The Psychology of Organizational Change

Posted by kyle toppazzini on Tue, Apr 09, 2013

Many of us may be familiar with change management models used in organizational change, including aspects such as:

1) Creating the urgency for change;

2) Creating a compelling case for change;

3) Creating and communicating the vision for change;

4) Removing obstacles;

5) Creating short-term wins;

6) Making change a part of the corporate culture.

What I find most interesting are the differences between the standard change management model and the psychological process an individual experiences when faced with change. In my view, one of the reasons that change management models are ineffective is because they do not align closely enough with the psychological processes an individual undergoes when confronted with change. This article describes the journey people make when faced with change, and it recommends some suggestions to make change management more effective.

Psychology of Personal Change

According to the psychologists Prochaska and Di Climente, most people experience the following phases when confronted with change:

Pre-contemplation: People do not even consider changing, which may manifest itself as a form of denial.

Contemplation: People contemplate the change but giving up established behaviour patterns gives them a feeling of loss. During this stage, people assess barriers (e.g., time, expense, hassle, fear, “I know I need to, but …”) as well as the benefits of change.

Preparation: People make the decision to change. They may experiment with small changes as the wiliness to change increases.

Action: People take action to change. If prior stages have been neglected, action itself is insufficient.

Maintenance and Relapse Prevention: People take the required steps to sustain new behaviours.

Personal Change Process vs. Organizational Change Process

Comparing the change model previously described as experienced by the individual and the model used for change management reveal both similarities and differences.

For instance, contemplation may happen when the need for change is urgent and a compelling case can be made to act. However, a logical case made for change may not compensate for deficiencies in the implementation of a change management model that does not address associated barriers and the feeling of loss individuals feel when confronted with the change. Communications concerning the necessity for change may not adequately address failures in the workings of the current method as well as the significance such change will have to employees asked to enact it.

Additionally, action, maintenance, and relapse prevention may be addressed in a standard change management model to create short-term wins and make change part of the corporate culture. However, if prior phases in the change process undertaken by individuals are ignored then creating short-term wins may be insufficient in the management and implementation of change.

How can the standard change management model be altered to better address individual needs?

There are many ways that leaders responsible for implementing change can assist employees in the individual change process.

1) Use story telling in your communication. More and more politicians use story telling as a means to connect with voters and to help people better relate to the points they wish to make. Leaders can use the same strategy when communicating the need for change. For example, leaders often give speeches such as:

We need to work smarter and not harder. I see the sacrifices employees make day-in-day-out for this company, such as XXX, who like many of you has a family and consistently works until seven or eight o’clock at night. Working hard has gotten us this far, but companies like XXX or YYY have implemented AAA and productivity has increased by 60%. The employees of these companies now get to spend the quality time they need with their family.

Story telling is one way to assist people through the pre and contemplation phases.

2) Challenge yourself as a leader and be a role model for change. A leader simply claiming that change is difficult is simply not effective. You must be prepared to demonstrate first-hand experiences that change is difficult. Whether such change manifests itself as a personal challenge to lose weight, run a marathon, or face a reduction in salary, your employees look to you as role model when faced with change.

In addition, be prepared to demonstrate that the change you underwent or will experience is comparable to the change you are asking of them. Just saying you understand their pain is ineffective; you should be able to personally relate to the sacrifice you are asking them to make.

Being a source of motivation for your employees will help individuals accept and enact change.

3) Encourage action and learning over failure. It may be a tough pill to swallow, but if you want change to be successful then you must accept the possibility of failure. Instilling in your employees with the fear that failure will not be tolerated will not motivate them to change. Motivating people to change means removing the barriers that keep them from changing.

Encouraging action and learning over failure creates the safe environment employees need to embrace change.

Concluding thoughts

In this article I discussed the phases that individuals undergo when confronted with change; the phases that make up the standard change management model; differences and similarities between the two models; and suggested actions to improve the effectiveness of change initiatives. Share your thoughts. What has worked in your organization?