussed now.
22. That’s my bowling day. 47. That’s too serious a subject.
23. That doesn’t effect me or my child. 48. No one is interested.
24. Nobody cares about that. 49. It’s too early to think about it.
25. We’ve always done it this way. 50. It’s too late to start.
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Forms of Resistance

A. Avoidance of responsibility H. Changing the subject

B. Flooding with detail I. I’m not surprised

C. One-word answers J. Silence

D. Impracticality K. Time

E. Attacking L. Nit-picking

F. Compliance M. Pressing for solutions

G. Confusion

Source: Flawless Consulting by Peter Block.
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Understanding Resistance is about getting behind the
apparent and into the core

Indirect Expressions
of Concerns/
Visible Resistance

Real/Underlying
The Voyage of Discovery Concerns

. . . but tread carefully - too much exploration is rarely appreciated -
simply ask “Why is that?”

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Why Resistance Occurs . . .
Resistance can occur because people fear:

• Loss of their credibility or reputation

• Lack of career or financial advancement

• Possible damage to relationships with their superiors

• Losing their job

• Interpersonal rejection

• Change in job role

• Embarrassment/loss of self-esteem

• Job transfer or demotion

Source: Ryan and Oestreich.
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Five Steps for Dealing with Resistance
• Trust what you see and how you hear more than what you
hear
• Ask questions and listen carefully - Pick up the ‘cues’
1. Identify the form the • Learn from your own reactions:
– Uneasy
resistance is taking – Bored
– Irritated
• Listen for repetition and telltale phrases
• Tell the person your perception of the resistance
• Do it in a neutral, nonaggressive way with WIN/WIN words:
2. Acknowledge the “What I think I hear you saying is …”
• Tell the person how the resistance is making you feel:
resistance – Use “I” statements
• Be specific, clear, and authentic

• Allow them to ‘vent’ - until they do so progress is limited
3. Be quiet, listen, let the • Stay attuned to other forms of resistance surfacing
person respond • Check for understanding

• Remember that their behaviour is not a reflection of you.
• Let them air their concerns without responding
4. Don’t take it personally defensively.
• Don’t counterattack head-on.
• The majority of questions about methodology or the
project process are just expressions of discomfort
5. Remember the “two good • The third time the question is asked, respond to the
faith responses” rule question with a statement that suggests the person might
be reluctant to commit to the problem or process

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Acknowledging Resistance:
Hints for the Right Words

• Describe how you feel:
– Your perceptions of how they feel

• Being authentic:
– . . . Encourages person to do the same Descriptive Judgmental
Specific
NOT Stereotyped
• Be assertive: Focused
Lengthy
Brief
– Direct, without putting anyone down Simple Complicated

– Use “I” statements

• Be descriptive, not evaluative

MngChg v2Aug98.ppt

How to Acknowledge Resistance

Resistance Forms How to Acknowledge - some examples
Avoidance of
A. “You don’t see yourself as part of the problem?”
responsibility
“You’re giving me more than I need. Can you
B. Flooding with detail headline it?”
“Say more about that” (and don’t say the next word
C. One-word answers !)
“You seem to feel that what we’re discussing is not
D. Impracticality ‘real world’. How could we make it more relevant?”
“You are really questioning a lot of what I do. You
E. Attacking seem angry.”
“You seem agreeable to anything I suggest. I’m
F. Compliance having a hard time telling what you’re really
feeling.”
“We seem to be having difficulty moving ahead.
G. Confusion Are you confused about something?”

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How to Acknowledge Resistance cont’d

Resistance Forms Acknowledgment Examples
“The subject keeps shifting. Can we focus on one
H. Changing the subject thing at a time?”
“I feel that you expect me to know more about
I. I’m not surprised you.”

J. Silence “I don’t know how to read your silence.”

“You don’t seem to have the time to work with me.
K. Time I find it hard to proceed without involvement from
you.”

L. Nit-picking “We would appear to be getting into a lot of detail.”

“It’s too early for solution. I’m still trying to find
M. Pressing for solutions out…”

MngChg v2Aug98.ppt

One of the hardest parts of consulting is coping with
the conflict that resistance engenders
The top seven sources of conflict on projects are:

• Schedules:
– Timing, sequencing, duration, feasibility of schedule for project-related tasks or activities
• Project priorities:
– Lack of goals, poorly defined project mission, differing views of task importance, shifting
goals
• Resources:
– Competition for personnel, materials, equipment, facilities among project members or across
teams
• Technical options:
– From technical issues, performance specifications, technical trade-offs
• Administrative procedures:
– How project will be managed, reporting relationships, interface relationships, work design,
plans for execution, negotiated work agreements with others, administrative procedures
• Cost objectives:
– Lack of cost control authority, allocation of funds
• Personalities:
– Egos, personality differences, prejudice, stereotyping
Source: Thamhain and Wilemon.
MngChg v2Aug98.ppt

A Key Message
The client is not always right,
but the way you deal with
him/her has to be

. . . it requires humility, resolve, and patience.

Strategies for dealing with conflict tend to be situation
dependent

• Avoiding
– Or withdrawing, …but this may mean leaving the solution to chance or fate

• Smoothing
– Covering up and pretending that all is calm, cooperative, and pleasant - at times a good
strategy where third parties are involved

• Bargaining
– Sometimes compromising - each party gains and loses something - preferably amicably

• Forcing
– Loser and winner situation - where time pressure exists this may be necessary

• Problem Solving
– Collaboratively and objectively confronting the problem

MngChg v2Aug98.ppt

In situations of conflict think about both parties’ styles
- and understand how yours influences theirs
The three “pure” styles of influence.

• Tough Battler
– fighting, powerful, commanding
– pressing for results, threatening, repetition Tough Battler
– confident, persuasive, forceful

• Logical Thinker
– logical, knowledgeable, clarifying ideas
– facts, quoting rules, practical
– orderly, fair, thorough
Logical Friendly
Thinker Helper
• Friendly Helper
– helpful, sympathetic, polite
– encouraging, compromising, concerned, friendly
– trusting, optimistic, caring, supportive

You may need to exercise all three styles at different times.

MngChg v2Aug98.ppt

A useful model to understand one’s approach is the
“Assertiveness Matrix”

High

Aggressive Assertive
(I win You lose) (We both win)
The extent to
which I achieve
my goals

Avoidance Submissive
(We both lose) (I lose You win)

Low
Low High
The extent to which I allow the
other person to achieve their goals

Always seek to attain a position of ‘win-win’.

MngChg v2Aug98.ppt

Where assertiveness on your part makes sense…
employ the “DESC” script

• Describe - what you want, how you see the situation objectively,
and factually

• Express - your feelings about the situation and why you feel that
way

• Specify - the action you think should be taken and why
• Consequences - both positive and negative, of doing or not
doing what you are suggesting

MngChg v2Aug98.ppt

An example of the “DESC” script

• Describe: I’ve studied your inventory control system team and it
is not adequate to meet the increased demands on your business.

• Express: I think this is worrying.

• Specify: My view is that unless you invest in a new inventory
control system you will not fix it.

• Consequences: The benefit of this will be that you will cut the
amount of inventory you have to hold and there will be fewer stock-
outs on the line. If you don’t fix it, you are going to find it hard to
meet your new quality targets.

MngChg v2Aug98.ppt

If the client constantly challenges - “AIR” is a useful
technique

• Acknowledge
– What they have said in a genuine way

• Investigate
– Identify the main source of the resistance
– Encourage them to talk more about it - and listen
– Isolate and work the separate issues

• Reinforce:
– Reinforce the positive aspects of anything you are proposing
– Calmly and clearly explain the reasons for change (again!)
– Look for acceptance

Emphasise your role as a partner.

MngChg v2Aug98.ppt

Remember, make sure ‘what you say’, ‘how you say it’, and
‘how you look’ work together to convey the right message

Actions

Words

Body
Language

Try ‘mirroring’ behaviours.

MngChg v2Aug98.ppt

Nine strategies to deal with conflict and resistance
constructively

“Do it my way” “Let’s make a deal” “Let’s work together”
Involved
DOMINATE BARGAIN COLLABORATE
You direct, You trade, take turns, You problem-solve
impose, control or split the difference together to reach a
Your Interaction

or resist win-win resolution

“Try it, you’ll like it” “Agree to disagree” “It’s yours to do”

SMOOTH COEXIST RELEASE
You accentuate You pursue differences You release control
similarities and independently within agreed-on
downplay differences limits

“Wait” “Let’s be fair” “I’ll go along”
Neutral

DECIDE
MAINTAIN BY RULE YIELD
You postpone Objective rules You give in, adapt, or
confronting determine how differences agree
differences will be handled

Firm Flexible
Your Viewpoint
Source: Managing Conflict and Disagreement Constructively - H S Kindler, The 1995 Annual, Pfeiffer & Co
MngChg v2Aug98.ppt

Top Tips - Managing Change
• Remember people are more likely to change if they can help plan it

• Explain the change and its consequences to all those affected

• Put yourself in the shoes of those affected when planning change

• Explain the benefits of change in simple terms

• Always maintain the self-esteem of people affected

• Avoid creating win-lose situations if possible

• Look for ways to turn negative concerns into positive opportunities

• Generate as few surprises as possible

• Lead by example

• Recognise support and success

• Admit mistakes and learn from failures
MngChg v2Aug98.ppt

Back up Panels for the Change
Model

If the business is perceived as an open system,
interacting with its environment

Understanding Business as a System
Organisation as the sum of its
Core Competencies
Competitors

• Environmental intelligence
capability
Suppliers Organisation Customers • Process capability
• Asset management capability
• Alignment capability
Employees • Learning capability

Core capabilities are what enable it to respond and adapt creatively
to new or unforeseen circumstances.

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We have some initial ideas on defining these capability
areas

Core Capability Description
• Transfer of information from the market (clients,
Environment Intelligence competitors, suppliers, new entrants, transfer of
information to the market.
• Understanding of KPIs, RACI, best
Process Capability practice/benchmarking, knowing how to analyse
processes and design To-Be processes.

• Knowledge, human resource, physical and financial
Asset Management
asset management.

Alignment • Leadership, values, corporate identity, communication.

• Development process, innovation process, continuous
Learning
improvement process.

We will hold “expert” workshops within Gemini to fully define these
areas and understand the implications for a consulting approach.

MngChg v2Aug98.ppt

Managing Change, Resistance, and Conflict

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