Change Drivers

Change drivers refer to the macrolevel forces that create the need for change in organizations. These usually include globalism, changes in demographics, innovations in technology and information, economic pressures, increased competition, and so on. In order to survive and thrive organizations must be responsive to these changes. In recent years this means reviewing and often changing the very way we think about and conduct business. OD focuses on the changes within an organization, rather than the organizational interface with the external world. It looks at the organization as a system that must become increasingly adaptive. This link on Change Drivers overviews the external demands that require changes in the organization, that is the focus of OD.

Unlike the older Lewin model of change in which change was punctuated by long periods of status quo, modern and emerging organizations are often involved in continual change in a marketplace that has been described as "permanent whitewater." Organizations must develop mechanisms for continually monitoring the inside and outside environments for needed adjustments to remain healthy and competitive.

Stages of OD

OD, like most disciplines, is more a process than a single event. When change agents are called to help facilitate a change, there are several stages in the development of the change (or consulting) relationship. The following are from the Kolb-Frohman Model.

1. Scouting the system. The Change agent (CA) observes and inquires in order to get an initial fix on the client system, determine how receptive the system is to change, identify strategic leverage points, and determine fit between what is needed and what the CA has to offer.
2. Entry & Contracting. During this initial stage the CA works with the client system to build a working relationship, set reasonable parameters and expectations, clarify roles, identify benefits and risks, and establish credibility. This process is repeated with each groups of stakeholders in the client system.
3. Diagnosis--data gathering and feedback. Decisions in OD are data based and derive from the experiences and interactions of system constituents. During this stage the CA promotes initial "unfreezing" (Lewin's change model), decides on an appropriate model for guiding change, presents a clear purpose for data gathering, collaborates on methodology used, obtains both quantitative and qualitative data, and organizes data to provide useful feedback.
4. Planning. During this stage the CA and client system move to a conclusion regarding the data. More responsibility and control is sifted from the CA to the client system, commitment to the next step is ensured, and needed changes are structured (often in the form of policy).
5. Implementation of action. The plan is carried out as assigned, coordination checked, and the CA is available as needed for questions and unexpected problems that may arise.
6. Evaluation. It is important to assess how well the intervention meets the objectives. The CA should work with the client system to selec appropriate measurements, identify indicators of change, monitor progress and regress (and reframe the latter), and keep people informed.
7. Termination. When the work of the CA is done, that role is terminated and they exit the organization (if an external CA) or return to their previous assignment (if an internal CA). This final stage is highlighted by the CA and organization reviewing the change process, noting the problems and successes, identify significant learnings, and terminating.

Nature of OD

• Dynamic and complex. The positioning and connections among parts of the organization are continually rearranging themselves. Organizational change is ongoing and involves intricate connections among all elements of an organization.
• Process oriented. Although content is important, it is the processes by which decisions are made, problems are solved, and people interact and communicate that are essential.
• Collaborative teamwork. The basic unit of OD is neither the individual nor organization, but teams or groups of people who work together.
• Equifinality. There are a lot of ways to skin a cat--and multiple ways to arrive at a goal or solution. There is usually no single best way.
• Customized solutions. Rather than using template solutions where "one size fits all," OD solutions are customized to each situation for better fit.
• Cultural change. The change involved in OD is more a change of culture, context and way of doing things than change in content. A new culture offers new solutions.
• Systemic connections. A systemic viewpoint recognizes that all parts of a system are connected and that intervention in one part often affects other parts. This is important in terms of intervention strategy as well as ethical consideration.
• Action research. This refers to the learning cycle (e.g., Kolb, Deming, and other models) in which action is based on reflective gathering of data, careful interpretation of information, planning of intervention based on knowledge, and accumulation of wisdom over time.
• Change agent. A CA is a facilitator of change from within or without an organization. They look for leverage points and assist the client system in making needed changes.
• Top support. Although some pervasive changes can occur from the bottom up, it is less revolutionary for them to occur from the top down, as legitimized, strategic plans that are authorized and sanctioned with support.
• Long term and ongoing. OD is not a one-shot intervention, but an ongoing way of looking at and participating in the emergence of how the organization can work more effectively.

Internal and External Change Agents

Change agents (CA) are often called consultants when brought in from outside the organization, but are facilitators and innovators when operating from the inside--they initiate, facilitate, coordinate, and help consolidate change. In either case, there are some advantages and disadvantages to being a CA, and they should be considered before contracting or leveraging change. For more detail on the role of CA's, check here.

Organizational Diagnosis

Like a medical diagnosis, and OD diagnosis identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the organization in the context of changes that need to be made. There are no universally accepted models for diagnosis, but there are several that are commonly used (e.g., Weisbord Six-Box Model, Grid Management, Schein's Cultural Audit, Kilmann-Saxton Culture Gap Analysis, etc.). The following are important criteria for sound diagnoses:

• The diagnostic scheme should be attached to or based on some theory.
• Diagnostic information should enable differentiation of important parts of the organizational processes under scrutiny.
• Diagnostic information should enable comparison of processes with each other or some standard or reference point.
• Diagnoses should help identify intervention points and guide the intervention.
• The diagnostic process should explain (not just name) the processes under examination.
• Perhaps most importantly--the diagnosis should identify areas of strength and resources that can be utilized and expanded, rather than exclusively focusing on what is wrong with the organization.

Self Test

• Imagine you have been asked by your supervisor or executive to explain what OD is, and whether your organization needs to do it. Prepare a brief presentation of key points you would discuss regarding: (1) what is OD and why is it needed, (2) what do CA's do, (3) what should be considered in order to select one.

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