Change Ahead: Working in a Post 9 11 World

CHANGE AHEAD Wohina Post 911 1World

Copyrrght O 2005 Pat Gill Webbet All rights reserved. ISBN: 1-4196-1388-X To order additional copies, please contact us. BookSurgc, LLC . www.beoksurgc.com 1-866-308-6235 [email protected]

Change Ahead Working In A Post 9/11 World

Dr. Pat Gill Webber

Change Ahead

TABLE OF CONTENTS Ways to Read this Book Forward Narrative Objective

xix

Part I: The Big Picture Synopsis and Implications Chapter I - Background Chapter 2 - The Economic, Political, and Cultural Context .

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Chapter 3 The Nature of the Organization Chapter 4 - Conclusion Part 11: Phase I Research: The Myth of Change Resistance Synopsis and Implications

33

Chapter 5 - More Pro-Change than We Knew

35

Chapter 6 - 9/11 and Other Change Levers

51

Chapter 7 - Conclusion

69

Part 111: Phase I1 of Research: A Closer Look at Attitudes and Behaviors Related to Change at Work Synopsis and Implications

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73

Chapter 8 A New Group of Participants

77

Chapter 9 - S ~ t e that s Shlned

95

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Chapter I0 Our "Mixed Bag" Sites Chapter 11

- Conclusion Part IV: Recommendations for Action

Synopsis and Implications Chapter 12 - Making Meaning from Research Post Script Biographical Summary Part

V: Resources

Synopsis Statistics Appendix Reference Bibliography Resource Bibliography Organizational Change and Transformation Personal Change and Transformation Post 9/11 Starting Over Index

SPECIAL RECOGNITION T h i s book would never have happened without t w o very special people. Although dozens o f colleagues and friends helped make the book happen, t w o were there throughout and deserve special t h a n k s a n d recognition. Simply p u t , they made the book possible and they made the book what it is. T h e y are b o t h in a sense my coauthors in this endeavor. T h e first is Dr. T h a n o s Patelis. T h a n o s is a brilliant statistician, a wonderf u l thinker and educator whose work at t h e College Board and a t many universities is respected a n d admired. H i s clear mind, and his ability t o synthesize a n d organize cannot bc overestimated. H i s help in shaping the ideas o f the book, and most importantly his help i n discovering the best ways t o find t h e data we were looking for, made this book possible. Dr. T h a n o s Patelis was my SLIpport, colleague, and partner in this endeavor. W i t h o u t his hard work, advice, support, a n d strength this book would never have seen the light o f day. T h a n k you T h a n o s . T h e second person whose work made this book possible is Noel Appel. Noel is a woman of many talents-a writer, editor, and executive in development in her own right. No:] has been a help, support, a n d g ~ ~ i d i nlight g from the earliest days when I was starting t o t h i n k about the book, pull together resources, and t h i n k through what I wanted t o write about. Noel did many things in this book-she edited, worked t o develop bibliographies, and oversaw a n d organized the whole writing process. N o e l Appel was my coach, colleague, and supreme helper In l n a k ~ n gthts book posstble. T h ~ ts s also your book Noel. T h a n k you.

WAYS TO READ THIS BOOK

M a n y people love t o read research. M o r e d o not. M u c h o f this book is a review o f research we conducted a n d a n analysis o f what that research means. I f you are a person in H u m a n Resources management, a leader interested in the details o f how one o r another site o r g r o u p responded t o questions, a researcher o r professor who wants to know the details-read the book cover t o cover-you will love the detail, the graphs, a n d all the weight o f research behind o u r elid o f book recomn~endations.You might also add your own thinking to o u r research findings and come u p with some new and different ideas o f how t o use the research data for your o w n needs. W e welcome and encourage such interaction . with o u r work. I f you are a "bottotn line" sort o f person-a leader looking for an idea o f what in the world your colleagites a n d staff are thinking, a n answer t o t h e question o f whether o r not people are change adverse, an individual wondering what others are thinking at work and if you are alone, o r a n organizational change leader looking for some clear a n d straight forward strategy advice that is based o n reality and facts rather than just someone's opinions, you might want t o look at specific portions o f this book and get the key points we learned from o u r research initiative and consider o u r specific strategies based o n the research results. Here is how t o d o that. Read the Forward t o know who P a t Gill Webber is. I wrote the vast majority o f the book and a m the key author. T h i s tells you where I a m "coming from" so you can understand my biases while reading the book. Read the Narrative Objective t o understand what the research and the hook was designed to do. T h e n read the synopsis and implications for Parts I, 11,and 111o f the book which cover all the research we did to understand the world'at the current time, what people a r e thinking about change, and how people are handling change a t work. A t that point p o c e e d directly t o Part IV t o read the synopsis, the implications, and the whole chapter for specific recommendations based o n o u r months and years o f research a n d hundreds of hours o f thinking. Finally, look at the synopsis o f Part V which tells you about the references a n d resources available here. T h i s recommended set o f material is less than 60 pages. I € you have the time o r interest, you c a n g o back into the first three parts to read the details o f both phases o f o u r research and o u r overview o f the "Big Picture" as we call it, the details o f the organizations we worked with in depth and the analysis o f the FopuIations we 300 people in phase one and over 600 people in phase two. worked with-over

W e hope this helps you navigate t h e book a n d gain f r o m it what you need a n d want. W e hope as well that if you have any unanswered questions o r want t o share your thoughts o r thinking o n some aspect o f the book, yo11will contact me at [email protected]

Pat Gill Webber Sumlner 2005

For Derlnis

We love you and miss you. Your suppon earb 011 meant the world to me arzd still does.

And) For BilL For all we have shared,for all we are, atid all we will be) tharik you.

tlon not just t o the need for change, but the way we organlze o r develop change. I n Terms of Engagemertt: Changing the W a y We Change Organizations, Richard Axelrod's c r i t i c a l work o n changing the change paradigm introduced t o a broader audience a new approach t o change that at its core creates a wider circle o f e,ngagement and a more expansive method of change management. T h i s work was an important part o f the change literature, bringing t o public awareness that the need for people t o be adaptive a n d flexible extended t o their organizations. T h e need then for individuals t o be more open t o change a n d more mature in their thinking is a given ifunstated assumption o f personal and organizational change. M y colleague, Dr. T h a n o s Patelis, a n d I believe t h a t this was a missing piece in the current literature o f personal and organizational change. Simply put, the need (or people to be open t o change appears t o be a given, but we did not believe we had much data o n how, if at all, individuals were evolving and shifting their perceptions about personal o r organizational change. W i t h o u t this data, people and organizations were left t o make assumptions about attitudes and beliefs that might be outdated o r incorrect. Although managers and leaders might t h i n k they know that folks don'c like change, their knowledge of individuals' actual feelings and actions related t o change were not, and are not, easily accessible. Since the m i d - 9 0 s considerable work has focused o n leaders and how they need t o evolve t o meet t h e needs,of change and globalization. I have been involved in some o f this movement. W e know that competency models developed in the 7 0 s and 8 0 s were essentially incomplete as we faced the 9 0 s and the early years o f the 21st century. T h i s updating o f leadership models is a positive developmcnt in o u r field and is creating new a n d emerging approaches t h a t reach beyond the good efforts of the previous decades. Managers and leaders remain the main means o f culture-forming in organizations as well as the producers o f bottomline success o r failure o f any organization. T h e i r influence o n how organizations operate a n d facilitate change cannot be overestimated. There has also been considerable focus o n strategies o f change a n d transformation which help shed light o n approaches that work more rffcctively than others t o creatc enduring organizations o f value. Books like Good to Great: Why Sotlie Companies Make the Leap. . .aud Others Don't (Collins, 2001) a n d What Really Works:

The 4+2 Formula f o r Sustarned Busiiless Success (Joyce, Nohria, 2003) discuss research that has provided approaches and strategies t h a t enable organizations t o meet the challenges o f increased globalization. Complexity theory a n d science also entered the mainstream o f business thought as sophisticated thinkers in organizations began t o fathom the importance o f massive shifts and nonlinear change that affect how change occurs. But, as noted above, less attention has been paid t o t h e shifting thinking patterns, developmental levels, and abilities t o manage and deal with change of XVL

FORWARD I have always been interested in the ways people change and grow t o meet life's challenges. From the time I began teaching (1970) and counseling (1973), that interest has focused on helping individuals develop resilience and competence in work and success as a person in an increasingly complex world. After I obtained a second masters degree in business (I979), my work focused almost exclusively on the world o f work, where helping individuals develop competencies and attitudes for success also meant helping the organization itself t o survive and thrive. T h i s dual perspective o f helping b o t h individuals a n d organizations has become my life's work. It has continued t o evolve over the decades along with the world o f work. I n response t o those ongoing changes those o f u s in the developmental fields (both organizational development and personal transformation and development) continue t o focus o n how best to develop organizations-as well as leaders and staff-who have the capability t o create more effective and efficient organizations t o cope with increased competition and evolving global markets. T h e impetus to write this book came about after the early dust had settled after the tragedy df 9/11. T h e r e was a sense that this ilniq~leevent would be responsible for a deeper shift in individuals' thinking and responding t o change. Inevitably, it seemed t o me, these shifts in thinking would begin t o influence the way people behave and cope with b o t h disaster a n d other less tragic but not necessarily less i~idividuallytraumatic events at their places o f work. After more than 30 years o f working in organizations, it has become clear to some o f us in the change management business that people were already evolving their thinking and attitudes toward work and their lives more broadly. Could 9/11 and its accompanying cultural changes tip the scales and hasten even broader changes in people's thinking and behavior that would influence their elnotional intelligence, behavior, and adaptation t o change at work? Are people's evolution; in perceptions and thinking being considered by organizations as chey embrace needed change? For a long time, many i n the human resource development field have felt that the methods and approaches organizations employ t o create and foster change, as well as the ways management deals with people and their livelihoods, were increasingly outdated. I f for no other reason than that change initiatives often failed, we a n d others continue to believe that therc needs t o be continued atten-

all staff. D r . Patelis a n d I believe that this would be both a n interesting and highly relevant area o f inquiry. If, in fact, people at work were more o r less open in their thinking regarding chinge, this information would support leaders who are attempting t o create greater change and transformation. Such a n inquiry would also help practitioners in the field who work with strategy approaches requiring involvement o f all staff to make progress. Finally, it helps organizations' human resoLrrce strategies and approaches in areas as diverse as selection, recruitment, development, a n d reward, which need t o consider the evolving nature o f worker perceptions. T h e point o f writing the book was to reflect upon where p o p l e "are" in their thinking and openness t o dealing with change, as well as assess their emotional intelligence as a means t o implement appropriate behaviors for organizational and personal change and success. Secondly, this book would suggest ways that might be more helpfill in working within organizations t o create the processes and approaches to work, livelihood, and success that bring a n organization t o life and sustains its energy in ongoing a n d relentlessly changing times. T h e recommendations made would evolve from the data we gathered indicating what workers are ahle and willing t o d o based o n where they "are." For while best practices may suggest one o r another strategy, we wanted t o know for sure what people were capable o f given o u r research before we recommended any specific actions. Charge Ahead is a melding o f t w o phases o f research designed t o explore the evolving thinking and emotional maturity and intelligence o f people who work in organizations. T h e first piece is broad a n d includes a survey that sought a large diverse population o f people in different age groups and parts o f the country and the world who could share with us their thinking about change and behavior post-9/11. A series o f interviews were also conducted t o attain more in-depth insight into how people's lives changed after this tragedy. T h e second part o f the research was conducted at organizations where we tried t o assess where people were in their work lives by understanding t h e specific conditions that existed in these organizations, and to consider people's emotional intelligence and reactions t o change given those conditions. W e grounded both pieces in an overview o f the current "Big Picture" of where the world is and where the world o f work is. W e felt this and d knowledge would provide a broad context upon which t o see and ~ ~ n d e r s t a nthe research data. I n a sense, it is the broader framework which has set the stage and allowed for the current thinking and attitudes o f employees today. These two sets o f data were then blended wirh o u r knowledge o f the Big Picture t o determine ideas about how change approaches and processes might need t o evolve as people's own selves had evolved a n d what that might mean for organlzatlons

Finally, my coauthor and I collaborated t o develop and share lessons learned that we thought would be broadly helpful moving forward. It is our profound hope that this discussion o f the changing workforce will bring about more research, thought, and reflection among practitioners of organizational and personal change. I t is also o u r hope that it will add t o o u r field's understanding o f shifting perceptions and how important it is t o consider these when working in organizations. Finally, we hope ChangAhead enlightens the reader in their awareness of how they o r others they know and work with may have changed personally post-9/II (and sadly now post 7/7/05), and whether that change is consistent with some o f o u r considered observations and analysis. Pat Gill Webber S u m m e r 2005

'

NARRATIVE OBJECTIVE

T h e purpose o f this book is t o explore with the reader perceptions o f life post-9/11, the current workforce a n d their evolving views o n personal and organizational change, and their levels o f elnotional intelligence a n d capacity for coping with change and transformation in thcir work lives. I t is the secondary purpose o f this book t o share o u r insights into the implications o f this "shifting t~erspective" t o help support more effective personal a n d organizational change needed in today's increasingly complex world. I t is o u r goal t o reflect o n the general results o f a two-phase research process that was conducted as part o f the preparation o f this book. T h e first phase o f research involved selected in-depth interviews and a- survey o f attitudes toward personal and organizational change post-9/11. It was not assumed that 9/11 was a seminal event. W e explored what changes, if any, the subjects felt were happening t o t h e m o r t o their feelings a n d behavior post-9/11. T h i s process provided fascinating insights into the thinking o f a broad range o f people a n d an awareness o f their openness to the research. Phase one also explored whether people had perceived in themselves some type o f change that would predispose t h e m t o be more o r less open t o personal o r organizational change. Once the first phase of rhe research was complete in 2003, we worked with the data a n d began t o sense its relevance t o the world o f individual work performance a n d organizational performance. We identified a real shift in people's understanding o f themselves and what was important t o them. A n d we felt certain t h a t whether organizations of any type were paying attention o r not, people's shifting ideas, beliefs, a n d behaviors were having a p o f o u n d effect o n the culture o f organizations a n d their capacity t o cope with ~ l a n n e do r spontaneous changes. W h i l e it cannot be said that everyone was changed post the traumatic events o f 9/11 and the subsequent "war o n terrorism," many were changed i n subtle a n d not so subtle ways. These shifts in one's sense o f self, o f what one bel~ piece o f information lieves is important, were, in o u r view, an e x t r e ~ n erelevant for organizational change professionals, as well as for all managers and leaders in organizations. I f organizations are continuing t o face radical changes in their respective markets-and there is n o argument that they are-what happens t o strategies a n d individual performance when people shift their thinking and feelings ahout what is important and worth a commitment? T h e business literature has been quite helpfill in providing a variety o f excellent books a n d articles about strategies for change and new leadership ap-

proaches t o take o n the respons~bllltyfor these changes. T h e r e has been Increasing emphasis as well o n executive coaching strategies and the need for more coaching in light o f shifts in people's perceptions a n d their need for change. However, we did not see books a n d articles which explored the relationship between what is new in the minds, hearts, a n d behaviors o f workers at all levels a n d the impact o f this o n the creation o f transformation and change in organizations. T h i s represents a major missing link in the literature o n organ~zationalchange a n d individual performance. I n Part I o f t h e book we attempt t o set the stage for the research results by considering the broader framework t h a t o u r participants found themselves in during the first part o f the 2 I s t century. T h i s helps explain some o f why they may have responded t o the research questions as they did. T h e results o f the firsr phase o f survey research are described in Part 11. I n Part 111, we look a t the workplace itself a n d explore workers' real reactions t o actual organizational change. W e also looked at their levels o f elnotional intelligence which indicate the behaviors they are capable o f using and use t o work, given the changes they are experiencing. W h i l e the first phase o f t h e research asked a n d focused o n what people feel, the second p a r t focused o n what their actual attitudes and skills are t o cope with real change in actual work situations. T h i s moved t h e research from opinion t o skills. For while many may SAY they are pro-change the proof as it were is in the real world o f work. W e end the book with suggest~onsfor individuals at work, as well as organizational change agents, managers, a n d leaders who have the bulk o f the responsibility to manage change. Leaders o r consultants have the challenging task o f providing expert counsel t o a n d working jointly with individuals throughout the organization, transforming modern institutions of all types with the goal o f helping t h e m prosper in t h e 21st century. I t is o u r hope that by more closely understanding t h e m i n d shifts and current emotional and behavioral strengths o f workers, efforts to create and sustain necessary change will be b o t h easier t o develop a n d more in keeping with the workers' needs and "abilities. Greater alignment between workers a n d organizational strategies will result in improved organizations with less stressed, more productive workers. T h e r e is n o a r g u m e n t t h a t t h e world o f business a n d nonprofits is enormously stressful and faster paced than ever before. O u r goal is to help ease this pressure a n d s u p p o r t individuals who will be more productive if they work in less pressured and insecure workplaces. W e also want t o help organizational leaders who desperately need emFloyees who are open and willing t o participate in the changes t h a t will ensure success in increasingly challenging markets. W e hope this book proves valuable t o those in b o t h the for-profit a n d nonprofit fields-in private industry a n d the public sector. N o organizations are im-

mune t o change, and n o individual who is employed 'can expect t o work without fairly consistent changes o f one type o r another. Essentially we t o o k a snapshot of people in the 2002 t o 2004 timeframe and have attempted t o share what are the critical trends in this population ofworkers. W e hope that as a result o f this d i s c ~ ~ s s i o an ,specific and textured conversation within your o w n organization will ensue. W e further hope that this dialogue will enhance your knowledge of the challenges you face so that they can be addressed with a conscious understanding o f where you and/or your employees are emotionally a n d behaviorally. T h i s expertise related t o the feeling and behaviors o f you and your staff should play a critical role in influencing how your organization can thrive in the 21st century.

PART I

The Big Picture

CHANGE AHEAD

SYNOPSIS AND IMPLICATIONS

People d o not work o r live in a vacuum. T h e y live in a context-in a culture, a time, impacted by its issues and molded by attitudes prevalent in the society as a whole. T h e y are also impacted by the context o f the workplace a n d its leadership philosophy, strategies, a n d market approaches as well as a n organization's unique culture. W h e n we began o u r research into what people were thinking a b o u t change, and how they were dcaling with change in their lives post 9/11, we felt it was imperative t o have an understanding o f the world they were living in and how it might be impacting their thinking a n d behaviors. To d o that we essentially read about and then analyzed life in the United States in the early part o f the 2 I s t century, most especially as ir relates t o the workplace. I t is not t h a t we ignored the world a t large-far from it. But we limited o u r close inspection t o what was happening here, in the United States, and how this context would effect workers o f all types in any organization including nonprofits and global enterprises. W e focused o n t h e big issues including globalization, terrorism, a n d the new unstable world it has created, the culture wars with their relatively new strong "right" leaning impact as well as the more opcn culture including t h e shift toward self-development, self-determination, and self-llelp. W e explored the rise o f spirituality and its implications. All -of these forces were seen as impacting people a n d their mindsets. Mostly we felt that these forces were creating more sophisticated thinking, more open thinking patterns, and more maturity and complexity o f thought-but we did not yet have the research t o prove it. I n these four chapters o f part one, we also considered the current workplace. W e focused o n strategies a n d markets that we saw as evolving a n d moving quickly a n d decisively t o deal with pressures o f globalization. W e observed significant progress on creating organizations o f all types with strong process orientations and a realistic view o f competition. W e saw t o o a lag in leadership a n d management styles and approaches. g W e noted that despite vast improvements in many aspects o f r ~ ~ n n i norganizations, the management and leadership often were not as educated and sophisticatcd in their thinking a n d approaches due t o a lack o f strong investment in making t h a t happen. I n an o d d twist of events a n d implications, we saw organizations grappling with business realities in the broadest sense o f that term, but we did not see a n equal commitment t o modern and more effective leadership and management in many organizations. W e also touched o n the explosion o f technology and felt that its effect was far greater than many organizations may

PAT GILL WEBBER have thought-people exposed t o technology a t work use it more often and in broader ways than others. T h i s explosion in the uses o f technology we surmised was going t o increase the m i n d sets a n d thinking o f workers across the spectrum, making them more aware a n d Inore in touch with global realities, and more open minded a n d pro-change than their leaders o r organizations might suspect. T h e results o f o u r overview o f the world at large, o r what we call "the Big Picture," set the stage for o u r first phase o f research with people who we predicted would show more positive pro-change attitudes. W e h a d n o idea HOW pro-change those m i n d sets would be.

,

CHANGE AHEAD

CHAPTER I

Background T o understand how working people may have evolved a n d changed in their perspectives, we felt it was necessary t o discuss two areas that constitute the broader context o f the workplace. W e call this two-part context the Big Picture. First, we discuss the economic, political, a n d cultural context. Second, we discuss organizations as they are currently constituted and how they have evolved in the last few decades. Specifically in this second section o f Part I, we will focus o n three core issues related t o organizations. T h e s e three areas are: the state o f strategy and markets; the role o f lcadership and the nature o f employee a n d management relations; and the area o f change and technology. T h i s context explains in part why workers may feel o r t h i n k as they do. Later, i n Part 111 we discuss the specific situations o f the work sites where we conducted o u r research. Organizational contexts, the Big Picture, and the specific work situation o f any given company arc extremely relevant t o consider as organizations and individuals move forward. People d o not operate in a vacuum. Context is highly relevant although not entirely sufficient t o understanding people's perceptions. W e know from current thinking o n organizations that randomness a n d complexity are more o f a reality than order and consistency. As theorists a n d practitioners o f "the new science" tell LLS,organizations are unique and made u p o f multiple variables t h a t make thcm different. Simple rules o f cause and effect, efforts a t standardization, o r even best practices are n o t always relevant t o a deep understanding and leadership of today's organizations. T h e fact that all organizations are unique and continually reshaping themselves is a critical, somewhat obvious but sometimes overlooked consideration in implementing change strategies. Although lessons learned a n d best practices can be helpful, they can never be sufficient in developing change strategies for a specific organization. W e hope o u r research and shared insights will remind individuals and professionals seeking t o take part in personal change o r those t h a t are trying t o influence change within organizations that t o ignore either the broader context t h a t people work a n d live in, o r a specific organizational context that is ever-shifting, could d o o m a n otherwise carefully thought o u t and well designed change strategy. O u r Big Picture, as noted, is a combination o f the world a t large and the

PAT GILL WEBBER organization a t large. I n b o t h cases we observed a number o f large scale shifts well documented in many finely researched books addressing these aspects o f modern life. W e reference a n u m b e r o f these works i n o u r bibliography. Since we are not experts in these areas, we claim n o unique insights into how the world a t large has changed o r how cultural trends have evolved, b u t rather seek t o share o u r informed understanding based on others' work in these areas. W e looked t o T h o m a s Friedman and other societal observers and experts to inform us o f the move f r o m the cold war t o the world o f terrorism, a n d from a world shaped by division t o one shaped by integration. W e reviewed political books like The Emergirg Derilocratic Majority (Judis, Nohria, 2003) and W h a t ; the Matter with Kansas?: H o w Conservatives W o t ~the Heart of Anlerica (Frank, 2004), as well as the enormous outpouring o f analysis after t h e 2004 Presidential election t h a t ' demonstrated shifts from the liberal t o conservative (and in some cases back again) to gain insight into t h e evolving mindset o f voters a n d citizens about what constitutes effective and appropriate action for o u r government. To understand the forces that were changing cultural norms and social trends outsidc o f business, we looked a t the vast self-help a n d personal transformation literature, from Melody Beatty t o Louise Hay, from Dr. Deepak Chopra t o Dr. Wayne Dyer, a n d f r o m the hot-selling C h r i s t i a n books like the "left behind" series t o reflections o n changing structures o f more mainstream religions. I n terms o f business literature, we considered strategy books like W h a t Really Works: Thc 4+2 Fonilltlafor Suslairlcd Business Success (Joyce, Nohria, 2003) and Good to Great: W h y Sor~reCoriipairi~sMake the Leap. . .and Others Doll't (Collins, 2 0 0 I ) , leadership books such as Primal Leadership: Realizing t h Power ~ of En~otior~al~rrtelligena(Golernna, McKee, Boyatzis, 2002), and countless articles such as the special January 2004 issue o f t h e Harvard Business School related t o t h e topic. W e also considered The 8th Habit: Fro111 Effect~vei~essto Greatness (2004), Stephen Covey's new book, which does a terrific job o f summarizing large-scaIe changes in organizational life and the challenges resulting f r o m those shifts. W e considered the new science's effect o n business thinking, as well as strategy and trends in business from executive coaching t o an over-reliance o n technology. As with the first section o f O L I work ~ focusing o n the broader context, o u r purpose was t o consider consistent trends a n d conditions likely t o have shaped the Big Picture a n d hence impacted o u r subjects' feelings, thinking, and perceptions o f change a n d reactions to change. O u r plan was not t o offer a review o f all the history o f the recent past, nor to write a n extensive research review o f these topics as they might exist in a doctoral dissertation, but rather t o illuminate the broad context t h a t workers found themselves in during t h e early 2 I s t century. O u r intention was also t o create a springboard for study by a particular organization t h a t might be more o r less impacted by a given situation. It will be important t o organizations engaging in any change o r transformation effort to also spend time studying changes in their

CHANGE AHEAD industry. T h i s is a major issue that would a n d does create unique conditions t h a t impact all workers a n d leaders. By sharing the perspective we developed about the Big Picture, we also hope t b clarify some o i the conclusions we draw later in the text. W e began o u r research post 9/11 when we sensed as did many others t h a t life a n d work as we have known it in the United States had changed profoundly. First we considered how 9/11 a n d other events o f recent history have changed people's thinking and priorities. We thought that perhaps these changes would begin t o show u p in new trends and ways o f perceiving work that might help b o t h individuals and organizations learn t o be more prodi~ctivea n d effective despite increasing discordant a n d stressful times. People have been impacted a n d influenced in their thinking a n d perceptions by many aspects o f modern life. From a change in cohort thinking (boomers versus Xers and Echo Boomers) t o the catastrophe o f 9/11, t o their own personal evolution and journeys in life, people are evolving in what we see as appropriate ways. W e also reviewed Chargiilg Minds: Be Art and Science af Changing O u r O w n and Other Pfopk's Minds (2004) Howard Gardner's brilliant work o n the cognitive nature o f changing one's own a n d other's minds. T h i s seminal work also informed o u r thinking o n how best t o use people's current thinking and perceptions t o achieve influence in change situations. O u r research supports o u r belief that many workers have evolved away f r o m the stereotype o f the change adverse a n d change resistant worker who is fear based and needing management t o spin the reality o f what is going o n in organizational life. W h i l e some people (maybe a new minority?) may still strongly resist innovation, change, and complexity, many workers in organizations are more independent, interdependent, and sophisticated thinkers with some greater degrees o f emotional intelligence a n d openness t o change than commonly thought by the majority. O u r work suggests t h a t some o f that evolution is due to t h e influences o f the Big Picture as we have described it. Conversely, we observe t h a t the Big Picture demonstrates how some trends stem from what we consider a n improper use by media o r organizational leaders t o ~nisleadand damage people's ability t o t h i n k a n d grow personally and profcssionally. T h e "success" o f scare tactics o r other strategies t o gain political o r personal advantage has always been available t o those who wish t o manipulate. But with current technologies such as the web, and t h e concentration o f media ownership, it is now possible t o attempt and sometimes succeed in creating trends [ha; r u n counter t o the best long-term interest o f individuals and organizations. I n summary, many people at work are being underestimated. T h i s may create a problem for t h e new minority-those who, despite Big Picture a n d interpersonal changes, have themselves remained untouched by broader trends. T h i s 7

PAT GILL WEBBER new minority of those not open t o change may be the biggest issue with which we all need t o face. W e will address this issue in the last chapter o f the book where we consider implications o f o u r research. O u r book will illuminate what we have learned a b o u t today's workers, and how b o t h organizational leaders a n d individual workers will benefit personally and professionally from using t h a t awareness t o better thrive rather t h a n just survive in these tumultuous a n d exciting times.

CHANGE AHEAD

CHAPTER 2

The Economic, Political, and Cultural Context Globalization T h e r e are n o economic trends more influential on organizational life than the rise of globalization. "Globalization is the comprehensive term for the emergencc o f a global society in which economic, political, environmental, and cultural events in one part o f the world quickly come t o have significance for people in other parts o f the world.. .the most dramatic evidence o f globalization is the increase in trade and the movement o f capital.. ..by the early p a r t o f the 21st century more t h a n 1.5 trillion worth o f yen, euros, dollars and other currencies were traded daily to support expanded levels o f trade a n d investment." (William

K. Tabb for Microsoft

Encarta O n l i n e Encyclopedia 2004.) Organizations have come t o regard the global nature o f business as a given. Competition, workforce deployment, markets, and strategies are all affected by global trends. Even organizations that tnight not seem t o be directly effected are impacted. Universities, hospitals, schools, nonprofits, government agencies, o r even local small businesses from retail t o home improvement feel the pinch o f globalization in comparison with other nations, similar enterprises, b~rsinesses,and the flow o f employees into different fields. N o organization is immune. O n l y the most nai've would ignore global trends within one's industry o r career area. T h e good news is, finding this information about globalization o r trends (or any subject for that matter) has never been easier. Increasingly, data suggests many workers are availing thenlselves o f this type o f information. T h e growth o f the web (which allows instant access t o information exceeding any library) and its impact on communications, commerce, and p o P t ~ l a r culture cannot be overestimated. N o industry is untouched, n o work o r career unchanged by the constant growth o f the web and its transformational power t o share information. W h e r e one used t o need know-how and time t o investigate an issue, pursue leads into a story o f interest to one's field, o r d o a research paper o n the expanded ind~isrryone is in, all are now easily done with the support o f nearly universal search tools like Google o r Microsoft. Of course we are aware

PAT GILL WEBBER that a digital divide still exists. However, in terms o f o u r research, we focused o n working people w h o today have access t o computers and the Internet. All o f o u r o w n research was conducted o n t h e Internet through secure links t o surveys. T h e only exceptions were in-depth interviews which were conducted ~n person o r by phone. O n e m u s t assume that people who are exposed t o computers at work are using the web. I n fact research indicates t h a t the greater exposure t o technology at work o r school, t h e greater the general use and confidence in sing technology. Organizations would be wise to stay in touch with the depth and brcath o f what people are looking a t and learning from. I t is not at all uncommon for staff t o be more informed o n what is happening in their organizations via a web search than their own management. If something about one's organization is o u t o n the ,web, wise management assumes some if n o t many einployees know it. Keeping "secrets" has never been more difficult o r futile. W e see increased interest in a n d use o f the web as a means o f staying o n t o p o f trends a n d workplace issues. W i t h diminishing confidence in leaders and managers, workers are getting information they need through the web. T h e danger is the unregulated "standing in front o f the water cooler" nature o f information accuracy o n the web. W h i l e theoretically "news" o r information presented o n a news channel o r in a book o r credible newspaper may have some (source o f validity, there is n o editorial consistency o n the web. Any and all informed o r ill-informed opinions are out there for consumption. However, despite significant inaccuracies a n d outright lies, lnany people's sophistication is apparent in their own screening o f information. W h i l e it is likely true t h a t some if not many are ill served by web information that is hugely biased o r unsubstantiated, this is not significantly different t h a n people seeking only t o see o r hear other forms of information that coincides with their own already formed opinions. Research has suggested that those watching Fox o r CNN are more conservative o r more liberal respectively. I t seems people tend t o be drawn not t o objective reality-if any such thing existed-but rather t o the point o f view one already has developed. W e recommend a thorough reading o f b o t h the concept o f paradigms as presented by T h o m a s Kuhn's text The Strurture $S~ie~lt$r Revolutiotls (2996), and the popularization o f the concept developed expertly by Joel Barker's book Paradigins: The Busirlcss of Discoverillg the Future (1993). Collectively they provide a n excellent understanding o f the dilemina people face when trying to confront o r u n d o t h e established paradigms of any person o r group. W e again I Science $Changing Our Ow11and Other Peoplcj Minds mention Changing Minds: The A ~ and (2004), H o w a r d Gardner's book, since that is also relevant in terms o f understanding the formation o f ideas and opinions as well as difficulties in changing such once formed. It appears then that there is a dichotomy. O n the one hand, we are finding LO

CHANGE AHEAD many people whose sophistication and critical thinking is evolving, while a t the same time there is an ever-present danger that people's established ways o f thinking a n d seeing the world might make them unable t o see critically a r o u n d some important issues in their personal o r professional lives. T h i s attempt to change or shift people's paradigms is often the task o f change management programs o r other efforts t o reinvent institutions. It is n o wonder the challenge is s o great and the uncertainty o f reaching people s o complex. However, i f we are finding that change is more appreciated and understood by people, Hnd there is the use o f ly i n d i v i d ~ ~ arather ls than just inform more change strategies that a c t ~ ~ a l involve o r try t o persuade them, then t h e . d i l e m m a o r dichotomy is not as m u c h o f a n issue o r challenge. For the majority o f American workers, there is a recently developed perception t h a t jobs, work, careers, and the nature o f organizational life has been a n d will hc forever altered due to the forces o f globalization. N o longer just a threat re to blue collar jobs, many in white collar professions worry a b o u t the f ~ ~ t u and the availability o f good paying and secure positions. In many ways, the very idea o f a high paying secure job is itself a n anachronism. People appear t o understand at some visceral level that security comes from their own planning and responsibility for their work a n d career a n d not f r o m any organization o r job. People expect t o have multiple positions, a career that has stops and turns, a n d likely will involve more than four o r five organizations. those who had W h e n Enron collapsed, many were shocked-especially convinced themselves that this new organization was secure despite it not following the older established rules o f what made sense in business. M a n y others who were skeptical from the start o f "new economy paradigms" were silnply not surprised. T h i s understanding o f both the potential for greed o r malfeasance (Enron, WorldCom) and more benign but nonetheless enormously yowerful economic forces larger than any organization o r company (like outsourcing, downsizing, and productivity improvements resulting in fewer unskilled workers) scelns t o have risen as the forces o f globalization have continued t o influence the nature o f w o r k , the availability of work, and the remuneration for work. Peter Drucker, the 95-year old management guru, tells Fortune magazine in O c t o b e r

2003 that, " T h e dominance o f the United States is already over. W h a t is cmerging is a world economy o f blocs represented by N A F T A , the European Union, and A S E A N . There's n o one center in this world economy. India is becoming a powerhouse very fast. T h e medical school in N e w D e l h i is now perhaps the best in the world. And thc technical graduates o f the Institute o f Technology i n Bangalore are as good as any in the world." (Downloaded f r o m www.freerepublic. corn.) M a n y are listening, responding, a n d understanding that forces ofglobalization-hoth good and bad, are influencing all aspects o f life and work. II

PAT GILL WEBBER Closely related t o the issue o f globalization is the issue o f diversity. W e n o longer live in a black and white world. We live in a global world. I t is not unusual t o work with people o f varied religions, varied backgrounds, a n d enormously diverse cultures. W h e r e once we would conduct management training workshops a n d seminars with primarily male audiences dotted by a few scattered women and people o f color, the entire m a p o f executives and workers has grown like a giant mosaic o f the world at large. I n a recent workshop of 50 new young leaders s, Europeans, a n d at a global pharmaceutical firm, Africans, ~ s i a ~Australians, Americans o f every hue and background were t h e norm. Diversity is n o longer "how the races need to get along" b u t rather a new way o f thinking about a n d learning t o interact with people who are diverse in multiple ways, t h e least o f which is skin color. Stereotypes and simple assumptions about people's backgrounds can n o longer be accepted. T h e range o f differences a n d t h e range o f cultures is just t o o great. I n response t o this increased diversity, several things are happening. First, the public at large is becoming more open and accepting o f difference. Even with all the hoopla over gay marriage, increasingly large numbers o f people are supportive o f this; the last o f the "discriminated against groups" is gaining solid support from increasing numbers of people. W e have noticed a wide spread phenomenon in the E c h o Boomer generation-where issues of race and culture were often areas o f stress for the boomers, this younger generation has grown u p with diversity and often easily adapts and accepts differences as a given. T h e y find it easy t o work for people o f different genders and cultures since they were raised with more diversity in their schools, neighborhoods, a n d via the media a n d their culture which is ever more diverse. Younger people need help with their emotional intelligence, but many seem to t h i n k the older generation's issucs o f problems with different races is a thing o f the past. and not in keeping with their ideas o f what is appropriate, sensible, or.usefu1. I t has become a more diverse world, and for the most part, especially younger people seem more than OK with that change. W e find t h a t the more people use the Internet, the more accepting o f diversity they become. W h a t we used t o call "pen pals" are now every day email friends in different countries, and meeting and interacting with various types o f people is everyday news o n the net. W h e r e once one may never have met o r worked with people in another place, today we are commonly interacting across the globe electronically, a n d finding it challenging but not Lnpossible t o d o so. re T h e challenge, o f course, is learning not just t o he color o r c u l t ~ ~blind-a somewhat ubiquitous ideal o f a n earlier age, b u t rather t o be more adept at working with a widely diverse workforce and personal groups in any setting. However, beyond getting along, we want t o create a n awareness o f the unique value o f diversity. Likely there are few historians t h a t would not acknowledge that one o f 12

CHANGE AHEAD the best things about the Unitcd States has been its acceptance o f diversity a n d its use o f the best o f all cultures. W e know t h a t we can achieve greater a n d richer innovations and results o f all types when we collaborate with others who have a different way o f seeing and being in the world. From music to business strategies, the most creative work is usually one that has a wide input from diverse thinking and diverse input. Part o f o u r own work has been t o discuss issues o f diversity in a g r o u p setting-not by the old means o f telling what different people t h i n k a n d how t o behave, b u t rather through having people share their own stories. It is through these means t h a t people learn t h a t diversity involves everyone-that white men are just as diverse as others in the way they process information and t h i n k about issues. Diversky is a complex concept that has clearly grown beyond the original concept that diversity means different raccs o r national origins t o a more sophisticated view t h a t diversity means differences o f every type-especially differences in thinking and understanding issues. Diversity is both a challenge a n d a built-in plus to the new age o f globalization. W i t h o u t a deeper understanding and acceptance o f others, we cannot and will not prosper. But too, there arc dangers in not knowing when lines need t o be kept in $ace. Businesses need global collaboration, but they also need t o design products and services that meet unique conditions a n d cultures. T h e creation o f one world culture is n o t yet a universal aim, although a c o m m o n and shared approach t o world problems is a remaining aspiration for most people in the world. The W a r on Terrorism T h e history o f the mid-twentieth century t o the present can be told f r o m the viewpoint o f governments and their interactions. After W W 2 , the cold war was the major framework o f geo-politics. T h e nation state was the unit o f action and the world was roughly divided into two armed camps headed respectively by the United States and the Soviet Union. Politics b o t h right a n d left had t o deal with this political reality. T h e primary metaphor as described by T h o m a s Friedman in Longiludes atrd Attitudes: The World ill theAge of Terrorism (2003) was "division." W e were divided from the Soviet Union a n d its allies in o u r views o f freedom, o u r values o n personal liberty, a n d o u r Fhysical presence. I f they were there, we weren't, a n d vice versa. T h e Berlin Wall was the visual symbol o f the Cold War. Some o f u s living a n d working in these times may remember the Bay o f Pigs and the days when war with the Soviet Union seemed inevitable. W e remember childhoods filled with nuclear ' b o m b drills that sent us t o scoot under o u r desks. Years later we realized t h e foolishness o f this effort, b u t then it supported o u r thinking that the world was a dangerous place a n d that clearly we were the good guys and the Soviet Union was the bad. Like the cowboys and Indians depicted in westerns of o u r youth,

PAT GILL WEBBER good and bad were often complete opposites with little consideration o f any middle ground o r concepts like multiculturalism. T h e most c o m m o n perception o f the time was that violence o r war was always possible, and t h a t if it did occur it would be fought in some type o f conventional way between warring countries. o r in one o r another place outside o f the United States a n d contained. I n the world order o f today, the United States remains the only real super power. Depending o n one's politics and understanding o f recent history, one can either believe we have handled this inantle well, o r dishonored it. But in either case, the supremacy of the United States has come with a twist: although we may be t h e only remaining super power, we are not safe from terrorism and we d o n o t any country did. control violence and "going t o war" as we once did-or T h e role of the state per se has diminished due t o the power o f the wcb a n d instantaneous communications. O n e m a n , o r many small groups o f men a n d women, can and d o have the power t o change lives, t o alter situations, t o take power into their own hands, o r t o produce terror. W h e r e once "the enemyu meant a country o r set o f countries, we now can have groups o r subgroups who decide t o "fight us" due t o any number o f real o r perceived issues, policies they deem unfair, o r s i ~ n p l yarrogant o r grossly misguided thinking which appears probable in t h e case o f t h e 9/11 disaster. 9/11 impacted people. O u r research a n d much other research indicated that people's sense o f security and peace o f m i n d was forever altered. T o those w h o were not changed, it is often because they somehow knew either through direct understanding and study that the world had been changing over a long period o f time, a n d t h a t it was n o t surprising that a t some point terror would be in o u r own backyard. I n one o f o u r in-depth interviews, we talked with a person who considered hirnsclf a world citizen. H i s perception was t h a t 9/11 was inevitable due t o o u r government's foreign policies a n d history. T h i s was in sharp contrast t o another individual w h o felt t h a t the war o n terror was really a war o f religious belief that pitted the Islamic peoples o f the world against the Christian ones. O n e has t o wonder if the recent (7/7/05) bombings ic London would further influence this view, &r the other. I n any case, it is clear f r o m ongoing events, that terrorism is an ever-present reality a n d will, in o u r view, continue t o create feelings and opinions that are strongly felt a n d deeply disturbing for many people. W h i l e either view would likely be considered "extreme" by many, there is n o doubt t h a t the reasons for terror are not simple t o understand o r control. W h i l e some would state with certainty t h a t the reason for terror is perceived ~ ~ n f a i r n c s s in United States policies in the Middle East, particularly the Palestinian issue a n d the ongoing war in Iraq, others are just as clear that what has created terrorism o r the new terrorism is a hatred o f who we are a n d what we have achieved. T h a t simply, some Islamic people are unwilling to accept their own errors o f 14

CHANGE AHEAD judgment and policy that have created ongoing poverty and lack o f progress in their own countries. T o these people w h o see flaws in Islam itself o r some o f its proponents, our values and beliefs in freedom, eq~lalityo f women, and a n open society are what creates a hatred and desire t o kill us. Regardless o f why there is a potential for more terrorism o n o u r own soil, o r in places all over the globe, the reality is that now that 9 / 1 1 (and 7/7) h a s occ ~ ~ r r ewe d , can never again believe it isn't possible for violence t o come within the United States borders o r any place around the world. Since Bin Laden has yet t o be captured and his stated goal is a n even bigger 9 / 1 1 , we can assume somethi'ng could happen again t o d i s t ~ ~ or ub r way o f life. I t is hoped that the creation o f a new organization for intelligence will lessen this threat, but it is hard t o believe even with substantial changes that there is no likelihood o f violence. W h e t h e r for reasons like religious bigotry and fanaticism o r o f perceived injustice o r just jealousy, the threat o f terror is part o f people's lives globally. Religion a n d land/ ,

resources have long been t o p reasons for wars, violence, o r terror; the difference today is thc ability o f fanatic groups o f any kind t o reach o u t via the web and other communications to both create morc terror a n d communicate about it t o its own constituencies a n d those they threaten. It is clear that terror played a role in the election o f 2004. Regardless if one voted, o r whom one votcd for, the politics o f the campaign included many rcferences t o this new state o f affairs. I t seems somewhat self evident t h a t a fear re attacks, o r a worry that more terror could occur, caused some o f f u t ~ ~ terror people t o vote either for Kerry o r Bush, believing t h a t their policies would create "more o r better safety." By connecting t o people's fears, the politicians were o n safe ground. T h i s confirms o u r finding a n d that o f others that there continues to be a sense o f unease in the new world order. T h e r e is n o d o u b t t h a t the fears associated with 9 / 1 1 and the uncertainty that it has created has influenced many t o desire more protections. I n a recent job satisfaction report (Society for H u m a n R e s o ~ ~ r cManagement c (SHRM) and C N N j l ' s Job Satigartion Series: Job Conlpet~sat i o r r l ~ a Survey j (Report 2004) covering the t o p five aspects o f job satisfaction for employees by gender, b o t h men a n d women listed "feeling safe" as a t o p element o f job satisfaction. F o r those in the h u m a n development field long familiar with Abraham Maslow's hierarchy o f needs, this data is not surprising. I n his wellknown work, people have a hierarchy of needs that starts with safety and security. I n many ways, the advent o f terrorism dcmonstrated by 9/11 created for some a reversal from attention t o higher needs for socialization and actualization-a broader humanistic agenda personally, t o one that focuses first and primarily o n safety. Businesses have had t o respond t o these needs for safety by spending increased amounts o f money on safety issues. T h e y also continue t o face increased technology costs associated with protecting systems a n d people as well as in15

PAT GILL WEBBER creased focus o n protecting global assets. Staffing a n d talent management has also been effected as more people refuse t o work in what they perceivc t o be unsafe environments. Increased anti-Amcricanis~n is another factor t h a t adds t o feelings o f lack o f safety for people who work with global businesses that are primarily seen as United States organizations. Terrorism as a factor 111 the Big Picture appears t o be something that should continue to ~nfluencepeople for the foreseeable future. W e end this section with a caveat. F o r while safety, security, and what we in the United States have come to call "the war o n terror" is a niajor factor i n o u r political landscape, the world at large has not really bought into o u r ovcrall thinking o f this as a worldwide issue. America's central preoccupation with the war o n terror is not widely shared, a n d in fact can be seen as isolating u s from the world a t large. T h i s suggests that the United States' current policies may yet shift again as either the current administration becomes more connected t o others around the globe, o r others take political power a n d choose t o create greater alignment with other sections o f the world. I f that is the case, the environment o f o u r workforce may shift again, dropping the preoccupation with safety further down t h e list o f issues. " T h e cold war world adhered t o a simple paradigm o f free societies, led by t h e United States, confronting C o m m u n i s m , with its headquarters in the Kremlin. But for all o f President Bush's attempts t o frame the current conflict against Islamic terrorism as one o f equality epochal and all-enveloping proportions, it is now clear that the world has resisted such a single, overarching framework. I n wide swaths of the southern hemisphere, including Africa and Latin America, the central preoccupation is economic development and trade. I n Asia the main focus is o n China rising, with India not far behind. I n Europe, the bulk o f political energy is still absorbed by the vast experiment in transnational governance and the banishment o f war that is the European Union." ("The World: T h e W a r o n Terror; An Obsession the World Doesn't Share" by Roger Cohen for The New York ~ ~ ~ I I December P S , 5, 2004.) Cultural Trends T h e last election seems t o leaves little d o u b t that the United States continues t o be culturally divided. I t also appears that the political partics themselves are also more divided, with strong core bases o f voters that have allnost opposite views on many critical issues. Voting patterns indicate that there are fewer politicians who stray f r o m their ~ a r t y ' sposition o n any given issue. W h e t h e r it is the war in Iraq o r abortion rights, health care policy o r safety and security, there is division in how best t o address and develop answers t o these pressing national concerns. T h e discussion o f the "red states" versus the "blue states" has continued since the election, giving rise t o a perception that culturally the nation is divided into t w o groups: one more secular, accepting o f diversity o f all types, and I6

CHANGE AHEAD concerned with issues like social justice and environinental security; the other more likely to distrust any large government programs like the tax system o r social security, is conservative o n social issues like gay marriage, a n d supportive o f a foreign policy that is less likely to consider international alliances than what o u r current leaders in the executive branch consider right o r wrong, just o r unjust. T h i s cultural divide has been the butt of jokes and serious analysis, but we are not completely convinced that the divisions are as set in stone as some might believe. For example, there is now some confusion about who owns which values and positions between the parties. W h i l e the party o f fiscal restraint more recently used t o be the Republicans, with the Democrats favoring greater spending, the exact opposite has been happening in the last few years. W e d o not understand this as a fundamental change on either side but rather a shifting case o f funding of policies o n one o r the other side. W h i l e Democrats might favor increased funding for the environment, more funding for diverse energy alternatives, scientific research, and education, the Republicans favor increased spending o n the war in Iraq and simultaneously lowering taxes, espec~allyfor upper income tax payers and corporations that they believe create jobs and therefore help the economy. W e like t o think there is enormous overlap and rooin for coinmon ground. For instance, there are likely an equal number o f Republicans, Democrats, Independents, o r nonvoters who would like t o see smaller deficits regardless o f how the government accomplishes that task. W e also see a coming together and much crossover in the social security debate, indicating that many Republicans and Democrats are finding their constituencics o f all persuasions concerned about the President's ideas o f the privatization o f some part o f the system. W h i l e we cannot contradict data that appcars t o suggest a divided nation, it is o u r sense that there is a core o f shared values and culture that covers both the red and blue states. Perhaps it is a combination o f pragmatism, a belief in the rights o f individuals to be successfi~lin their own ways, and a sense that everyone ought to be able to get a shot at opportunity, education, a n d "the American dream." There is also a large a m o u n t o f shared patriotism and respect for soldiers who serve o u r country o n both sides of the divide. T h e r e is as well a sense that it is important to take action to create a nation that reflects v a l ~ ~ oe fs decency, 'fair play, and respect for the individual and her/his rights. W i t h the recent tsunami tragedy, we once again see the enormous generosity and coming together o f all types o f Americans. T h e desire t o d o good deeds and be good is strong in o u r culture a n d transcends all political differences. T h e working together o f former Presidents Bush and Clinton represents t o us t h e model o f this distinct set o f American traits and represents the best of what is possible when the c o m m o n decency a n d compassion o f the American people is utilized in a productive manner. 17

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PAT GILL WEBBER T h e divisiveness o f t h e last election may be the result o f any number o f factors, from the rise o f the right-leaning media to longer evolving trends which suggest that younger people and single women continue not t o vote in numbers that match their portion of t h e population. T h i s is relevant particularly as it relates t o understanding the workplace. I t is likely that workers have been impacted by these issues and have strong feelings that need to be considered carefully when one is working with groups of people in complex organizations. N o assu~nptions should be made about how staff o r employees may feel o r t h i n k about certain key issues. O u r research suggests there is an enormous need for leaders o f all types who can bring people together. Politicians like United States Senator John M c Cain and United States Senator Barack O b a m a represent those types o f leaders who seem t o have broad appeal. I n businesses and nonprofits alike, leaders who can get people t o rise above differences t o feel excitement and passion about the mission and vision of their organizations can help mitigate these cultural divisive feelings that have impacted workers at all levels. T h e role o f religion is also playing a part in the diversity o f the nation. T h e r e are more Muslims than Episcopalians, the religion o f the "founding fathers." W h i l e the developed world is generally less religious than t h e underdeveloped world, the gross exception is the United States with t h e largest number o f practitioners o f all types o f religion. W h i l e some may feel that the Christian conservatives had an unprecedented rise in power in the last election, it is equally true that religions o f all types are growing their bases of participants. Along with the continued influence o f religions o f all types is thc ever-increasing rise o f spirituality a n d its impact on all aspects o f people's lives. T h i s rise in attention t o issues o f spirit has created new ways o f thinking about meaning and effectiveness in people's lives. Magazines like Spiritualrty a i d Health and continuing growth o f alternative ways o f studying and'understanding how t o bring people together and fight common problems, indicate a constantly increasing n'umber o f people who ate open t o new ways o f looking at their lives, their l We faith, a n d the application o f these ideas t o their work as well as ~ e r s o n a lives. see the acceptance and appeaI o f sites like beliefnet.com which covers all religions of the world as a n example o f how people o f all traditions and backgrounds are looking t o share what is best about the spirituality and approaches o f their faiths t o bringing about better conditions and better tolerance around the world. "Spirituality at work" is a trend, and has been noted as such by the New York Times, the Wall StreetJournal, Fortune a n d National Public Radio. I t remains, o f course, somewhat o f a controversial and complex topic since the term spirituality is s o broad and t h e applications s o diverse. Employees want t o bring rheir whole selves t o work. T h i s creates challenges for leaders who need t o consider how t o engage the whole person, show respect and tolerance for diverse religious views, and maintain a strong division between Church and State. Experts in the 18

CHANGE AHEAD field, such as Harvard Business School senior lecturer Dr. Laura Nash and 0 s Hillman, t h e director of the International Coalition o f Workplace Ministries, feel that the trend was created and driven by the baby boomer generation who rebelled against religious conformity and instead began to revere "respect for the sacred self." (Training and Development, November 2004, pgs. 17-19.) W h i l e 9/11 increased people's interest in their families, it also gave rise t o more thought about spirituality and "what's most important in life." Since spirituality often links t o more community-based activities, this increase in spirituality would seem t o be a good thing. I t seems, however, that at the same time there is more religious diversity and increased interest in spirituality, there is also a decline in many community-based activities. W h e t h e r due t o 24/7 work lives or other pressures o f modern life, o r just a changing focus on the seIf and one's own family, some types o f connection and community seem t o be decreasing in o u r lives. T h i s trend may begin t o reverse itself as more people move t o exurban areas beyond the suburbs and develop more ties t o smaller towns and communities. It may also be that although traditional types o f connections a n d volunteer activities are decreasing, connection to others through the web has increased and people are linking with those with whom they share c o m m o n volunteer o r socially conscious interests. Organizations like MoveOn.org a n d hundreds o f new charities are using the web t o engage people in both practical a n d spiritual ways. T h r o u g h organizations focused o n issues from spirituality t o helping o u r troops overseas, research and science t o shared parenting tips, empowerment for the disabled t o global dating a n d mating sites, strong connections have developed online, creating new types o f comnlunities that, as noted, may well be taking the place o f older "place based" organizations o f the 5 0 s and 60s. T h e c ~ ~ l t u r landscape al is also shaped by several other large trends. As the baby boom generation gets closer t o retirement, we see Generation X and Y coming forward with more interest in work-life balance. T h i s can he illustrated by the fact that for the first time since 1976, the labor force participation rate o f mothers with infant children declined in 2002. T h e SHRM Research (2004) pointed o u t that this interest in establishing more o f a work-life balance is shared by men as well as women. However, since the Generation X group is not that large, the impact on work and its need t o have more family-friendly policies may not happen until the later Generation Y has children. T h e idea o f work being the center of people's lives is definitely passi. M o s t of the younger generations are clear that work is necessary, important, and possibly critical t o one's dreams and aspirations, but work is not a life-and a life without ties, connections, and family is not worth living. Education presents some interesting insights into o u r evolving culture. W h i l e the workplaces o f the current time and future require more a n d ' b e t t e r skilled workers, o u r efforts t o improve education in the United States are decid-

PAT GlLL WEBBER edly mixed. W h i l e women are obtaining increased degrees a n d credentials, men are not. W h e r e once international students were anxious t o come here for college o r graduate school, less o f these students are doing this, causing real concern in the college community. Also it appears that the number o f people obtaining college degrees is remaining constant despite the need for more educated workers. T h i s may well be due t o constantly rising costs o f education a n d people being unwilling t o take on large loans even if they are the "cheapest a n d best loans out there." O u r public schools may be trying t o "Ieave n o child behind," but therc remains a crisis in the quality of o u r schools and educational resources. A recent study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development suggests that the United States, while spending more t h a n other nations, has lower graduation rates than other developed nations. I n addition, it further made the point that our educational success rates o f students were particularly poor in math and science. If these educational trends continue, the United States may continue t o lose well paying jobs t o nations like India who are continuing t o

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graduate more a n d better educated students. I n February o f 2 0 0 5 , Bill Gates, the founder o f Microsoft, gave a blistering indictment o f education t o the governors o f the United States a n d committed funds from his foundation t o begin t o address what he sees as t h e failures o f the country t o provide decent educations to the vast majority o f its citizens.He is not alone in perceiving the dangerous situation the, country will face if it continues t o fail in providing more broad, high quality education. T h e educational crisis seems t o be intersecting with business a n d workplace needs. T h e r e continues t o exist a mismatch between skills needed for jobs and people available. "In t h e decade following 2010, the portion o f the population begin under age 45-the principle talent pool for managers and workers-will shrinking by 6 percent annually. I n other words, structural demographic forces are now in place for a real war for talent that could continue for 20 years following 2 0 1 0 . . .. As the skilled people who r u n United States corporations retire and the number o f younger entry-level workers continues to fall, t h e effects o f the great mismatch o f skills and jobs will intensify. Unemployment will d r o p as jobs g o unfilled and some businesses may leave the United States entirely in search of highly skilled, job-ready workers elsewhere." (Training, January 2005, pg. 35.)

C H A N G E AHEAD

CHAPTER 3

The Nature of the Organization Strategy and Markets As noted, the single greatest ongoing phenomenon impacting organizational stratcgy and markets is globalization. I n response to this challenge, there has been a change in the approaches o f organizations toward developing strategies and engaging with markets. Strategies that emphasize focus and tightly constructed and implemented missions and visions have b r o ~ ~ more ~ h t people into the process o f active engagement in businesses and organizations. T h i s has been a good thing. However, if other statistics are to be believed, despite efforts o f organizations t o include and educate people about their industries and tie folks into the key decisions o f the enterprise, s ~ n a l lnumbers o f employees truly feel engaged at work. I n the opening t o his new book, The 8th Habit: Fro111EffPctiveness lo Greatrress (2004), Stephen Covey shares the analysis o f the Harris Intcractive who recently polled 2 3 , 0 0 0 U.S. residents working in key industries. T h e results were shocking-only 37% had a clear understanding o f what their organization is trying to achieve, and only one in five were enthusiastic about t h e goals o f their team o r organization. In reality, the last ten years has been a time o f survival and profound shifts. Globalization h a s created b r u t a l competition in m o s t markets, including nonFrofits. W i t h these challenges have corne increased governmcnt regulation, post scandals of the recent past, and the rcalities o f living in a post 9/11 world. These somber realities have caused many businesses t o focus o n what they saw as essentials-keeping their stockholders happy if they had them, o r keeping the marketplace pleased with their product a n d service offerings. Less attention was paid t o culture, appropriate motivation, and engagement strategies with people, despite years of research demonstrating its importance, a n d notwithstanding the enormous lip service that leaders o f all kinds give to people and their issues. T h e environment was just t o o tough t o allow most executives and managers the c o ~ n f o r to f being "side tracked" to implement needed and appropriate human, compassionate, and workable people strategies. Exceptions with wonderful stories are out there. A new book entitled joy at Work: A Revolutiorlary Approach to Furl on the Job (2005) by Dennis MI. Bakke about A E S (a 4 0 , 0 0 0 person global energy enterprise) describes one o f those organizations that took the radical

PAT GILL WEBBER approach o f involvement a n d creating joy at work-achieved amazing results. However, this approach was rare. W h i l e HR folks tried t o get t o the table in larger numbers, a n d consultants continued t o generate enormous resources that demonstrated the need for engagement and involvement, it never took center stage. Rather, short-sighted survival strategies-such as layoffs, inappropriate and failed mergers, new leader-generated change programs, and power grabsbecame increasingly popular. St;ong efforts t o create pro-people, pro-learning, pro-high performance, and high engagement cultures did exist, particularly at winning firms. However, looking across strategies used by large numbers o f organizations, those chosen were relatively standard market strategies o f constant cost reduction, modified products, line extensions o f existing products, attempts to make inroads with the emerging "upper class" of affluent Americans, low price and discount strategies, and expanded uses of all types of technology t o replace workers when possible. These types of strategic efforts took the majority o f resources f r o m other strategies that would have p u t creative involvement of people, innovation, and productivity front and center. A few terrible leaders o f organizations in the last I0 t o 15 years reached new levels of greed a n d arrogance as t h e c ~ ~ l c u roef individualism a n d self-concern that is part o f the broader American culture became part o f the business culture as well. W h i l e this is changing somewhat in t h e early 21st century as contracts for C E O s are examined and reconsidered, it is clear from recent history that the guiding principle for some high profile leaders was their own enrichment rather than what was good for the majority o f customers o r employees. Again, this is not t o suggest that this is a new phenomenon-greed after all has becn,around since the earliest o f times-nor are we suggesting all leaders are greedy o r that all executives took advantage o f boards that would overpay t o get them. W e are suggesting that this recent bout o f greed took hold due to a number of forces, leaving the majority o f workers less well off a n d less secure, while a few at the t o p were overly compensated and were depended on t o make the difference that businesses felt the economy demanded. T h e idea o f getting just the right leadership (the perfect CEO, for instance) became a strategy itself. Rather than relying o n broader leadership and an approach that would have engaged a larger group in meeting market conditions, the strategy that took hold was t o find the right players a n d hope they would make the right call and redirect failing o r floundering organizations. I t is hoped that a more realistic view o f senior leaders will emerge, creating strategies and approaches that are more sensible, more broadly developed by the entire workforce within an organization, based o n sound research o f change management, and more likely t o lead t o better climates within organizations. I t is not important o r necessary t o blame boards o r leaders. It is, however, helpful t o suggest that better strategies will emerge when organizations provide more security a n d more engagement t o broader numbers of people, 22

CHANGE AHEAD a n d when they spread compensation in ways that encourage deeper commitment to organizational goals. W h i l e these failures existed, some better strategies also took hold during the period o f the last ten plus years. Q u a l i t y a n d reengineering, which had been around for decades, found real success in companies that at long last were trying these strategies as a means o f continuing t o drive o u t costs and waste. These strategies were also used t o fix processes that were outdated o r inefficient. W h i l e getting less publicity than at the height o f the quality movement in the 1 9 8 0 s a n d early I990s, quality initiatives were often quietly initiated and met with some success. T h o s e organizations that continued t o be innovative in the operations area, such as Dell and Wal-Mart, continued t o beat their competitors consistently demonstrating that process improvements o f any type can be a means o f competitive advantage. I n fact, quality process improvements, used consistently and with excellence, have and d o help organizations sustain advantage in the marketplace. Also tried with some success have been high performance culture strategies that are morphing into more concrete approaches to making high performance more predictable. Studies by groups like Booz Allen H a m i l t o n and the Accenture Institute for High Performance Business are working t o decode and simplify the areas that organizations need t o focus o n t o be successful. As with books like I/Vha/ Realb~ Works: The 4+2 Forn~u/aforSustained Busilless Success (Joyce, Nohria, 20031, there are certain star performing companies (Toyota, Johnson & Johnson, and eBay, for instance) that have managed t o innovate with excellence due t o strategies that combine successful use o f motivation tools, application o f technology in strategic ways, focus o n those few areas that will lead t o success in a given business, a n d balancing long and short term results. Companies that used tried and true strategies such as refocusing o n customers and sticking t o their core businesses also succeeded.

Leadership: The Employee/Management Relationship I n talking about globalization, we covered what is the major change in organizational life in the last ten years. Speed and pressure t o perform have multiplied. N o matter the industry, productivity and rising expectations is the nature o f modern working life. Workers feel the emphasis o n productivity and push t o d o more with less. T h e knowledge workers o f today are being expected to not just perform and increase productivity, hut they are being c o ~ ~ n t eo dn t o be creative as well. T h i s pressure t o do more with less has directly impacted the employee/leadcrship relationship and unfortunately remains a problem for most organizations. W h i l e the landscape o f organizational life has changed due t o globalization and increased needs to compete, the nature o f organizations remain for the most 23

PAT GILL WEBBER part in t h e industrial age in terms o f how they are organized and how Inanagement operates. W h i l e organizations are evolving through changing economic, cultural, and technological trends, organizational life has been slower t o adjust to the need for work cultures that allow workers t o be creative, contribute o n an ongoing basis, a n d be truly engaged as full people excited by their work. W h i l e employers have expected more f r o m employees, they have consistently supplied less. Secure pensions, b ~ ~ i l t - icost-of-living n increases, a n d ongoing and open opportunities for advancement are all less common t h a n ever. ~ m ~ l o ~ ees have become increasingly aware that their individual success is tied t o the achievements o f their organizations. T h e y have come t o expect less o f the "perks" o r benefits o f a n earlier'rime. However, one frustration that many employees feel, understandably, is that while they know their fate is tied t o their organization's present situation, they seem less able t o influence outcomes. O f t e n leadership decisions (Enron, W o r l d c o r n , and M a r s h & M c L e n n a n Companies, Inc. for example), poor market conditions (post 9/11 airlines for example), o r just smarter competition (Dell, W a l - M a r t , and Southwest Airlines) makes their individual efforts t o help the organization seem less impactful. T h i s leads t o further alienation a n d turmoil in the workforce as employees wonder what t h e y c a n d o t o protect their own interests more effectively in light o f t h e current challenging economic developments. Furthermore, some employees are keeping u p with the changes in business, the Internet a n d its impact o n corporate cultures and business realities, as well as the co~npetitiona n d new global conditions. Keeping LIP with such dramatic changes has created a s i t ~ ~ a t i owhere n some workers i r e less able t o grasp these new realities, o r if they grasp them t o deal with the resulting more "Darwinian" work culture. T h e r e have been dramatic increases in the attention paid to leadership education in many for p o f i t and nonprofit organizations in the last decade. Leadcrship styles and approaches have been increasingly described in thousands o f new books describing how best t o lead in these t u m u l t u o ~ ~times. s Having evolved from the more straightforward "how to" management development efforts of the 1970s and 8 0 s , increased attention was placed on helping managers ~ ~ i i d c r s t a n d a n d develop missions, as well as visions and goals t h a t linked t o these objectives. Today's leaders must handle the basics like setting and a,rticulating goals, hiring a n d firing staff, making day-to-day decisions, a n d listening a n d responding t o employee needs. T h e y also must be able t o set and maintain m o m e n t u m toward a vision, t h i n k critically a n d strategically not just locally, be a team leader a n d a team player, create and maintain a high performance culture, choose and.develop talent for the organization-all the while being inore self-aware and self-regulating, and willing t o use collaboration to lead change successfully and influence beyond their own turf. Just reading the list is exhausting. T h e demands are greater t h a n ever a n d there are fewer resources. T h i s leaves a leadership crisis in ma'ny

;oar

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CHANGE A H E A ~ organizations, compounded by t h e inevitable loss o f their most talented leaders as boomers are starting to retire. More attention was paid t o creating high cultures as t h e legacy o f quality a n d process reengineering continued t o encourage the empowerment o f workers, as well as the involvement o f teams t o address organizational bottlenecks and increase productivity a n d innovation. Executjve coaching came into its own and many executives began to avail themselves o f this service. But despite its p o p ~ ~ l a r i and t y press, the actual numbers o f people utilizing personal coaches o r being impacted by new leadership strategies is relatively minor. T h e combination o f cyclical tough times, and limited resources especially for education and training, created a situation where leadership a n d management development is not a fully implemented approach in the bulk o f companies outside o f the t o p tier Fortune 50 o r I00 and nonprofit t o p tier organizations. W h i l e many organizations dabbled in leadership and management development, the number o f organizations who have a consistent and thorough training and education system in place for their management and leadership ranks remains relatively small. Added t o this gap between the literature o f leadership and management training and the reality o f its practice, the growth o f newer technology firms and high tech companies with young and inexperienced management increased the gap between organizations with solid and professionally developed leaders and those that had whoever could handle the pace and push o f the work culture. W h i l e leaders need increasing skills and models t o handle increased complexity and growth o f organizations, most leaders a n d managers outside o f a n elite few have minimal opportunities for leadership development, executive coaching, and ongoing support in their professional growth. From o u r vantage point, the needs are ever greater a n d the educational opportunities in shorter supply. Competition has also led t o increasing instability o f work life, which cont i n ~ ~ teos make many workers extremely concerned with their survival. T h e natural tendency t o feel secure and safe has led some people t o be overly cautious, trying t o remain below the radar t o avoid €roblems a n d potential loss o f their job. W h i l e this is the exact opposite o f the skills a n d attitudes needed, i t is a natural consequence o f workers feeling exceedingly vulnerable in a fast-paced a n d coinpetitive work world. W h i l e organizations need t o support rather than stifle creativity and innovation through empowerment a n d improved h u m a n resources policies, many managers and leaders themselves lack the knowledge a n d skill t o fully engage workers, treating them like disposable parts. T h e b o t t o m line is t h a t there is a n increased need for'new and evolved workplaces, b u t both workers and leaders are.generally ill-equipped t o make the necessary changes. Finally, there is the issue o f change management approaches. W h i l e many organizations have begun t o ~ m p l e m e n one t o r another change initiat;ves, few if

PAT GILL WEBBER any have utilized newly recommended strategies t h a t suggest more a n d broader engagement. As noted earlier, suggestions o f a new paradigm o f change t h a t includes widening circles o f constituencies are used very selectively, if at all. M o s t organizations are trying t o cope with a n d address the need t o change-few are successfully utilizing the advice o f change experts who suggest more and everwidening use o f participation in these efforts t o create successful a n d sustained Improvement. W e d o not want t o appear totally without h o p e o r suggest that many organizations are not attempting-whether through online learning o r traditional learning-to close t h e gaps o f skills a n d attitudes o f both workers and leaders. But o u r general sense o f the workplace indicates the needs' are ever greater and the abilities to meet those needs are increasingly limited. T h e r e is an irony here. W h i l e people appear t o be shifting their perceptions on change a n d essentially a r e m o r e open a n d willing t o engage t h a n ever before, organizations appear t o be under-utilizing their people a n d continuing t o underestimate the ability of workers t o engage in and take part in helping t o shape their futures. T h e r e is a saying in learning circles that "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear." I t is evident t h a t the student is ready, but the teacher is not allowing the student t o learn o r grow. Covey's The 8th Habit: Frorn qfectiveness to Greatness (2004), presents a n approach t h a t supports many of o u r beIiefs o f fuller engagement. W e are hopeful this book will achieve t h e success o f Covey's first book, introducing more organizations t o updated a n d effective methods for dealing with what we have found in o u r shifting perspectives of today's workers.

Change and Technology W i t h statistics showing t h a t IM (instant messaging) will become a n integral part of most workFlaces in a few years, we can be sure t h a t t e c h ~ ~ o l oisg ~ everywhere part of t h e new workplace. According t o a recent study by Gartner, Inc., about 70 pPrcent o f organizations are using instant messaging now; by the end o f 2 0 0 5 , IM will be the primary way people interact electronically, surpassing email. T h e r e is n o d o u b t that increased means of co~nmunication,powered by and through technology, has swept the business world. Beginning in the 1970s and relentlessly into the 8 0 s a n d 90s, the technology functions o f organizations continued t o expand, bringing increased mcans o f productivity, increased ability t o get and understand data, and tremendous changes in how work is done, organized, a n d processed. F r o m supply chains t o selection, f r o m customer web sites t o new purchasing systems, technology has transformed the corporation and nearly every nonprofit as well. M o r e and more people work with colleagues they have never nlet o r seen. People are part o f teams that work exclusively over the net, a n d often there are customer and organizational bonds that are forged without anyone saying a word.

CHANGE AHEAD: T h i s is a profound change in the work world which will likely continue t o expand. W h i l e collaboration is one o f the essential new skill sets for successful work, the ability t o collaborate is n o t what it needs t o be-especially in complex organizations. Training in collaboration is increasing in organizations that value innovation, as it is determined t h a t the pcrsonal skills needed t o be a n effective collaborator, and the tools needed t o work across boundaries and cultures, is missing f r o m many modern workers. Books like Business without Boui~daries: A n Artiorl Frarneworkfor Collaborating Across fitne, Distance, Ovganizatiot~,and Culture (Mankin, Cohen, 2004) are trying t o help individuals a n d companies increase their effectiveness in this arena. A t the same time t h a t many people are connected exclusively by technology, the ability t o interact in a meaningful way with o t h ers t o either create possibilities o r t o imagine new ways o f reaching people with services and p-oducts demands that we still work closely together. Wr still need t o listen and engage with others in order t o create successful businesses, projects, a n d lives. W e have t o find ways to d o this with technology-and that remains a challenge. W h i l e the use o f technology has continued t o reshape work, it has left some gaping holes as well. W h i l e communication tools a n d means o f connection have never been greater, there is a sense that in many organizations there has been a loss o f commitnication a n d connection. Ironically, more has not necessarily meant better. T h i s , o f course, is a frightening thought-we expect technology t o be the answer t o problems, not a creator o f new ones, as it clearly is. A n d while there is little doubt that technology, properly used and applied, has made critical a n d amazing improvements t o the b o t t q m lines o f many organizations, there clearly has been a fall-out with new challenges generated from t o o much email which distracts rather than supports work, t o t o o much time o n the Internet which decreases rather than increases people's productivity. Further, generations growing u p with technology may find dealing with people "too slow" o r "too boring" and have less adequately developed interpersonal skills that are desperately needed in today's organizations. Daniel Goleman's Working with Errlotional Intelligence (1998) suggested a new way t o measure a n d encourage intelligence i n leaders a n d workers at all levels. H e noted that the need for emotional intelligence is greater than ever, not lessened by technology. " T h e globalization o f the workforce puts a particular premium o n emotional intelligence in wealthier countries. Higher wages in these countries, if they are to be maintained, will depend on a new kind o f productivity. And structural fixes o f technological advances alone are not enough:. . .streamlining o r other innovations often create new problems that cry o u t for even greater emotional intelligence." (p. 9.) Technology continues t o improve the means o f cornrnunicating. From IM t o ipods, the digital world is here a n d it is not likely t o decline. T h e question is how this technology is impacting workers, their emotional intelligence. their 27

PAT GILL WEBBER ability to work well with others, and their ability to work coherently to achieve needed changes. At this point in time, there appears to be a mixed set of results. In many cases technology has speeded processes and generated short cuts to eliminate,old systems that were outdated, but removcd the customer from his o r her rightful place at the center of an enterprise. O n the other hand, some people have become so overwhelmed by the amount and isolation of too much electronic communication, that they have become less effective in dealing with the emotions and attitudes o f people at work, creating gaps in needed communication and connection. T h e answer lies not in less use of technology, but in more effective uses of technology married to more effective interpersonal and personal strategies which allow workers to engage with people more deeply when they meet o r connect, whether it be by voice or some other electronic vehicles for communication. People need to use technology-not be used by it. Newer innovations of office sharing systems such as those being introduced by Microsoft in its next iteration of Office-the ubiquitous tool of the modern corporation-hopefully will produce more real opportunities for connection and collaboration without becoming simply another technology tool that puts more "distance" between the very people who desperately need to connect in deeper ways.

.

CHANGE AHEAD

CHAPTER 4

Conclusion T h e r e is n o d o u b t thnt the world is a vastly different place than it was in

1950 o r 1980-or even 2001. It continues t o be shaped by political, social, cultural. and econolnic forces. People working in organizations are strongly influenced by these forces, a n d it is important t o be aware o f what is happening more broadly in society t o understand the reactions and opinions o f workers. Workers are also impacted strongly by the style a n d management/leadership approaches i.n organizations and the strategies and technology these organizations employ t o stay viable. Continuing t o monitor these broad trends is essential t o being a professional in the fields o f leadership, as well as personal organizational development. In the I995 book I n Over Our Heads: f i e Mer~talDemands af Moderr7 Lge, Dr. Robert Kegan suggests that modern life and its expanding complexities is t o o difficult for the average person whose development is not at sufficient levels of conscious ~lnderstanding.W h i l e we agree with Dr. Kegan t h a t life is increasingly complex and that many may be stumbling t o grasp how best t o work at life and its expanding complications, o u r own research implies that many people are evolving o r are evolved in ways that are helping t h e m cope with complexity a n d change. People are being influenced by many o f the trends a n d situations we have discussed t o have higher levels o f adaptation t o change, greater emotional intelligence, and grcater openness t o engage with new ideas and approaches. T h i s may be due n o t just t o increasing exposure t o more mature ways o f t h i n k i n g about life and work, but also due to the aftereffect of events like 9/11, which for many was a n extreme experience requiring a new lens t o view reality. W e are encouraged by o u r findings t h a t for the most part, many people we surveyed a n d talked t o perceived that they had much o f the "right stuff" to b o t h cope with a n d manage change a n d complexity in their lives a n d at work. T h e y welcomed the chance t o adapt, grow, a n d reinvent themselves t o cope with new conditions a n d did not, as a group, seem either afraid o f change o r worricd a b o u t it. O u r work has given us sufficient evidence that success in organizations o r in an individual life does not mean simply handling change, o r responding t o change. Rather, success with change means leading change, o r creating the internal changes one needs t o thrive in life, not j~rstsurvive. Organizations as a whole

PAT GILL WEBBER are best off when they are innovating and carving o u t new markets and/or new and better strategies and approaches t o customers a n d their markets rather than just fending o f f competition o r floundering t o cut costs t o survive. W e best deal with change when we are aware o f it a n d open t o t h e good it brings while minimizing the negative it might be creating. We, also deal best when we are in touch with ourselves a n d o u r own values as well as life's core unchanging principles s o t h a t we can grasp what is changing and leverage it t o improve o r expand o u r lives and those o f o u r neighbors a n d colleagues. Finally, we need t o be aware of what trend o r change is dangerous s o we can minimize its impact o r deal with its aftermath. W e do well when we get o u t in front o f the trends a n d evolutions t h a t are continuingly reshaping o u r modern world. I n many cases, we might never individually be able t o see what the world is coming to-but collectively, through interacting with others, listening t o multiple viewpoints, reading, and working diligently, we can often see ahead t o what is coming and prepare for it. A n d once immersed in organizational life o f any kind-our mosque, church, o r synagogue, o u r place o f paid work o r volunteer group, o u r political party o r local club-it is imperative that we become a continual part o f the process o f improving a n d shaping these institutions t o be more adaptive, more creative, a n d more flexible. G r o w t h is collective as well as individual. T h e more we grow personally, t h e more we grow collectively t o create the world we want t o create, not just suffer the aftermath o f violence like 9/11 o r corruption in its many. forms. W e have learned a great deal by listening t o o u r data. I t is rich in its complexity. W e are offering o u r interpretations o f it t o you so you can take o u r insights a n d combine them with a11 that you are seeing and experiencing in your own life in terms o f change, adaptation, a n d growth. W e hope t o influence you t o consider that despite the troubling world i n which we live, there are many positive aspects t o the ways in which individuals and organizations are evolving. W h i l e clearly n o t everyone benefits from every dramatic change, and some changes can creare havoc and confusion, collectively it appears that more people benefit from evolutionary changes-as long as they develop t h e appropriate tools and skills t o work well in multiple situations, a n d they approach change with a n openness a n d flexibility. F r o m where we sit, it appears t h a t many more than we initially realized are doing just that.

PART I1

Phase I Research: T h e Myth of Change Resistance

CHANGE A H E A D

SYNOPSIS AND IMPLICATIONS

Phase one of our research involved about 315 subjects who responded t o an open survey we developed and put o n the Internet. W e worked with an organization t o help us get a spread o f ages and a mix o f sexes as well as some diversity in terms o f race and background. We accomplished this and had a mixed sample. W e also interviewed a number of people in deFth after the survey was completed and analyzed the results t o get additional insights into o u r research quest~ons. I n phase one we were asking two major sets o f questions. T h e first had t o d o with change in general and how people felt a b o ~ it~ tand dealt with it in all aspects o f their lives. Secondly, we asked questions about 9/11 and living in a world of terrorism. Since we surveyed people all over the United States and some internationally, we did not see o r account for any bias o f people who were close t o the events o f 9/11. Some suggest that 9/11 was an event largely lived a n d felt on the east coast o f the United States O u r research did not support this contention with no differences found in o u r sample based purely o n geography. Simply put, ~t we were looking t o learn what people's attitudes a n d feeling were a b o ~ change and adaptation and how all this played o u t in relationship t o living in a post 9/11 world. T h e results were very strong, persuasive, and not ambivalent. Across all ages, sexes, races, and backgrounds, people were strongly pro-change, open and willing t o change personally and Frofessionally, if they were clear that change was needed in many situations in the world today and were aware that without change and often strong change they could not succeed personally o r profcssionally. There were virtually no'differences by group-a very unusual and different result than one might expect. I n terms of living in a terrorist world, clear patterns emerged. People have become much inore self- involved and family-centric. One's home, family, personal life, and all things ~ e r s o n a lare more important than careers, money, o r moving ahead. Health concerns took preccdence over business opportunities. W h i l c not surprising t o some, the findings certainly contained rich data for people running organizations o r working in them. People want a n d expect different things from organizations-and their commitments t o them are clearly less intense than when the world was a safer and more secure place, or at least perceived t o be such. T h e threc chapters in Part II g o through the details o f all the questions asked in both parts o f this portion o f the research.

It

also shares specific data

PAT GILL WEBBER suggesting what small differences existed between various groups o f those that responded. Portions o f interviews with ten different people are also inclided which shed light o n the feelings, needs, and concerns o f a range o f workers from their 2 0 s t o their early 6 0 s who work in a variety o f settings. T h i s in~erviewdata helps support o u r recommendations later on as well as suggests that o u r data was accurate in the surveys. T h i s result we found-namely that people are very strongly pro-changc and deeply impacted by the new world order-encouraged us to look further to see if, in fact, the differences in various organizations would influence how people specifically dealt with change a n d handled change in organizations-not just what they thought about change. W e were surprised at the depth o f the material and how different these views were, from t h e commonsense wisdom o f change resistance and the dismay seem t o indicate when faced with making changes. If t r u t h be told, we were expecting more sophisticated views, but the depth o f people's sophistication, and openness t o new thoughts a n d actions, did strike us as a profound and criticaI paradigm shift.

CHANGE AHEAD

CHAPTER 5

More Pro-Change than We Knew Was 9/11 an event that fundamentally changed people, effecting them t o be more open t o change? D o people resist change and growth as much as many business leaders seem to think they d o because o f 9/11! Why is it that so Inany organizations o f all types that need t o respond t o opportunities and challenges in rhe world d o not make the changes needed in appropriate time frames? These are distinct and yet inter-related questions in a post 9/11 world. 9/11 was not just a political, religious, o r personally devastating event. I t was also a n economic event that for years threw southern M a n h a t t a n .and N e w York City a serious economic curve ball. Its severe "temporary" effect on many industries like airlines and travel continues t o affect n l a r ~ ybusinesses even today. Like all tragedies, there has been a silver lining for some businesses such as security and related industries that find themselves more busy dealing with the fallout of a more safety-conscious, fearful, and concerned public. As change consultants who have worked in organizations attempting t o create and sustain change process initiatives, it often seemed t o 11s that people were never as change adverse as management thought. Employees did have fears and issues about how changes might affect them. Employees t h a t we worked with were also rightly skeptical o f how the change would work itself out, what it meant for them a n d how any new twist o n the wheel would work out after the dust settled. T h i s might mean they were cautious o r sensible, but they never seemed adverse t o change per se. W h e n 9/11 occurred, its impact began to filter into o u r brains a n d nervous systems. T h e question o f how this event would o r could transform o r strongly impact people kept recurring t o us. Would the post 9/11 times be a unique opportunity to look at people in the workplace and actually observe how they were thinking about change and adaptation? Could we use the post 9/11 world about as a way t o gain insight into people's thinking about themselves-and change-and thus help both individuals and organizations understand what was happening t o people and their attitudes about middle- t o large-scale change? These types o f questions were the impetus for the first part o f o u r research. After a number o f false starts and with a good deal o f help f r o m colleagues, we finally developed an online questionnaire and Ict the pros d o the job o f get-

PAT GILL WEBBER ting a diverse audience t o take the survey. W e did not want the respondents t o be people we knew o r who worked in companies that might b e current o r former clients. T h e questionnaire was anonymous, although simple demographic data d world and the United States rewas gathered. Over 315 people from a r o ~ ~ nthe sponded to our survey; in addition, personal one-to-one in-depth interviews were conducted with a selcct group o f people which honed in o n reactions to 9/11 and thoughts about change. T h i s first survey and interview phase o f the research was completed by 2003. T h i s chapter describes the first p a r t o f the research-it looks at the survey itself, the questions asked, and how the participants responded. It also shares selected insights from the interviews-using disguised names and situations t o protect the identities o f those interviewed. Table 1 describes the age and gender demographics o f t h e participants who responded t o the survey. Table 1. Gender by Age Group

8%Female / 046 MEIS 1

0%

tOOk

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

7096

80%

80%

100%

Percent of Gender

T h e survey was tested with many individuals t o make certain it was easy t o read and understand, b u t it has not been used beyond this research. T h c questions fell into t w o broad areas. T h e first set o f questions, numbers one t o ten, focused'on what individuals thought about personal and organizational change, with n o mention of 9/11: Table 2. General Questions Regarding Personal a n d Organizational Change

I.

People can change and often d o change for the better.

CHANGE AHEAD People are who they are-with

o r without major drugs, therapy, o r other

~ntervention,they tend to stay the same.

.

I don't

believe I need t o change-and most people don't either. I a m always working t o improve myself. I let people and events affect me-not all the time, but when it matters. I a m my own person-things outside myself don't affect m e all that I ~ L I C ~ .

I t h i n k things happen for a reason-no

matter what. Changing, growing, being different is a good thing-things

change and

people change, and ind;vidunls a n d organizations have t o respond t o those changes. If you don't believe in change and g r o w t h you are going to have a bad time in life. I f t o o many things outside o f themselves influence an organization, country, o r person, they lose their u~liquenessa n d core roots a n d purpose. W h e n you look a t the responses, the answers nearly "pop out" with strong majorities in each case, demonstrating people's significant pro-change choices. Table 3. Responses to General Questions on Change

Pecph n a h o l h y an-.mhM (nwen wth) mw d r v , thnapy or ~n!rr*rma IIW lend m say IM .am I mn I t.cm I&a

rormngt-and

m mP

P O emndt ~

I am .Imp m*1qla l m p m

Iam myam-4tnngs

m1a~mp,e11~1hdon1nmrm~~11mat I mlnk ~

ma reason--no

h vm p ~en

mamr

chmpmq prwdng, tanpdlllanss s gam m~?g-lhlng. chroae nd p w cn ard m5sdunlsand apnUa1,ms h.vc Io r e r w D h o e shmw

If m ~)pnDlrtlm, counh, p s m 8s tnnucnrcd 4 t m many Wng. Dulrld8 ~ h e ~ r 10ey e r M tmr u n l q u e and ~ ~ c m mms am pupupae

100% 80°A 6096 40%

20%

0%

20% 40% 80% BO%
% 01 Responses

O u r analysis o f the results of these first ten questions follows. First, rather than being change-adverse, the vast majority o f the respondents describe themselves as pro-change, open t o personal development, a n d well aware that if they

PAT GILL WEBBER don't change with the trends and the times, they will suffer consequences. Second, t h e niajority o f people believe that individuals can and d o change, and t h a t change is possible and pobable. T h i r d , people believe that they personally, and their organizations, need to change t o meet evolving conditions in t h e world. Fourth, people believe their needs t o be a balance between adapting and kceping a core that remains constant. T h i s last finding was the least supported. These results were both tremendously interesting, positive, and in some ways surprising. Leaders in organizations nearly always start interventions in organizations with assumptions, often loudly expressing that "our people don't like change" o r "we are getting lots o f resistance" t o the new initiative o r new strategy. O r , "our people don't seem t o get it," which is the leadership's way o f describing the inaccurate perceptions o f the current facts o f their own organization's dilemmas, difficult industry trends, competition, o r other "reality" faced by the organization. Could it be that our s a ~ n p l ewas a pure aberration and that people really don't accept the need for change? Or, could it be t h a t people who answer online questionnaires are more pro-change than the general working O r perhaps people say they like and accept the need for change in their lives but in reality don't? O r , could it be that folks may understand change generically, but when faced with a crisis o r situation "close t o home," they miss it? All o f these are possible, and o f course we don't really know for certain. But on t h e face o f it, in direct qucstions, people d o seem t o come down clearly o n the side o f openness t o change. T h i s suggested to us, as we continued t o reflect o n the data and read the transcripts o f intcrviews, that there might be something else going on. I t would appear that some intermittent situation could be at play, something happening between the mindset, belief system, and values o f people supportive of pro-change, and their seeming lack o f enthusiasm for concrete and real change initiatives that they must adapt t o a n d embrace a t work. O r , of course an alternative view might be that the people in organizations d o "get it," they d o want t o participate in constructive and positive changes, but the leadership of the organization is s o used t o assuming the opposite that the employees' behavior matches the employers' low expectations. I t was post this survey, a n d in tandem with the results o f the interviews conducted, that we began t o describe t h e findings as "the myth o f change resistance." It seems that the data was s o strong and so compelling t h a t we had t o conclude that there is, in fact, a "myth o f change resistance." T h e r e is a real disconnect between what is going 011 with people and how they are being perceived and perhaps behaving. W e further began to consider that the issue might be that people are more pro-change, but that getting close enough and in contact with employees is preventing leaders a n d consultants from understanding the true feelings and evolved thinking o f workers. These are conjectures, but we share them with you t o challenge the think38

CHANGE AHEAD ing and assumptions o f those who persist in believing t h a t people are adverse to change. I n the final chapter o f the book we discuss implications o f o u r research. Confronting people's assumptions a b o u t how others resist change will be addressed in that section as well. If o u r research is even partially valid, it is certainly the case that organizational leaders are operating with flawed assumptions t h a t could lead them t o make poor decisions in engaging staff in the processes o f change. O n e final explanation of why some sense change-resistance when, in fact, people are pro-change, might well be t h a t people are adverse t o t h e ways in which change is presented and expected in organizational life. Rather than people being adverse to change, they are often opposed t o the means utilized, o r strategies initiated t o gain their involvement, incorporate their thinking, o r expect t o see results. T h e r e were some differences t o o u r change questions by age a n d gender. These might shed some additional light o n t o o u r discussion o f the "myth o f change resistance." For while it is clear that most people arc strongly pro-change, some nuances a n d differences remain in how people view and accept change. T h e r e has been much written about the age issues in organizational life. A t the current time, the workplace is primarily made u p o f four distinct age groups-the Boomers and Xers are the largest, and the Veterans a n d the Nexters exert a strong impact o n the workplace itself even though they are smaller. T h e r e are some consultants who contend that mixed-age cohorts a t work is one o f the most important challenges t o consider in any organizational analysis, and when considering how change, other initiatives, o r cultural shifts are viewed and handled. In considering these differences, we decided t o g r o u p a n d use a commonly understood construct. W e grouped o u r age categories into those categories suggested by R o n Z e m k e in his book Generatio~sat Work: Managing [he Clash of Kterans, Boomers, Xers, and Ncxters in Your Workplace(1999). W h i l e there exists some differences in how demographic experts and social science experts line LIP the f o u r groups, this framework seems t o he convenient (and well thought through) for understanding how people at work see themselves and sort themselves into broad categories. Zetnke organizes the four groups as: Veterans (could also be known as Traditionalists, b o r n roughly 1922-43); Boomers (born roughly 1943-60); Generation Xers (born roughly 1960-80); a n d finally Nexters (also known as Millennials, G e n Y o r Echo Boomers, b o r n since 1980). W e would like t o suggest that if the reader is not familiar with any o f the literature in this area, they consider reading some o f the most well-known books that illuminate this topic. W e recommend the Generations book mentioned above, as well as others such as: When Generalions Collide: Who They Are. lVhj They Clash. How to Solve the Generatioi~al Puzzle at Work (Lancaster, Stillman, 2002); Hurnan resource^ in the 21st Century, (Ef39

PAT GILL WEBBER fron, Gandossy, Goldsmith, 2 0 0 3 ) ; a n d

Connecting Ger~erations:The Sourccbook for a

New Workplace (Raines, 2003). T h e s e and other books are listed in o u r bibliogra-

phy for easy reference. W e will briefly consider some broad generalizations o f each work group, and then indicate how these four groups handled o u r questions one t o ten regarding change. T h i s will be followed by a brief commentary. First, let's discuss the Veterans.or Traditionalists. T h e Veterans were born and raised in the post WWII time frame. T h e y were raised to be loyal a n d expect loyalty in return. M a n y worked for only one company o r organization for much o f their lives. T h i s is a g r o u p o f people who grew u p with little resources s o tcnd t o be frugal a n d d o not understand the need for debt-personally o r at work. A t work they d o their jobs, take orders well, a n d accept the chain o f command. Veterans tend t o see those t h a t don't obey the rules o r don't work hard as "slackers." Although willing t o work hard, they d o not have the same compulsion t o work as Boomers. T h c y also respect positional power. T h e Baby boomers-that pig in the python in the population picture-is next. These men and women, b o r n into relative affluence and peaceful times, are currently in the majority o f leadership and management positions as well as the most senior players in technology, professional services, and nearly any job category imaginable. T h i s g r o u p is starting t o retire o r attempting t o work part-time, as was previously addressed in the "Big Picture" section o f the book. T h i s group, known t o be more socially liberal a n d democratic as well as hardworking and work-focused, will be leaving the workforce in the coming years. W e know f r o m studies t h a t this g r o u p will not have similar retirements as their parents who were often retired t o the S u n Belt with a focus 011 leisure. Either due t o a lack o f resources, o r a desire t o stay active and involved, today's boomers are likely t o remain a t least part-time in the workforce in relatively large numbers. M a n y Boomers grew u p with little (their parents were frugal, remember) and s o +edged t o give their children more t h a n they had. I n general, many left home by 18 a n d had t o struggle t o make ends meet. T h e y grew u p with a focus o n work, work, and more work. T h e y often p u t work and career first in their lives. Boomers tend t o crave status and positional power. T h e y are often the g r o u p m o s t engaged with politics a t work while their other cohorts just don't bother as much (Xers and Millenials especially don't get involved). Boomers are people focused as well o n others (they brought us the civil rights movelnent, the women's movement, a n d s o on), and t h i n k people skills sliou!d be a priority a t work. T h e y seek consensus a n d involvement. Generation X, t h e more traditional and much smaller demographic born between I960 a n d I980 (again, in different texts the ages may be slightly different), are coming into power positions a n d demonstrating t h e first shift to wanting a more balanced life. M o s t GenXers have Boomer parents though some have 40

C H A N G E AHEAD Veteran parents. W h i l e Veterans trust hierarchy, and Boomers want consensus, Xers value competence. T h e y saw how the sacrifices

of their parents a t work

often failed; they saw them laid o f f even after dedicating themselves t o their careers. T h i s led many t o see life and "having a life" as more important t h a n being totally work focused. T h e y have a philosophy of fun, m a k i n g a'buck, a n d enjoying life. Xcrs see Boomers as workaholics and t o o intense. T h e y also see many o f them as clueless about technology and the future, a n d as t o o personally "needy." GenXers, o n the other hand, are often viewed by Boomers 2nd Veterans as slackers, whiners, rude, lacking in loyalty, a n d uncommitted. GenXers are not as interested in power o r traditional ways o f doing things, a n d are in many ways "change masters." T h e y grew u p with change in every area o f their lives a n d appear, for the most part, t o expect it. Finally, the Nexters, GenY, o r Echo boomers, are the children o f the Boomers, b o r n starting around 1978. T h e y are more inclined td want balance in their lives, be extrelnely comfortable with technology, a n d more liberal politically than the Xers. Generation Y was a wanted group o f children raised by soccer M o m s and involved Dads. T h e y are the most creative generation in a long time a n d seem t o always he asking WHY. T h e y want t o work in ways t h a t allow t h e m to be creative and t o contribute. T h e y get bored rather quickly with things and expect change a n d multiple jobs. T h e y are highly adaptive with technology and want control over their lives a n d working conditions. Ys are t h e best at dealing with diversity o f all types, communicating easily across racial and geographic lines via their cell phones a n d computers. T h e y arc also the most comfortable with a mix o f men and women in the workplace. T h e y are well-suited t o the new global world of business t h a t will make working with diverse groups a n d working digitally a c o m m o n occurrence. T h e y are by nature collaborators, thinking that people are important; they share this belief with the Veterans a n d Boomers, all o f whoin view the Xers as lacking in effective people skills.

PAT GILL WEBBER Table 4a. Responses to General Questions 1.5 by Ages

People can change and onen do change tor the ben

People are who they a r w l t h o u t (Or even mlh) major drugs, lherapl a DIher irnervenldon, they lend l o slay Ihe same.

I don'l belleve I need l o c h a n g p a n d most people don'l ellher

I am always work~npto Improve myself

I let people and events efled me-nd all the time, but when i!matten

Disapree c Response Ratlo > Agree ~0+24~~eyyj~m r;erx_ojO:i 25~~ +mars

. .. . .

EEB : Ot yeframr j

T a b l e 4b. Responses to G e n e r a l Questions 8.10 by Ages

Iam my own prron-things oulr&dmmyself really don'l efleu me all much.

I !honk things happen for a resson-.-no maner

Changang, growing, belllg d~fferenlis a yo& thbng--lhl!lgr change people change and mdivlduals and olpan~zallomhave l o respon 11058 cnanger

If you don'l belleve In challge and growth you ars gomu lo llme In llle

If an orpsnlzai~on,counlry, person 15influenced by too many lhing outsde ot lhemrelves lney lose lhetr uniqueness and cam ,oats a plrpose

D~sagreec Response Ratio r AQ&

Interestingly, o u r Veterans are o u t in front with a pro-change approach. Although clearly all four groups were strongly pro-change with consistent answers in this regard-and in all questions-the Veterans showed m o s t strongly in more questions such as "people can change a n d often d o change for the better." Maybe they have lived long enough t o see that in action. However, then they turned around and said people d o tend t o stay t h e same; this could be a contra-

CHANGE AHEAD diction o r not. Veterans also thought they needed t o change in greater numbers than the Boomers, Xers, o r Ys. T h e y were also more willing t o be influenced by other external forces, with a larger percent agreeing t h a t "I let people a n d events effect me-not all the time, b u t when it matters." O u r Ys didn't yet have the experience t o see that if you didn't change in response t o life circumstances, you would suffer. T h e y disagreed in the largest a m o u n t to that question. But Ys led in the questio'n about self-development; they saw themselves as continually working o n themselves in greater numbers than others. T h i s is logical since many are still in school part-time o r full-time a n d hence continually in a learning mode versus a less constant learning m o d e for older groups. Some might t h i n k the young are the most open t o change, a n d even descriptions o f groups we just provided. based o n research about generational differences, suggest that X and Y folks are more change-oriented than their elders. However, o u r research did n o t support that. Question by question, the older groups were as pro-change and willing to change as the younger ones. W h e n d outside forces, the Ys disasked t o agree o r disagree that they are i n f l ~ ~ e n c eby agreed more than other groups. T h e y were more philosophical, believing "that things happen for a reason n o matter what." Is that the optimism o f the young o r the realism o f the older generations? W e cannot be sure, but we d o know o u r generational groups d i d not vary much in their pro-change approach, and when they did, it seemed o u r Veterans, Boomers, and Xers were all more pro-change, even if by small margins, t h a n o u r youngest g r o u p o f participants. W h a t about gender differences? W o m e n are often thought t o be more open to change; they seem more likely t o go t o therapy, talk a b o ~ their ~ t lives, and implement personal self-improvement strategies. Even a cursory reading o f maleoriented versus female-oriented magazines, web sites, and T V programs leave little d o u b t that woinen are more concerned with and focused o n "fixing themselves,'' "improving themselves," o r "reinventing themselves." However, inen as well are gaining ground in their self-awareness a n d are increasingly participating actively in programs a n d interventions that are based o n self-reflection and selfanalysis. In discussing the Big Picture, we spoke a bit about trends in leadership and workplace education. Mentioned briefly, Daniel Goleman's seminal work, Workirg wi~hE~irotioiralb~telli~erlrc (1998), brought the issues o f self-awareness and self-reguIation front and center in the organization. Self-help gurus o f the last 10 t o 20 years, from Tony Robbins t o D r . Deepak Chopra, have also added millions o f men into the c a m p o f taking stock and measuring up. And though D r . Phil a n d other popular T V personalities may still attract more women than men, men are n o longer a rarity in wanting t o improve themselves and seek help with issues once considered o d d , t o o "feminine," o r unmanly. Further tapping into o u r Big 43

PAT GILL WEBBER Picture is the whole diet, exercise, health, and spirituality movement, all of which brought millions o f men f r o m Neanderthal t o metro guys. T h i s created space for more self-reflection and brought the idea of "working o n oneself" into the mainstream o f modern life. O u r research suggests that these cultural a n d work exposures t o the issues o f self-development helped t o make o u r male participants almost as pro-change as o u r women. A n d as time progresses, that gap will continue t o narrow. Perhaps less likely t o talk about change, men as well as women seem t o have been influenced by the broader trends toward self-development and selfimprovement. T h e phenomenon of helping oneself and pulling oneself up t o be more than one's history o r past is strong in o u r culture, and likely has strongly influenced b d t h the sexes in this regard. Table Sa. Responses to General Questions 1-5 on Change by Gender

-60%

-401

-20%

0%

20%

40%

60%

Dlsagree < Response Ratlo > Agree

-------

-..---. ..-.-..-----

_ __ _

------

------

-

--- -

-

---.

I,. a..~.e m.. a l. e Agree OMale Agree QFemaie Dlsagree BMale D~sagreeiI . . .......-....... .... -.---.--------^..

80%

CHANGE A H E A D Table 5b. Responses to General Questions 6-10 on Change by Gender

I am my own person---things outside myself really don't affect me all that much

I think things happen for a reason-.. no matter what

Changing, growlng, be~ngd~fferent a good thlng---things Change and people change, and lndlv~dualsand organlzatlons have lo respond to those changes IS

If you don't belleve in change and growth you are going to have a bad lime in life. I f an organlzatlon country, person IS influenced by too many thlngs outs~deof themselves, they lose the~runiqueness and core roots and purpose

Disagree c Response Ratlo > Agree

-

-

"

"

"

-

"

"

"

- - - - - - - - - - - . -" " -. --

OFemale Agree PMale Agree OFemale Dlsagree .Mate Dlsagree j . . . ..... ......... . . . ........................

These tables need some brief explanation. F o r each question, all responses equal 100%. Since larger numbers of women answered o u r survey (roughly twothirds were women), female percentages are always much greater. But if you look at the male totals being all male agree and disagree, and the female totals as female agree and disagree, you will get a clearer idea o f how b o t h men and women responded t o change questions. Although women appear o n the surface t o be Inore pro-change, once again we find very little difference in the number o f men versus the number o f women who were pro-change in any given question. For example, "I don't believe I need t o change-and most people don't either." W i t h 27% o f the respondents being Inen, they agreed and disagreed in virtually the same ratio as did women who had 73% o f the responses. M e n also strongly agreed with, "I aln always working t o improve myself" again in similar ratios as women. A n d in the question, "changing, growing, being different is a good thing.. .", 100% o f the men answered in the positive. O n c e again, o u r traditional views a b o u t who is and is not Frochange were challenged. I n o u r survey, as with age groups, we f o u n d very little difference hetween how men a n d wolnen answered questions about change a n d their willingness t o embrace change.

PAT GILL WEBBER "Changing, growing, being different is a good thing. T h i n g s change a n d people change a n d individuals a n d organizations have to respond t o those changes." A n overwhellning 97% o f respondents agree with this, statement. And yet, despite this, as stated earlier, we know t h a t many people in organizations seem t o give the impression of just the opposite view. W h a t else did o u r research uncover t h a t might further illuminate the disconnect between people's perceptions o f being pro-change and organizations struggling t o create change? Let's meet ~ a n M., a Larry H, Jim Y., a n d M a r y S. T h e i r names a n d some details o f their stories have been changed t o protect their privacy. T h e i r stories might help clarify the issue o f openness t o change o n the one hand, a n d the appearance o f resistance o r indifference to organizational change o n the other. Let's start with Dana. D a n a is a young woman, under 30, working i n N e w York for a major pharmaceutical corporation. S h e works in technology, having held a variety o f jobs dealing with development o f systems a n d systems security. S h e is sophisticated, knowledgeable,,and hard-working. She is seen as a leader with a great career in front o f her. W h e n 9/11 happened, she was working a n d catching the news in bits a n d pieces, as were others in the company. O n l y after work d i d she realize the full dimension o f t h e situation. I n conversation with D a n a , it became clear t h a t although she felt t h a t 9/11 was a big event t h a t effected many people, she did not necessarily feel it was that major a change fact o r in her own, o r in m a n y o f her peers' lives. She felt that increased interest in the news a n d patriotism were short-lived, a n d that most folks returned pretty t o life as they knew it. D a n a was very upset by the racism a n d anti-Muslim feelings expressed by many at work after the 9/11 tragedies. She admitted being shocked by t h e raw feelings expressed at work by some who saw t h e 9/11 situation as one pitting Muslims against Christians. She dismissed this analysis entirely, thinking t h a t t h e reason for this incident related t o foreign policy a n d perceived injustices felt by others around the world toward o u r systems, as well as o u r perceived arrogance a n d evil ways. She discussed her interest in history and her dream of solneday getting a doctorate a n d becoming a history professor (despite her current career in information technology). I t was clear that D a n a considered herself a citizen with a sophisticated view o f world affairs. She also considered herself typical o f her generation (Y, o r Nextor, o r E c h o Boomer) t h a t was both more cynical and more realistic t h a n their boomer parents a n d bosses. W h i l e 9/11 was a terrible tragedy, many in her generation expected tough things t o happen a n d tough times t o exist. T h e y were as shocked as other Americans by the events o f 9/11, b u t Dana felt t h a t many in her age g r o u p knew life was hard and that shocking experiences would happen. T h i s might have been a different one than they expected, but loss a n d upset were p a r t o f their legacy. 46

CHANGE AHEAD by any means. She talked about her

Dana is not anti-change o r anti-growth

be more financially secure, and t o desire t o do rnore and earn more-to someday be free t o follow her dream o f being a history professor. But would, D a n a be likely t o be part o f the g r o u p at work rallying around the latest change initiative? Likely no, if she d i d not perceive it as either important t o the business as she understood it, o r personally helpfill for her and her work. N o t a slacker o r by any means resistant t o new things, D a n a is a realist and sees things going o n around her with the eyes of someone who has already witnessed much in her relatively short life. She is not s o much anti-change or change-adverse as she is focused o n her own future, her work, a n d her life understanding that there is complexity all around a n d that simple rules don't apply. Dana would be the first t o pitch in for a good cause o r t o help out. But without really knowing her d e p t h o f knowledge and interest in history and the roots o f issues, she would likely not be easily led t o consider any p t h not clearly presented in a way t o gain her trust and i n f l ~ ~ e n c e . Larry H. is a late forty something corporate executive from N e w Jersey. A t t h e time o f 9/11 Larry was working for a global d r u g company giant. Larry had worked there more t h a n ten years and had a solid career in t h e technology and process iinproveinent areas with opportilnities for personal growth a n d responsibility. H e long enjoyed his work, but 9/11 was a bit o f a wake-up call t o h i m o n a number o f levels. Larry shared with Pat a number o f serious a n d tragic events involving the early deaths o f both his parents. H e shared how the actual 9/11 event had a very profound affect o n h i m for a number o f days, arousing some reactions tied t o these early losses. I n the days following 9/11 he found himself reaching o u t t o coinfort others and even taking a n international trip for business, but with a deep unease. T h e deep unease passed as he processed the event, b u t he later found himself considering if the time had come for new challenges t h a t might be more aligned with who he had become over the years. Larry shared that he f o u n d himself with some new and surprising interests post 9/11. W h i l e a voter, Larry never took much interest in politics bur now found he was considering a more active involven~ent in state politics a n d his community. W h i l e always a reader and up-to-date o n most current events, he discussed his new appreciation for the difficulties in the M i d d l e East and new perspectives on world events. H e also noted that his desire t o travel a n d commute long distances from home also diminished, and he found himself considering new opportunities t h a t would involve little travel a n d more opportunity t o d o meaningful work close t o home. Larry was open, trying new things and doing some deep reflection not just as a result of 9/11, b u t because the events o f 9/11 created a space for h i m t o t h i n k more deeply about what was important t o him in his life a n d in his work. 47

PAT GILL WEBBER Larry found himself more keenly alert t o life, more aware o f things and people around h i m , a n d yearning for more meaning in his day-to-day work. W h i l e having a successful career, Larry was n o t one t o have wished for o r achieved a very high levcl o f corporate success. H e always did well, but his interest was the work itself-often related t o process improvements-not getting ahead. And now, with the politics o f the organization becoming more intense due t o new regulation a n d reactions of senior management, and t h e changes planned -not feeling t h a t positive to him, he began to question what was next for him. Larry a n d Pat spoke recently, a long time past his original interview. H e appeared happy, relaxed, and very changed. H e had left his corporate life behind and was now working a t something he really'enjoyed in the social work area. H e also had gotten a new d o g a n d was living a close-to-home life that he had first identified as critical post the 9/11 experience. Jim Y. is a fifty something executive who took a n opportunity t o leave a county government position i n a large county near Chicago that he h a d held for over fifteen years. H e had.worked i n the government after h e left the military in his late twenties and spent t h e bulk o f his career inoving u p the ladder in various areas of land use a n d real estate. H e candidly told Pat that he felt it was just time t o go, that h e had ceased t o learn anything new, o r t o be challenged for quite some time, maybe seven o r more years ago. H e felt compelled t o move o n in his life. ,' I n talking about the'Iegacy o f 9/11, Jim felt that although it was a tremendous tragedy, he did not feel his o w n life had been impacted much by the incident other t h a n t o worry that the country would g o t o o far in the direction o f eroding o u r own internal rights in what he felt was a flawed attempt t o make us safer and more secure. Jim was finding himself at a crossroads i n his life. N o longer challenged o r learning at his job, and n o longer needing it in the same way as when he'was younger, he felt a spiritual pull t o the ministry a n d was about t o enter a two-year program to become a n interfaith minister when he and Pat spoke. H e thought it would give h i m an opportunity t o expand his horizons a n d move beyond the work experiences he h a d had and the wonderful career that he enjoyed for many years. Jim is the type o f person who always sets goals for himself a n d achieves them. A loyal .worker for the government, he excelled a t his work and was promoted a number of times in his career. He had been given increased responsibilities as long as they were available, a n d in addition taught part-time and held a variety o f other roles, b o t h personal and professional, while working full-time for the county government. If there was a challenge, Jim was ready t o take it on. But a t this point in his life and in his career, Jim felt internally pulled in new directions that made him not want to continue the status q u o o f his life and his 48

C H A N G E AHEAD work. N o one could likely be more pro-change, pro-development, o r interested in new cliallenges than Jim. But it w o ~ ~ be l d surprising if J i m could be convinced to go back into any type o f traditional job, o r be committed t o any new efforts a t his job within the year prior t o his leaving. H e just wasn't inlo it anymore. M a r y S. lives in EngIand a n d is in her latc thirties. Married a n d a successful career woman without children, M a r y spoke t o Pat about her view o f life post 9/11 a n d its impact o n her life and career. She described the effects o f 9/11 as pivotal for her. She felt.it was a wake-up call for her t o look a t her own life. H e r husband, who she described very lovingly, was ill for a time prior t o the event. H i s illness coupled with the 9/11 tragedy persuaded M a r y t o evaluate how she was spending her time. She had started a business a number o f years earlier and was extremely successful, but she was busy all the time. She began t o see t h a t what she really needed to d o was wind down her business a n d start a new Fath that would create more balance and time in her life. M a r y talked about how she became more internally driven as she aged. Rather t h a n being pulled and pushed by things around her, she listened more now t o her heart and spirit. She found, through a series o f efforts, a wonderful new opportunity that would give her just what she wanted a n d needed professionally while keeping her time in balance t o spend with family and friends. M a r y shared with Pat details o f her early life. H e r folks had gotten divorced when she was quite young, and since she was t h e oldest o f three children she "grew u p fast." M a r y felt it t ~ ~ r n oe udt t o be a good t h i n g for her since the divorce situation prepared her in life to be independent. She saw herself as a strong person, determined t o succeed, and she did. T h e move t o a different type o f position was exciting because she felt it was the right fit for her spiritually, emotionally, a n d professionally. M a r y struck Pat as a risk-taker a n d a woman who went for her dreams. But she demonstrated a strong inner core that would n o t likely be led in a direction that she did not feel was right for her o r her career. M a r y S., Larry H., Jim Y., a n d Dana M, are "pro-change" people. T h e y were open t o new viewpoints, influenced o r not by 9/11, a n d capable o f being deeply committed t o work and people in their lives. T h e i r experiences indicated they were not stuck, not adverse t o taking a new approach o r to honoring their inner needs for something new. T h i s is in sync with o u r findings about people being open to change. However-and this is a very big howevct--just because these folks are open t o change and are willing to grow and be the best they can be doesn't mean t h a t they would jump o n the bandwagon t o parricipate in o r be a leader for workplace change. It seems that when one begins t o dig deeper into people's newly no re-developed selves, their reasons for being open to change, a n d n t t o engage them, become more complex. the s u b s e q ~ ~ eways T h e r e is no d o u b t that Dana, Larry, Mary, and Jim are winners who embrace life and change. T h e y are thoughtful, sophisticated, a n d willing t o connect

PAT GILL WEBBER with others. If they were approached with a deep respect a n d interest in their well-being, a n d an understanding that help was needed, all o f them would respond t o organizational efforts at change. But without that connection t o their needs, aspirations, and sophisticated thinking, the latest corporate move o r organizational realignment they were asked t o participate in would not be o f interest to any o f them. If organizational leaders and managers that are working with today's workforce cannot o r will not be open t o the individual a n d t o connecting with them o n issues that are important t o them personally and individually, they could potentially miss the very momentum these people have t o pursue change and g o w t h . People have a great deal o f passion. T h i s passion can very often be utilized t o steer organizations in important and necessary new directions. But there is the need for real connection, for recognition o f people's issues, fears, joys, and priorities in order t o advance change. I n an earlier part o f the book we discussed the Big Picture, in which t h e issue o f technology was covered. I n many ways the advance o f technology has Iimited the a m o u n t o f one-on-one conversation and "deep knowledge" o f others at work. W h i l e we communicate frequently and often by email and IM, the nature of that communicative interaction may not expose what is o n their minds and what could engage them more fully at work, o r for that matter a t any organization in the community, from a Church t o a foundation t o a political club. Unless you really know Jim, Larry, Mary, o r Dana o n a personal level, yo11 might well miss all the passion that they are clearly capable o f demonstrating. Just as we are missing opportunities t o know individuals a n d what would bring out their personal best, we miss opportunities to capitalize o n their teamwork potential as well. Teamwork is most effective when we t a p into thc genius o f insights a n d creativity-but often that synergy doesn't come each person-their together at work because the scope o f their interests, aspirations, and talents are not known. I n each o f these interviews, we found people who were complex, millti-talented, a n d open t o learning a n d chariging, and in fact were making real changes in their own lives. T h e question is, would this talent have been picked u p and utilized in a typical business culture? Probably not, and that is why the very creativity s o needed by an organization is s o often easily missed. Perhaps this discussion illuminates why people who happen t o be very pro-change in their personal lives are not contributing at work in ways that leaders could recognize their p o - c h a n g e attitude. Strategies to address this disconnect will be presented at the end o f the book.

-.

~

CHANGE AHEAD

CHAPTER 6

9/11 and Other Change Levers 'Returning t o the first part o f t h e research, the following questions followed the first ten and focused o n 9/11, the emotional aftermath o f the event, and how people reipond t o change as a result o f other factors in their lives:

TABLE 6. QUESTION .11. OVERALL REACTIONS TO 9/11 (check all that apply1 O u r Pearl Harbor.

A terrible tragedy but sadly inevitable given o u r lifestyle and values. A terrible tragedy that has fundamentally changed the American way o f life.

A terrible tragedy that has changed some people a n d not changed others. It caused me t o wake u p a n d make some real changes in my life. It was a terrible thing of coi~rse,but it really didn't affect m e t h a t much.

I don't know what it means-but

we should keep trying t o figure that o u t

and never forget. M a d e m e more patriotic. Didn't affect my patriotic feelings one way o r the other. T h i n k that in the long r u n , except for those directly affected by the loss, it might have been a good t h i n g for this country t o wake us u p to global realities faced by others a r o i ~ n dthe globe.

PAT GILL WEBBER T h i n k that in the long run things will g o back to the way they were before 9/II-people

forget history.

QUESTION 12. OVERALL REACTIONS TO 9/11 (Please enter others you would like to add)

QUESTION 13. FEELINGS DIRECTLY RELATED TO 9/11 (check all that

apply)

My family is more important t o me than ever.

My own time is as important as tny time at work. I a m more spiritual. I a m less spiritual. I a m more focused on getting my own needs met while I can.

I a m more fearful o f flying. I won't travel as much.

I have decided that more concern for them.

I need to tell people in my life I love them and show

I am more anxious. I believe we are now in a strange new world-and I believe the world was always awful-we

I don't like it.

as Americans were just n o t having

experiences others were having.

QUESTION 14. FEELINGS DIRECTLY RELATED TO 9/11 (Please enter others you would like t o add)

QUESTION 15. OTHER SOURCES OF CHANGE-PUTTING 9/11 ASIDE (check all that apply)

I make changes in my life all the time-but me a n d are not based o n things like 9/11. 52

the changes come from within

CHANGE AHEAD There are events that have shaped my life-a unique and difficult job situevent like ation, my Dad's death, m y folks' divorce.. .but they are personal-an 9/11 just would ndt tend to change me that much.

QUESTION 16. T h e top three influences that would cause me t o make a change would most likely be related t o something happening in these areas:

Friends Religion

My personal history-something covered something.

came to light. I went to therapy and dis-

My politics My health

My race or background My motivation and drive to succeed My age

My lifestyle, which I see as unique Recent trauma (not 9/II-related) Other Now, let's consider how people responded to these questions directly related to 9/11 and to the other factors that might cause them to change or be inore open to change.

PAT GILL WEBBER Table 7a. Overall Reactions t o 9111

1 Our Pea11Harbor

A lemble tragedy but sadly inev~table

I

35% i

I

i 1

i

1I

,

Fundarnella 4 cnaqged me Anencan way of lie bas changed s o r e peop e ard no1 others

Keep tlylng lo figure that out and

D~dnt affect my patnohcfeellngs M~ghthave been a good th~ngto Will go back lo he way they were before 9H 1-people forget

,i

1

1 0%

10%

2Wo

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Response Ratio

W e can see t h a t there were many interesting and strong feelings connected t o 9/11. Fully 35% o f people saw it as o u r Pearl Harbor. 61% felt it has changed t h e American way o f life. T h a t is further supported by the fact t h a t only 27% o f people rhought that things would g o back t o "normal" o r the way they were before 9/11. If you reflect back t o Part I o f this book and the commentary o n terrorism, we note that this prediction o f people closer t o the actual events o f 9/11 has come t o pass. W h i l e 9/11 was traumatic a t the time, it also definitely changed o u r way o f life a n d continues t o d o s o nearly four years post the event. From self-imposed travel restrict~onst o new needs for government spending, from new approaches (successful o r not) t o foreign policy t o new anxieties t h a t keep us more concerned about o u r safety and well-being than in previous years, America has changed and continues t o change in reaction to terrorism o n o u r ' own soil. W h i l e it is true that some post reactions, such as t h e feeling that we were "all one" o r needing t o treat each other with respect, may not have survived 54

C H A N G E AHEAD much beyond the first year, other changes in a post 9/11 world have remained and continue t o evolve. W e felt it was significant t h a t only I% o f wanted t o "forget1' about 9/11. T o us, this demonstrated maturity o n the part o f people w h o experienced 9/11. Rather than dwelling on events, people clearly choose to reflect o n t h e m a n d perhaps even to learn f r o m them while attempting to integrate the meaning o f this tragedy into their lives. Patriotism clearly increased post 9/11. I n observing other c u l t ~ ~ rtrends, al we would have t o conclude t h a t this, too, is still the case nearly four years post 9/11, although n o t in exactly the same way patriotism was present in the months following the event. Continued and increased patriotisin can be seen by the universal respect, acceptance, and support o f o u r soldiers serving overseas. W h i l e agreement about the war in Iraq has been decidedly mixed, there is n o evidence that Americans are anything but tremendously supportive o f o u r troops and their heroic efforts in the face o f armed and dangerous conflict. O u r research demonstrates that 9/11 was for some what learning theorists a n d experts might call a disorienting dilemma. I n the adult learning field, Jack Mezirow developed a theory o f adult learning that suggested that an important o r critical event o r personal trauma such as a divorce, going i n t o the work piace for the first time a t an older age, getting fired, o r any other number o f perceived difficult o r challenging events can trigger a dilemma for the person. T h e y can cause a unique opportunity t o learn, grow, and develop a more open and sophisticated perspective o n an issue o r set o f issues related t o the critical event. T h r o u g h this transformative learning process ofexploring and "trying on" new behaviors, a person has the potential t o develop a more mature perspective through a process o f analyzing and thinking through options t h a t would make their ncw, changed life situation successful. For example, a person going through a divorce might have had a certain vision o f the world that suggested that to be happy one has t o be married, o r that divorce is a bad thing that destroys families and can limit success. O n c e the person begins the process o f examining his o r her life post the divorce, options and new ways of thinking a n d behavior begin t o emerge. Transformed roles a n d l~, adopted. adjusted .ways o f being are explored, tried a n d , h o p e f ~ ~ lsuccessfully T h i s evolved way o f thinking and being that a divorced person can experience can result in b o t h happier a n d more fulfilled lives. T h i s "adult Ienrnerl'/divorced pcrson now "sees" his o r her life in a broader, more mature, open way with more options a n d ways o f operating than before. H e is transformed o r could be said t o have had a transformative learning experience that has led t o more maturity in his thinking. T h i s growth is not, o f course, guaranteed, but with tragedy and change does come a n opportunity for such growth. W h e n we experience a difficulr c h a l l e ~ ~ go er perceive a new opportunity, we are usually more open t o considering a changed perspective, approach, o r model. 55

PAT GILL WEBBER W h i l e it is true that tragedy prevents some people f r o m ft~lfillingtheir dreams, there is a n equally large volume o f literature that suggests t h a t resilience is a quality t h a t many have a n d use in the face of challenge. I n fact, we know t h a t resilience is an important characteristic o f people who are successful,in life a n d at work. 9/11 was for many people a disorientating dilemma-a unique a n d distinct event serving as a catalyst for learning and growth. For those unfamiliar with this theory o f development, the authors would suggest a fuller understanding o f transfor~nativelearning. Here are a few options: Pat Cranton's Uriderstanding and Prolnotitg Tra~lsforinativeLearning: A Gudefor Educators and Adults (1994) o r Fostering Critical R$cction in Adulthood: A Guide to ~ra$ormative aid Ert~ancipatory Leaririig (Mezirow, 1990). Karen Watkins, in her text Facilitating Learniig in rhe bGrkplace (199I), provides a look at transformative learning in the workplace. T h e s e books and others in t h e bibliography will help establish more clarity o n how adults learn and potentially develop both personally a n d in the workplace as a result of a triggering event. T h i s is especially relevant for change agents whose work might, i n fact, stimulate a disorientating dilemma for some a t work, creating a unique opportunity for learning and development o n the par[ of the workforce. Returning t o o u r post 9/11 data, the chart below shows how participants answered the question we posed about the tragedy. Table 7b. Feelings Directly Related lo 9nl

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CHANGE AHEAD N o t surprisingly, we can easily observe that 9/11 took a toll. As with other studies post 9/11, o u r research was consistent in indicating stress and other negative impacts. Ninety percent o f respondents f r o m a large United States study reported a t least one syluptom o f stress as a direct result o f 9/11 (Shuster et. al.. 2001). I n addition, the popular literature was filled with all the negative effects o f the 9/11 terrorist attacks (e.g., employees would spend less time at work, engage in greater ethnic and religious harassment, and have more negative job attitudes) (Boyle, 2001; Cole, 2 0 0 1 ; Gibbs, 2001; Richards, 2001; S H R M / e e Pulse, 2001). W h e n we look a t responses t o questions about the feelings o f people post 9/11, we see clearly a tremendo~rsamount o f emotion, which is why the event (or the more recent 7/7/05) can be defined for many as a disorienting dilemma. W e can see from the data that people reacted not just intellectually, but spiritually and emotionally as well. A n d it is clear that for some it did allow a certain amount o f learning and growth t o take place. T h e list o f responses and the range o f answers tells us that people arc complex and react t o events in complicatcd ways. These emotions were not put aside when they went t o work-that would not make sense. People come t o work as a whole person, even if they are n o t treated as such by the organizations for which they work. 9/11 provided a terrible and unique o p p o r t ~ l n i t yfor most Americans t o feel the danger, the panic, and the fear that sadly is p a r t o f the lives o f s o many others a r o ~ ~ the n d globe. For most o f us, it was the only attack o n o u r soil we have ever known. It was an event so startling, s o unnerving, that it allowed many o f LIS t o get i n touch with pieces of o u r hearts a n d souls that we had not previously touched. 9/11 did n o t change everyone, it did not even impact everyone, b u t for many it served a unique role in their lives. F o r organizations, this o p p o r t ~ l n i t yfor deeF understanding o f their employees was often lost-not o u t o f malice, b u t likely due t o the real need for businesses t o focus o n their own requirements as business entities. T h i s was unfortunate. F o r as the world has continued t o change, this o p p o r t u n e time when people would have been most open t o share with leaders what was o n their m i n d s a n d how they could best be engaged was missed. If we focus o n those largest responses o f o u r participants, we note that the desire to be closer t o one's family a n d balance work and home life is one o f the strongest feelings that developed as a result o f 9/11, T h i s is certainly a key point a n d one t h a t has been noted in other research post 9/11. As mentioned earlier in the section o n the various ages at work, Xers and Ys already possess a strong need for work and life balance. W h a t we are seeing in this data is t h a t for all age groups this need for work and life balance is being intensified as a result o f 9/11. B ~ r t9/11 impacted something else. It impacted ideas a b o ~ l tthe world as y . referring back t o the overall reactions t o 9/11, we note a global c o m m ~ ~ n i tBy 57

PAT GILL WEBBER an interesting question that received a 41% agreement. " T h i n k t h a t in the long run, except for those directly affected by loss, it might have been a good t h i n g for this country t o wake us u p t o global realities around the globe." W e f o u n d it very intriguing that s o many people agreed with this statement, confirming o u r intuition that for some the event was a trigger for deeper learning and reflection a b o u t the world a t large and o u r relationships within that world. W e noted an increased interest in and response t o global politics and the results o f o u r actions as a nation. I n interviews we f o u n d t h a t strong feelings about t h e global situation were held by a number o f people, a n d some people actually changed gears and thinking about their path as a result of the event. Some o f their comments a n d thinking struck us as both fascinating and worth reflecting on. Let's consider sotne more stories-about D a n S., Donald Z., and Karlie M.-who were people with strong feelings a b o u t 9/11 and its aftermath. T o some their stories may seem extreme, b u t t o us they represented the wide range o f reaction a n d opinion that is now part o f the modern population o f workers and citizens. D a n S. is a fifty something computer expert who operates his own small business in Pennsylvania. H e has an ~ ~ t i d e r g r a d u a tand e graduate degree and a successful business history. H i s wife is a flight attendant for a major air carrier. T h e y live in a suburban area near Philadelphia. 9/11 brought a number o f significant changes for D a n and Lisa. Lisa, o f course, had a job t h a t was instantly affected by 9/11. D a n , who had been working for another computer s u p p o r t company, got laid off shortly after 9/11 due t o some d o w n time that the business could nor withstand given their small size. D a n and Lisa also had some friends a n d fellow church members die in the 9/11 tragedies. D a n is an easygoing person. H e has lived in several places a r o u n d the country a n d has always worked in business settings, often with corporations. H e is somewhat new t o running his own business but has handled it in stride. D a n is not someone that is strident, hard t o work with, o r anything other than warm a n d pleasant. It was quite intriguing when wc met for a n interview that he held very strong and pronounced feelings about the postt;rrorism climate. D a n articulated that he felt the world was in a war between Muslims a n d C h ~ i s t i a n s H . e felt certain that the goal o f many Muslims was actually t o kill all infidels-those w h o are nonbelievers. H e felt this was part o f their deeply-held beliefs. A n d although not every M u s l i m may feel the need to act o n this aspect o f their faith, many clearly did. D a n also voiced serious concerns as well a b o u t American society and culture, which h e felt was going in the wrong direction. Although he did feel many Americans were deeply religious and many othcrs were becoming more so, h e thought a certain moral decay in the country was going t o cause sotne long-term problems for the nation. 58

CHANGE A H E A D W h e t h e r one agrees o r not with D a n , his beliefs are strong a n d deirly held. one worked with D a n and did not know him well, one might t h i n k t h a t he gave little thought t o outside o r global issues o r that he might just "go along" since his demeanor is s o calm and collected. O n e might also t h i n k t h a t D a n was not the type t o get worked up o r deeply concerned ahout many things. But this is clearly not the case. D a n is a m a n with well thought o u t ideas and beliefs that influence the way he works, who follows through o n c o m ~ n i t ~ n e n t sa ,n d who handles disappointments a n d personal crisis. H i s beliefs influence his actions and behavior, and his moral center dictates b o t h his operating principles a n d resulting behavior. Donald Z. lives in Oklahoma. He is in his fifties, has lived in several parts o f the country, and is currently the President o f a medium-sked university. H e has a doctorate in education a n d has traveled extensively around the world t o over 70 countries. D o n a l d was frustrated post 9/11. H e saw the attention being paid t o the tragedy as overblown a n d in error. H e felt that although 9/11 was o f course a horrible tragedy and a larger event than even the terrorists themselves imagined, it was only one o f many ongoing and horrific tragedies going o n daily around the world, such as poverty and the A I D S epidemic. H e felt that 9/11 was a horrible event, but he resented the lack o f attention being paid t o other large and horrible events happening daily around the world. H e says he is continually reading and absorbing news o f world events mainly o n the Internet, since he views the mainstream media as "out o f touch" with global realities. Donald considers himself more evolved and more o f a global citizen t h a n many in the United States. A modest and low-key man, D o n a l d was not s o much tooting his own horn, but rather suggesting that due t o his extensive travels a n d wide network of friends and colleagues around the globe, his perspective on the events o f 9/11 would be, o f course, different t h a n the average American who may have limited knowledge a n d experience outside o f their own town much less their own country. Donald was concerned about the Bush administrations' "black and white" thinking o n a variety o f issues that he thought in n o small measure may have helped create the conditions for the 9/11 incident. H e feared t h a t the United States government would crack d o w n and create a bit o f a police-type state in the hysteria after the tragedy, n o t thinking o f the tremendous problems s ~ l c hshortsighted acts would have. Since we haven't connected with D o n a l d in awhile, we are unsure what he would think of the continuing Bush foreign policy including the Iraq war, b u t feel confident t h a t he would not be pleased with the way things have progressed. Donald did not see himself as particularly influenced by 9/11, and yet o u r conversation indicated that some different thinking a n d opportunities for conversation had some small impact o n Donald and, if nothing else, had continued

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PAT GILL WEBBER to affirm his position o n world events and the need for a more sophisticated and nuanced foreign policy. Donald is n o t a person t o react violently o r in any way that is extreme. T h o u g h his ideas and views might strike some as different o r extreme, he is himself soft-spoken, confident that he could handle whatever goes o n in the world, and thought about events somewhat dispassionately. Donald is, for lack o f a better word, philosophical about life, change, a n d influence. H e knows that injustices o f all types exist, a n d that ignorance o f all kinds is widespread. H e is certain that his own work is helping in the world, but likely will be unable t o change it much. And though disappointing for him, he is clear that this is the way of the world and he can only have s o much impact. Karlie M. is a thirty something northern California executive with a long history o f senior positions in corporate life. She was working for a major media company a t the time o f 9/11. She described how 9/11 "changed everything for me." Apparently the devastation felt in -N.Y. h i t the west coast as well. Karlie shared how the whole company was traumatized for a long time, it was topic A for many for an extended period, and also woke her u p t o the realization that she d i d not have a family. She had always been so completely involved in her so she thought, but work a n d in her career. She was happy with her career-or when this event hit, the fact that she was essentially alone, without a partner and without children, made her feel for the first time that she'really had t o transform her life in a major way. I n addition ro this wake u p call, Karlie started taking better care o f herself. She sought some medical help for anxiety and started taking ~nedicationthat was making her feel whole, grounded, and in control for t h e first time in many years. Karlie described the changes in her routine, f r o m more time with friends, t o increased boundaries at work. W h i l e late nights and weekend work was a common occurrence prior t o 9/11, post the event Karlie started leaving the office promptly at 6:00 p.m., still committed but not as single-minded as in the past. Karlie also talked about her renewed and increased interest in foreign affairs, politics, and the like. Formerly a bit detached froin events such as those happening in the Middle East and Afghanistan, she now f o u n d herself reading more and getting more engaged with understanding the co~nplexitieso f global events and attempting t o figure out direcrions she thought t h e United States and other governments should be taking moving forward. T h i s also helped her gain ld traumas needed perspective in her o w n life. W h e r e minor events w o ~ ~ become and part o f the "Karlie drama show," the realization that there was a bigger and more complex world o u t there made Karlie a broader thinker and more aware of the complexity o f events and their consequences around the globe. She talked a t length about the bravery o f those involved in helping at the 60

CHANGE AHEAD site o f 9/11 and the tremendous generosity and outpouring o f support for so many. Karlie was certain that much o f what was happening close to 9/11 would . . have a long-lasting
PAT GILL WEBBER they will not accept simple o r pat answers that assume, incorrectly, that they are clueless. T h e y are not clueless about events in the world, they are not closed t o change and the need for new ideas, processes, and new directions. However, some are wary and d o have opinions a n d prejudices about the reasons things are the way they are. O u r interviews suggested a wide variety and variance in why people believed things. O u r current workforce appears to want to rlnderstand sit~rations more fully, have time t o process and t h i n k about the reasons for things, and then proceed t o be more fully engaged. People d o n o t see solutions in simple ways either. W h i l e Fox News o r other media outlcts try to make dramatic differences and simplistic left o r right views palatable and mainstream, it appears t o us that more people see things in gray and in ways that are less black and white and simplistic t h a n presented. M o r e people are open t o deeper and multiple realities, b o t h because o f the broadchanging cultural and globalization trends, a n d because thcy have seen that solutions to the world's problems like 9/11 d o not come easily o; simply. T h e war in Iraq further intensifies feelings that black and white and simple linear answers t o questions o f change are not workable. W h e t h e r one is for o r against the war is irrelevant; the news continues to present information that i l l ~ ~ m i n a t cthe s complexity o f changing situations there, creating Inore evidence t o modern workers and citizens that n o major change can be accomplished in quite the easy way it is presented. Since the "answers," if there are any, t o co~nplexsituations internationally seem to defy simple pat responses, o u r workforce and citizens are less likely t o accept any attempts t o make things t o o black and white and simplistic within organizations. T h e selection o f the new pope, Benedict XVI, has already concerned many American Catholics. I t appears that many o f the faithful, although willing to listen t o the new pontiff, are complex in their thinking and d o n o t want simple answers to issues they deem critical t o the Church and its future. W h i l e the majority are comfortable with dogma in areas like abortion, others are unwilling t o accept pat answers o r pronouncements on the priest shortage, women in the p i e s t h o o d , o r birth control. T h i s would be aligned with o u r research data, which demonstrates complicated thinking a n d the holding o f various positions in the people we interviewed. W h a t is the point o f this analysis for organizational change at any level? O u r research into the reactions of people we spoke with a n d surveyed indicate that with any change it is wise t o expect a wide range of reactions, and accept that simple, pat answers and any straight-line approach to a n end point selected by an elite few (rather than groups-as a whole) is bound t o fail. Understand that people's thinking due t o many factors noted earlier in the Big Picture in many cases has evolved and is complex. Expect a range o f emotions to any serious change, understand and accept t o o that the personal impact o f change, not the

CHANGE AHEAD change itself, is often the issue for any individual worker o r leader. There will be various and different approaches, emotions, and solutions generated by such diverse people, and that is more than "ok" if they are considered in the process. M o r e about this will be explored in the final chapter. Turning to the final q ~ ~ e s t i o non s change, we see in the table bclow that there ate some key factors more important than others that create the need t o change o r react t o change. Looking beyond 9/11 wc can determine that other factors influence people to make changes. Table Ba. Other Sources Of Change--Putting911 1 Aside

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T h i s table provides a visual o f what people perceive t o be going o n within thelnselves, affecting their need to create change and to be open t o change. W e see a strong majority, 63%, indicating that they are making changes all the time i r l order t o adapt to evolving conditions and new issues in their lives. 43% acknowledge that their own particular histories and their own reflections on lifc events are also impacting them and creating conditions for change. O n c e again o u r concept o f "the myth o f change resistance" appears t o be valid. People appear t o accept the need for change. But o f c o ~ l r s ethe issue for organizations is "what change" are they open to? Organizations t h a t d o not allow for the understanding that most people appear t o be changing all the time due t o their own issues, miss t h e opportunity t o engage with individuals t o determine just how those specific changes that people are working on in their own lives might work for the common good o r their own good a t work. Leaders at all levels need t o be aware that people are

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CHANGE AHEAD financial services company but shares a c o m m o n story with other survivors t h a t she didn't get t o work o n 9/11 due to an emergency involving Bob's job. She did see the first plane go in, a n d then the second, standing in horror o n her commute that never finislicd. A late start saved her life a n d many others. T h a n k f u l l y all but one o f h e r coworkers lived. T h e one who did not was a hero who was m a k i n g sure everyone else got o u t , a n d then waited t o o long t o get o u t himself. Nancy, Bob's wife, worked in offices that were o n a low floor for the towers (40), a n d most o f those lost, o f course, were o n higher floors above where the planes went In. Bob immediately made a point t o say that he and N a n c y had become a lot lilore family focused. T h e y have three young children with whom they were spending more time by traveling less and working at home more for their busy careers. Still very committed t o his career, Bob was strongly'impacted t o get back to what he and his wife felt was their first priority-their family a n d its well being. Bob talked about how he did n o t t h i n k it was possible that the government coirld have p u t all the pieces together. As a worker in a large global enterprise, he spoke supportively o f government workers since he shared the experience o f working in a huge organization and well understood the difficulties o f staying connected a n d working seamlessly keeping each other informed and in the loop. Connecting dots is a great deal easier o n paper and in hindsight t h a n it is within the confines o f a real organization. Bob felt he was a better father as a result o f 9/11. W h i l e he was always a concerned and involved parent, there was now more o f a n emphasis o n sharing and communicating. A t dinner, Bob was asking questions about each o f the children's days and how they thought about issues the), were experiencing. H e felt this was a great improvement in family life and was bringing them more together into a stronger unit t h a t really understood each othcr's challenges. Because Bob's children were young, he also felt he had to answer their questions in a way t h a t would help them begin to understand the world. W h y d o people kill people o f all.) Are different religions Daddy? (Some small numbers o f peoFle d o this-not we safe at the airport? (Yes, there is more security now.) W i l l you a n d M o m m y be OK if you g o o n a business trip? (Yes, we will be OK.) These were new issues for he and his wife t o deal with a n d they were dealing with them head on, trying t o give their youngsters a sense o f safety and a n understanding that there were g o o d people in the world-that, in fact, most were good. As for his job and career, Bob saw a bit o f a pull back. H e loved his work, but often a n exciting new job opportunity would mean more trips to London, Singapore, o r India, and Bob now felt t h a t he didn't want t o travel away from his family. H e also knew that less travel meant less visibility in his corporation. H e still wanted the successful career he was having, but he was going t o make choices 65

PAT GILL WEBBER that likely would limit some options at a later time. H e was at peace with t h a t because he saw it as his own choice. Bob also mentioned his father-in-law's death as a key event in his decision making a r o u n d his own career. I n Bob's m i n d , his father-in-law h a d , a good career-he worked like crazy, put four children through college, and really focused o n taking care o f his family. Although he had hoped that his retirement w o ~ ~ l d t u r n the tables a bit with h i m enjoying life more, he died, at his desk, o f a massive heart attack a t age 54. T h i s , too, was part o f the personal history that shaped Bob's thinking about t h e - l i m i t s o f his career ambitions, especially in light o f events like 9/11. Kay R. is a n early forties insurance executive working i n HR for a large insurance company in Ohio. She is married with twins and a working husband. H e r husband is going t o retire t o spend more time with their children-not as a direct result o f 9/11 but as one o f many things that Kay felt was a result o f thinking about t h e importance o f family in a post 9/11 world. She is hard-working, very strong, and passionate about learning a n d educating adults a t work; this is her area o f expertise a n d she does it well. Kay puts in long hours and considers herself a real professional. Kay described herself and her husband as conservative. She was spending a great deal o f time helping her children understand the events of 9/11 which she saw as a seminal event in o u r nation's history. S h e was worried t h a t time would make people forget the impact o f 9/11: she thought this would be a loss. She was collecting many mementos and other items she felt would help her children remember a n d understand the complex situation t h a t occurred. Kay felt patriotism for many had increased and she hoped this would continue. She felt confident that the United States would overcome problems a n d continue t o b e t h e best place in the world t o live. She was one o f the strongest people we interviewed in terms o f her pro-America, p r o - ~ m e r i c a nway o f life. Kay was upset when one o f her boys saw a middle-eastern m a n o n T V and asked her "are they all bad M o m ? " She worried t h a t she a n d her husband's patriotism o r conversation may have led her children t o have prejudices o r hold stereotypes. She confronted this directly with her son and assured h i m that no, not all middle eastern people, o r even a majority of these people, were bad. Kay found herselfmore worried t h a n she would like over travel. She changed some o f her travel plans due t o her fears, which she hoped would subside with time. Kay thought a big change for her was a n increased interest in all things political and in world events. As noted in discussions o f earlier interviews, she felt she was becoming a n d had become more aware o f a n d interested in world events. She felt concerned about the issues in the Middle East and voiced her belief t h a t people in that area o f the world seemed t o have less concern for h u m a n life a n d the sacred nature o f any life. W h i l e she didn't want t o be negative a n d stereotype

.

CHANGE AHEAD people, she felt there was something to the idea that certain people did not seem to care enough about life and that this created a n opportunity for more terrorism in the world. Kay felt that work also had changed due t o 9/11. N e w economic forces were impacting their insurance business. She felt that the organization she worked for was putting an increased emphasis on lielping people see the interconnectedness o f events. If businesses lost ground, that would affect their own business since less people would o r could pay for insurance. She felt that many, including herself, were becoming more realistic and clear that businesses were constantly dealing with change-and that employees needed t o change alongside them. T h i s is very tnuch in line with our earlier observations that people are realizing the need for change. I t appeared from her conversation that this new realism, if you will, was being nurtured at her organization, which certainly would be helpftul for all workers there. Kay wants to continue to be successful and contribute at work. She is open t o new ways of doing that and is anxious t o continue being b o t h a better and a more engaged parent, spending as much time as possible with her family and engaging with them in ways t o continue t o understand the new world in which we all live. N ~ t a l i eT. is a late forties corporate employee living and working in N e w Jersey with one grown daughter, a younger son, and a working spouse. Natalie has always worked although she cut back to part-time a few years ago t o balance her work-life mix. She was visiting her mother in the hospital when 9/11 happened. She remembers calling her husband t o g o get her son and bring him home. It was a scary time. Natalie sees herself as always having been family-oriented and patriotic. H e r D a d was in the service and she grew u p in a home that always flew the flag and believed in G o d , family, and country. She did not see herself as becoming more patriotic o r family-oriented due t o 9/11 hecause she always felt those were her priorities. But she did find herself believing that "life is short," and began t o pick u p old friendships and relationships she had neglected, calling friends she hadn't talked to in ycars and spending time with a broader range o f people t h a n before. Natalie, like others we spoke with, w3s more interested than ever in the news and world events. She found herself for the first time very interested in global political issues and having conversations with people about those issues. Natalie comes across as a very loving person. She mentioned that she had become more so and more spiritual as well. She felt enormous empathy for those who had died or had suffered the loss o f a loved one. She felt that changes in her life were often related t o personal events like her own divorce a n d the sadness she felt when it was happening. She saw that 9/11 had impacted many to share

PAT GILL WEBBER their own feelings that life was short a n d that family a n d friends always needed t o come first. She noted something quite interesting i n her interview which focused primarily on her family. She talked about her passion for her work, and how at one time n o one would have thought that "sweet Natalie" could have handled a job that had so much pressure a n d the need t o make presentation all the time. Natalie expressed great p i d e in her accomplishments at work and felt this was an important part o f her life. Natalie, for all her family focus, had passion for her career and work. Bob, Kay, and Natalie are unique and yet represent some broadly held approaches and beliefs. T h e y embody the spirit o f many working people. T h e y care about their work, but they care first and foremost about their family, their personal need t o contribute in ways that make sense to them and use their skills, and about being healthy and being whole. .Their stories are ones that put meat o n the bones o f the survey, which suggests that people are deeply and fully committed t o change in their lives. But that is the key-in their lives. T h e y are open t o changes and opportunities a t work. T h e y are realistic about the needs for change in a global world. But people are not going to sacrifice their families' well-being, o r their own well-being, just to respond t o something that will likely change again at work. W o r k a n d workplaces need t o tap into the need t o contribute and be a whole person. If work allows people t o d o that-to achieve their personal dreams a n d aspirations and those o f their families-then people are willing and able t o g o beyond any norms and contribute to make that happen. W h e n the employee is made to feel that the organization sees them only in terms of their own needs, they disconnect and become unengaged with the real work of the enterprise, except as it meets their needs for money and survival. I t is not surprising that they will avoid o r be neutral toward active participation o r a willingness t o participate in transformation initiatives o r change programs that the organization is undertaking.

CHANGE AHEAD

CHAPTER 7

Lonclusron T h e first phase of o u r research was exciting and demonstrated, in o u r population o f survey participants and interviews, t h a t for the vast majority o f people, change is good, acceptable, and part o f their lives. T h e y are moving toward change, n o t away from it. T h i s held true for men as well as women a n d in a11 age groups. O u r research shows very little difference between those groups in terms o f their attitudes toward a n d about change. 9/11 was a critical event in o u r history. It also served as a change stimulus for some a n d created opportunities for reflection a n d new directions in thinking. 9/11 seemed t o allow for new conversations and ways o f understanding the world t h a t contributed t o the open mindedness o f many people. W e know for certain that family is more important t o more €eople t h a n ever before. But careers and health are critical too. People make decisions and change gears often. And the reason for these adjustments ate often tied t o that constellation o f issues-family, career, and health. Transformation is happening t o some people-whether as a result o f 9/11, other changes in the world, o r personally. Some people are able t o take o n new perspectives and shifting beliefs that are strengthening them in their understanding o f themselves and others. W o r k is ever-changing. H o w workers react and respond t o those changes is complex. But it is certain t h a t workers are not adverse in this time in history t o consider changing for work o r at work. T h e question is how best t o connect t o more sophisticated a n d informed people who have their own eyes o n their o w n priorities and are aware o f the liinitations o f organizations to provide them with sect~rityof any kind. People want engagement and meaning, b u t it also appears from o u r look at modern organizations that they o r their leaders are not quite sure how t o g o about Froviding connection and opportunity to achieve people's best work in this constantly changing world.

CHANGE AHEAD

PART 111

Phase I1 of Research: A Closer Look at Attitudes and Behaviors Related to Change at W o r k

SYNOPSIS AND IMPLICATIONS

W e already knew by the end o f the first phase o f research coupled with o u r review o f the culture and the times t h a t leadership needed t o change a n d that individuals were being under-estimated in terms o f their sophistication about change. W e also knew t h a t there appeared t o be less differences among people regarding issues o f change as well as issues o f family focus. W h i l e o u r industry had literature exploring differences among groups-and we don't dispute there are such differences between Baby boomers a n d Generation X for example, when it colnes t o change, and handling it, the differences did not surface in o u r research sample. T h i s is a n important finding in light o f some organizations' out-of-date beliefs that one o r another g r o u p may be more pro-change t h a n others, o r that simply did younger people manage o r deal with change more effectively-this not hold true in o u r research. W h a t about when you factor in differences in organizations? W h a t about when management o r leadership is doing a particularly good o r poor job o f managing a n d leading change efforts? H o w does that impact people a n d how d o people, i n a real a n d concrete way not just THINK about change, but behave when faced with real changes at work. W e decided we needed a bigger sample o f people and we needed t o see them in specific contexts. W e worked with about 640 people in this phase o f o u r research and we honed in o n reactions t o tangible work changes a n d t o behaviors when faced with complexity a n d change at work. W e also continued t o look for differences by age a n d W e surveyed people at all levels by education and ritle/organizational status. W e did not tease o u t this data t o look at differences, b u t if o u r data is consistent, it is likely n o t going t o show many if any changes. Simply put, we did n o t see many differences between various types o f people within any given organizations although some differences did emerge by organization. We decided t o d o a couple of things in this phase o f the research. First, after much effort, we selected eight specific work locations and a g r o u p o f change consultants t o study in more detail. For each we studied the industry, the organization, a n d the issues o f change and how they were handled. T h e n , we grouped the sites into one set o f four that were, according t o o u r expertise a n d the literature o f change more effectively handling change and leading the processes effectively. T h e n , we chose four sites which, for reason o r another, ,in o u r professional judgthe leadership effort was o f f base. ment were n o t doing something right-either o r the industry was going through some rhings that were troubling, o r for some reason it just seemed things probably would not be going as well as planned.

I n all cases we selected a n d used t w o valtdated and exlstlng tools t h a t research shows demonstrate two sets o f things-the first tool measured people's attitudes and approaches t o specific work changes-they were either for them, against them, o r neutral toward them. T h e n we looked at another tool widely considered in business-emotional intelligence-and we measured how emotionally intelligent people were in these settings. T h i s we measured in terms o f h o w well they handled issues related to change-not just what they thought, b u t how they acted and if they demonstrated flexibility and good relationship skills t h a t would help t h e m navigate change effectively. I n the four chipters that follow we share the details o f the sample, the tools used, t h e questions covered, a n d t h e various ages a n d gender mixes in addition t o highlighting the stories o f o u r sites a n d the analysis o f where people are in terms of adaptation a n d behavioral approaches t o change. Broadly, we discovered t h a t the findings from the first phase which showed little t o 110 differences between a n d among groups by age and sex carried through t o this stage o f the research as well. N e x t we found, that although there were some minor and interesting differul and there was variation ences a m o n g successful a n d less s ~ ~ c c e s s forganizations, i n response pafterns, for the most part people were b o t h more emotionally intelligent and more pro-change t h a n neutral o r negative toward change. T h e stories o f the organizations-a brokerage firm, a global healthcare giant, a technology company serving t h e animal care i n d u s t r y a large government agency serving millions o f customers with thousands o f employees, a large state government g r o u p that ran a well regarded c o u r t system, an entrepreneurial firm with high technology products for the visually impaired, an aviation company t h a t serves unique niches in the marketplace, and a company doing outsourcing o f communications for leading firms, are interesting a n d rich. The). serve t o demonstrate the range o f organizations we considered and the range o f workers a n d industriei. I n addition t o these sites, we worked with a g r o u p of independent consultants spe,cializing in organizational change and a n additional 250 people w h o completed questionnaires and were from other industries a n d at a variety o f levels within organizations t h a n those we covered in o u r in-depth test sites. Overall, the conclusions were clear-people are more pro-change in their behaviors and approaches t o specific changes at work as well as more pro-change in their general attitudes toward change. People are also more emotionally intelligent t h a n previously thought. T h i s is a rather s t u n n i n g conclusion when it has been thought in some circles that emotional intelligence has been diminishing in the population. Again, o u r research showed the opposite with strong emotional intelligence across the board. T h e r e were a few anti-change people b u t those that were anti-change were that way due t o poor leadership o r conditions in their organization a t the time o f the survey. T h a t is, when it came down t o 74

CHANGE AHEAD explaining why any person o r group mlght demonstrate anti-change behavlor o r lower emotional intelligence, the "blame" is squarely o n the specifics o f the

situation and/or poor leadership and management and n o t o n people in general. A t t ~ t u d e sand behaviors are strongly positive overall, but can be rnade negative when s ~ t u a t i o n ssuggest that b a n g pro-change is not in one's self Interest. T h i s is completely consistent with o u r phase one research results.

CHANGE AHEAD

CHAPTER 8

A New Group of Participants At the end o f the first phase o f o u r research, we felt we had learned some interesting things about people living and working post 9/11. W e perceived they were strongly pro-change, more than we might have thought and certainly more than organizational evidence seemed t o suggest. W e also found from o u r research that they were more mature a n d sophisticated in their thinking than might have been imagined. Finally, we realized that the ways in which people focused their attention a n d made decisions were more personal-that is, that family, career a n d health drove decisions o n when and how t o change. Corporate directives a n d efforts t o externally motivate change did not appear t o he the factors influencing people's decisions o n change. People were also developing in ways that were for some related t o 9/11, and e for others related t o their own transformation efforts as a result o f ~ ~ n i q ulife experiences. W e began to observe as well that the cultural and global forces we refcrred t o in Part I seemed t o be making an impact. For example, the desire and belief in self-help a n d the possiLility o f deep change seems t o have permeated the thinking and behavior o f some of o u r participants-especially m e n whose prochange stances were at the same levels as women's, which we found counter-intuitive by surveying the media's perceptions o f who is and who is not pro-change. As consultants working in organizations, we wanted t o know more. Specifically, we wanted to know about people working in organizations o f various types and how they were feeling about change. W e were curious if they were more o r less pro-change t h a n the random general population we had surveyed and interviewed. A n d we wanted t o determine how situations impacted the way they handled a n d adapted t o change. W e also wanted t o look closely a t what was happening in various organizations to understand how the specifics o f those situations were impacting the change feelings a n d actions of the subjects. W e knew i f w e could capture some data that would illuminate the current state of workers in specific settings, and we could analyze how pro-change o r open t o change they were, we might offer some additional insights to individuals, leaders o f organizational change initiatives, and organizations as a whole about how best t o work with people in this early 2 I s t century.

We wondered as well if o u r first phase data was t o o pro-change. W h e n we

went t o actual work sites and d ~ surveys d wlth only employees, would we find the openness t o change we observed when we surveyed the "public"? W e also decided t o consider measuring the change reaction and einotional intelligence o f change consultants themselves who were involved with change o n a professional level. Collectively, the consultants we surveyed earn millions o f dollars offering advice a n d counsel t o those corporations a n d individuals t h a t make change decisions a n d leadership choices related t o transformation at work. I. W e thought it might be interesting t o consider their responses as well to detcrmine how they were more o r less open t o change. At this point, Dr. T h a n o s Patelis becalne more involved in the research design and thinking about how t o best capture needed data and then understand a n d consider the feeling around change o f people at work. Together we explored a number o f options, including developing a n original instrument as was done in phase one. W h a t we found after much reading and reflection were two tools, already validated, that'would help us get t h e types o f insight we were looking for. T h o s e instruments were H R D Q ' s Change Reaction, and H a y Associates' E m o tional Intelligence Inventory. W e worked with both these organizations to get permission t o use their instruments. Both groups seemed as curious as we were in terms o f what we might discover using their instruments. I n this chapter we will discuss b o t h instrum'ents as well as the other parts o f research-a demographic questionnaire a n d a semi-structured interview o f selected organizations. W e will cover what they are designed t o measure, how we decided t o use these tools, and what we f o u n d with o u r new total p o p ~ l l a t i o n (phase t w o population 647 versus 315 for phase one). We will also d i s c ~ ~ the ss new participants we sought o u t and present the demographics o f this new 647participant population. Finally, we will cover how the total g r o u p responded t o these measures considering gender a n d o u r previously mentioned age cohorts. Chaptcrs 9 a n d 10 o f this section will detail findings for the eight work sites and o u r organizational consultants with commentary o n each situation. We will compare the total g r o u p responses t o each o f the site responses and thc i ~ i d e pendent consultant responses t o determine any differences. Since the eight sites involve a range o f organizations, the reader may wish t o focus o n whichever organization most closely reflects one's own t o determine how participants handled questions regarding change, optimism, empathy, and more, including clusters o f competencies such as social awareness and relationship management. A s u m m a r y o f o u r findings in phase t w o o f o u r research is f o u n d in Chapter 11 at the end o f Part 111. Appendix A in this chapter highlights more detailed statistical analysis information o n o u r research with t h e emotional intelligence tool. W e wanted this phase o f o u r research t o have a larger sample than o u r first, representing a wide variety of workers a t various levels within a n organization and in various industries. W e also wanted t o attempt t o get a mix o f racial

CHANGE AHEAD groups. W e had somewhat o f a difficult time getting the range a n d mix o f workers we wanted. W e also struggled t o get a good mix o f sites, interviewing a n d considering over 25 organizations before finally working with eight, plus o u r group o f independent consultants (all from different consulting groups). Since some participants seem t o have difficulty in identifying their industry, choosing in some cases t w o different industries, we are not as confident that the mix o f industries described is accurate. Also, about I66 people o f o u r total g r o u p marked "other" for industry although we provided a range o f choices we thought covered most of them. T h c eight sites a n d c o n s ~ ~ l t a nwe t s utilized provided roughly 250 responses for the second phase o f o u r research. W i t h i n sites workers were recruited t o answer the survey and often selected t o answer it. I t was not a case o f randomly sending o u t the survey and having anyone who wanted to respond. T h i s allows us t o feel confident that t h e mix provided by the sites is indicative o f the group within cach site we were trying to sample. T h e remainder o f the participants in phase two o f o u r research was actively recruited t o participate based o n th1e mix o f people we wanted. W e worked with a company who specializes in providing participants t o make certain that we would get a rnix o f people based o n gender, age, level, and type o f work as well as industry. D u e to this effort, o u r final demographics provide a wide range o f working people, representing a significant sampling o f the current workforce in the United States. A small percentage o f the respondents worked outside the United States, since one of o u r sites was based in Australia while another, a global pharmaceutical giant, has businesses globally, with participants in multip1,e locations. We specifically selected key industries t o look at. W e thought retail, for instance, would give us access t o a wideIy employed a n d growing group of workers that are not often tappcd in research studies. W e wanted healthcare a n d medical because it, again, is a growing population o f workers. W e thought communications a n d finance were also large employers, representing more complex-type business organizations. O u r specific sites also sought a mix o f types and styles o f organizations, including: a large federal government agency a n d large state government agency; a 40-year old small boutique type "Wall Street" financial services firm with under 50 employees; a 15-year old international company with 2 , 5 0 0 employees focusing o n the animal care business; a high technology company specializing in the unique aviation niche within government a n d industry listed as one o f the t o p growing small firms in America; a 100-year old global pharmaceutical giant with over 150,000 employees; a stnall niche international design and manufacturing organization focusing o n scientific applications for the blind; a n d a 30-year old communications firin with over 2,500 employees that provides integrated print and electronic billing and customer communications for large insurance, healthcare, utilities, and financial services companies.

PAT GILL WEBBER T h e following four tables show the specific demographics of our phase two population. Table 1 Gander Dlstribullon of Respondens (N=M7)

Tabla 2. Age Dlstrtbmon d Respondents(N=WT)

CHANGE AHEAD Table 3. Rac~allElhn~c Dislribul~ono f Rsspondsnrs (N=E47)

RidsIIElhnlc Group

. \ m c r i c m lndlnn Alnrkm Native

AI~M America>.Pacific Islwdcr H i r p m m r Ammiran

hlulliracial Dtllm. Mrarc Specify Whtlc

N o Rfdpmnc (Po

!(Po

2Wh

3360

1(Pb

5Wo

W o

70%

Wb

Prrtmt orRrrpondmlr

Table 4. Type of lndunry Distribution of Respondents (N.858)

Type of I n d u s t y Comm,n cattons F nanc a1 Smces Man-fact-nng Mea.ca 1 h e a thcare

I

Profcsrona S m c c s

Technology M o l e s a l e I Retall

Note: T h e type o f industry has more responses than the number o f respondents, because some respondents selected more than one type. I n some cases people may not have responded t o a description o f a person's firm as we would. For example, we worked with a manufacturing site and yet n o t all the workers there indicated they were in manufacturing-perhaps they considered themselves in a technology o r service firm. O u r m o s t basic questions concerned how pro-change people were in organizational life. T h e HKDQ Change Reaction tool is directly related to o u r interest. T h e model developed for this tool suggests that people have one of three main reactions t o change a t work. T h e first are those that are moving toward o r

.

PAT GILL WEBBER w h o could be characterized as "supporting" change. A n example o f a statement this group would agree o n would be: "I try t o find o u t how the change might affect me," o r "I a m colnfortable leading the change." T h e second are described . as noncommittal a n d typically moving away" from change. HRDQ calls this g r o u p "neutral" toward organizational change. Examples o f statements these people might agree with are: "I don't get significantly involved," o r "I take a n impartial position." Finally, we have those people w h o in the HRDQ model would be described as "resistant t o change." T h e y might agree with statements like: "I openly resist the changes at work," o r "I a m not open with my dissent." T h e authors o f the Change Reaction instrument are Drs. John Jones (recently deceased) a n d W i l l i a m Bearley-both recognized experts in the field o f organizational change and development, with extensive corporate and academic credentials. T h e Change Reaction (CR) tool is comprised o f 24 questions answered o n a five-point Likert scale (i.e., 4 is Almost Always, 3 is Very O f t e n , 2 is Soinetimes, I is N o t Very O f t e n , a n d 0 is Almost Never). Responses t o these questions represented three dimensions: supportive, resistant, and neutral t o change. Each dimension consisted o f eight questions. T h e dimension scores are obtained by adding the responses t o each question associated with that dimension. T h e internal consistency using coefficient alpha based o n the sample in this study was 0.60, whereas the internal coilsistency for the supportive, resistant, and neutral t o change dimensions was 0.70, 0.71, a n d 0.52, respectively. I n terms o f t h e .validity evidence, this scale has been used i n professional settings as a mechanism for screening individuals for their self-report o n their type of response t o changc. No large-scale validation studies have been found. Let's consider how the 6 4 2 people (our total population o f 6 4 7 ) responded t o the Change Reaction tool. T h e mean is simply the average score. T h e median is the score that is literally in the middle o f the pack, and finally, the standard deviation relates t o the variance a m o n g answers. 1'

Table 5 Descriptive Statistics for CR Std

Area Supportive Neutral

1 Res~stant

N

Mean

644

190

642 642

12 8

Medlan

Dev~at~on

19 0 13 0

67

4 43 3 67

1

60 382 The scale associated with the CR 1s from 0 to 4, repre\entmg thz follow~ngscale 4 is Almost Alwa)s, 3 1s Vely (Men, 2 1s Sometimes. 1 1s Not Ver) Oflen. and 0 1 5 .4ln1ostNever There all: eight questions born Ihz CR that rzpresent aacli ale3 Thc nunlmum I S zzm and the ma\lmum score for each area is 32.

T h i s data states that the average score for the supportwe score (which could have been as high as 32 and as low as 0) was almost 19. T h e average for neutral was lower-about 13 o u t of a possible 32, and hnally rcsistant h a d a n average 82

C H A N G E AHEAD score for all participants o f about

6.50 o u t o f a possible 32. O n its face, that

means most people in terms o f change are more supportive than they are neutral, and more neutral than they are resistant. T h i s is overall consistent with o u r Fhase one findings. ch there is T h e standard deviation is a way t o determine how m ~ ~ variety within a sample o f responses. T h e more data you have, for example the more participants who take a test, the more you will have cxtreme highs and lows. H o w ever, it is also true t h a t it does not matter how large a sample, you will still have a c o m m o n range o f variation, even as larger salnplcs produce more "outliers." T h e most c o m m o n way t o describe the range o f variation is standard deviation. W h e n you have data that is "normally distributed" such as that in o u r sample, it would follow that 68%-o f participants are within one standard deviation o f the mean (in either direction-above o r below it) and about 95% are within t w o standard deviations. Simply put, if o u r mean is IS98 and o u r standard deviation 4.43, then 95% o f o u r sample answercd between 10.12 a n d 27.84, a n d 68% were between 14.55 a n d 23.41 (out o f 32) in terms o f being supportive. Even more simply, the phase t w o rcsearch sample is strongly supportive o f change versus neutral o r resistant. W e would have t o note that although o u r total group is clearly more supportive t h a n neutral o r resistant, the mean score is not quite as high as predicted by the first phase o f research. In other words, o u r phase t w o research does suggest t h a t once in a n organizational setting, the strongly p o - c h a n g e attitudes found in phase one o f o u r research are less starkly highly po-change. Table 6, which follows, provides a visual look at how o u r phase two total population rcsponded t o the Change Reaction Tool. It becomes clearer t h a t although obviously more pro-change than neutral o r resistant, the answers are not, as just notcd, as starkly pro-change as o u r phase one data. I f t h e scores were more starkly pro-change, the range for supportive wouId be closer t o the 32 score.

PAT GILL WEBBER Table 6 Summar)' of Scores on tlia Change React~on(N=642)

supportive

Neutral

Resistant

Table 6 illustrates the distribution o f the scores o n each dimension. T h e bar within each box represents the median. T h e median indicates where the middle o f the distribution o f scores falls. T h e t o p and b o t t o m o f each box represent where the middle 50% o f the distribution o f scores falls for each dimension. T h e distribution is fairly packed around the median for each dimension. T h e middle 50% does not cover more t h a n 6 points o n each dimension. As can he seen, however, there are a few outliers in the distribution. AS in o u r phase one research, we were curious if there were any differences in the way men and women looked at a n d handled change. As you may recall. phase one suggested few differences between the genders. Table 7 considers how o u r phase t w o g r o u p differed on the Change Reaction tool. And, as with phase one, we find little if any differences between the groups. T h e minor differences were t h a t men were somewhat more supportive o f change a n d slightly less neutral. Both groups were a b o u t the same in terms o f resistance t o change. T h e stereotype o f the change resistant male is once again unsubstantiated by o u r research sample.

CHANGE AHEAD Table 7. Tiny Gendar Diffarancss are seen i n Each Dimemion of the Change Reaction

W h a t about o u r age groups? Did different age groups have different change reactions? O u r data mixes some o f thc previously discussed cohorts. However, with some minor thinking, one can make the connection. Ys (born since 1978) and ~ e r s ' ( b o r nbetween abut 1960 and 1978/80) make u p the 18-35-year old g r o u p the Boomers (roughly born 1943-1963) make u p the bulk o f the 35-50year old group, although that g r o u p does hold Xers. T h e 51-plus g r o u p would be mainly Boomers with some Veterans (born prior t o I943 and still working). As you may recall from o u r earlier discussion, research o n generations at work seem t o suggest t h a t the Ys and Xers are more comfortable a n d supportive o f change than the older Boomers and Veterans. But, as in o u r phase one data, this d i d not seem to he t h e case for o u r phase t w o sample. I n fact, as in phase one, the age groups had even less difference between them than did the genders. O n c e again, there appears t o be somewhat o f a m y t h that younger people in the workplace are more supportive o f and open t o change than older workers. I f organizations t h i n k it would be easier t o change a compan y with all youngcr people than one filled with older employees, o u r data would suggest t h a t there would be little o r no advantage to the younger population OR the older p o p ~ ~ l a t i oTable n. 8 vis~ralizesthis analysis.

PAT GILL WEBBER Tabla 8. No Dlffarsnces a s Seen an Each D~rnsnsionof the Change Rextlon Across Age Catsoones

Age Casgoty by Change Reaction Dlmsnnon

Perhaps n o other concept o f leadership and staff development has had widl W h e n Daniel Goletnan er acceptance than t h e concept o f e n ~ o t i o n a intelligence. wrote his first book o n emotional intelligence, he likely did not realize how strongly he would touch a cord in the organizational world. Workirlg with Elnotional Ii~te/ligence(Goleman, 1998), has been an organizational bestseller, pointing o u t t h a t t h e most significant type o f intelligence that determines actual success o r failure o n the job is not the traditional intelligence measures such as mathematical a n d language proficiencies, but rather emotional intelligence. T h i s constellation o f skills and competencies appears t o make the major difference in terms o f performance at work. W h i l e traditional intelligence is generally needed t o enter many work-related professions, its presence by n o means predicts success. I n fact, the more difficult the field o f endeavor, the more complex and multidimensional emotional intelligence has more predictive abilities t o determine who will succeed in businesses and organizational settings. C o m m o n sense, o r c o m m o n knowledge, may suggest just the opposite. If one. were t o watch reality T V and see programs like "The Appreritire," one might come t o believe that dishonesty, insincerity, a n d bullying tactics win the day. But the real REALITY is that emotional intelligence matters and is well-researched in actual work settings. W h i l e the atypical CEO might get publicity, t h e vast majority of successful working people use high emotional intelligence t o perfortn a n d excel at their jobs. Dr. Goleman's work outlines five main areas o f emotional intelligence. F o r each he details the sub-skills t h a t are part o f the behavior repertoire o f one with this competence. T h r o u g h many work examples and studies, he strongly makes

4,

CHANGE AHEAD the case for mastery o f emotional intelligence as a means t o success in any job o r career-especially the ones on the way u p the ladder. T h e more education and experience needed, the more e~notionalintelligence plays a significant role in the differentiation o f success o f any group o f workers. For example, one could consider business executives at the highest levels, CEO o r CFO. I n studies, it is emotional intelligence that makes the difference between excellent and superior since most C E O s a n d C F O s have similar education and other work credentials. Because anyone who aspires t o high o r specialized levels o f work has "smarts" and education o f t h e kind needed for entry t o this job category, the importance o f emotional intelligence plays a greater role in differentiating people at the top. W e would strongly suggest t o o u r readers who are unfamiliar with these concepts that they consider reading at least Goleman's basic text t o gain an understanding o f the critical importance and developmental issues o f emotional intelligence. T h i s is basic and required information for people working in modern organizations. But o u r work is about change as we consider how best to create and support change in an ever-changing world. And we are concerned with how well people are change-positive, that is able a n d willing to embrace o r lead change. H o w did we decide t o use a tool designed to study emotional intelligence and use it as something related to being pro-change? O u r thinking was simple. W e felt that only those who perceived themselves t o be highly emotionally intelligent would be likely to both reach for and develop change b o t h within them and at work. As change consultants, we also know that the ability t o change oneself, and the ability to model the behavior wanted in others, is strongly correlated with success in changing and leading others. Many studies o f excellent leaders have made the point that modeling the behaviors sought in others is one o f the most highly s~lccessfulchange strategies. I n his newest work, Chargirg Minds: The Art and Scienrt of Changiig Ot~rOwn and Other Peoplci Minds (2004), Howard Gardner makes a strong case for this point, exploring various times when leaders succeeded o r failed in changing minds. H i s research found that those who were not able to model what they wanted others to d o tended t o fail badly in making the needed changes in others. Similarly, if people have strong social skills a n d can manage relationships across a range o f people in a multitude o f situations, they can handle and be involved with cornplex situations that would arise out o f a change initiative. "Being pro-change" or "a change catalyst" is one of Dr. Goleman's sub-skills. W e choose not t o focus o n just that one skill. Rather, after we s t ~ ~ d i ethe d survey tool and worked with it through our research, we felt that it made more sense t o look at the four clusters in the Emotional Comperency Inventory (the model in the text has five components-all the skills are part o f four clusters in the inventory). By 87

P.41 GILL WEBBER looking at the main groups of skills, we would determine how o u r participants are emotionally intelligent i n a broader scope, thus in o u r minds, more open and willing t o make needed changes for success. T h e four clusters are: self-awareness, self-management, social ,awareness, and relationship management. Self-awareness is the ability t o know oneself. T h a t self-knowledge i n Goleman's model also means knowing one's strengths and weaknesses a n d acting self-confident in one's true and reality-based abilities. managing o f Self-management includes a solid amount o f self-regulation-tho one's emotions when under pressure o r stress. A self-regulating person does not just react t o events; she o r he handles them once they have thought about them. Self-,nanagenlent also includes being adaptive, flexible, optimistic, and openall skills needed in our minds for dealing with change. Social awareness includes a large dose o f empathy-the ability t o really understand others a n d then t o act sensitively and appropriately towards them. Organizational awareness is also part of the social awareness cluster, as is having a strong service orientation. Finally, there is the area o f relationship management. T h i s cluster includes being a change catalyst, handling conflict, developing and leading others, and having the ability t o collaborate a n d work o n a team. Again, all of these skills in one way o r another help a person deal with a n d handle change effectively. T h e Embtional Competence Inventory (ECI) is a 72-question self-report inventory measuring a person's emotional intelligence according t o the work o f Golcman (1998). Even though the inventory may be used to report an individual's standing o n emotional intelligence by having people with various types o f relationships t o the individual complete the form, only the self-reported version was used for this study. T h e E C I as just noted above provides information o n four clusters a n d 18 competencies. T h e clusters include: (I) self-awareness, (2) self-management, (3) social awareness, and (4) relationship management. T h e I8 competencies include: (I) accurate self-assessment, (2) emotional self-awareness, (3) self-confidence, (4) achievement orientation, ( 5 ) adaptability, (6) emotional self-control, (7) initiative, (8) optimism, (9) transparency, (10) empathy, (11) organizational awareness, (12) service orientation, (13) change catalyst, (14) conflict management, (15) developing others, (16) influence, (17) inspirational leadership, and (18) teamwork and collaboration. T h e overall internal consistency using coefficient alpha from the sample in this study was 0.93. T h e formal definition o f each competency is indicated in Appendix B at the end o f this chapter. T h e internal consistency for the clusters and competencies is shown here in Table 9. T h i s table helps t o further clarify why we chose t o look and consider clusters o f skills versus individual sets o f skills. Let's take just a moment t o explain the term "internal consistency." T h e internal consistency o f a score means the likelihood this same group would answer in t h e same way were we t o conduct 88

CHANGE AHEAD another test 011 thcm. Internal consistency scores that are lower than 70% d o not have the consistency we want t o see. Therefore, we determined that for o u r purposes we would look primarily at the scores of the four clusters.

Tahle 9 l~lter~lal Consistency of Eniotiotlal Competence Inventory (ECI) for and Corllpetetlcy (Nunlber of Items in Parentllcses)

I Cluster

/ Cotnpetency (4 for each)

1

Self- Awareness (12) .Accurate Self-Assessment Szlf-Awareness Self-Co~fide~lce

Enlotional Self-hlalagenlent (24)

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/

Transparency

Social-Awara1ess (12) Empath) Orgnnizat~o~lal Awareness Sen ~ c O e r~entat~o~l Relatiotlsllip Management (24) Change Catal)st Corffl~clXIa~lagell~e~lt

I

Cluster

1

Internal Co~lsiste~lcy 0.77 0.58 0 62 0.66 0.85 0 72 0.42 0.69 0 50

I

0.49 0.77

A 0 57 0 85 0 90 0 73 0.49

Below is Table I0 that shows the mean scores for each o f o u r clusters. As just noted, the internal consistency o f individual skills is not as high and hence not as accurate as those for the clusters.

PAT GILL WEBBER Table

l a Mean Scores on each Cluner of the ECI ( N e w )

ECI Clusler

Although we did not focus o n the individual skills within the clusters due t o t h e consistency issues stated above, we did want t o make the scores available t o those who would be interested. T h e y are in Appendix A of this chapter. As Table I0 visualized, our total population is strongest in social awareness and self-awareness, a n d relatively less strong in self-management and relationship management. Relationship management is the- weakest o f all, likely due t o conflict management which h a d the lowest o f the individual skill scores. I n considering whether o u r total sample is enlotionally intelligent enough t o handle change, it is clear they are quite wcll-equipped t o handle change. Although not "perfect," o u r sample "sometimes" o r "often" demonstrated the use o f many o f these skills a n d clusters related t o emotional intelligence a n d hence, in o u r view, have the right skills t o be open to a n d handle change in a positive manner. W e were particularly pleased with the high levels o f self- and social-awareness that indicates people are in touch with themselves, understand themselves, and understand others. These are vital t o the process o f being involved in o r leading a change initiative. W e d o realize that by only using a self-score, we limited the effect of O L I ~research. W e know that it would have been even Inore helpful t o understand people's emotional intelligence by doing a 360 o n each participant (note, a '360' is a n approach that asks those reporting t o someone, a n d those t o whom one reports, t o evaluate the individual in addition t o their own personal self-evaluation), which was not practical o r possible. But we still feel confident that these scores are ~neaningful.People know themselves t o a large extent-not perfectly, o f course, b u t with enough validity for us t o feel confident that o u r total sample is quite well-equipped t o handle and lead change a t work. As with the change reaction tool, t h e emotional intelligence instrument did not suggest

CHANGE AHEAD the nearly perfect capability for change. But it is consistent with our phase one research. I t is only when we went into specific sites that we began t o see some differences in how people feel about a n d can handle change. W e were, o f c o ~ ~ r scei,~ r i o u sif o u r men and women and age cohorts would show differences. I n phase one, o u r research did not show many differences between these,groups, cven though, research previously conducted by othcrs apparently has shown some o f these differences. And, as just noted, o u r Change Reaction tool also did not demonstrate any differences between inen and women. Table I1 that follows continues to support o u r research that suggests few o r n o differences between the sexes. O u r lneri and women scored almost identically, with men very slightly in front o f women in each cluster. O n e explanation o f this very minor difference might be that men score themselves better than women. But in any case, the scores are so close that we saw them as virtually the same, demonstrating, as in phase one, that men and women d o not seem t o o different in these elements in the workplace. Since o u r sample was made u p entirely o f working people, this is an important caveat. Table 11. No Gender Differences are S s m Across Each ECI Cluster (N=400 Fsmda and 241 Md. Respondents)

ECI Clusters by Gander

W h a t about age? I n phase one, we had originally speculated that age cohorts might deal with change differently. T h i s did not hold true in o u r research, where all groups were pro-change and the most pro-change were the older groups. N o r was there any difference by age in thc first part of o u r phase t w o research, using the Change Reaction tool. Was this the same for emotional intelligence? Did o u r younger cohorts have lower emotional intelligence scores, a n d therefore less ability t o deal with change than our older groups? O n c e again, we found that there were little if an): differences by age in this part o f o u r research. T h i s again might 91

PAT GILL WEBBER suggest a certain leveling force f o r ages when they are all working In organizations. Tabla 12. Mom ECI Clusra Scores by Ago Caegory (N=644)

ECI Clusler h A@' Cmegory

.

9-

,

T h e final part o f phase two research was a semi-structured questionnaire that we used t o get a "picture" o f the organizations where we d i d research. T h e questions we asked were related t o current changes the organization was going through, o r those they had just gone through. W e developed a profile o f each site which gives an idea o f the organization, its work, and its current change climate. T h e n , for the purposes o f determining if there were differences in the responses based o n the culture, leadership, and situation-as we perceived it and as the scores of t h e total g r o u p indicatcd-we would share that as well. W e decided to group the,cight sites in the following way. First, we selected those organizational sites where we felt the culture a n d leadership were most prochange a n d provided a setting where people could properly respond t o change and participate in it effectively. Four sites fell into this category. T h e second group we described as being a mixed bag, with some good things happening. but many questions about how the organization as a whole seemed t o be dealing with change and how t h e leadership was providing appropriate leadership in the change situations presented t q their people at the time the site was surveyed. I n some cases, we were able t o g o back and get an update and some additional data, which helped us understand the situations more fully. Four organizations were placed in the "mixed bag" category due t o our concerns about culture, leadership, o r both. W e put the consultants in the more positive group, believing that their impact on the organizations they were working with would be a positive one. W h a t we then considered, which is detailed in the next two chapters, is how people responded against the total population in both the more positive pro-

CHANGE AHEAD change settings, and the less effective "mixed bag" change settings. W e neither saw differences in gender nor ages, and we began wondering if we would see some differences in how people responded to these tools.

We asked o u r contacts at the sites t o select a sample o f workers a t different professional levels, genders, ages, a n d races to get a random sample o f the workers in the part o f the organization we were studying. T h i s approach provided us with a mix o f people and n o bias in terms o f self-selection. As noted, in Chaptcrs 9 and I0 we discuss the eight sites and o u r independent consultants. For each we provide situational information based o n our interviews, and then provide statistics comparing how they responded t o both the change i n s t r ~ ~ m e and n t the emotional intelligence inventory versus o u r total p o p ~ ~ l a t i o which n, included them as well as all other sites and participants. W e end each site discussion with some short commentary on how and why this site group may have answered as they did, finally drawing some conclusions. Chapter 11 provides a summary o f the results o f phase two o f o u r research. Appendis A Descriptive Statistics for eacli cluster and eacli sub shill

in the E C I

N Mean Devlatlon 644 405 0 51 Accurate Self Assessment 644 3 97 0 53 Emotional Self Awareness 644 3 98 0 61 Self Conf~dence 469 409 0 58 Self-Management 644 3 84 0 47 Ach~evementOr~entat~on 644 3 84 0 65 Adaptabll~ty 641 396 0 62 Emot~onalSelf-control 642 3 77 0 64 lnltlatlve 643 3 56 0 76 Optlmlsm 644 409 0 65 Transparency 644 386 0 73 Soclal Awareness 644 414 0 55 Empathy 644 4 26 0 53 Organ~zatlonalAwareness 469 3 69 0 71 Service Or~entat~on 644 4 32 0 83 Relatlonshlp Management 644 367 0 55 Change Catalyst 643 3 55 0 71 Confllct Management 644 299 0 76 Developing Others 644 398 0 70 Influence 469 3 60 0 79 lnsplrat~onalLeadership 644 3 76 0 77 Teamwork and Collaborat~on 644 4 12 0 60 B e c a ~ ~ soef a t e c l u ~ ~ cna~l a l f i u i c t ~ osome ~ i . o f tlie quest~oliso f tlie ECI for some o f the respo~ide~lts were not presented and some data were lost alerefore. sonie conipetencies have I'r\\'er respondelits that1 others Each competency i\ reported from n scale o f 1 to 5. n l t h I representlng nc\er. 2 r e p r e s e ~ i t i ~rarely. ~ g 3 representing solnetlmes. 4 representing often. and 5 representlng cons~stently.

Cluster Self-Awareness

Competency

PAT GILL WEBBER Appzlidis B Defimt~onsof En~otionalConiperz~lczIn\~sntory(ECI) Compstzncies

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CHANGE AHEAD

/

CHAPTER 9

Sites that Shined In the next two chapters we detail the eight sites and the independent consultant g r o u p we surveyed. I n analyzing the eight sites, we considered information about them gathered through staff interviews, their web site, and other public domain information. T h e interviews we had with people at the organization gave LIS some background o n the organization, its recent history with change, and its culture and leadership style. Organizations are disguised by changing names, l However, site descriptions o f locations, and certain n ~ n c o n s e ~ u e n r i adetails. these organizations provide a n accurate picture o f their relative size, operations, culture, leadership, a n d recent issues with change in the part o f the organization we studied. Aftcr studying o u r eight sites, we selected four o f t h e m that we felt were more "pro-change" oriented. O u r criteria for this was that the culture, leadership strategies, and general conditions at the time o f the survey were likely, in o u r professional judgment, to allow staff t o contribute and feel part o f the change process in a positive way. I t was o u r guess that these participants w o ~ ~ score ld higher o n their openness t o change and emotional intelligence. For each o f the less "pro-changeu sites described in Chapters 9 a n d 10, we provide some background o n t h e specific site and/or group, figures t h a t compare how the site participants answered the two major tools we used-the change reaction tool a n d the emotional intelligence inventory. I n each case, we compare the answers o f the given site with the total g r o u p t h a t responded t o these surveys. Following these figures, we provide a brief commentary o n the interrelationship between their answers a n d the specifics o f the site. It is o u r hope that these specific sites provide some additional insight into how the culture and industry a given g r o u p is in may impact their responses t o the surveys o r t o any intervention planned. I n this way, change agents, leaders, a n d individuals can make an assesslnent o f their own actions and consider the logical anticipated outcome. T h i s chapter focuses o n o u r four pro-change sites: Worldwide \Vellness, a 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 plus employee global healthcare giant; Integrated Communications, Inc. a 50 year old, I 5 0 0 person, communications conlpany integrated call center services and cutomer communication solutions t o Inany of the country's

PAT GILL WEBBER largest insurance, healthcare, utilities and financial services companies: N o r t h e a t State C o u r t Operations, a large c o u r t system o f a major eastern state; a n d finally, Global Life Sciences, a IS-year old, 2 , 6 0 0 person animal care business providing a range o f products t o veterinarians. Each has an interesting history and is faced with different challenges and opportunities. W e hope you will find their stories o f interest.

Worldwide Wellness Worldwide Wellness is over I00 years old a n d operates in over 57 countries, serving in excess o f 175 different companies and e n ~ p l o y i n gover 100,000 people. It is a recognized leader in helping t o heal, cure, and provide quality o f life t o those with health related issues. T h e i r history is one o f constant growth a n d a foundation built o n a shared sense o f values and core beliefs based o n a credo developed early in the organization's history. As a recognized leader and provider o f quality products, Worldwide Wellness prides itself on change a n d the ability t o handle it with passion and focus. Employees are expected t o lead a n d participate in change all the time. T h e company believes in customer f o c ~ ~ s a n d making certain t h a t products a n d services are always being researched and developed t o meet the ever-changing needs of its worldwide customer base. T h e organization went through some major change in the last few years as its long-time President passed the baton t o another chief executive. I n many ways, there were few real changes since the current President was an insider who, like his predecessors, took control o f an organization with long-held processes a n d standard, professional approaches t o change and leadership. Although some new acquisitions a n d organizational changes were made, these were n o t unexpected o r unusual in how they were managed a n d introduced t o t h e organizational culture. T h e company has, in fact, made a commitment t o staff development t h a t includes an emphasis o n helping people be pro-change a n d handle it effectively. T h e y h a d championed research by leading experts o n how best t o train and develop people t o be leaders o f change and collaborate with people across boundaries. T h a t said, the realities o f business a n d its fast pace does not always allow for all t h e people all the time t o handle change appropriately and t o act with,strong emotional intelligence. W e chose to d o o u r research with a g r o u p within this global giant that was focused o n educating young a n d new workers in the organization. As part o f t h e , Technical Leadership Development Process, there is a tough screening process for technical professionals t o help select those people who the organization believes have the best chance o f developing into global leaders, are experts in b o t h technology a n d leadership, a n d can help the organization maintain its edge in markets a r o u n d the world. For the last five years, the organization has selected 96

CHANGE AHEAD about 40 o r 50 staff lnembers t o participate in this rotational development program with the idea that these young people can become leaders in the next decades. All who enter the program have recently completed their undergraduate o r graduate studies and appear to have the right m i x o f technical a n d professional skills as well as an openness to learning a n d growth. W h i l e the selection process is tight and theoretically attracts very highly desirable candidates, the reality is the group is still young. T h e experts leading the program have determined that emotional intelligence (EI) is the key factor that will determine how well these individuals will fare as time moves on. D u e to this; development programs focusing o n EI issues are provided t o all those in the program early in the developmental cycle, ensuring that they are b o t h aware o f and focuscd o n strengthening these skills. T h e designers o f the Technical Leadership Development Process thought that determining how well o r nor some o f its participants were faring in EI and change in general would be a unique opportunity t o determine how their efforts t o focus attention o n El were working. Although n o t a perfect organization by any means, Worldwide Wellness has the culture, processes, and leadership in place for needed change-especially in the area we were surveying that supports a n d encourages involvement, proper enthusiasm for needed change, a n d a pro-active approach t o handling and dealing effectively with change situations. W e felt pretty confident they would d o well o n both tools. Table 13. hlean Scores on the Change Reaction Scale for Worldwide \I1ellness( ~ 3 6Compared )

PAT GILL WEBBER Table 14 hlenn Scores on the Emotional Competence Inventory for N'o~ldwidrWellness ( ~ 3 6 ) Compared to ,411 Respondents (n=642)

Commentary: As predicted, Worldwide Wellness did extraordinarily well on both instruments. T h e scores of respondents from Worldwide Wellness on both the Change Reaction'(CR) and the Emotional Competency Inventory (ECI) were similar t o the scores of all respondents. Where there were minor differences, the Worldwide Wellness people did better than our overall participant group. Even in the challenging area of relationship management, this group did better than our overall group, suggesting that they have training or at least exposure to processes and approaches that help them deal effectively with conflict. T h e data suggests that the program (a specific leadership focused effort) these people were in and the overall company culture contributed to these strong scores. O u r thinking is that they would be even stronger if the group were older and more seasoned. Integrated Communications, Inc.

Integrated Communications, Inc. (ICI) is a communications company founded more than 50 years ago. It focuses on providing integrated call center services and customer cominunicat~onsolutions to many of the country's largest insurance, healthcare, utilities, and financial services companies. Every month ICI handles hundreds of thousands of calls and delivers bills, statements, explanations of benefits, and other business critical customer comm~inicatioiis.T h e company has over 1,500 employees and revenues of over $250 million in 2003. There are multiple call centers and production facilities within the United States and internationally. 98

CHANGE AHEAD T h e expertise o f the company is quite high. ICI provides services t o five o f the t o p ten wireless providers; four o f the t o p multiple systems operations; eight o f the t o p ten fund complexes; four of the t o p ten brokerage firms; and four o f the t o p ten defined contribution providers. ICI has extensive expertise in the utilities, healthcare, and insurance industries, as well as serving many o f the 'top providers in these businesses. Simply put, ICI is an inbound and outbound communications powerhouse. T h e company web site is filled with multiplc references from companies in each o f their defined markets. Here are a few samples. "By outsourcing o u r billing function to ICI, we got a competitive jump o n the launch o f o u r new financial services product." O r , "We chose ICI because they had the best solution and the most experience." Or," W i t h the support o f ICI, we can provide value-added services t o o u r customers t o help them provide superior service t o their own clients." . ICI has alliances with three typcs o f organizations. T h e first are customer call management systems a n d billing services solution partners. T h e second type o f alliance includes solutions and technology partners. Finally, ICI has marketing partners, including a leading processor o f consumer t o business electronic payments. ICI, like many organizations, has gone through major changes a n d reorganizations over the last number o f years. T h e company underwent significant consolidation a n d reorganization four years ago t o ensure greater customer satisfaction and improved profitability. T h r o u g h o u t all o f this change, ICI has remained a viable player in a smaller market with a limited number o f competitors. Like many businesses, the services offered by ICI are "a commodity." making it especially important that the company continue to add value while meeting and exceeding customer expectations. T h e executive we spoke with saw himself a s . a change agent. He saw his role as driving change throughout the organization, making it more aware o f the continuous need for improvements, a n d making every customer a reference. Part o f this executive's focus was dismantling silos between groups such as client scrvices and systems so that there w o ~ ~bl ed a stronger and more aligned focus on the customer. T h e executive we spoke with stressed t h e importance o f changing the culture t o be more team-oriented a n d seamless between areas. T h i s idea o f focusing o n teams is a common theme in modern business where the ability o f a company t o have its staffwork together becomes increasingly important t o create improved quality and service. T h e leadership o f ICI has changed as well. Formerly a traditional company tied t o its Midwest roots, the new managcment team seems more willing t o rake risks and move into more innovative technologies. Consolidation o f facilities has taken place and layoffs have occurred. T h e consolidation has actually increased 99

PAT GILL WEBBER production capacity. O n the people side, the usual upset o f facility consolidations and layoffs has receded some as those who remain o r are new accept and understand that the layoffs were necessary t o keep the business profitable. T h e new management has done a good job o f communicating with the remaining staff a n d emphasizing the renewed focus o n customer care a n d profit-' ability. However, as in most organizations, it is the day-to-day management, like the executive with whom we spoke, that is bearing the burden o f helping people realize a new culture, cope with ongoing change, a n d continue t o perform at ever-higher levels o f productivity. ICI appears to be continuing its journey t o becoming a major player in its niche market. I t is accomplishing this by navigating the waters of alliances o f all types that make sense for the business while simultaneously working internally o n creating a more nimble, team-based culture. Such a culture breaks down silos and old o ~ i t d a t e dcaste systems and brings teams together t o continue t o create error-free a n d appropriate inbound and outbound customer communications products and services. Table 15. hIean Scores on the Change Reaction Scale for Integrated Communications ( ~ 3 6 ) C o m p ~ ~ . etod All Respondents (n=642)

CHANGE AHEAD Table 16. hlean Scores on the Emotional Competence Inventory for Integrated Communications (n=36) Compsretl to All Respondents (n=642)

Commentary: W e had predicted that ICI would d o well and they did. T h e y were a g o o d deal less resistant t o change t h a n o u r total group, and also less neutral as well as more positive toward change although by a very small measure. As for El. ICI was a bit more socially aware as well as skilled in relationship management. W e found that the efforts o f the leadership o f this organization helped create these positive differences by their active intervention in the situations confronting the company. Further, we discovered t h a t the culture o f the company and its efforts in the change arena kept the scores high despite some difficult times and challenges. I t is also helpful t h a t the company is doing well a n d seems very committed t o t o p level service-success breeds success and this company's pro-change policies allowed staff t o feel part o f a winning organization with which they were proud and actively engaged. Northeast State Court Operations T h e Northeasr State C o u r t System has a simple and clear focus: " O u r mission is t o promote t h e rule o f law, and t o serve t h e public by providing just a n d timely resolution o f all matters before the courts. T h e court system is complex and ever-evolving as it seeks t o work with the legislature o f the state t o improve the delivcry o f court services t o people all over the state." O u r research took place in the broad area o f Administrative Support. Administrative S u p p o r t was reorganized about five years ago as a result o f a need t o provide structure and organization t o a systcm that had expanded, h u t was not as coordinated a n d effective as it might he. T h e courts a n d departments had grown, b u t the support

PAT GILL WEBBER organization itself was not unified and systematized. A division structure was put into place and Directors were appointed t o handle specific aspects o f the overall division o f administrative services such as HR, C o u r t Operat;ons, Legal, and Technology. T h e C o u r t Operations group has grown in the last few years as it has demonstrated its efficiency and ability t o carry o u t support all over the state. T h e executive in charge o f C o u r t Operations discussed her organization freely and indicated her own philosophy o f leading with strong direction, strong support, and frequent praise for work well done. H e r high standards and expectations o f excellence, coupled with her positive leadership style, have led t o a unit where more work is actually welcomed as a challenge and .a recognition that past work has been well accomplished. State governments, as with all governments, have increasingly met with resistance from taxpayers. People are aware o f the need t o manage responsibly and continually, and, as in the profit sector, try t o "do more with less." T h i s has led t o a sense among some o f the workforce, according t o o u r executive, that t h a t they will not be able t o d o what they want and need t o get by with diminishing resources. T h i s is a constant leadership challenge for the director since she is convinced that her area o f C o u r t Operations will experience ongoing expansion and growth as she and her group's efforts continue t o demonstrate excellence. A n interesting aspect o f the work o f C o u r t Operations is its depth a n d diversity as well as its approach to supporting courts locally all over the state. T h i s particular group manages a variety o f prograrns statewide including, but not limited to,, alternative dispute r e s o l ~ ~ t i oprograms,,the n Amer/cans with Disability Act as it applies in the courts, records management, legal information, a n d court interpreting services developed as a result o f a lawsuit against the state. T h e Division o f C o u r t Operations operates almost like a consulting firm. T h e y see each county where courts exist as a client with unique and special needs and a c u l t ~ ~ that r e needs t o be preserved. T h e y apply themselves t o making certain that the courts in each location can utilize the appropriate resources and learning opportunities that they need t o properly implement programs a n d policies required statewide. W h e t h e r helping provide legal information, support for interpreting services, o r offering guidance on how best t o use alternatives t o t h e litigation, the Division of C o u r t Operations listens a n d suggests needed resources through competence, cooperation, a n d developed relationships and alliances across the state. W i t h a myriad of needs a n d a core staff o f only about 80 people, this Division is working constantly to handle t h e responsibilities o f s ~ ~ p p o r t i ncourts g throughout the state. Change is a core part o f the job of the professionals within C o u r t Operations. T h e y function almost as change agents for the court system. It is often the Division o f C o u r t Operations staff that is communicating about new policies o n

CHANGE AHEAD a topic like diversity a n d discrimination, o r helping a county o r court adapt t o a new technology solution. T h e y are in t h e forefront o f encouraging productive ways that work within the rules o f the legislature, but manage t o streamline opt same time. A n example would be supporting the grouping o f cases erations ; ~ the involving the same people t o allow for greater coordination between cases. . T h e cxec~ltivewe spoke to had much praise for the very innovative and influential chief o f the courts. T h i s judge has a widely-held superlative reputation, for innovation a n d creativity that is hclping Northeast State C o u r t Operarions work in new a n d innovative ways. I t appears that between leadership in the state that supports change and innovation, a n d leadership o f the area t h a t supports the work o f people t o move beyond the boundaries of their job when possible (and within civil service guidelines), this organization has the culture t o ensure that change and transformation is a reality. Since 1980 o r so when job cuts were real, there has not really been much destabilizing o f the State Courts despite changing administrations a n d issues within the state itself. T h e people o f the C o u r t Operations division see themselves as service-oriented and focused o n others. T h i s orientation should help t h e m . c o n t i n ~ t~oe develop ever higher levels o f competency and change resilience while continuing t o implement creative solutions t o statewide c o u r t challenges.

Tahle 17 hrlenn Scores on the Change React~onScale for Court Operat~ons(n=23) Compared to All Respondents (n=642)

PAT GILL WEBBER Table 18 Mean Scores on the Emotional Competence Inventory for Court Ope~ations(n=23) Compared to All Respondents (n=612)

Commentary: T h e strong positive scores at the Northeast C o u r t System were generated in large p a r t due t o the exceptional positive leadership demonstrated by the executive in charge. H e r savvy a n d sophistication allowed a g r o u p who is under-appreciated, dealing with ever-decreasing resources a n d ever-increasing workloads, t o handle change well and be highly emotionally intelligent in the process. W h i l e working in a politically charged and challenging environment, o u r leader in this situation involved a n d engaged the entire team in a way t h a t made t h e m proud to d o more work, proud o f their accomplishments, and abIe t o handle complex situations easily. We do n o t believe that t h e overall culture that this g r o u p faces daily would have sustained the high scores without her strong leadership. A n d the existence o f her strong leadership helped-her g r o u p demonstrate n o t just a high interest in change, but lower t h a n average adverse reactions toward change along with strong skills across the board in EI. W h i l e dealing with tight budgets, this culture allowed for scores as high as a powerful global business with all the resources i n the business world. T h i s is n o small accomplishment. T h e idea that government types are anti-change a n d not forward thinking was n o t supported by this researih; rather, this research demonstrated strength across t h e board despite shifts in policies, challenging state situations, a n d narrowing resources. Global L$ Sciences Global Life Sciences (GLS) is a IS-year old international company headquartered in the Midwest. I t focuses primarily o n the animal care husiness pro-

C H A N G E AHEAD viding a range o f products and services t o animal veterinarians. Offerings include in-clinic diagnostic tests, pharmaceuticals, and practice management software. G L S also has other lines o f business that utilizt their expertise in diagnostic technology. These include screening for water safety and for the health o f animals like swine and cattle. Until relatively recently, GLS's CEO was its founder. I n 2002, a new CEO was brought into the company to grow the business and build o n the reputation for quality and innovation that have always been part o f GLS's reputation. T h e new C E O came f r o m G E where he had years of experience with implementation strategies for growth and processes in every aspect o f several o f their businesses, ~ n c l u d i n gjet cngines and financial services, T h e company has moved from being 3 relatively small player in the market to a major competitor. T h e company's goals include being twice as large as any o f its closest competitors. A c q ~ ~ i s i t i o n s have becn a large part o f the changes made as well. European operations hive grown the most substantially as well as there being some growth in Asia. T h e company currently has 2,600 employees,

L I Pfrom

1,800in 1998.

T h e company was always focused o n quality and innovation. But the new C E O and the expanded 'leadership ream he has assembled remain focused on bringing i n higher skilled a n d more process orientated staff. W h i l e the company in its infancy thrived o n an entrepreneurial culture with relatively few rules and little bureaucracy, the newer organization needs more structure if it is t o continue t o grow, attract t o p scientists, a n d handle the issues o f the day including Sarbanes-Oxley and other increased government regulations. T h e new CEO brought in more women executives and placed a premium on moving the organization from its adolescence t o its early adulthood. Processes were put into place, more o f a business orientation was expected from all staff, and new skill sets and competencies were established to make certain that the skills needed for the 21st century were part o f the credentials for all new hires. As GLS with its clear mission, vision, and values began to move ahead in the direction o f consistent processes and needed attention to detail a n d structurc. some were left behind. W h i l e many o f the old-time staff embraced the changes, some did not. Some people felt the direction o f the firm was too much o f a shift in the company with which they had grown up. Some left the firm on their own while others were let go in downsizing that coincided with changcs in the skill sets needed a n d new and increasing demands o n the organization. GLS secs itself ns a learning organization. T h e r e is increased emphasis o n sharing resources within the organization, across lines o f business, and between a n d among different locations. Executives frotn Europe and Asia are brought to thc Midwest headquart-ers to learn and'then encouraged t o g o back and put concepts like I S 0 9000 o r Six Sigma into practice. T h e learning is encouraged in all directions, 105

PAT GILL WEBBER with folks from the United States offices learning a n d understanding processes from Europe a n d Asia that might well make sense here. GLS is in a growth market, has a stock o n the rise, and is set t o be at over 600 million in sales by the end o f 2005. T h e stock range in 2 0 0 4 was $38.00 to $55.00. I t is expected t o continue t o grow as the company makes progress in keeping the competition a t bay and making new discoveries that serve its customer niche markets. GLS seems t o be o n solid ground financially and organizationally as it proceeds t o meet its new goals a n d objectives for 2005. Its culture is continuing t o evolve t o be more flexible and yet more structured a t the same time. It is relying on its new leadership team and increasingly aligned staff t o s ~ l p p o r its t mission and vision. W h i l e there are some lihgering anxieties o f longer term employees, the changes have consistently been communicated a n d shared in ways that are allowing more a n d more o f the staff t o get o n board with needed transformation initiatives a n d innovations. If there was any concern with GLS, it was its tough standards and high demands that appear t o be placed o n all elnployees. T h e i r strong growth and positive siti~ationhas been built o n the hard work of hundreds o f people who in some situations appear stressed despite the positive performance they are exhibiting. Table 19. hlean Scores on the Change React~onScale fol Global L ~ f eSc~enccs(n=37) Compared to iUI Respondents (n=642)

CHANGE AHEAD Table 20. hiean Scores nn the Emntional Competence In~entoryfor Global Llfe Sciences (11-37) Compared to .UI Respondent$ ( ~ 6 1 2 )

Commentary: GLS did well. T h e y were at the norms and close t o o u r total group. T h e y were highly pro-change which seems t o be part o f their culture, b u t they d o retain some peoFle who are resistant which might be due t o the push-€ush environment we noted in the description. GLS a p p e x s t o have people who are exhibiting high EI and handling t h e changes with some ease; this is likely due t o the fact that the organization got rid o f people who were not "with t h e program" o r who appeared unable t o handle the bold direction the company set for itself. W e see the scores as indicative that the efforts to get people t o come o n board with a strong new strategy have essentially succeeded. T h e company has created a can-do culture that shows u p in t h e strong scores o f its participants. W h e t h e r these will hold if t o o much pressure continues is an unknown, b u t for now, the company appears t o have hit the right balance between a growth strategy and approaches t o people that s u p p o r t involvement a n d commitment t o change. Independent Consultants

W e asked 15 colleagues in o u r industry who we did not work with directly, but who worked with various companies o n issucs o f change and growth, t o participate in o u r research. W e a s s ~ ~ m ethese d would be the most pro-change we would survey. T h a t turned o u t to be the case, as the figures below explain. T h e r e was one very interesting Foint-this g r o u p had the biggest g r o u p o f rcsistcrs to change as well as the highest scorcs o f those po-change. W c can only guess why, but we surmise that those who have led numerous change inicia107

PAT GILL WEBBER tives might be cautious about some strategies for change that assume too much progressand roo little work t o make them happen. Their resistance then is based on realism about what IS possible and probable in these challenging, transformational times. Table 21 h4ean Scores on the Change Reaction Scale for Independent Consultants (n=15) Cornpaled to All Respondents (n=642)

Tablz 22 Mean S c o ~ e son the Emotronal Competence Inventory f o ~Independent Consultants ( ~ 1 6Compared ) to All Respondents (11-642)

CHANGE AHEAD Commentary: Slnce research o n change suggests t h a t "walk!,ng the taIk" is the strongest way t o manage change, o u r consultants'fit the bill. T h e y are highly p-o-change, w ~ t hstrong e m o t ~ o n a l~ n t e l l ~ g e n c and e , rn all cases d ~ better d t h a n t h e overall e Since In many group In every aspect o f the e n i o t ~ o n a l~ n t e l l ~ g c n ccompetencies. cases they arc teaching Issues o f cmotlonal intelligence, this IS gratifying.

CHANGE AHEAD

CHAPTER 10

Our "Mixed Bag" Sites In Chapter 9 we discussed the four sites where we felt the culture and leadership of the organization was setting a more pro-change and positive approach t o transformation. W e predicted that these sites and their participants would d o t very small margins. I n fact, in some better on b o t h tools. T h i s was true, b t ~ with cases the scores were virtually identical t o the larger population. In this chapter, we look at those sites we had more concerns about. N o n e were terrible o r disastrous organizations, but we did see danger signs in these ns werc being handled in a way that sites. W e observed leadership s i t ~ ~ a t i o which wo~rld"de-motivate" the employees, o r where thc leaders were n o t providing the right type o f direction. I n some cases, we saw situations where the industry o r the immediate situation was s o disorienting that it would be tough for any workers t o feel totally open and responsive to change. W e did not know if, in fact, these sites would d o better o r worse than the others; the chapter t o follow shares with you where we were right and where we might have been less than accurate about what might occur. I n each case we discuss the site and show the results o f how they responded t o both the change reaction tool and the EI clusters compared t o o u r total group. T h e n we share o u r commentary o f why they may have answered as they did and o u r analvsis o f the situation. T h e sites here are: Aviation Technologies, a 400-person technology firm founded in the 1980s with a backlog o f work and a history o f increased revenues and profits serving the government and aviation marketplaces; Visual Support e products f o r the visuallyTechnologies, a small manufacturer o f ~ ~ n i q uservice impaired headquartered in Australia that has gone through a change in leadership; Patrick Williams and Associates, an established "Wall Street" firm that has undergone several changes in ownership in the last several years; a n d Special Needs Administration, a large federal government agency living with the inevitable pressures o f doing more with less while serving a n ever-increasing "customer" base. These were challenged sites with pressures and problems generated by their successes a n d the nature o f changing conditions in their industries. W e end Part I11 w ~ t hChapter I1 which provides a s u m m a r y o f phase two o f o u r research which we hope sets the stage for Chapter I2 where we provide

o u r advlce for ~ n d ~ v ~ d u acompany ls, leaders, and organlzatlons themselves as they work t o meet the needs o f the 2 I s t century. Aviation Technologies, Lnc.

Aviation Technologies, Inc. (ATI) is a technology company founded in the late 8 0 s by an international business executive and technology expert focused o n the aviation market and supplying technology driven products a n d services t o the government and industry. According t o its web site, AT1 has experienced continuous revenue growth and since its inception. It currently has a contract backlog o f over three years. T h e company is still privately held. Its owner/founder is well respected in industry and government circles, being recognized in a number o f ways by his colleagues and peers in technology and government. T h e executive and management team is made u p o f skilled engineers and computer scientists. in the-company in various strat T h e r e are currently a b o c ~400 tegic business areas, including Tactical Systems, Information Assurance, Information Technology, Training Systems, Engineering Support, Safety Technologies, and Security Technologies. Clients include government agencies and other country governments such as the Department o f Commerce and the Republic o f China. T h e Inc. 500 has named Aviation Technologies one o f the t o p ten fastestgrowing privately held colnpanies. Locations include facilities o n the East Coast o f t h e United States, in Texas,'and in Asia. Although originally focused solely on the aviation industry, the company continues t o try t o diversify its business solutions and client base. I n its markets, it appears t o be one o f only a few companies in their niche markets. T h i s has been a clear factor in their success in obtaining and keeping business relationships. A n executive in the division where the data was collected described the company as struggling t o move from its small firm status t o operating and gaining contracts as a bigger company with more formal processes and policies. T h i s executive felt a real weakness of the organization was its territorial nature t h a t isolated people from one division t o another. He felt that there was insufficient leveraging o f the internal resources the company had with various groups doing their own thing when they could have used the help o f others within the organization. I t is unclear whether the diversified culture and insular approach is one that is strategically sought o r just a result o f the way the company is organized, with different businesses focused on tnrgeted clients, a n d efforts with little overlap with other divisions. T h e executive we interviewed described the relationship o f h i s division's key client and his team as terrific and one that was close and supported by management t o be a real partnership. But change was brewing due t o a push t o get more I12

C H A N G E AHEAD diverse clients, and t o reach beyond the very comfortable client relationship with the key account a n d get more clients into the division. It is unclear how much people can, in fact, help create this goal of broader business, b u t it seems senior management is very interested in staff at every level being aware o f their responsibility t o bring in new a n d expanded b ~ ~ s i n e s s . Althoitgh the colnpany as a whole is doing well as it is described on t h e company web site, the division where o u r data was collected did have layoffs in 2004, although some folks were being rehired. A t the current time, work seems to b r very busy and a backlog persists due t o a current contract with a large government agency. T h a t said, there did not appear t o be anxiety over the company being sold, losing market share, o r o f more layoffs a n d downsizing. I n o u r mind, however, layoffs nearly always create a red flag for us since downsizing o f any type inevitably affects people's security a n d generates anxiety unless deftly handled by leadership. People know the organization has t o change to meet t h e marketplace needs and t h a t more diverse business is a priority, but according to o u r contact, they d o not appear to be t h a t anxious as a result. As noted, we wonder about that. T h e last major company-wide change was three years ago when the organization was re-organized and a new C O O ' S position was formalized f r o m within. T h e COO has attempted t o put more structure into the organization. T h i s appears t o he in response to some o f the issues raised by the executive we spoke with and others who feel the organization needs more attention paid t o developing shared a n d well-rlnderstood policies a n d procedures. For the first time, company-wide strategic plans are being formulated a n d shared a t Aviation Technologies, Inc. T h i s new approach is providing all employees with a clearer idea o f where the company is headed a n d what their contribution is t o making that growth a n d change happen. Since the company is privately held, a n d n o effort is underway t o change that, the exec~ltivewe talked with said he felt there was a limit t o the involvement and commitment employees would have since there was n o way t h a t any of t h e m might participate i n actual ownership o f the enterprise. W e saw this as another red flag. H e also noted t h a t although the wcb site described t h e company as employee-development focused with a priority o n staff development, the overall feeling within the ranks o f the company is that the organization is not primarily employee focused with strong a n d meaningful HR policies a n d procedures. Again, this is a red flag for us in terms o f people's openness t o change. AT1 appears t o be a dynamic a n d exciting technology company t h a t is sharply f o c ~ i s e do n creating excellent technology a n d delivering value for their clients. T h c y d o not appear t o be as ~ n t e r n a l organized l~ as they might like t o he, nor d o they appear to have a strong emphasis o n cultural development a n d 113

.

PAT GILL WEBBER employee relationship and collaboration. T h a t said, its growth a n d close client relationships would appear t o make it a rather stable environment in a n overall unstable economy. Table 23. hlean Scores on the Change React~onScale for A~iationTecl~nologies( ~ 1 5 ) Compared to .UIRespondents (n=612)

Table 21 Mean Scores on the Emotional Competence Inventory for .4vlatlon Technolog~cs (n=15) Compaled to All Respondents (11442)

Commentary: As predicted, AT1 d i d poorly, relatively speaking, compared to t h e total

C H A N G E AHEAD population. T h e y were more resistant, and had more neutrals as well as less positive reactions t o change. Given what was going on, we were surprised the scores were as g o o d as they were. I n terms o f EI, the participants surprised us by being a t the n o r m s in all four clusters. Rather t h a n reacting negarively to the changes around them, they were still handling themselves a n d others in a manner t h a t was positive. W e did note that the company was attempting t o involve a n d engage people in their new strategies. T h i s appears t o have been successful in keeping scores as high as the norm. A n d , as o u r contact had assured us, despite layoffs, the management o f the situation was not causing major anxiety among the troops-or at least in any way that was lowering their EI. W h e n we looked closer wlthln the clusters, we d i d see some lower scores, but overall, despite o u r concerns, AT1 staff held their own. Visual Support Technologies, Inc. Visual S u p p o r t Technologies (VST) is a privately held company with worldwide offices founded in the late 1980s. Originally a one-product firm, it has evolved t o sell a v a r i e t y o f products designed specifically for the visually impaired. T h e company's main office is on the west coast o f the United States but there are offices in Canada, Sweden, 'the Netherlands, and Australia, with distribution channels throughout Europe and the Middle East. VST is recognized around the world as a leader in the blindness a n d low vision industries. I t provides the best customer service possible, finding fast a n d effective solutions for their market. Products include integrated speech and Braille technology, a range o f video magnifier solutions, screen reading software, a n d speech synthesizes. Private agencies, eye-care professionals, schools a n d rehahilitation organizations, as well as home users, governments, and private agencies purchase these products. T h e company prides itself o n a culture o f dedication and the belief that everyone deserves the same opportunities. In the last year, a new CEO has been brought in t o help grow the business, increase profits, a n d expand the reach o f the business into all available markets. H e has also been charged with increasing the professionalism o f t h e staff a n d developing a stronger culture o f high performance and accountability. W h i l e VST has always been dedicated t o its customers, its style a n d approach was more relaxed and less "business like" and "driven" than necessary given the global marketplace. T h e new C E O was specifically charged with creating a turnaround in the organization. As part o f the new CEO's vision, there will be increased personal accountability a t a11 levels, a renewed and increased focus o n product quality, and a more aggressive marketing effort to reach o u t t o the blind a n d low vision community t o make certain t h a t all efforts are being made to connect t o a n d fully represent the interests o f this T h e ultimate a i m is to be seen as the consistent vendor o f choice within the blind and low vision community. 115

PAT GILL WEBBER T h e C E O has m a d e some staff changes, both letting some people g o a n d adding others with different credentials and commitment. H i s vision includes providing increased opportunities for staff, and with the help o f his direct reports, create systems a n d processes that will support the new high perfo;mance culture he is trying t o achieve. W h i l e some have felt the pressure and moved on, overall there appears to be acceptance a n d enthusiasm for a more focused, opportunistic, high performance, a n d fully engaged organization. W e were concerned t h a t the new C E O might have been t o o strong a n d t o o direct for the culture of t h e company, which in many ways is laid back and "Australian" since the founder is from that part of the world. W e also had issues and concerns about t h e owner's ability t o "let go" and allow t h e new C E O t o make the needed changes t h a t he felt were necessary t o increase company profitability. A t the time the survey was conducted, the CEO was establishing his authority and energizing the organization, b u t we wondered if, as noted, he might be moving t o o fast for some. We heard that post o u r survey, the original owner was upset by the CEO's insistence o n new quality initiatives t h a t would delay product launches, a n d would again mean a change in the culture a n d style o f the company. W e heard through o u r contact that the CEO had decided t o leave t h e firm since his desires for change and new marketing a n d sales strategies were in too much conflict with t h e owner. I t is unfortunate that the new CEO did leave in o u r view. A l t h o ~ ~ gwe h had concerns about scores in light o f rapid change, t h e people o f VST actually did better than we thought a n d likely could have handled the changes that were being imple~nented.I t appears that the resistance t o change was limited to the owner hiniself, who likely saw the organization slipping away froin his direct control a n d resisted that movement.

CHANGE AHEAD Table 25 hIean Scores on the Change Reaction Scale for Visual Support Technologies (n=33) Compared to All Respondents (n=642)

Table 26. hlean Scores on the Emotional Competence Inventory for Visual Support Technologies (n=33) Compared to All Respondents (n=642)

Commentary: It appears o u r new CEO a t VST was doing the job. T h e very high scores o n the change reaction tool indicate that although changes were rapid and extensive, the team was very much ~n favor of the changes with high positives and very low 117

PAT GILL WEBBER resistance. T h i s would be excellent news for any new leader attempting t o create large-scale change, as was the new CEO. T h e scores o n EI were also very high especially i n social awareness. T h e CEO himself was one of the most highly emotionally intelligent executives we have met in many years. H i s strong personal skills obviously impacted his staff, who responded very positively and strongly across t h e board. Any reservations we had thinking t h a t rapid changes would s t o p people's pro-change attitudes were proven wrong with these scores. I t is ironic that the CEO left due t o the owner's desire to remain o r go back t o older ways o f doing things. Likely h a d the owner reflected o n how well the CEO's changes were being accepted by the entire team, he might have reconsidered the differences and concerns he had about moving ahead. Patrick Williams and Associates

Founded over forty years ago, Patrick Williams a n d Associates is a full service money management firm catering t o wealthy individual investors as well as t o unions and other p b l i c groups who have money management needs. T h i s company uses individual investment managers to make choices for each client o n an individual basis. Fees are generated by a small percentage rate o n assets o f the individual o r g r o u p of investors. T h e r e is an investment committee, b u t individual managers are free to make their own decisions o n the proper allocation o f stocks, bonds, and cash in any given client portfolio. T h e company is relatively small-about 50 employees including all managers, their assistants, back office operations peopIe, a n d o t h e r support personnel. Offices are in M a n h a t t a n , Phoenix, a n d Connecticut. Founded by Patrick Williams, a n early value investor (similar t o Warren Buffet), the company has gone through a series o f changes in ownership and organization since the founder ~ a s s e daway about eight years ago. W h e n the owner was in his late 8 0 s , he sold the firm t o an investor after his o w n son, t o whom he hoped t o pass o n the firm, unexpectedly passed away. W h c n the firm was first sold in 1993,M r . W i l l i a m s continued t o come into work each day until his death a t 100. A few remaining members o f the Williams family continued t o work with the firm as moncy managers until the final year when the last granddaughter left for a firm closer to her home in N e w Hampshire. T h e new owner, an investor from the Midwest, decided t o m a k e the firm as as possible by b o t h growing the assets o f the firm under management a n d m a k i n g certain that any inefficiencies in the back office operations were eliminated. A new partner was added who later became the acting CEO in 1996. H i s role was t o bring in new managers t o grow the business. H e did this very well, a n d the addition o f new managers added a depth to the investment team a n d resulted in considerable revenues. But the managers who were added were not team players since they had been recruited separarely and brought with them 118

C H A N G E AHEAD their books o f assets from other firms. T h i s proved t o be a difficult management challenge as the firm continued t o grow a n d again change hands. After about five years, in late 1998, the Midwest investor felt the stock m a r ket was strong and the time was ripe t o sell the profitable firm and retire himself to Europe. T h i s left the p r t n e r / C E O t o continue t o r u n the organization and help with any transition t o new management. W h i l e the first sale from Patrick Williams t o the investor had gone relatively smoothly, the second sale f r o m the investor to a new set o f investors turned o u t t o be a bit more difficult. T h e sale was a successful one for the investor. H e made a good profit o n the sale a n d left within weeks for his new life. T h e CEO was left with new owners who he was unfamiliar with, and a g r o u p o f staff, some o f w h o m were just becoming adjusted t o life without the Williams family in charge o f the firm. T h e new owners were basically financial owners. T h e y bought the firm with a great dcal o f debt a n d placed the debt o n t o the firm. T h e firm retained its name o f Patrick Williams a n d Associates, but it now was part o f a large conglomerate o f companies owned by the financial group. T h i s organization was not interested in the details of the money management business itself bur was rather interested in the profits o r losses o f the company and was looking t o manage it t o be sold in a five-year time horizon. T h e y assigned a person from their organization t o oversee t h e financial matters o f the firm and gave this person power to ask for and get any a n d all financial data needed for the financial conglomerate t o manage the firm. Day-to-day management decisions were given over t o the new CEO (John Jacobs) they hired. T h e current CEO who was the partner o f the investor who sold the firm, became the Chairman, and agreed t o stay o n to help manage the firm. T h e situation was a challenging one. T h e debt o n the firm made r u n n i n g it very stressful. W i t h a great deal o f debt, the once debt-free and profitable firm began t o feel pinched for cash and unable t o spend as they wanted to gain new clients o r upgrade the infrastructure. Eventually some f u n d s were infused i n t o the firm b u t it was not easy making this happen. T h e financial owners did not seem to want t o f u n d the firm whose business they continued t o misunderstand and mismanage. Meanwhile, John Jacob attempted t o manage the firm in ways t h a t alienated people. H e became occupied with doing deals that w o i ~ l dbring new organizations into the firm t o grow its capacity. W h i l e this effort for the most part did not work, one major acquisition d i d add a new office and capacity, but the manager there proved difficult to please and would n o t integrate with the rest o f the firm. T h i s made other efficiencies hoped for with the acquisition imp.ossible. W i t h i n a year, John was f o u n d seriously wanting among his o w n financial grotlp. H e was fired and the search was on for a new CEO. T h e firm began to suffer from the combination of new owners and a CEO (John) who hadn't lasted 119

PAT GILL WEBBER t o o long. People w h o had been part o f a very stable and slow growth company found themselves concerned that these new financial owners were not only not an improvement over the first owner, but rather a much worse alternative. Although not all the employees understood the problems o f the high levels of debt, many o f the money managers did. T h i s served t o undermine their confidcnce in the firm. D o n Marshall, the new CEO, provcd t o be the final disaster for the financial owners. D o n came from Maryland with an outstanding record of managing big firms and growing them successfully. However, his experience running complex and large organizations with large staffs d i d not prepare h i m t o r u n a small a n d highly independent g r o u p o f money managers who felt they owned their own clients a n d h a d little need for supervision. Continuing to worry a b o u t debt, they now felt overburdened by D o n who set o u t t o "organize" and systematize the organization. H e added new marketing staff-a risky and expinsive move-and attempted t o reorder the firm from one o f collegial interactions t o more formal meetings, structure, and procedures. Although initially some decided to give D o n a chance, this CEO's tenure was quite unpleasant for most a t t h e firm, a n d often counterproductive. Meanwhile, the financial owners began t o feel anxious. T h e y had b o ~ l g h the t firm and placed great debt o n it. T h e y had hoped t h a t John Jacob would manage deals a n d grow them into prosperity. But between market changes a n d t h e failure of this strategy for growth, they wasted several years. D o n was not producing fast enough with his marketing team that took time t o grow and his structuring ideas to satisfy them. W i t h the Chairman trying h a r d t o keep folks together a n d motivated, a n d the declining health o f the stock market itself, things were n o t looking good. F o r t h e first time many o f the employees o f Patrick 'Williams were worried a n d concerned about the-future a n d what would become o f the firm if Don's plans did not work out-and they did not look promising. M o r e pressures t o perform were put ,on the firm a n d this, along with cuts in all expenses, made many t ~ n h a pas ~well ~ as frightened. All through these times, the performance record o f the money managers was good if not great, considering the tough market condirions. But these good results were not enough t o help continue t o grow the firm at the same rate o r a d d new customers fast enough t o make u p for the poor decisions the owners and its management team h a d p u t into place. Frustrated, the owners started shopping the firm by 2002. A new owner was eventually found in 2003 a n d Patrick Williams, once again in a period o f 10 years, was sold-this time t o another investor from London who bought the firm for cash a n d eliminated the debt. T h i s new owner is just beginning his work a t Patrick Williams. For the most part, few were sorry t o see D o n and his unsuccessful marketing team leave. T h e strategy h a d seemed flawed t o most a n d his emphasis on systems above a collegial atmosphere was not the

CHANGE AHEAD style most wanted at Patrick Williams. T h e firm is now attempting t o regain its c u l t i ~ r eo f shared a n d open communication and ownership in the future. A temporary President from the money managers has been chosen t o lead while the company's future is being thought through. At this point it is too early t o tell if a new management can regain some o f the good feelings that were present when the company was first sold in 1993, which was a smart sale that seemed t o energize an aging firm. But the next sale t o the financial owners seems t o have undone much o f t h e progress that was made. It is now u p t o the new owners t o set a fresh vision a n d direction for the company, ensure t h a t the entire staff understands it, and that they are on board t o create a positivc future. W i t h o u t a good deal o f mutual dialogue and input o f all the employees and a strong vision and good leadership, Patrick Williams is going t o continue t o struggle t o find its true s p o t in the competitive but ever-promising world o f money management. W e thought that Patrick Williams, although filled with sophisticated people, might n o t d o as well as other firms since they had simply been through t o o much change in a relatively short time. W e were also worried that poor leadership may have affected people's perceptions o f the value o f changes.

Tshle 27. Mean Scores on tlie Change Reaction Scale for Patrick \\'illisms and hsociates

(n=lJ) Compared to 411 Respondents ( 1 1 ~ 6 4 2 )

PAT GILL WEBBER Table 28. Mean Scores on the Emotional Competence Inventoty for P.~t~lcli W~lliamsand Associates (n=lJ) Compared to All Respondents ( ~ 6 4 2 )

Commentary: ~ o o k i ant ~the change resistance tool scores, it becomes clear that o u r fears were somewhat well-founded. Patrick Williams had among the most resistant scores a n d the lowest supportive scores toward change. W e see t h i s as a direct result o f changes t h a t were instituted that s~tbsequentlydid not g o as planned, o r i n a positive direction. I n terms o f EI, t h e scores remained primarily high, which demonstrates personal maturity o n the part o f the group. T h e one low area was relationship management, a n d a closer look suggested conflict management was a concern. W e again saw this as consistent with the issues and problems o f the organization. T h e management was sometimes detached from the staff as they were working o n changes, a n d this led t o internal conflicts that were not always handled sm6othly. I t is interesting, however, that despite the issues a n d problems, the overall profile

of the people at Patrick Williams was higher in three o f the four clusters o f Tough times did not affect the overall positive E I o f these people

EI.

Special Group Administration, Federal Government T h e mission o f the Special G r o u p Administration, in partnership with other administrative grqups o f government, is to provide benefits and services t o individuals with special needs and their families in a responsive, timely, and compassionate manner. T h e i r web site clearly states their mission. " O u r vision is t h a t the special g r o u p that we serve will feel t h a t o u r nation has kept its commitment t o them. employees will feel that they a r e ' b o t h recognized for their contribution and are 122

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'

CHANGE AHEAD part o f something larger t h a n themselves, and taxpayers will feel that we've met the responsibilities they've entrusted t o us. Courage, honesty, trust, respect, open communication, a n d accountability will be reflected in o u r day-to-day behavior." T h e web site further states its core values in great detail which includcd the following points. First, that their special g r o u p descrves respect a n d that they are the reason for the existence of this government entity. All efforts are geared to making certain the special g r o u p is served and served well. O t h e r core values include being professional, accurate, understandable, and respectful. Integrity, trust, and fairness, as well as openness t o change a n d flexibility, are all important to this agency, which is focused on servicing its special needs g r o u p at the highest levels o f professionalis~n. T h e leadership pledge, clearly front and center o n the web site, provides the spirit o f the agency. "We, the undersigned, accept accountability, embrace integrity, a n d c o r n ~ n i t o exhibiting professionalis~nin the execution o f o u r mission ofservice t o o u r special needs group. I n all o f o u r action, we pledge t o be guided by these fundamental pinciples o f leadership, thereby ensuing fulfillment o f this covenant." T h r group, which responded to o u r survey, is one o f five departments scattered around t h e United States who provide technology support t o the m a i n agency. Becausc this agency has been part o f the government for many years, elections d o n o t seem t o create enormous amounts o f change, although occasionally federal issues such as Clinton's battle with the house over funding, d i d somewhat effect the workings o f the agency. In general, this group, as all government groLIps, has been affected by the smaller government push since the early 1980s. Downsizing has been a consistent feature o f governlnent life, a n d this g r o u p has been n o exception. T h e chain o f c o m m a n d has grown, as has the use o f outside contractors who receive higher pay. Some, o f course, resent these higher paid contractors while others see t h e m as a fact o f life and treat t h e m as colleagues. W e saw this as one o f o u r red flag issues, since downsizing nearly always causes some discomfort a n d the hiring o f outside contractors is often a hot button issue for s t a f c T h e executive we spoke with felt t h a t part o f his job was keeping people calm and focused. H e felt he did that and for the most part people were not that anxious about downsizing. However, people d o understand that there is constant pressure t o keep costs down. T h e relationship with the customers o f the organization was described as good t o very good. T h i s g r o u p interacts with those who are on t h e front lines, working directly with the special needs g r o u p the agency serves. T h i s middle g r o u p o f customers used t o be made u p o f only other government colleagues but has grown t o incl~ldeoutside groups such as financial institutions w h o then in 123

PAT GILL WEBBER t u r n serve the ultimate group. T h e s e newer relationships are going particularly. well, which was a point o f pride t o the executive t o w h o m we spoke. As with many other government agencies, the issue o f baby boomer retirement looms. M a n y are looking ahead t o retirement a n d this sometimes clashes with the need for the continued use o f new and better techn01ogy. But some people are actually excited by and challenged by t h e new opportunities t o learn, while others find the new technology t o o overwhelming a n d something t o be avoided. T h i s is a balancing act t h a t this executive is dealing with daily. Newer and younger workers seem interested in moving up, which is a good thing. T h e dot.com bubblc and subsequent d o w n t u r n has given many younger people who may have thought a carehr in the government would be uninterestg t o reconsider a n d determine t h a t it might be a job worth ing o r l ~ w - ~ a y i ntime pursuing. Younger people are in fact staying, and turnover among this g r o u p as with the group at large is low. The is aware o f the need t o keep the best peop1e a n d is attempting t o offer more incentives, including repayment o f some student loans a n d providing challenging technology work. Overall, this appears to be working. As noted, this is important since there will be a loss o f knowledge and increased positions needing t o be filled by those who want a carcer when the boomer g r o u p leaves the workforce. T h e issues o f change facing this g r o u p are primarily process improvements,, including implementing change management with a new technology tool called Dimensions. Also, improving documentation a n d i~nplementingproject management will be o f concern. Increased technical testing with the use o f new automated tools are also important changes. T h e s e changes can all be seen as p a r t o f an overall increased understanding o f a n d interest in creating a more defined a n d successful software process improvement c ~ l l t u r et h a t is totally embraced a n d consistently applied. T h e s e efforts have driven other changes and challenges the need for more training in new technologies mentioned above. T h i s these types o f changes arc generally suggested t o us another red Bag-although well received, they can also unnerve people w h o worry that they cannot keep LIP o r stay current with all the needed changes. T h i s pressure can sometimes make for nervous a n d slightly disgruntled staff. It appears that changes will continue t o be p a r t o f this group's environment S L I C ~as

as it faces more standards, procedures, a n d tools to make QA a part of doing business all the time. T h e executive we spoke t o felt confident that things were going in the right direction a n d t h a t the organization for the most part was cleatly o n the right path. Although t h e government might well be more like a business in its efforts for quality and cost consciousness, these types o f changes did n o t appear t o be harmful, b u t rather helping the special needs g r o u p t o increase its productivity and its ability t o attract a n d retain new workers.

CHANGE A H E A D Table 29. hlean Scores an the Change React~onScale for Special G ~ o u yAdministration. Federal Go\ emment (n=jO) Compared to A11 Respondents (n=642)

Table 30 hlean Scores on the Emot~onalCompetence In\entorq for Spec~alGroup ..\drn~n~stration (n=30) Compared to .Ail Rapondents (n=642)

Commentary: T h e scores o n the change reaction tool were lower than we even predicted. Like Patrick Williams, it does appear that all the changes i n t h e organization impacted people to have less support and higher resistance t o change. A l ~ h o u g h not terrible scores, our government workers seemed t o be feeling a bit more negative toward some of rhe changes they were experiencing.

PAT GILL WEBBER I n terms o f EI, [he government workers held their own with scores nearly identical t o the total group. Although very slightly lowered in relationship m a n agement, their scores were statistically identical t o those o f the total group. In other words, they roo were a highly emotionally intelligent group, who although not always positive t o every change, seemed able and willing t o deal with change effectively.

CHANGE AHEAD

CHAPTER I1

Conclusion Phase t w o o f the research was designed t o delve deeper into sites and situations t o determine if specific work conditions and/or leadership and culture issues would demonstratively help o r hinder people's scores in change reaction and EI. O u r overall finding is qu,ite s i ~ n p l eand dramatic. Although we might like t o believe all these factors are critical, in o u r research the changes - that were due t o the specifics in a given situation were relatively minor. W e did see the most swings in the change reaction tool. I n this case, organizations that were more pro-change had leaders handling change deftly, and were going in a more positive direction clearly had staff who were more positive and less resistant toward change. But, in terms o f EI, most people held their o w n in terms o f their high scores a n d appeared even with somewhat tough situation; o r relatively poor leadership t o be emotionally mature and stable in their EI scores. T h i s confirmed o u r phasc one findings that peoFle are far from change adverse, but in fact are both highly pro-change, o p e n t o change, a n d emotionally intelligent enough t o handle change. I n fact, when we had concerns a b o u t rapid change, as in t h e case of Visual Technologies, scores o n b o t h change reaction and EI were high. Federal government workers were n o less mature in their EI than Wall Street executives and technology workers. T h e forces o f globalization, along with changes in the overall economy and culture, seem t o have given people the belief that change and growth are critical t o their success even under difficult and challenging situations. O u r phase t w o research did support o u r selection o f four p o - c h a n g e and four mixed bag sites-but by a hair, a n d a case could be made that t h e differences were s o slight as t o be unimportant o r inconsequential. But the data demonstrates, if only in a minor way, t h a t Icadersh~premains key and that specific situations d o affect people. T h e good news is t h a t people handle even relatively poor situations better than we might suppose and are ready and willing t o give themselves t o reinvention and change with direction from leadership. Rather than worrying about people's resistance, the wise leader is moving ahead quickly, a n d employees appear more than ready t o grasp the opportunity to make the necessary changes.

PAT GILL WEBBER

CHANGE AHEAD

PART IV

Recommendations for Action

SYNOPSIS AND IMPLICATIONS

W h e n we discovered that people were more pro-change than n e ~ ~ t r oa lr negative, we thought through what that meant in terms o f policies and processes o f handling change initiatives. W e also considered what knowing that most people are willing t o listen and are open t o being influenced meant in terms o f leadership and management behaviors. Finally we thought about what it would mean for individuals. In each case there were numerous i~nplications. For example, if you have a majority o f people already pro any reasonable change, why spend time with big meetings that are designed to get people excited about change? T h e y already are, but the devil is in the details-so logically we would recommend more time o n those details and more time getting people involved and engaged rather t h a n convinced o f the need for change. T h c y likely will G E T IT quickly but want t o see details and get deeper into the problems, challenges, and what the options are for moving forward. T h e problem with recommendations o f any kind is that they can sound o r seem obvious o r trite on one hand, o r be perceived as a stretch from the data on the other hand. Oclr decision was t o include in o u r recommendations those things that are not just common sense o r common knowledge, o r even best practices, but ideas that make sense due t o the data we collected and thoughtfully analyzed. W e discovered a much stronger pro-change bias than we thought in people. W e therefore suggest that less time and effort he spent at all levels discussing the need t o change and many more opportunities for inclusion in making things change. T h i s may be one o f those ideas that appears "obvious." But is it? H o w often, even in today's sophisticated organizations, d o you find that change initiatives are limited to small groups o f people making decisions for the majority? H o w often d o you see people a t high levels continuing to make it obvious t o people in the ranks that they d o not know what is going o n o r what would be a better approach? I n another instances, we may know it is a "best practice" t o involve people, but now we know for certain, at least with o u r research subjects, t idea and even wasteful and fruitthat not only is that a good idea b ~ a ~neccssary less t o d o otherwise. O n the individual level we suggest things that are based o n the research into people's emotional intelligence and change reaction and the Big Picture information we gleaned. For instance, we mention travel as a good idea especially for the young and unencumbered-again. perhaps an obvious tip for those in their formative years. If o u t tesearch is to be believed, this isn't just a good coming

o f age tdea, lt may be a n absolute for

survival and understanding t h e changing

dimensions o f the global economy. W h i l e we tried not t o stretch the data t o o much, we did suggest that any efforts t o t h i n k women might be more open t o change, o r younger groups more easy t o work with o n change initiatives would in light o f o u r research not be wise. W e d o not believe this is the commonsense thinking o u t there. As consultants, we often hear ideas that "our older employees are more resistant t h a n o u r younger onesM-well not according t o o u r research. W e also did not find differences by job categories, though we did not discuss this at length in the research findings. I n fact, we did find many differences once we were in organizations o n any demographic characteristics. T h i s is in o u r view an interesting finding a n d makes o u r recommendations applicable f o r any types o f workers o f any age in a wide range o f organizations. O n e o f the most important ideas that we present in o u r recommendations is o u r belief that the time is now right for t h e Learning Organization-a term and strategy popularized nearly I5 years ago and lost in the shuffle o f change strategies a n d the poor economy. T h e emotional intelligence data we found supports the idea that the time may be right for t h e successful implementation o f the learning organization strategy. W h i l e the idea o f a learning organization might have been premature some number o f years ago, times have changed as well as people-and with higher levels o f emotional intelligence, the tools a n d processes o f creating a learning organization might well be possible now when it was not . just five o r less years ago. W e thought about our data, we talked about it, and then we selected ideas and presented in Chapter 12 as "Ins" a n d "Outs" for each rclevant group-individuals, leaders, and organizations. T h e chapter that follows crystallized the main ones we developed. But for sure, the list is incomplete. T h e research we undertook and analyzed gives rise t o many more ideas t h a n we present. However, those would likely best be discovered organization by organization. W e encourage dialogue at every level. I n fact, this book, whether read in the short form (just the synopsis of each p a r t and this chapter) o r in its entirety, should generate discussion in any organization about how it is that workers with higher levels of thinking and more positive attitudes toward change can help create the organizations o f the future.

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CHANGE AHEAD

CHAPTER 12

Making Meaning from Research W h e n we began the journey o f understanding the world o f work post 9/11, we really were not sure what we would find, b ~ we ~ had t hunches as all researchers do. O u r initial thinking and experiences at work created an impression employees were evolving. W e knew we ourselves had been impacted by trends o f culture, terrorism, and o f course globalization, and thought others likely had becn as well. Despite the Bush re-election that o n the surface indicated a strong right shift in thinking, we thought regardless o f w h o they voted for, were really broader thinkers t h a n the media suggested. W e perceived people as more open t o new ideas whether left o r right-in fact wishing and hoping for MORE from both sides o f the aisle. Something about the whole campaign o f 2004 struck us as not being "what it seemed" on the surface. Current trends seem t o support o u r thinking that the harsh divide and the whole red state/blue state implication o f simple thinking is getting more "fuzzy" now. Majorities of citizens o f all types were in favor o f the mixcd g r o u p o f senators who brokered a compromise in the senate, did not interfere in t h e Terri Schiavo case, increased expansion o f stem cell research, and even protected major elements o f social security o r considered new a n d unique ideas t o preserve its core while allowing differences going forward. T h i s suggests t o us not right o r wrong o r left or right thinking, but nuanced thinking thar indicates a higher level o f reasoning a n d a more mature.approach t o world events a n d issues o f the day. Silnple black and white is n o t resonating with t h e public, whose views are more thoughtful and balanced in most cases. T h i s is a g o o d t h i n g in a n increasingly complex world. O u r hunclles were telling us, despite the words o f many managers and leaders, t h a t people were anti-change and difficult t o deal with around changing strategies, and that somehow people were evolving. But how? And why were s o many managers and leaders missing this shift if, in fact, there was one? W a s the r e much o f what was being preached starting organizational change l i t e r a t ~ ~ and with assumptions thar pcople were change adverse and simple thinkers? W a s that advice wrong o r based o n old, outdated and now false assumptions? O r were pcople more change adverse than we thought, and o u r hunches about their evolving was really just wishful thinking?

PAT GILL WEBBER W e felt t h a t o u r experiences a t companies where we were meeting new young global executives were "telling us" t h a t people at work were maturing a n d open, although as we observed, not always well-led a n d managed. W e knew t o o t h a t many we worked with and interacted with had subtly shifted gears, with their "rudders" more firmly going toward the personal and the familial. I t seemed that "suddenly" (although it was far f r o m suddenly, more like a n evolution), in a vastly more complicated a n d compeltitive world, lots of people a t work n o longer worried about what colleagues thought about their committhat t h e most i m p o r t a n t ment-they thought a b o u t a n d proudly people in their lives were not their employers o r their customers, b u t their families. W e knew we were a long way f r o m the 1 7 8 0 s pervasive preoccupation with career and the 1770s preoccupation with money and success, even though money traditionally defined success, and security ironically was more i m p o r t a n t t h a n ever t o protect one's self, one's family, and one's home. Neither careerism nor niaterialism has gone away. Both are still ongoing, major factors in the workplace. b u t there has been a significant shift in t h a t work has definitively taken a back seat t o family and security concerns (in the broadest sense o f those words) in the United States. C o u l d this shift toward family concerns a n d desire for balance in life be what some leaders and managers were seeing as a shift right, and an anti-change o r lack o f flexibility toward change at work? Could be. W e didn't know. W e also thought it was interesting t o observe the family shift, in light o f what is happening globally and economically. I n some ways, without looking t o o deeply, it might appear t h a t we in the United States are o u t o f step with others globally. Since so many outside the United Stares are now s c r a ~ n b l i n gt o get o n t h e fast track econon~ically,while many here might appear. t o be trying to get o f f t h a t track. W e don't believe t h a t is at all the case. Yes. Americans are shifting toward family a n d deeper personal meaning, but by n o means are they less intcrested in work a n d progress a n d competing. W h a t they want is a change in the processes o f work and the way work is done. T h e y hunger, it seems t o us, for better leadership (politically, religiously, and locally as well as work) and acceptance of new realities while balancing t h e needs for deep change at work t o keep competitive. For those in war-torn areas around the world, of course security remains logically the most fundamental need, want, and necessity. But, with those global economic giants C h i n a a n d India, the scene looks much like the United States a few years ago, when getting u p the ladder was the most prominent focus. T h i s makes sense in light o f current realities explained so beautifully by the brilliant work o f T h o m a s Friedman's The World Is Flat: A Bfipf History o f ~ b cTwelip+rst Celltury (2005). W h i l e it is clear that most if not all people p u t family first, the times a n d new opportuniries allow people t o be more involved with work and careers t h a n others who may have long had opportunities t o make a living and sccure a . future for themselves a n d their families.

CHANGE AHEAD I n M r . Friedman's insightful book o n where the world is "right now" in terms o f globalization, he explains the ten key technology and economic events that have collaboratively created the conditions for the current phase o f globalization, o r what he calls Globalization 3.0. H e suggcsts this particular phase is flattening o r leveling the playing field, allowing individuals t o compete. "Around 2000 we entered a whole new era: Globalization 3.0. Globalization 3.0 is shrinking the world from a size small t o a size tiny and flattening the playing field a t the same time. And while the dynamic force in Globalization 1.0 was countries globalizing, and the dynamic force in Globalization 2.0 was companies globalizing, the dynamic force in Globalization 3.0-the thing that gives it its unique character-is the newfound power for individuals t o collaborate and compete globally." (page 10) H i s insights into people striving to share in the riches and prosperity o f this phase o f globalization demonstrates conclusively t h a t there will never be a shortage o f those whose primary focus, f r o m this period o f time forward for the foreseeable future, is getting o n board with opportunities previously denied them. And, these people will increasingly be nonwcstern and nonwhite. A t the same time, it's likely a lesser number o f people will be striving t o find deeper meaning a n d security once they have become established o r at least consider themselves somewhat secure (a likely unhealthy and unrealistic point o f view for most), due to the successes previous/current globalization has afforded them. I t makes sense t o us that those who have had s o m u c h relative success (and then cxpcrienced a terrific act o f t e r r o r such as 9/11 o r 7 / 7 )might s t o p t o reflect o n what is MOST meaningful in life a n d to conclude it is one's own deepest yearnings, and o f course, one's family. I t also makes complete sense t o u s t h a t those who have never had the chance t o savor opportunities will quickly take u p the slack that any nonattention t o new opportunities allows them-.not as a n anti-American move, but in a pro-themselves desire t o provide for their own yearnings and families. T h i s is reassuring, a n d for some who are insecure about their own ability to compete in a new flattened world, frightening. Since loss is a necessary component of any type o f growth, the issue o f coping and coping well comes down t o a belief that even with loss comes something better o r at least as good. And, that this growth and change is part o f life a n d inevitable. Acceptance o f loss a n d growth is something that o u r evolving culture has both made more palatable and more acceptable. I n Chapter I we talked about the changing culture and the openness to growth that it implies and supports. F r o m O p r a h t o Dr. Phil, from new spirituality t o increased emphasis o n health a n d fitness, people are exposed t o the idea that change does mean work, loss, and upheaval, but it also brings rewards as well as different and new opportunities. H o w can this persuasive culture NOT have some impact o n personal change-and hence workplace change-in many Americans? If change is g o o d and necessary, 135

PAT GILL WEBBER then logically change a n d growth at work a n d in o u r organlzations is necessary too. A t the same time that evolving technology has allowed for new members o n t h e world e c o n o ~ n i cplaying field, we see e x a ~ n ~ l oe fs how the older developed natlons such as the United States (though we are lagging, we are still in t h e inix here) are working o n issues o f deeper meaning a n d values. Diverse groups i n c l u d ~ n gbut not limited to conservative Jews and Christians, and entertainers like Bono, have impacted the decisions o f the "have nations" t o forgive "lesser developed/third world" debt, and t o consider a serious new and revised attack o n African poverty. T h e s e efforts, spurred by new thinking o f the United Nations with its millennium goals and economists like Jonathan Sacks, suggest that while the world is adding many t o share in the pie, some are working to make certain that as time progresses more a n d more will be able to get into the picture and participate in the expanding global economy. Along this same line, we observe vast new s u m s being pledged by those like Bill Gates a n d his wife Melinda Gates w h o have reaped the blessings a n d rewards o f previous economic opportunities. T h i s suggests t h a t in many ways, t h e haves and have-nots, and the "almost haves" in places like India a n d China, who may appear t o be in a different psychological o r philosophical place, are really in the same place. T h e y are participating in the flattening world that is furthering connection, increasing opportunities for all peoples, a n d yet allowing those who have had success t o continue t o be successful if they participate in the shifting economy. W h i l e the old idea o f the haves a n d have-nots assumed a limited pie a n d a world view that some must have at the expense o f others who have not, we see a new world view, based o n new opportunities t h a t suggests that if all have o r if more have, everyone is better off. W e are essentially creating new, bigger pies t h a t create new opportunities. Again, this c a n be seen as either good o r frightening news. A n d , the broader thinking one has, the more open t o change, a n d t h c more willing t o concede that change brings a different life as well as necessary losses, t h e more willing one is to participate in one's o w n growth, leading t o growth at work. W e continued to observe t h a t the United States workforce was shifting, that there were more pressures from global competition, but what more was going b n with the workforce a n d how -could that help o r hinder the efforts o f organizations and individuals needing t o change gears o r transform? Were we foolish Pollyannas with a n ~ ~ n r e a l i s tview i c o f working people and progress, or-were we observing a genuine shift o f thinking? T h e world is flat-the playing field is opening and continuing t o open t o many previously excluded. W h i l e some who "owned" opporti~nitiesmight now have more co~npetition,it is h a r d for those who fought for o p p o r t u n i t y 136

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CHANGE AHEAD themselves (such as most working Americans) t o discourage others f r o m doing the same once change makes it possible. T h i s means that although there will be some attclnpts t o limit globalization, especially by those with vested interests in some 'status quo, and t o retain what some see as o u r deserved and rightf~rlpreeminence in the world, most United States workers will embrace globalization as they increasingly understand its positive implications for themselves, and accept their own responsibility t o live with new realities that can, if properly h a n d l i d , allow for a different, more flattened world with unique new opportunities for themselves as well as new entrants t o the world's stage. The.world has continued t o shift and change as M r . Friedman a n d others explain. And o u r attempt t o understand people's changes o f m i n d were happening at the same time that the forces M r . Friedman observed were happening. W e were pondering what was o n people's minds post 9/11, and we were wondering if people "had what it takes" t o deal with the myriad changes going o n i n t h e world. W e did NOT have a clear understanding o f what M r . Friedman called Globalization 3.0, and neither did M r . Friedman, who concedes he was otherd Muslim world and wise engaged with his post 9/11 attempt t o ~ ~ n d e r s t a nthe help others understand those dynamics. Both phases o f o u r research demonstrated strongly and conclusively, that people had been deeply affected by the change in o u r culture and world since 9/11. Unlike the issue o f Globalization 3.0, which many likely have not even begun to grasp o r fully consider, people did know a b o ~ 9/11 ~ t a n d reacted t o it. T h e greatest shift post 9/11 appears t o be a new sense o n the part o f working Americans o f meaning a n d commitment t o oneself t o d o what one can t o value what people know are their most important treasures, and t o work t o make certain their f u t ~ ~ r teos the extent they could control them, are secure. W h e t h e r people have successfully implemented actions to create that security is in d o u b t with increased personal debt a n d less savings. but we sense that even with all the bad news and likely poor strategy o r execution in those regards, people are b o t h seeking solutions and working t o secure the road ahead. In terms o f work, we saw several strong trends that bode well once people DO start t o grasp more fully the changing world o f work and the implications for thcmselves and their work due to Globalization 3.0. First and foremost, o u r t w o was highly emotionally intelligent. T h e y demonstrated sample in strong skills in the four arcas of emotional intelligence-self-awareness, selfmanagement, social awareness, a n d relationship management.

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Although some conditions and situations in o u r sites created some minor shifts in the levels o f emotional intelligence, those shifts were very slight a n d statistically rather insignificant. Further, we saw that despite other research o n generations at work o r genders in the workplace. o u r participants did not vary by any outward difference such as age o r gender. People at work at this time seem t o

PAT GILL WEBBER

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clearly have the emotional capacity t o deal with changes as well as t o lead them. W e did not, o f course, find perfectly emotionally intelligent people, but without exception, scores were above average and strongly suggestive of positive a t t i t ~ ~ d e s toward maturity in terms o f handling change and growth. T h i s is nothing b u t great news given increasing competition, the fact t h a t managers and leaders are not always as competent as they rnight be, and the urgent need for organizations . o f every stripe t o transform t o compete in t h e new century. A bit more o f a mixed picture emerged in terms of reactions t o change. M o s t people were strongly pro-change personally-but at work, it did vary just a bit. Differences in specific work situations a n d leadership influenced scores o n the Change Reaction Tool, creating either more outright resistance t o change efforts o r more neutral stances toward it. T h i s t o o made sense t o us, b u t is troubling for organizations with weaker leadership .or n o concrete and viable plans t o strengthen leadership. W i t h practical concerns o f falnily, values, and meaning front a n d center for workers i n the United States, people can be cautious in their attitudes to change. But they are n o t by any means adverse t o it o r "worried a b o u t it" in the sense that they are na'ive o r unrealistic about what is happening o r will happen as the world economy evolves. W i t h the right leadership, information (which they are increasingIy getting even without help and guidance, f r o m their leadership), and support, o u r strongly emotionally intelligent workforce can a n d will cope with a n d survive a n d thrive in these strongly competitive and challenging times. O u r research can give hope t o individuals, managers a n d leaders, and, organization boards and key executives w h o are wondering how in t h e world they can deal with new realities and their workforce. T h e workforce is ready, willing, and able if there is respect for them as individuals, if their families a n d priorities are considered a n d understood, a n d if t h e leadership o f organizations allows an adult conversation a n d involvement o f people i n leading their o w n futures. T h e s e are tall orders, but doable. T h e y d o not, however, rest o n the assumptions of most current business people who seem stuck in the flawed assumptions o f people from earlier times. As Stephen Covey suggests in his masterful followu p t o the Seven Habits $Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change (1989) called The 8th Habit: From Efectiveness to Greatness (2004), leaders today are clearly working with old, outdated assumptions o f how organizations a n d people work. People have essentially moved beyond the thinking o f most leaders a n d managers. W h i l e managers and leaders themselves are-more sophisticated in their thinking, as were their colleagues, they appear to persist in believing in the un-evolved a n d the less t h a n pro-change thinkers o f old. Old style management a n d leadership despite the enormous literature base that suggests it is d u m p e d in favor of more enlightened approaches, just is not reaching far a n d wide enough t o support the changes we o r Dr. Covey see in the workforce.

CHANGE A H E A D T h e Internet, technology more broadly, and the open culture o f the United States with its support of personal change and growth has moved t h e average individual ahead o f the leadership curve. Add in the realities o f a post 9/11 world, we have a nation o f empowered individuals o f every type a n d persuasion. As T h o m a s Friedman put it, the time for individuals is NOW. "Individuals must, and can now ask, where d o I fit into the global competition a n d opportunities o f thc day, a n d how can I, o n my own, collaborate with others globally?" (Page 10) O u r research data suggests t h a t this is a question that many are "getting" and "answering," a n d that if organizations and its leaders are wise, they will fully grasp and incorporate this understanding into their own thinking about how t o work with e~nployeesof every level and type moving forward. Although many may appear o n the surface t o be "lost at sea," d o not know whether the world is flat, round, o r what the world has to d o with them anyhow, o u r subjccts,'taken from both a broad open survey and from a variety of types and stylcs o f organizations, H A V E G O T T E N IT. T h e y know they need t o change, thep know they need t o grow, and they know that life as we k n o w it is never going t o get easier, simpler, o r more parochial. Just as the media (and some religious and other leaders) underestimated where people's thinking is and was politically-missing the complexity o f thought and the gray that most people see, feel, a n d understand-most managers and leaders are missing the fact that people i n organizations GET IT and don't need to be patronized, talked d o w n to, and brought kicking a n d screaming t o deal with the realities o f Globalization 3.0 o r any other economic reality. T h e y undcrstand they need t o change-what they are looking for is help with HOW t o change. WHAT t o do, a n d how best t o compete moving forward. T h e self-help g u r u s o f every type and persuasion are giving advice o n everything from diet t o managing one's money. Leaders need t o get o n board with a plan o f action, jointly developed with sophisticated workers, that outlines where next t o deal with the realities o f the economic world. Don't worry that people are change adverse, worry about how t o niove ahead. People know they have t o change-they need t o grow and they need t o p r f o r r n s t high levels t o achieve o r even to remain financially stable. H o w could they have missed that message given the history o f the stock market, evolving times, a n d government messages o f impending g l o o ~ no n the health care and retirement fronts? People d o not expect things t o be easy, simple, o r routine, and they are ready with the right leadership t o d o what it takes because most are l y emotionally focused o n grounded, informed, and aware, as well as s p i r i t ~ ~ a l and their family and their own survival. As consultants, we never feel good about just understanding situations. W e want to help, advise, counsel, a n d support change a n d growth that builds o n what we know. Since we have this research, we want t o use it t o suggest what strategies and approaches ro and organizational change and transformation t h a t

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PAT GILL WEBBER make sense in light o f this new knowledge. T h e remainder o f this chapter suggests ideas for individuals, leaders, and organizations that are attempting t o deal with change effectively. W e are now going t o answer this question: "If what we found is true-that people are changed post 9/11 (not all, but many) and people are both more open t o change and emotionally intelligent t h a n we thought, what are the implications o f this research' for individuals, leaders, and organizations going forward?" W e also touch o n those strategies and approaches based o n o u r research t h a t are less effective going forward. For each g r o u p we will list what is "in" and what is "out" i n t e r m s of perceptions, approaches, a n d useful strategies for the world o f work. W h i l e m a n y o f these ideas are not new, o r even unique, they are not in common practice o r widely accepted. N o r previous t o o u r work were they placed in a research context that suggests people have the wherewithall t o handle and accept them. We end with the hope t h a t this book will be a n addition t o the thinking, planning, a n d understanding o f individuals a n d leaders engaged with organizational change a n d transformation in the 21st century. Collectively, we can all make a leap forward-and make more progress t h a n ever thought possible if we agree t o agree t h a t the world has changed-and thankfully, most people know it and ate open t o it a t least those working, those plugged into technology, and those interacting in t h e workplace. Unfortunately, we are aware this leaves some people out. Although there are those who are "out of it," which o u r research suggests is a smaller g r o u p than imagined, focusing o n t h e small minority is not a g o o d strategy for the vast majority o f organizations. Focusing o n the minority is important for the government in terms o f preserving rights. It is not the best course of action for changing a company o r a foundation, o r a mosque o r church, in t h e 21st century. Organizational change posits a g o o d greater t h a n any one individual. I t purports that its mission a n d vision serves a greater good and does nor exist for specific people, b u t rather for those who can believe in and engage its mission a n d vision and make that mission and vision a reality for its customers a n d stakeholders. T h e r e is room for all individuals, just not in a givcn organization. T h i s is an important a n d critical distinction. As for individuals, it is o u r beIief that those w h o are truly lost a t sea would take a good deal more t h a n a good book, any number o f books, o r even serious therapy t o help wrestle them into understanding the reality o f the 21st century with its challenges and opportunities. T h e r e are soine, too, who lack the essential skills a n d mental abilities, the emotional intelligence, and/or the proper education, o r are psychologically disadvantaged and unable t o participate fully in these challenging times. W e are counting o n those professionals in government, education, social work, a n d even religious organizations t o grapple with t h e future o f these people who legitimately must participate in society, have opportunities

CHANGE AHEAD commensurate with their strengths as well as disabilities, and be handled with dignity and find a secure place in this ever-changing a n d competitive world. W e in organizations can help by making every opportunity available t o every person possible t o enter into organizations a n d share in their resources-to find their strengths a n d needs and plug them into the vast web o f the world where their talents, needs, desires, viewpoints, a n d life can best intersect with others o f co~nplementarytype. But for thc purposes o f this book, we offer strategies t o t l ~ o s ewho can see, hear, and understand what is going o n in the world a n d accept the new realities t o help them g o t o the next level o f plugging into the future. I n o u r m i n d , t h a t future has few limits, lots o f ~ ~ p s i dtremendous e, opportunity, and sl~ people developing looks t o h e in good hands with all the t r e m e ~ i d o c ~talented and plugging in all over the world.

The Individual Individuals are the new multinationals. T h e y are the starting point o f any venture and any opportunity. W h e r e ten o r twenty years ago n o one pcrson could get into the global economy and compete, now millions can, do, and will. Individuals need t o be aware o f their new power a n d understand the liverage they have IF they are plugged in, connected, and willing to participate in the new world. T h a t said, the disempowered, the sad sack, the one looking for management t o guide and save them, the one looking for the next Enron who might promise a bright future o n air, o r the next real estate b o o m that will make them rich for little or n o effort, are essentially doomed to a go-slow o r no-go lane o f mediocrity. O f course there are many jobs available for the unfocused, the uninformed, and the want-to-be-led crowd. T h e y just aren't particularly good, stable, o r secure jobs, o r jobs likely to provide secure futures a n d any real upward mobility.

The mantra for the individual now is: WAKE UP a n d CONTINUE t o smell the coffee! W e f o u n d most people were aware o f the need t o change, they just need t o keep reminding themselves that this is not a mindless mantra, but a real and tangible need for each person to take it u p o n themselves t o figure o u t what is going o n in their particular field o f endeavor, f r o m carpeting manufacturing t o high finance, from teaching t o farming, f r o m painting a n d classical music t o entertainment management, f r o m government technology work t o insuralice sales, n o work, no job, n o career is ~ ~ n t o u c h eby d what is going o n in the world economy, and smart, plugged-in workers are continually scanning the environment o f their work world and learning about what it all means for them personally. T h e y are reading, observing, looking at the wide view o f everything happening t o them as well as their competition-and that implies worldwide compctition, their industry, their field, and digesting what this means in terms o f opportunities and real a n d present threats as well. T h e individual of ANY level, in ANY field that is awarc, plugged in, networked, and seeking t o grow his o r 141

PAT GILL WEBBER her own competencies, has opportunity; those t h a t don't can take their chances. W e would not suggest they do. T h a t said, what's IN for i~ldividualsin the workplace based o n what we learned i n o u r Big Picture, and phase one a n d t w o o f o u r research? Since you know you accept change a n d need t o change, why n o t let your management know t h a t s o they can s t o p thinking you don't want t o change? Since you understand the need t o change, why not be more proactivc in helping your organization respond t o the changes it needs t o make-take charge a n d demonstrate that you d o understand a n d accept the need for change that o u r research shows you have. I f your family comes first be clear with others o n how that effects them a t work, be open about what the b o t t o m line is for you-make it eaiy t o manage you and figure o u t what you need t o be satisfied. M a k e it easy, safe, a n d a plus t o work with you, manage you, a n d help you contribute. No one has time for whiners anymore. Develop a current list o f competencies needed in one's field NOW. T h e s e are often found o n the sires of associations, a m o n g leaders in any industry group, o r through one's own h u m a n resources department. If you work in a small shop o f any type, look at industry newsletters, association publicstions, o r leading organizations in your field. If you work for t h e leader, look within your own resources. Evaluate yourself against the trends. Are you keeping u p o r losing ground? S t a r t getting serious about your own development. Here is when you can s t o p learning: the day you s t o p working forever and retire completely, permanently, and with n o need t o ever again (and we mean ever again!) d o another lick o f work for money. Ask for feedback all the time f r o m your boss, your colleagues, and your customers. Know yourself and help others make it easy t o tell you how you are doing. M a n y managers are poor at giving feedback'and avoid it-you have t o ask o r you won't get the input you need. T r u s t us. Since management often thinks t h a t older people (that's over 30), men, o r certain'less educated groups are more resistant t o change t h a n o u r research found them t o be, then make sure if you are in one of these groups you let the .management know you are o n the pro-change side-our research suggests you are more emotionally intelligence and more pro-change-let people know that about you. If you have n o clue what you want t o do, we suggest you find your p a s s i o ~ ~ and explore the field thoroughly then get into something-anything. We d o n o t believe anyone reading this book would not have a t least one passion o r interest. PIanning without getting involved is not going t o help. It 142

CHANGE AHEAD is much easier to move within a n industry t h a n t o get into it. D o whatever it takes t o get into the field t h a t you are passionate about, then network, build relationships, learn, grow, a n d move. S t o p looking for the right opportunity, go for any opportunity then grow. I f you need to make money, t h i n k ~ n u l t i p l epaths and chink ourside your normal ideas o f what is acceptable. W i t h everyone focused o n his o r her own lives, n o one cares what you are doing. If people at the clirb/old neighborhood/right neighborhood don't approve, and you care, you are asking the wrong question and going about the "work/career thing" all wrong. It is not a contest o r a race-it is part o f living and making a life. Doing what you have t o d o t o survive makes sense, caring what the "Joneses" think o r anyone thinks went o u t with the old style Oldsmobile some o f o u r fathers drove. I t is a n ineffective use o f limited energy, better spent figuring o u t what is going o n in the world a n d participating. I n a simpler time, we could waste some time "idling"-we don't have that luxury anymore. O u r research suggests people want more time for themselves-don't waste any time as a means o f preserving what you have for productive endeavors.

If you are really young, then travel and see t h e world and what's going o n first hand. You will never be the same, a n d g o o d for you-you will be ahead o f us all. My mother told me in the 1950s that travel was the best education. M o m was right. D o not hold o u t for the opportunity, but rather seek t o look outside the irsual t o get the resources YOLI need t o live-if not well, at least t o survive while you continue t o seek other opportunities that you maybe never thought o f before. Use the Internet to look on the fringe of your industry t o see what's coming. A n d network with folks in your industry. But, since people are time conscious based o n o u r research, be specific about t h e help you need and get t o the point with people. People don't have the leisure they used t o at work-and s o speed o f request is o f the essence. T h a n k you's a n d handwritten responses have not gone o u t of style and are still hugely appreciated. T r y sending a few and see what happens. Reach o u t and connect with people you never thought o f connecting with-it is easier than ever, and more t h a n ever before you will find people responding to you just because it is easy and they can. Don't be afraid o f trying the old usual in new ways-the old school-even high school a n d grade school friends might be resources for new ideas and opportunities, and they want t o pay you back for eating their donut in 4 t h grade. But again, thinking that people are concerned with their own issues, be brief and feel o u t the'individual a n d their willingness t o connect with you. T h e by email, the easier it will be for them t o openly easier you make it-say respond t o you. 143

PAT GILL WEBBER Don't focus o n credentials without thinking how the network o r skills you will gain will help you contribute t o your customers and your field. L o t s o f people you never dreamed would have the same o r better credentials t h a n you will have them, s o you better be able t o add value o r your credentials quickly. T h i s was clear from o u r research o n won't get you anywhere-and the big picture. People are getting the same credentials, and those in t h e

U.S. are getting them faster-this trend will continue. T h e ability t o work o n a team a n d collaborate is the m o s t i m p o r t a n t skill you need now. Better get cracking o n figuring o u t how t o get better a t it. Practice anywhere you can, f r o m politics, t o church, t o local community work, t o family picnics. Research shows the most important t h i n g in business is t o get along and contribute, t o m a k i n g teams work. Can't d o it? A loner? G o o d luck. H o p e you win the lottery. Diversity isn't just about (or really even about) black and white o r male a n d female anymore. Realize diversity is in ideas, thoughts, perspectives, a n d a host o f areas beyond race and gender. H o n e your ability t o listen, connect .with, a n d work effectively with those different t h a n yourself-and see the real value add in that. If you don't, o u r research suggests you might be left behind. A n d in the global economy, you will be quickly left behind. It was interesting that o u r research showed little t o few differences among people due t o differences o f any outward type (gender, age, level in t h e organization)-this confirms in o u r m i n d t h a t differences are everywhere, b u t n o where obvious. If you t h i n k your work is local, o r will not o r cannot be effected by technology, you have t o g o back t o the Internet and start reading and searching. O u r data suggests others are doing it so you best get cracking. You are simply wrong that technology will not effect your work. Even if you are a waitress, a n actor, a clerk in a store, o r a house cleaner, o r an accountant, lawyer, real estate agent, corporate something, o r sales executive, you are really o u t o f touch with reality. It is already happening. You have t o be secure in yourself since the world offers both more opportunity and yet less security. You have t o know yourself-really, not just the mask, o r the superficial you. You have t o work a t these things since neither are easy nor come naturally for m o s t people. W h i l e you are at it, help those you love t o d o these things-they are critical t o their success too. T h e emotional intelligence results confirmed many are stronger here t h a n we may have assumed. Keep at it. Risk is a good thing. Stupid risk isn't. If you don't know the difference, start thinking. G o o d risk-moving for a great job opportunity. Stupid risk-all your savings in a can't-lose, new business. Again, use the ernotiona1,intelligence data we saw. 144

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What's OUTfor individuals in the workplace? Saviors o f any type-the C E O as hero and Goddess o r G o d who will make it all work. Believing that what is happening t o your industry, life, o r business isn't fair o r just. Wondering what happened while you were sleeping! T h i s is again based on o u r Big Picture research as well as o u r research suggesting that change happens in organizations o f all types with all levels. set career paths. I f you build your own business Secure career paths-any o r practice, who knows even then? Ask the self-employed how secure they feel. Security without lots o f risk, especially if in a group enterprise versus a personal practice (like being a one-person attorney, doctor, o r what not, and that is very tough and getting tougher and tougher.. .ask any one doing it). T h i n k i n g that your degree, background. o r connections are all you need. Even Colin H a n k s needs t o be a great actor on his own, despite being T o m Hank's son. N o t thinking someone else could d o your job quicker, better, and more effectively than you do. I f they aren't already, they will soon. Worrying rather than learning and growing. N o t being a team player. Competing rather than collaborating. Looking t o get over o n people rather than looking t o connect with your coworkers. Courtesy and connection are more vital than ever-and since many have good relationship skills and are practicing them according t o o u r research, if you are not, you are going t o be replaced. T h i n k i n g your workplace will stabilize at some point soon. N o research supports this pipe dream. T h i n k i n g there is an end point; there is for yo11 personally, b u t not your work o r your organization's work. Trying t o d o things alone. Learning, growth, organizational change, successful enterprises, new product development, new markets, and successful stocks are all the result o f team efforts. T h e only person who does things alone is a failure. O u r research into change reactions suggests that most are willing and able t o get involved with others t o create and sustain changeif you are not in that group or team mindset others are and you will be left behind. Calm, dignified, peaceful, respectful, a n d practical conversations are NOT OUT-they are needed more than ever. Wc made a point earlier in the book o f the need for leaders who can bring people together. T h e arrogant

PAT GILL WEBBER have lost the race and destroyed good people and g o o d businesses while destroying themselves. Don't ever believe the cynical individual o r leader for one minute. T h e y are usually the most scared and frightened people in the world. W i t h high emotional intelligence more in practice only staff with greater levels o f emotionally intelligence will progress u p the ranks in most organizations. I n summary, it is a good time t o be a strong, independent, a n d interdependent person with high emotional intelligence, guts, savvy, a n d openness t o change and growth. It is a bad time t o be scared, a loner, set in your ways, looking for the secure a n d stable route, o r wondering when it is all going t o s t o p moving so fast. It isn't going to. T h e great news is, the people we surveyed seem t o have all the right stuff t o succeed in this environment. Managers and Laders As noted several times in this book, leaders and managers are getting lots o f great advice, but they d o not seem t o be heeding it. W e are not certain why t h a t is. Perhaps i t might be that despite the plethora o f books, articles, and training available, only selected people are taking sufficient advantage o f the knowledge out there and learning how best t o use what is known about leadership and managemrnt to their advantage. I t appears that organizations are not either providing the time t o read and reflect o n knowledge available, o r making limited amounts o f information available that they believe is sufficient for greater efficiency in their own organizations. Since poor leadership and management remains a problem and a challenge, we have t o assume that not enough education is happening. T h i s is .a shame given that the guidance does exist, and in ways that is relatively inexpensive and painless. O n e o f the problems has been the lack of willingness o f many organizations in tough times t o sufticiently invest i n their h u m a n resources. W h i l e organizations all claim people are their most important assets, most have yet t o demonstrate that through consistent investments in people over other business investments, such as R&D o r higher salaries for t o p officers. Similar t o the mantra that o u r youth are o u r future, educational funding in organizations, like education in public life, is usually underfunded, lacking in the newest strategies, relegated t o the b o t t o m o f priorities, and otherwise not focused o n except in the literature o f the HRD industry. W e would like to t h i n k we are wrong here, but we often find that learning is not a strong priority o r f o c ~ i sand generally there is hesitancy t o spend in this area. T h e exceptions, o f course, are t h e leading firms and leading countries whose belief in investment consistently pays off, but n o t immediately-a problem still for many organizations. O u r suggestions are simple really. Since this is the age o f t h e individual, o u r data would urge managers and leaders t o take every chance they have to push a learning agenda within their organizations. A n d certainly i f you can o r have the 146

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CHANGE AHEAD power t o create any good decision, make it t o invest in the knowledge expansion o f your colleagues a t work. But, after that, the best thing any leader o r manager can d o is t o develop themselves based o n the resources o u t there (and there are hundreds and thousands o f them), to get better at leadership and better at m a n aging.

What's In based on our research? Studying and training t o be a leader like .you train t o keep your body in shape-all the time. Skipping development workouts does t o your skills what n o t working o u t does t o your body, it doesn't look good, does it? Observe the best leaders a n d managers in your organization, in your industry, a n d in other avenues in your life; identify them and emulate them. Sttldy them like you would a great process. Don't mimic, emulate. You need to find your own voice as Stephen Covey says, but the essence o f great leaders is the same. Read more t h a n you want t o about leadership. Skip the ones that have titles that use a warfare metaphor o r imply sometime o f head o n aggressive approach, I t is over for these types o f strategies. T h e tough guy/tough woman act is amusing, except if you work for one o f these fools o f either sex. Don't believe what you see o n reality TV. W o r k has no relationship t o the nonsense o f "you're fired" a n d other silly games o f competition. It misses the whole point o f modern business a n d organizational life. O u r research into successful organizations, a n d o u r research into what people are thinking, strongly suggests t h a t maturity a n d sophistication o f thought as well as nuance and learning, rather than raw aggression, will win in today's organizations. Read mote t h a n you want to about management. If you can't manage, start there. Meaning, you have t o be able t o set goals, support and coach, motivate, create a fair environment, hire great people, help people o u t the d o o r if they are the wrong fit, budget, guide, t h i n k big, collaborate with your colleagues, be part o f the team, and lead it a n d a11 the other basics. T h c n , once capable, t h i n k bigger.. .to leadership. Leadership is based o n emotional intelligence which we have f o u n d is growing. Be part o f the vision, understand a n d communicate the mission a n d the vision, help people see the Big Picture, help create a positive a n d creative environment, s u p p o r t growth and change in others, don't ever be threatened by competence greater t h a n your own. S u p p o r t the best a n d make r o o m for the best, keep the focus o n the right things, not just doing things right. G e t feedback o n your management a n d leadership skills. G e t it f r o m those t h a t know you best-those who work for you, those who interact with you, 147

PAT GILL WEBBER and those who are from other departments o r outside vendors, customers, o r alliance partners w h o have t o deal with your area. Of course your boss loves you, t h a t is why you are there! Seriously, her view counts too, b u t likely you have that feedback even if you don't ask. Beware o f complacency. If you read any of the synopsis you know how dangerous this is. O u r research is overwhelming in m a k i n g you avoid t h i s one. Never t h i n k because you had success you will continue t o be successful. W i t h changes a t warp speed, your past success just might be your undoIng. Don't t h i n k you can get knocked o f f your perch? Have you read the papers lately? H a n k Greenberg, Carly Fiorina, and even Philip Purcell with his board o f cronies took the fall; likely you aren't in their world much less their net worth zone. Doesn't mean they might n o t reinvent themselves (or you couldn't). T h a t is the best thing about the age we live in. Even Richard Nixon got another chance! If these names don't mean anything t o you, maybe it is time t o buy t h a t subscription o r g o online t o read the Wall Street Journal.

Leaders should worry more about modeling what they want and less about what others aren't doing. T h i s is especially important in light o f the fact t h a t more people are on board than you know. Paying t o o much attention t o those not o n board is not consistent with the implications o f o u r research t h a t suggests the strong majority are with you-go with them. G e t a coach, even out o f your own pocket. Like a work o u t coach, they push you. G e t to know people as individuals, treat them as individuals, respect their uniqueness, a n d accept their reality o f the world. T h e y are your biggest assets, and their work (your collective work) depends on it being good for them, not just good for you. Go back t o the section o n t h e myth o f change resistance if you have any doubt that people want a n d need to be recognized a n d seen as individuals. G o back and read the last point a n d memorize it. D o not under any circumstances forget it. W e told you people are more self-focused. Believe it. Don't forget that lack o f respect for someone is the surest way t o get him/ her t o leave once they perceive there is any way out.

Out T h i n k i n g your people "don't get it." T h e y do. You just don't know them well enough t o figure o u t that they do. If information is o u t there anywhere, they know it. Google yourself and your company. O h my. D i d they have to put that o u t there? 148

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CHANGE AHEAD T h i n k i n g t h a t you are smarter than other people. Even if you are, it won't last long. And besides, who really cares if you are s o smart? T h e point o f work of any kind, from medicine to plastics, is t o solve problems, help customers, and d o something o f value.. .keep your eye on that ball. A n d , no work o f A N Y kind is ever done alone, s o just t h i n k how you can helF use your intelligence toward something. That's how you get "As" in life. Besides, if o u r data is correct, there are more s m a r t people than ever-you are just one of many who really get it. Believing you can take credit for someone else's work. W i t h che way technology works now it isn't going t o happen, that went o u t with My Little Margie and Bonanza. Don't remember those shows? H o w about they went out with thinking a gas-guzzling car made sense? T h i n k i n g knowing people's family issues and understanding their personal lives a n d problems isn't worth your time. H o w many times d o you have t o read o u r research to get this one? Believing that the company, foundation, o r organization is what is number one in people's m i n d s and hearts. It definitely is not. Again, we can't say this enough-people have definitely changed in this area. 7/7/05 reinforced it. Being afraid t o confront reality, thinking people will panic, quit, o r otherwise act out. T h e y likely know more than you t h i n k they do, and what they want is reality a n d a plan o f action. T h e y want t o know what you and they together can DO about what is going on, they want a plan t o get moving o n and moving ahead. A n d if there is n o way out, help them with Plan B for their lives and m w e on. T h e y will. Forgetting t h a t every individual counts and always has a n d always will, even if they don't stay with your organization, o r move up the ladder, o r have the same career ambitions you do. T h i n k i n g that the merger won't change anything. T a l k about lack o f emotional intelligence-this shows you are NOT one o f the folks in o u r survey who are in touch with the realities o f corporate life. T h i n k i n g the new outsourcing initiative won't affect you-after all, you are the management! I n summary, Feople have changed. You have t o know them, work a t connccting with them, and make the experience of working with you and for you something positive for them. Don't want t o trust them? You are making a mistake. T h i n k they can't handle reality? T h e y can a n d they will. W h a t they don't want t o handle is the inability o f management and the leadership team to present viable ways o f dealing with the realities o f this highly competitive world. Out-sourcing growing? O K , what does that mean for us? Are there other value added things we can do, o r d o we have t o move o n ? H o w can you help others t o get involved ~n new ways t o grow the company, save resources, a n d s o 149

PAT GILL WEBBER on-think ahead not behind, and engage people with the realities. T h e y already know the game is changing. Show them you understand t o o a n d move forward together. T h i s is the n u m b e r one most important strategy for managers and leaders at every level. The Organization W h a t organization can feel genuinely secure today? N o t even churches can, o r charities o r industry leaders. W a l - M a r t is worried about their share o f business, and they literally invented the modern supply chain as we know it a n d excelled in it everywhere. But they have issues;ir comes with the territory a n d with being an organization made u p o f people who are flawed as we all,are. Mistakes are made, opportunities are lost, challenges are missed, and carelessness is overlooked-not just a t Wal-Mart but also in EVERY single organization o u t there. What's a n organization t o d o ? T h i s research effort implies that time is ripe for adding reflection t o t h e list o f t o - d o s nearly o n a daily o r weekly basis. Reflection o n what has happened and what you are learning f r o m what you are doing. W e are running s o fast we have b o t h individually and collectively lost o u r ability to pause and think. T h e concept o f thc learning organization introduced by Peter Senge in the 1 9 9 0 s never really took of( though his forward thinking a n d original book Thc Fifth Disriplirl~(1990) became a business bestseller, a n d his expertise and concepts are still popular in the development literature. Perhaps one o f the reasons it did n o t take o f f (other than it seemed t o o academic rather t h a n practical) was t h a t workers were not ready t o actively participate in the processes needed t o make the strategy a reality, T h e y d i d not have enough understanding o f the deep need for change a n d new and different approaches t o deal with globalization-but now, things are different and people are different too. Senge, a n d later his many colleagues and other educational and adult education leaders such as Victoria Marsick f r o m Colulnbia University, recommended that organizations become learning centers. Thcse scholars suggested, based o n research into what successful organizations were doing, that the m o s t successf u l learned and movcd forward based o n t h a t combination o f individual a n d organizational learning. W o r k is seen as a n opportunity t o learn, with the purpose o f growing/changing/evolving the organization and the individuals. Better processes, more efficient relationships, better products, and willingness t o experiment are all the r e s ~ ~olft shared responsibility for learning a n d doing in a n integrated way that allows for involvement, experimentation, a n d reflection. As a company learns, it develops, a n d as it develops it meet new needs, seeks new markets, understands new opporrunities, a n d s o it goes. W e know this is radical-because we k n o w that most organizations d o n o t have the emotional, they could if they intellectual, a n d financial comlnitment t o make it work-but understood that given where people are now, based o n o u r research, it would 150

CHANGE AHEAD have a great chance of success. If adapted t o any organization, the integration of personal a n d organizational learning, coupled with the solving o f real and genuine problems and challenges, will result in the very best solutions and new opportunities for the most people a n d t h e organization. W e are recommending a broader adoption (there are, o f course, organizations, likc BP for example, who have embraced this strategy using it t o tremendous advnntage) o f this nearly 15-year old strategy since o u r research has made clear that are now READY for the learning organization. First, they are more open t o change a n d willing t o risk growing. Second, they are more elnotionally intelligent than previously thought and perhaps were. A n d finally, but n o less importantly, the development of Globalization 3.0 created the conditions and the technology t o make the learning organization b o t h more doable a n d more practical than ever before. Here is what is IN and OUT for organizations as they embark o n organizational change initiatives and transformation programs, and based o n o u r insights into the Big Picture, the m y t h o f change resistance, and the in-depth analysis o f organizational change readiness. What's IN:

Transparency. Trying t o keep things close t o the vest? N o t really possible o r sensible given technology. T h e fact that people are more aware o f realities plus the increased access t o information makes this old stand by o f business wisdom totally doable now. Don't delay any longer. Reality-based decision making. You can't spin people who can access the facts as quickly as you can. Involvement o f all stakeholders with full awareness that people will not flip out, flake out, o r otherwise act o u t if the t r u t h is presented appropriately a n d with respect and consideration for the views and values o f the individual participants. Better trained, educated leaders supported by a senior leadership team rhat is working as a team, collaborating and modeling t h e way. N o t spending money o n leadership development as an expense control device is outdated in today's complex world. You cannot afford t o have unaware and ineffective leaders in complex organizations rhat are pushing empowerment down the line. Process improvements t h a t will allow focus o n core competencies. M o r e out/in o r other sourcing as needed a n d necessary. M o r e horizontal communication. People want t o c o ~ n m u n i c a t eand are good at it if you set the processes in place t o encourage it easily. M o r e I M (instant messaging) might be a good thing. ,

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More allowances and acceptance and celebration o f differences. Using diversity for advantages in every aspect o f the husiness. But again, given o u r data, stress diversity o f m i n d and ideas not the superficial indicators o f 151

PAT GILL WEBBER age, race, a n d o t h e r externals we didn't see m a k i n g much o f a difference in people at work. Focus on what is important, concrete, a n d specific, and less o n hoopla, big time meetings, a n d rallies to cover the obvious. M o r e time spent in teams actually accomplishing things. M o r e collaboration, a n d , finally, the death forever o f the internal customer. T h e r e is only one customer-of the enterprise-everyone else should be collaborating. T h e r e are lots o f stakeholders b u t only one customer. If everyone doesn't have that same customer i n mind, you have problems. Straight t a l k . ' ~ g a i n ,with people as sophisticated as they are, they are not going t o handle silly talk and spin. G e t real-people arc. Empowered individuals who know what is important, what is expected, what the rules a n d standards are, and are given the tools t o d o it. Again, see the obvious of how people have evolved and now are in touch with things t h a t even a few years ago they would not be. T h e most flexibility a n d free time possible given the vision a n d mission. T h e least nonsense possible given people working in-group. Consultants, vendors, customers, maybe even t h e competition aligning a n d collaborating for value. Again, some people may resist b u t the more sophisticated.vendors and suppliers as well as customers a n d competition will jump a t the chance t o collaborate in ways that grow the pie for everyone. What's OUT.. T h e warfare metaphors. T h e constant colnpetition metaphors. It is about value, customers, innovation, successful connections, meeting needs, a n d all those things that add not subtract from life a n d business. T h e sense o f us against them. W h e r e there is a focus o n losers, the organization loses. T h i s is the biggest reason t o avoid any and all reality type events and approaches which are just ways o f making some people losers. Real colnpanies and real organizations focus their energies o n creating suecess not weeding o u t losers. W h y bother? M o s t people want t o work hard a n d get the organization o n a positive track-those that aren't should leave but let them self select o u t by making the culture strong. Bad, stupid, a n d arrogant leadership styles. Secrecy. Straregic plans nobody can figure o u t and that n o one buys into. Change that is n o t important a n d avoiding the realities o f the competition o r the organization's flaws that everyone knows about. Again, people based o n o u r research are reading what's o u t there and public knowledge-what are you hiding? Believing your business is somehow i m m u n e f r o m the rules o f decency, competition, the universe, o r globalization. 152

CHANGE AHEAD Thinking the stock price is more important than customers, products, and the people who work for the organization. Jail is not a good thing. A culture of no feedback, poor feedback, or kicking down the ladder. In sumlnary, the organization has to embrace the new as much as individuals and leaders do. Since your workforce is by majority more sophisticated your strategies and approaches have to match that. With a learning approach there is a framework for doing this that is simple, straightforward, and includes all the stakeholders as well as the customers. Connection and collaboration are the name of the game. Organizational life has never been easy. Individual growth and development has always been challenging even with commitment, help from professionals, and a desire to turn one's situation around. But individuals keep moving ahead and so d o organizations. Leaders and managers have always been up against it fighting to keep their own jobs, and trying to manage people or lead them without fully knowing how best to d o that. Life and work have always been difficult. But our research shows hopestrong hope. It implies that despite the horrors of 9/11 or 7/7, the continuing threats and promises of globalization, the difficult challenges of working in organizations that are always demanding more with less, people are definitely rising to the occasion. They embrace change; they know they need to work hard at their own lives and to work at the relationships in their organizations. They have not just the right attitudes but the right behaviors if they are led and given the opportunity to work in organizations that tap into their maturity and interdependence. T h a t suggests to u s that the challenges ahead can be met, and that the next generation can clearly move beyond the progress made to date. Maybe all the work we in the development fields have done all these years has meant more than we know-all of us in the workplace now deserve some solace in knowing we have made inroads into developing the world's most important asset-its working people.

PAT GILL WEBBER

CHANGE AHEAD

POST SCRIPT

As this book goes t o press, the tragedy o f Hurricane Katrina (which hit the G u l f Coast in early September 2005) a n d its aftermath is weeks old. Few who heard about the hurricane were not touched by the scope o f the disaster as well as the failure o f state, local, and federal government t o deal with its devastation o n a timely basis. T h e results o f poor listening t o repeated warnings, poor sharing of relevant information, a n d in general poor leadership speak t o the tremendous need for more powerful a n d effective individual excellence and leadership o f all institutions as we continue in the 21st ccntury. If o u r research is accurate, and o u r thinking confirmed, the many people affected by the storm will rise to the occasion. T h e y will know that that they need t o change, they need t o move forward, and they need t o strive a n d thrive post this tragedy. Listening t o t h e many voices o n the media, one is s t r ~ r c kby just how accurate this analysis is for the majority o f evacuees and their families. W h i l e some small number o f survivors, due t o multiple limitations o f wealth, education, and/or opportunity will be "lost" o r unable t o move forward, the vast majority o f citizens o f all races, backgrounds, and abilities will demonstrate an essentially pro-change a n d forward-thinking approach t o the enormous challenges they face. W e have n o d o u h t their emotional intelligence will support their efforts t o create new lives t h a t will enrich and fulfill them, whether they chose t o relocate permanently o r eventually return home t o N e w Orleans a n d other places o n the G u l f Coast once they are rebuilt. O u r concerns are for leaders everywhere. T o those doing their jobs with skill a n d grace, we congratulate you. For those who failed because they lacked the credentials, training, o r competence t o lead in crisis, we say shame o n those who prevented these leaders f r o m getting the training a n d support they needed t o succeed. Hurricane Katrina is another part of living in a post 9/11 world. Tragedies like this reinforce the need t o focus o n one's family which we found was a result o f living a n d working in a post 9/11 world. But tragedies also tap into the enormous generosity and ability o f people t o collaborate a n d move collectively forward for the c o m m o n good. T h e "culture wars" are exaggerated and were, in fact, pushed aside by a common set o f values that insisted t h a t we must a n d can serve all of o u r citizens in times o f need. W e hope o u r small effort in this book t o further support positive change, leadership development, learning in organiza-

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tlons, and personal dlsclpl~neand skdl helps t o contrtbute to a more accountable government and a renewed progressive approach to work in the 2 I s t century.

CHANGE AHEAD

Dr. Pat

Gill W e b b e r

~io~ra~hS i cu m i lm a r y D r . Pat Gill Webber is an expert o n personal and organizational change. She specializes in working with individuals t o lead change initiatives, o r companies attempting t o implement challenging change strategies f r o m quality improvements t o new organizational strategies. She is also considered a n expert o n leadership and leadership development. She recently co-authored an article "Leadership: Beyond the Baseline" with Catherine Rezak. Founder and CEO o f Paradigm Learning, a company specializing in pr;grarns dealing with change and innovation in the workplace. D r . Gill Webber has over 25 years o f experience as a consultant, educator, and executive coach. She has worked with dozens o f well known organizations like W a l - M a r t , Citigroup, AT&T, a n d the Federal Reserve Bank o f s t . Louis, and most recently with Callaway G o l f Company, Johnson & Johnson, T h e Christopher Reeve Foundation, T h e Quality Assurance Institute, and the Toy Industry Association. She is k n o w n as a straightforward, direct, and effective c o n s ~ r l t a n t and coach who has b o t h academic and practical credentials. D r . Gill Webber is the founder and President of AlexisGill, Inc.. a 20 year old virtual consulting firm specializing in working with organizations o n issues o f change. Dr. Gill Webber is also a partner and co-founder o f €-Coach Associates, Inc., which is a specialty coaching firm with a focus o n b o t h face-to-face a n d electronic coaching. T o learn more about AlexisGill, Inc., go t o www.alexisgill. corn. To learn more about E-Coach Associates, Inc., g o t o www.e-coachonline. com. D r . Gill Webber has a master's degree from N e w York University in counseling psYchoIogy and a master's degree in business administration f r o m Fordh a m University. She received her doctorate in leadership a n d organizational change f r o m Columbia University in 1998. Dr. Gill Webber can be reached at 1-800-869-4455, through her website u,ww.drpatgill.com, o r at her ernail, [email protected].

PAT GILL WEBBER

CHANGE AHEAD

PART V

Resources

SYNOPSIS

There are four parts t o this resource section. T h e first section is a short appendix that describes details o f the statistical analysis completed in phase two o f t h e research for this book. For any additional questions regarding the analysis, please send an email inquiry t o [email protected]. Following the appendix is t h e reference bibliography which includcs all the books o r articles mentioned in the text of the book. T h i s is followed by a resource bibliography that contains additional books that might be helpful in considering other aspects o f the issue of workers in the early part o f the 2 I s t century. Izinally, post both bibliographies is the index for easy reference t o topics in the text.

C H A N G E AHEAD

Statistics A p p e n d i x

T h e purpose of this part of the book is t o offer some details of the statistical analysis involving the second phase o f the research. T h e information provided below is focused around t h e two major variables presented earlier o f gender and age categories on the sub-scores from the Change Reaction (CR) and Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI). I n an effort t o examine whether there were statistics! differences in t h e mean responses t o each sub-score of the CR and each cluster score o f the ECI, a MANOVA was p r f o r m e d o n the three sub-scores o f the C R and four cluster scores o f the E C I as a function of gender and age-category. Please note that because the cluster scores showed higher internal consistency than the competencies, the four cluster scores from the ECI were used in these analyses. Before the M A N O V A was undertaken, the data was examined t o ensure that the assumptions o f the M A N O V A were met. I n examining the assumptions, 127 out of the 468 cases (27%) with complete data (i.e., demographic and sub-scores o n b o t h scales) were found to be multivariate outliers. These were found by calculating the Mahalanobis distances for the seven sub-scores and clusters, and thcn finding those distances that were significanr using a chi-square distribution at an alpha level o f 0.001. Because we wanted to undertake a M A N O V A , we examined the existence o f these multivariate outliers for each gender and age category. In terms o f gender, 68% o f the outliers were female. I n terms o f age category, 42% were 51+, 40% were 36-50, and 18% were 18-35. Because 27% o f the cases represented a large number t o remove from the analyses a n d because the outliers tended t o be in certain groups (i.e., females above 35 years o f age), univariate examinations o f each scale were undertaken and transformations were applied. Each o f the seven sub-scales was found t o be significantly skewed, except for the neutral sub-scale in the CR. After applying transformations to five o f the seven variables, six cases were found to be multivariate outliers. These six cases were removed from the subsequent M A N O V A analysis. T h e a s s u ~ n p t i o no f homogeneity o f variances and covariances was met using Box' test. T h e M A N O V A using Wilks' lambda showed significant main effects o f age category (F(I4,1238)=2.590, p<.05) and gender (F(7,619)=5.584, p<.05) with the interaction as not being significant (F(I4,1238)=.865, p>.05). T h u s , overall, there were statistically significant differences in respondents' sub-scores o f the CR a n d cluster scores o f the ECI. T h e large sample size is probably

contr~butlngt o t h ~ s because , the effect s u e s uslng eta-squared were qulte small (0.028 and 0.059 for age category and gender, respectively). Follow-up analyses using A N O V A showed that only the resistant scorescore in the C R showed ;statistically significant difference across age categories (F(2,625)=7.257, p <.05). Interestingly, the 18-35 category had a large mean of 7.5 than the 36-50 o f 6.6 than the 51+ o f 6.2 on the resistant subscore o f the C R . T h u s , the older age category did not endorse being resistant as the younger ones. Although this is statistically significant, the small effect size suggests these mean differences are not that large. Additionally, the supportive (F(1,625)=9.265, p <:05) a n d neutral (F(1,625)=14.416, p <.05) sub-scores in the C R were statistically significant. Males were slightly more supportive and less neutral. T h e self-management (F(1,625)=6.597, p<.05) and relationship management (F(1,625)=12.837. p<.05) clusters o f the E C I showed statistical significance across gender as well. Males showed slightly higher scores. Unfortunately, in all o f these statistically significant effects, the large sample size probably contributed to the statistical significance, because the effect sizes using eta-square were all less than 0.023. A separate analysis was undertaken to examine if there were differences on the CR and ECI by company. A M A N O V A found that there were no statistically significant differences across companies on the C R and ECI.

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CHANGE AHEAD

REFERENCE BIBLIOGRAPHY Axelrod. Richard. (2000). Terms of E~gagemcnt:C h a n g ~ nthe~ Way We Change Organizatio~is.San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. Approach to Fun on the Job. SeBakke, Dennis W. (2005). joy at Work: A Revolutior~a~ attle, W A :P V G .

Barker. Joel A. (1993). Paradignis: Businm of Discovrrirg the Future. N e w York, N Y : HarperCollins Publisher, Inc. Cohen, Robert. " T h e World: T h e W a r on Terror; An Obsession the World Doesn't Share." The New York Tunes. 5 December, 2004. Collins, Jim. (2001). Good to Great: Why Sorue Corilpanies Make the Leap. . .and Others York, N Y : Harper-Collins Publisher, Inc.

Don't. New

Covey, Stephen R. (2004). The 8th Habit: Frorli Effectiveness to Greatness. N e w York, N Y : Free Press, Davison o f Simon & Schuster, Inc. Covey. Stephen R. (1989). Sevcn Habits of Highly Ejective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York, N Y Free Press, Division o f Simon & Schuster, Inc. Cranton, Patricia. (1994). Understandirg and Pronloting ZransfornnlativeLearn~ng:A Guide for Educators of Adults. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Inc. Effron, Marc; Gandossy, Robert; Goldsmith, Marshall. (2003). Human Resources rn he 21st Century. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Esen, Efren. (2004). s H R M / C N N f n job Satisfaarrtiorl Series:Job SatiSfaCtion Survey Report 2004. Alexandria, VA: H u m a n Resource Managetnent (SHKM). Frank, Thomas. (2004). What% t h ~Matter with Kansas?: H o w Conservatives Won the Heart ofAmrrica. N e w York, N Y : Metropolitan Books. Fricdman, T h o m a s L. (2003). Longitudes and Attitudes: Tbe World In the Age of Terrorism. N e w York, N Y : Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

PAT GILL WEBBER

Friedman, T h o m a s L. (2005). The World Is Flat: A Brref History cj the Twerrry$rst Century. N e w York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Gardner, Howard. (2004). Charlgrng Mrnds: Tbe Art and Sc~erlce of Chaiigrtlg Our O w n and Other Peoplei Mmds. Boston, M A : Harvard Business School Press. Goleman, Daniel. (1998). Working with Emotional Intelligence. N e w York, N Y Bantam Books. Goleman, Daniel; McKee, Annie; Boyatzis, Richard E. (2002). Prir~ialLeadershjp: Realizing the Power ofEmotionalIntclligeilce. Boston, M A : Harvard Business School Press. Gordon, Edward E. "The 2010 Crossroads." Training, Jan. 2 0 0 5 . http:~www.dolce.com/meetings/article-OI6-20IO-crossroads.php

Hira, Ron and Anil. Outsourcitrg Amerira: What's Behind Our National Crisis and H o w We Can Reclairn Airlerirarl Jobs. (2005). Amacon. Joyce, William; Nohria, Nitin. (2003). What Really Works: The 4+2 Fonilulafor SUSturned Busrr~essSuccess. N e w York, NY Harper-Collins Publisher, Inc. New York, Judis, John B.; Teixeria, Ruy. (2004). The Emergrng Dernocratrr Ma~orrt~. N Y : Simon & Schuster.

Keagan, Robert. (1995). In Over O u r Heads: The Mental Denlands $Moderr1 Lge. Cambridge, M A : Harvard University Press. Kuhn, T h o m a s S. (1996). The Structure ofScrerrt$c Revolzrtions. Chicago, IL: Univcrsity o f Chicago Press. Lancaster, Lynne C.; Stillman, David. (2002). When Gerleratrons Collrde: Who IAey Are. Why They Clash. How to Solve rhe Generatronal Puzzle at Work. N e w York, N Y : HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Mankin, D o n ; Cohen, Susan G . (2004). Business Mthout Boundaries: An Action Frarneworkfor Collaboratirlg Across Tulle, stan an re, Organization, and Culture. San Francisco. CA: ~ o s s e ~ - ~ a s s . Maslow, Abraham. ( I 9 8 7 3 r d Edition). Motrvatron and Persorlalrty. N e w York, N Y : HarperCollins Publisher, Inc. 166

CHANGE AHEAD

Mezirow. Jack. (1990). Fostering Critical R$ection in Adulthood: A Guide LO Transformative arid Eil~aitcipatoryL~arning.San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, Inc. Publishers. Raines, Claire. (2003). Coiinectii~gGenerations: The Sourcebook_for a N e w Workplace. Berkley, CA: Crisp Publications, Inc. Salopek, JenniferJ."EngagingMind,Body,andSpiritar Work."TrainingandDeveloprnent. Nov. 2004. http://store.astd.org/product.asp?prodid~29O9&deptid~ Schlender, Brent. "Peter Drucker Sets U s Straight (On jobs, debt, globalization, and recession)." Fortune Mapazine. 12 Oct, 2003. httu://www.freereuublic.rom/focus/fnews/lOS 1078(uosts

Senge, Peter. (1990). The F q t h Disrtjline. N e w York, N Y : Doubleday. Tabb, William K. (2004). "Globalization." Mlcrosoft Encarta O i ~ l r n eEncvclovedra. M S N . I Aug. 2 0 0 5 . h~tp://encarta.msn.com/enC,vc1oPed~a2 741588397/Global~zatlon,htrt~l Watkins, Karen E. (1991). Facililating Learnirg in the Workplace. N e w York, N Y : Hyperion Books. Zemke, Ron; Raines, Claire; Filipczak, Bob. (1999). Generatioris at Work. Managiirg the Clash of Kterans, Boorrlers, Xers, and Nexters in Your Workplace. N e w York, NY American Management Association.

PAT GILL WEBBER

CHANGE A H E A D

RESOURCE BIBLIOGRAPHY

CHANGE AHEAD

ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION

Ackerman Anderson, Linda; Anderson, Dean. (2001). The Change Leader? Roadtnap: H o w to Navigate Your Organization's Transformation. N e w York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Inc. Alkhafaji, Abbass F. (2000). Corporate Transfonil~atroiand Restrurtunng: A Strategrr Approach. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Allen-Meyer, Glenn (2000). Naineless Organizatronal Change. N o Hype, L o w Resistance Corporate Tran$ormation. Saratoga Springs, NY: Talwood-Craig Publishing C o m panyBarabba, Vincent P. (2004). Surviving Tran$orr~~atiorLessonsfrotn GM's Surpris~ig Ttrrnaround. N e w York, N Y : Oxford University Press. Berger, Lance A.; Sikora, M a r t i n J. (1994). The Change Management Handbook: A Road May to Corporate Transformation. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Professional Book Gro~ip. Bhambri, A.; Alessandro Sinatra. (1997). Corporate Tran$ornnlatio Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic Publisher. Bossidy, Larry; Charan, R a m ; Burck, Charles. (2002). Execution: The Discipline Gc~tiirgThilgs Done. N e w York, NY: T h e Crown Publishing Group.

of

Bridges, William. (1991). Managrig Transrtrons: Making the Most of Charge. Cambridge, s M A : P e r s e ~ ~Publishing. Burke, W. Warner. (2002). Organization Change: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Chan Allen, Rebecca; Bechard, Richard. (2001). Guiding Change Journeys: A Sy~lergistirApproarb to Organization Transformation. N e w York, N Y : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Duck, Jeanie Daniel. (2001). Thc Change Monster: The Hurllan Forces that Fuel or Foil

Corporate Transfornnltr and Change N e w York,

NY Crown Publishing G r o u p

Espejo, Raul. (1996). Organizational Transformation and Learning: A Cybcrnetir Approach to Management. N e w York, N Y : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Fletcher, Beverly. (1990). Organizational Tratlsfor~tlationTheorists and Practitioners. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. French, Wendell; Bell, Cecil H.; Zawacki, Robert A. (2004). Organizational Development and Transforn~ation:Managing EffPrtive Change. Sixth edition. N e w York, NY: McGraw Hill/Irwin. Fry, Ronald; Barrett, Frank; Seiling, Jane G.;'Whitney, Diana. (2001). Apprecialive Inquiry and Organizational Transformation: Reportsfron~the Field. Westport, C T Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Green, T h a d B.; Butkus, Raymond T. (1999). Motivation, BeliPfs, and Organizational Trailsfarmation. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Hambrick, Donald C.; Nadler, David A.; Tushman, Michael. (1997). Navigating Change: H o w C E O s , Top Teains, and Boards Steer Transformatrotl. Boston, M A : Harvard Business School Publishing. Hey, Kenneth. (2001). The Caterpillar Doesn't Know: H o w Perso?ial Change is Crcalirrg Organizarional Change. Riverside, CA: Renaissance Books. Kegan, ~ d b e r r Laskow ; Lahey, Lisa. (2000). H o w the Way R Talk Carl Change the Way W e Work: Seven Languages for Traitsfor~nta/ion.N e w York, N Y : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Kle~ner,Art; Roth, George. (2000). 011 Change: Perspec~iveson Corporate Transforn~at~on. New York. NY: Oxford University Press. Kotter, John P. (1996). Leading Change. Watertown, M A : Harvard Business SchooI Press. Kotter, John P.; Cohen, D a n S. (2002). The Heart of Charge: Real-L$e Stories of H o w People Change Their Orgar~izations.Waterrown, M A : Harvard Business School Press. Linder, Jane C. (2004). Outsourci'ng for Radical Change: A Bold Approach to Enterprise 172

CHANGE AHEAD Iransforrnntion, .New York, N Y : A M A C O M .

Lynton, Rolf P.; Pareek, Udai. (2000). Trarnrigfor Oyanizatronal Tra~rsformatron:For Polrcy-Makers and Change Managers Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Nadlcr, David A.; Shaw, Robert B.; Walton, A. Elise. (1995). D~srontinuous Change: Lradrng Organrzatronal Transforinatron. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Persico, John, Jr. (1992). The TQM Transformation. A Modelfor Organizational Change. New York, NY: Productivity Press, Inc. Smith Blnncett, Suzanne; Flarey, Dominick. (1995).-R~engrneerrtgNursing and Hfalth Care: The Handbookfor Organizatronal Transfovmatio N e w York, NY: Aspen Publishers Inc. Taffinder, Paul. (1998). Big Change: A Routc-Mapfor Corporate Transformation. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley 81 Sons, Inc. Vollmann, T h o m a s E. (1996). Be Transformation Lnyerative: Achieving Market Donrinancc through Radrral Change. Boston, M A : Harvard Business School Press. Whirsett, David A.; Burling, Irving R. (1996). Arhi~vlngSucressfill Organizational Transfornration. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Wycoff, Joyce; Richardson, Tim. (1995). Transfornratiorr Thinking: Tools and Techniques that Open the Door to Powerftll New Thinkingjor Every Mernber of Your Organization. New York, N Y : Berkley Publishing Group. ~ a t e sJoanne; , Van Maanen, John. (2000). Information Technology and Organizational Transformation: History, Rhetoric, and Prartice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

PAT GILL WEBBER

CHANGE AHEAD

PERSONAL CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION Adrienne, Carol. (2003). When L$ Changes or YOUWtsh 11 Would. A G u r d ~to Firrdrr~g Your N e x t Step Dcsyrtc Fear, Obstacles, or Co~usrori.N e w York, N Y : Perennial Currents. Adizes, Ichak: Griffin, Patrick H. (1992). Masterrrg Charge. The Power ofhlutual Trust Santa Barbara, CA: Adizes Institute Publications. and Rcspect rrr Personal Lge, Busrness, arid Sociey.

Barrick, Marilyn C. (2000). Sacred Psychology of Change: L$ as a Voyage of Tratrsfornmntion Gardiner, Montana: S u m m i t University Press. Bragg, Terry (1997). 31 Days to H g h Sef-Esteem: H o w to Change Your L$e so You Have Joy, Blrss, and Abundance. Salt Lake City, UT: Peacemakers Training. 'Campbell, Joseph. (2004). Pathways to Bllss: Mythology and Personal Transfovmation. Novato, CA: N e w World Library. Christie, Nancy. (2004). The Gfts $Change. Hillsboro, OR: Beyond W o r d s Publishing. Cury, Augusto. (2005). You are Irreplaceable: Change the Way You Look at Your Lgc. Riverside, NJ: Andrews McMeel P u b l i s l ~ i n ~ . D o d d , David. (1996). Playing i/ Strarght: Persolla1 Conuersatlons on Recovery, Transforrnatron and Success. Deerfield Beach, Florida: Health Co~nmunications, Inc. Dyer, Wayne W . (2001). You'll See It When You Believe It: The M'ay to Personal Transformrrtiotr. N e w York, N Y Perennial Currents. Earley, Jay. (1990). Inner Jourrleys: A Gurde to Personal and Social TranSformatron Based on the Work $Jean Houston. York Beach, M E : Red Wheel. Ferguson. Marilyn. (1980). The Aquarrari Consprracy: Personal of O u r firne. N e w York, N Y : Putnam Publishing Group.

&T

Social fiansforrnalion

Flshel, R u t h . (2001). Charge Almost Anjthrng In 21 D q s ~ a r t s t o ~ s m ~ M l lA s ,: S p r ithaven. Gawain, Shakti. (2000). The Path of Transformation: How Healing Ourselves Carl Change the World. Novato, CA: N e w World Library. Goodier, Steve. (2002). Lessons Ofthe Turtle. Salt Lake City, U T Life S u p p o r t Sysrem Publishing. M a n n i n g , George (1998). Stress: Living and Workrng in a Changing World. D u l u t h , MN: W h o l e Person Associates, Inc.

Max well, John C. (2003). Thinkingfor a Change: 1 I Ways Highly Successful People Approach L t e and Work. N e w York, N Y W a r n e r Books, Inc. McKenzie, Vashti M . (2003). jouri~eyto the Well: 12 Lessons on Persorial Transfortnation. N e w York,N Y : Penguin Books. McWaters, Barry; G o r d o n , Janet. (1981). Conscious Evolution: Personal CY Plaiwtary Transforrilation. Snowflake, Arizona: N e w Age Press, Inc. Myss, Caroline; Gawain, Shakti; (2000). Second Editioii. The Path of Trai~sforn~ation: H o w Healing Oc~rselvesCan Change the World. Novato, CA: N e w W o r l d Library. Porter, L. Joe; Porter, Joe, M.D. (2001). Sinlple Charges: The Booiner's Guide to a Healthier, Happier Lge. O m a h a , N E : Addicus Books.

n Want to Change /he World Wilhout Prober, Paula. (2001). Ten Tipsfor W o ~ i ~ eWho Losing their Frieirds, Shtrts, or Mii~ds.Eugene, OR: T.C.C. Press. Reiss, Gary. (2000). Charging Ourselves, Changing the World. Tempe, A Z : N e w Falcon Publications. Rubino, D r . Joe. (2004). The Legend of the Light-Bearers: A Fable About Personal Reir~verition and Global Transfortnatio~~. Boxword, M A : Vision W o r k s Publishing. Scott, Ph.D., Cynthia D.; Jaffe, Ph.D., D e n n i s T. (2004). Managing Personal Change: Moviig Through Personal Transition (Crisp Ftv-Minure Series). Boston, M A : Crisp Publications.

CHANGE AHEAD Spencer, Sabina A,: Adatns, John D. (1990). L$e Chaiges: Growirg Through Personal Transitions. Atascadero, CA: Impact Publishers, Inc.

Tirabassi, Becky. (2003). Keep the Change: B r e a k q Through to Perinanent Transforri~atron. Brentwood, T N : Integrity Publishers. Vanzant, Iyanla. (2001). Zyat~laLive Ihlunle 7 1-ransforinalior~.N e w York, N Y : Simon & Schuster Audio. Wicks, Robert J. (2000). Siinple Changes: Quietly Overconiiilg Barriers-to Persorlal and Pr$essional Growth. Allen, TX: T h o m a s M o r e Association. Wolford, Dudley. (1999). Yorrr Ttrnefor Change: H o w to be the Best Yotr Carl Beconle. Sisters. OR: Brentwood Productions. Zoglio, Suzanne. (2000). Creale a L$e that Tickles Your Soul: Finding Peace, Passion, & Purpose. Doylestown, PA: Tower H i l l Press.

PAT GILL WEBBER

CHANGE AHEAD

POST 9/11 Agosin, Marjorie; Craige, Betty Jean. (2002). To Mend the World: Wonlerl Reflect on 9/11. Buffalo, N Y : White Pine Press. Bethel, Tony (2003). Before F o r 9 AfrPv 9/11: Poeinsfrorn the Hear1 Land. Bloomington, I N : Authorhouse. Campbell, Benjamin P. O n the Sabbath After: Messages of Hope Delivered on the Sabbath After Seytcmbcr 11, 2001: A Tribute to the 14ctiins and Their Fan~ilies. Richmond, VA: Brandylane Publishers, Inc. Chepak, Mary Ellen. (2002). Copirg Afrer 9/11 and Beyorld: An Everyday Handbook. New York, N Y Mary Ellen Chepak CSW. Cortada, James W.; Wakin, Edward. (2002). Bettrrg on Atilerrca: W h y the U S . C a n Be Slroiger After Scpternber 11. London: New York: Financial Times/Prentice Hall. Friedman, Thomas L. (2002). Longitudes and Attitudes: Exploring the World Afier Septernber 11. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Greenberg, Judith. (2003). Trauma at Home: Afier 9/11. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Bison Books. Hazen, Don (2002). A j e r 9/11: Solutions for Gasp.

a

Saner World. San Francisco, CA: Last

Margolis, Joseph. (2004). Moral Philosophy Ajter 9/11. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press. Precin, Pat. (2004). Surviving 9/11: In~pactand Experiences Practioners. Binghamton, NY: T h e Haworth Press, Inc.

of Occupatioi~alTherapy

Dixon, Wheeler Winston. (2004). Film arld Television Afrer 9/11. Carbondale, 11: Southern Illinois University Press.

CHANGE AHEAD

STARTING OVER Charland, William A. (1993). Career Shfting: Startirg Over in a Charging Econoiny. Avon. M A : Adams Media Corporation. Danna, Jo. (1990). Startrrg Over: You in the N e w Workplace. Briarwood, N Y Palomino Press. Gray, John. (1999). Mars and finus Starting Over: A Practical Guidefor Findirg Love Again Afier a Pailf~11Breakup, Divorce, or the Loss $ a Loved One. N e w York, N Y : HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Jasper. James M. (2000). R e s t b s Nation: Startirg Over in At~rerica.Chicago, IL: University o f Chicago Press. Kennedy Dugan, Meg; Hock, Roger R. (2000). It's M y L$e Now: Startrng Over Afrer an Abusrvc Relationshrp or Dornestrc Kolerlce Florence, KY: Taylor & Francis Group/ Routledge. Kerkstra Harty, Karen. (1991). SO and Startlng Over: Carccr S~rategiesforSuccess Franklin Lakes, NJ: Career Press Incorporated. Kew, Richard. (1994). Startrng Over, But Not fro111 Scratch. Mental and Sprrr/unl Health Bc~wrenjobs.Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press. Kramon, James. (2004). Starting Over. NaFerville, IL: Sphinx Publishing Inc, Jasper, James M . (2002). Restless Nation: Starting Ovcr in Ainerica. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. McDonald. P a t r ~ c kJ.; McDonald, Claudette M . (1997). O u t ofthe Ashes: A Handbookjir Startrrg Ovcr. Mahwah, N J : Paulist Press. Laz, Medard (1998). L$e AAfer the Divorce: Practical Advicefor Startirg Over. Liguori, Mo: Liguori Publications.

Montana, Partrlck J. (1999). Stepprng Out, Starirng Over. Second e d ~ t ~ o Whltby, n. Ontario: McGraw-Hill Primis Custom Publisher. Pollan, Stephen M.: Levine, Mark (1997). Starting Over. H o w to Change Careers or Start Your O w n Busiiress. Lebanon, I N : Warner Books, Inc. Skilling Kellerman, Pat. (2004). Starting Over. Philadelphia, PA: Xlibris Corporation. Timmons, T i m ; Arterburn, Stephen. (198.5). Hooked on Lge: Fro111 Stuck to Startirg Over. Nashville, T N : Thornas Nelson, Inc. Whiteman, Thomas. (1997). Fresh Siart. 8 Prrncrplesfor Startrng Over When Your Relatroirshlps Don't Work. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

CHANGE A H E A D

INDEX acceptance o f loss, 136-136 action recommendations. See recon~mendationsfor actlon Africa's central preoccupation, I6 age differences responses t o change, 85-86, 91-92,93, 132, 163-164 age groups in workplace, 39 A N O V A , 164 anti-Americanism, 16 Asia's main concern, 16 a t t i t ~ ~ d and e s behaviors related t o change a t work. See research o n closer look a t attitudes and behaviors related t o change at work A v l a t ~ o nTechnologies, Inc. (ATI), research on, I1 1, 112-115 hackground, 112-114 commentary, 114-1 I5 mean scores o n change reaction scale, 114 mean scores o n emotional cympetency inventory, I14 Baby Boomers,

7

birth years of, 30, 85 generalizations about, 40 Generation ~ e i view s of, 41 interview with Jim Y., 48-49 at work involvement, 40 retirement of, 25 spirituality at work and. I9 . view of-Generation Xers by, 41 view o f Generarion Yers by, 41 background, 5-8 Bakke's Joy a t Work: A Revolutionary Approach t o F u n o n the Job, Dennis W.,

21-22 balancing work a n d home life feelings. 57 Barker's Paradigms: T h e Business o f Discovering the Future, Joel, 10 Bearley, D r . William. 82 Beatty, Melody, 6 big picture, 1-30 background, 1-8

PAT GILL WEBBER conclusion, 29-30 economic, political, and cultural context, 9-20 nature of organization, 21-28 scare tactics use, 7 synopsis and implications, 3-4 trends origin, 7 underestimated workers, 7-8 Bin Laden, Osama, I 5 blue versus red states, 16-17, 133 Boomers. See Baby Boomers challenge and change, 55 change and technology, 26-28 change consultants, 35, 78, 87; see also independent consultants, research on change levers, 9/11 and other, 51-68; see also research on myth o f change resistance change management approaches, 25-26 change reaction tool. See HRDQ's Change Reaction (CR) change resistance myth. Sce research and myth of change resistance change triggers, 64 Cophra, Dr. Deepak, 6,43 Cohen on world concerns, Roger, 16 Cold War, 13-14. I 6 collaboration training, 27 communication lack and technology, 27-28 competition, 25 .countries versus groups/subgroups as enemies, I 4 Covey, Stephen, 6, I47 T h e 8 t h Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, 21, 26, 6 4 , 138 Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerfi~lLessons in Persona1 Change, I 3 8 Cranton's Understanding and Promising Transformative Learning: A Guide for Educators and Adults, Pat, 55 cultural trends, 16-20 assumptions about others, 18 blue versus red states, 16-17 Democrats versus Republicans, I 7 division in United States, I6 education and, 19-20 monitoring importance, 29 spirituality. See spirituality 184

CHANGE AHEAD unifiers.

18

decision making o n personal level, 77 Dell as innovative company, 23, 24 Dernocracs versus Republicans views, 17 diversity, 12-13 divisiveness o f 2004 presidential election, I8 Drucker o n loss o f U.S. dominance, Peter, I1 Dyer, D r . Wayne, 6 Echo Boomers. See G e n e r a t ~ o nYers economtc, pollt~cal,a n d cultural context, 9-20 c u l t ~ ~ rtrends, al 16-20 global~zatlon,9-13 war o n terrorism, 13-16 educatron a n d cultural trends, 10-20 Ernotlonal Competence Inventory (ECI), 87-90 age dlfference r e s ~ ~ l t9s2, , 163-164 components 06 88 definltlons, 94 gender dlfference res~rlts,91, 163-164 results tables, 89. 90, 91 statlstlcs In, descrlpttve, 93 emotional i n t e l l ~ ~ e n (EI) ce age d~ffcrences.91 change reactlon tool and, 90-91 Goleman on, D a n ~ e l27, , 86-87 ~nfluenceo f trends and s l t u a t ~ o n son, 29 research organlzatlons and, I27 2s tool, 74 employee/management relationsh~pand management r c l a t ~ o n s h ~ p employees as d ~ s ~ o s a bparts, le 25 Enron, 11, 24, 131 European Union, 16 EuroFe's maln concern, 16 executive c o a c h ~ n g25 , family over career importance. 134 Fiorina, Carly, 148 formation of ideas and opinions, 10-11 185

leadership.

See leadershrp: employee/

PAT GlLL WEBBER Friedman, T h o m a s , 6 , 137 o n globalization, 13.5, 137, 139 Longitudes a n d Attitudes: T h e World in t h e Age o f Terrorism, 13 T h e World Is Flat: A Brief History o f the Twenty-first Century, 134I35 Gardner's C h a n g ~ n gMinds: T h e Art a n d S c ~ e n c eo f C h a n g ~ n gO u r Ow11 a n d other People's M i n d s , H o w a r d , 7, 10, 87 Gates, Bill chantable g i v ~ n gby, 136 o n educatton In United States, 20 gender differences responses t o change, 43-45, 84-85, 91, 93, 163-164 Generation Xers, 7 Baby Boomers vlew of, 41 b ~ r t hyears of, 39, 85 as change masters, 41 g e n e r a l ~ z a t ~ o nabout, s 40-41 interview w ~ t hLarry H., 47-48 p o l ~ t r c sat work ~nvolvement,40 vlew o f Baby Boomers by, 41 work-life balance a n d , 19 G e n e r a t ~ o nYers, 7 brrth years of, 39, 85 o n change. 43 d~versltyacceptance by, 1 2 e d u c a t ~ o nand, 43 generallzatlons about, 41 Interview with D a n a M.. 46-47 polittcs at work ~nvolvement,40 work-life balance and, I9 global competition pressure, 136-137 Global L ~ f eSciences (GLS), research at, 9 6 , 104-107 background, 104-106 commentary, 107 emotional ~ n t e l l ~ g e n cand, e I07 mean scores on change reactlon scale, 106 mean scores o n e m o t ~ o n acompetency l Inventory, I07 global thoughts Increase after 9/11, 57 global~zatron.9-13 acceptance of, 136-137 competition and, 21

CHANGE AHEAD definition,

9

diversity, 12-13 Drucker on, Peter, 11 emotional intelligence and, 27 Friedman on, T h o m a s , 135, 137, 139 impact, 9 importance of. 127 Internet impact, 12 organizational life landscape and, 23-24 perceptions influenced by, 11 stereotypes and, 12 strategies and markets and, 21 web a n d , 9-10 Goleman's W o r k i n g with Emotional Intelligence, Daniel, gray versus black and white outlook, 61-62, I39 greed, 22 Greenberg, H a n k , 148 growth individually and

27, 43, 86-87, 88

collectively, 30

H a n k s , Colin a n d T o m , 145 Hay. Louise, 6 Hay Associates' Emotional Intelligence Inventory, 78 H i l l m a n o n spirituality a t work. Os, 19

HRDQ's Change Reactlon (CR), 78, 8 1 , 8 2 age differences, 85-86, 91-92, 163-164 c o m p o s i t ~ o nof, 82 descriptive statistics for, 82 gender differences, 84-85, 163-164 influences o n scores, 138 s u m m a r y o f scores, 84 Hurricane Katrina, I55 independent consultants, research on, 107-109 background. 107-108 commentary, 109 mean scores o n change reaction scale, 108 mean scores o n emotional competency inventory, 108 indlv~dualislnand self-concern in business culture, 22 individuals, strategies for, 141-146 career paths, I45 c o ~ n ~ e t e n c i emaking s. list of, 142 187

PAT GILL WEBBER connecting t o others, 143 connectrons, I45

credentials, 143-144 dlsempowered, 141 diversity, 144 evaluate yourself agalnst trends, 142 feedback, ask for, 142 mantra for, 141 as m u l t ~ ~ ~ a n o n a141 ls,

networking, I43 passlon, pursulng your, 142-143 proactive stance, I42 r ~ s k I44 , secure feelings, I44 summary, 146 teamwork and collaboration, 144 technology and one's work. 144 travel, 143 whar; In for, 142-144 what's out for, 145-146 worrying, I45 Instant messaging (IM), 26, I51 Integrated Communicat~ons,Inc. (ICI), research at, 95-96, 98-101 background on, 98-100 commentary, I01 mean scores on change reactlon scale, 100 mean scores on emotional competency Inventory, I01 internal consistency, 88-89 Internet dlverslry acceptance and, I2 employees check~ngemployers on, 24 leadership curve and, 138-139 mainstream m e d ~ aversus, 59 opportunltles on, secklng, 143 tllne wasted on. 27 worklng vla, 26 interpersonal s k ~ l l seroslon, 27 interviews about prlvacy protection, 46-50 Dana M., 46-47 J ~ r nY., 48-49 Larry H., 47-48

CHANGE AHEAD

Mary S.. 49 interviews about reactions t o 9/11 and aftermath, 57-61,

64-68

Bob B., 64-66 D a n S., 57-58 Donald Z., 58-59 KarIie M., 59-60 Kay R., 66-67 Natalie T., 67-68 job categories research results, job satisfaction survey, Jones, D r . John, 82

132

15

Kegan's I n Over O u r Heads: T h e Mental Demands o f M o d e r n L ~ f eDr. , Robert,

29

'

knowledge workers, 23 Kuhn's T h e Structure o f Sc~entlficR e v o l ~ ~ t ~ oTnhs o, m a s , 10 land/resources a n d terrorism, 15 l a s t ~ n geffect of 9/11, 54 Latln Anlerccak central preoccupatlon, I6 l e a d e r s h ~ emFloyee/management ~: r e l a t l o n s h ~23-26 ~, assumptions, outdated, I 3 8 change management approaches, 25-26 colnpetltion. 25 education, 24, 25, 26 executive coaches, 25 expecting Inore, glving less, 24 knowledge workers, 23 objectlves o f leaders, 24 outdated assumptions, 138 poor d e c ~ s ~ o n24 s, speed and pressure t o perform, 23 irnderestlmatlng employees, 26 i ~ n d e r u t ~ l l z a t ~o of npeople. 26 vlew on change, 38 young and lnexperlenced management, 25 learnlng organlzatlon, 132, 150-151 loss, acceptance of, 135-136 managers and leaders, strategies for, 146-150

PAT GILL WEBBER aggression, 147 coaching, obtain, 148 complacency, 148 confronting reality, I49 education, 146. 147 feedback, getting, 247-148 functions of, I47 misreading people's minds. 149 outsourcing, 149 respect, I48 seeing people as individuals, 148 summary, I49 taking credit, 740 what's in for, 147-148 what's o u t for, 148-150 M A N O V A , 163, 1 6 4 M a r c h & McLennan Companies, Inc., 2 4 Marsick, Victoria, 150 Maslow's hierarchy ofneeds, Abraham, 15 M c C a i n as unifier, Senator John, I8 Mezirow, Jack o n catalysts for change, 55 Fostering Critical Reflection in Adulthood: A Guide to Transformative a n d Emancipatory Learning, 55-56 Millennials. See Generation Yers minority o f respondents, focus on, 140 myth o f change resistance. See research o n m y t h o f change resistance t ~ Dr. Laura, 1 9 Nash o n s p ~ r ~ t u aatl ~work, nature o f the organlzatlon, 21-28 change a n d t e c h ~ ~ o l o g26-28 y, l e a d e r s h ~ ~ :employee/manage~l~ent r e l a t ~ o n s h ~ p . See l e a d e r s h ~ ~ : employee/management relat~on>hip strategy and markets. See strategy and markets Nexters. See Generatton Yerh Northeast State C o u r t System Operations, research at, 9 6 , 101-104 background, 101-103 commentary, I04 emotlonal lntell~genceand, 1 0 4 mean scores o n changc reactlon scale, 103 mean scores o n emotlonal competency Inventory, I04 190

CHANGE AHEAD O b a m a as unifier, Senator Barack, 18 objective reality, I0 organizational awareness, 88 organizational life landscape a n d globalization, 23-24 organizations, srraregies for, 150-1.53 collaboration, 152 communication, horizontal, 151 diversity acknowledgment. 151 empower individuaIs, 152 feedback, I53 focus, 152 involvement o f all stakeholders, 151 leadershiF development, 151 leadership styles, 152 as learning center, 150-151 realitybased decision making, 151 reflection, 150 secrecy. 152 straight talk, 152 summary, 153 transparency, 151 warfare metaphors, 152 what's in for, 151-152 what's our for, 152-153 outsourcing, I49 Patelis, Dr. T h a n o s , 78 Patrick W i l l i a m s a n d Associates, research on, 111, 118-122 background, 118-121 commentary, I22 mean scores o n change reaction scale, 121 mean scores o n emotional competency inventory, I22 patronizing, 139 perks, 25 personal life importance, 33 P~lrcell,Philip, 148 quality initiatives, 23 recommendations for action.

129-153

PAT GILL WEBBER assumptions by leaders/managers, outdated, I 3 8 dealing with new realities and workforce, I 3 8 learning organization, 132 making meaning from research. See research, making meaning from minority of respondents focus, 140 patronization, 139 problems with, 131 strategies for individuals. See individuals, strategies for strategies for managers. See managers and leaders, strategies for strategies for organizations. See organizations, strategies for synopsis and impl~cations,131-132 travel, 131-132 what is in based on research, 142-144, 147-148, 251-152 what is out based on research, 145-146, 148-150, 152-153 red iersus blue states, 16-17, I 3 3 reengineeting, 23, 2 5 reinventing oneself, 29 relationship management, 88, 89, 90, 93, I 3 7 religion cultural trends and, 18 terrorism and, 14, 15 in United States, 18 Republicans versus Democrats views, I 7 research, making meaning form, 133-153 for individuals, 141-146 for managers and leaders, 146-150 for organizations, 150-153 research on closer look at attitudes and behaviors related to change at work, 72-127 age differences, 85-86, 91-92, 93 Avlatlon Technologies. See Aviaclon Technologies change consultants, 78, 87, 107-109 conclus~ons,I 2 7 declslon makcng on personal level, 77 demographics for, 80-81 Emotional' Competence Inventory (ECI). See Emotional Competence Inventory emotional intelllgellce. See ernotional intelligence gender differences, 84-85, 91, 9 3 Global Life Sciences. See Global Llfe Sclences Hay Associates' E~notlonalIntell~genceInventory, 78

1

I92

CHANGE A H E A D HRDQ's Change Reaction (CR), 78, 8 1 , 8 2 Integrated Communications, Inc., See Integrated Communications, Inc. internal consistency, 88-89 Northeast Operations

State C o u r t Operations. Scc Northeast

State C o u r t

organizational awareness, 88 organizations, mixed bag of, 111-126 organizations surveyed, 74 organizations that shined, 95-198 participants, 77-94 Patrick Williams and Associates. See Patrick Williams and Associates relationship ~nanagement,88, 89, 90 results, 82-83, 84 self-awareness, 8 8 , 89, 90 self-management, 88, 89, 90 self-regulation, 88 social awareness, 88, 89, 90 synopsis and implications, 73-75 Visual S u p p o r t Technologies. See Visual S u p p o r t Technologies Worldwide Wellness. See Worldwide Wellness research o n m y t h o f change resistance, 31-69

9/11 and other change levers, 51-68 age group generalizations, 40-41 Baby Boomer interview (Jim Y.), 48-49 balancing work and h o m e life need, 57 change consultants, 35 conclusion, 69 demographics o f participants, 36 feelings directly related t o 9/11 questions, 52 gender differences responses, 43-45, 69 general questions asked, 36-37 Generation Xer interview (Larry H.), 47-48 Generation Xer interview ( M a r y S.), 49 Generation Yer interview (Dana M.), 46-47 gray versus black and white outlook, 61-62 individual interviews, 46-50, 57-60, 64-68 leadership versus employee view o f change, 38 personal life over careers, 33 prochange, more than we know, 35-50 reactions t o 9/11 questions, overall, 51 193

PAT GILL WEBBER responses t o general questions, 37-38 responses t o general questions by ages, 42 sources o f change questions, 52-53 synopsis and implications, 33-34 teamwork importance, 50 t o p infl~tencesfor change questions, 53 tragedy, response t o questions about, 56-57 validation, 63 resilience a n d change, 55 Robbins, Tony, 4 3 Sacks, Jonathan, I36 safe feeling a n d job satisfaction, 15-16 securing one's future priority, 137 security source, I 1 self-awareness, 8 8 , 89, 9 0 , 93, I37 self-management. 8 8 , 89, 9 0 , 93, I 3 7 self-regulation, 88 Senge's T h e Fifth Discipline, Peter, I 5 0 September 11th as Pearl H a r b o r analogy, 54 social awareness, 8 8 , 8 9 , 9 0 , 93, 137 Southwest Airlines, 24 Special G r o u p Administration (federal government). research on. 111, 122-126 background, 122-124 commentary, 125-126 . mean scores o n chain reaction scale, I25 mean scores o n emotional competency inventory, 125 mission state of, 122-123 spirituality 9/11 effect on, 19 rise of; I 8 web and, 19 strategies for individuals. See individuals, strategies for strategies for manager and leaders. See managers a n d leaders, strategies for strategies for organizations. See organizations, strategies for strategy a n d markets, 21-23 globalization and, 21 government regulation, 21 greed,22 innovating companies, 23 quality initiatives, 23 194

CHANGE AHEAD reengineering, 23 standard, 22 synopsis and implications attitudes and behaviors related t o change at work, 73-75 big picture, 3-4 myth o f change resistance, 33-34 recommendations for action, 131-132 Tabb, William K., 9 teamwork, 50 technology and change. See change and technology traditionalists. See Vcterans triggers for change, 64 unifiers. 18 Veterans birth years of, 39, 85 one change, 42-43 generalizations about, 40 view o f Generation Xers by, 41 Visual Support Technologies ( V S T ) , research on, 111, 115-1 18 background, 115-1 I6 commentary, 117-118 mean scores o n change reaction scale, 117, 127 mean scores o n emotional competency inventory, 117, I27 vol~rnteet.ismdecline, 19 Wal-Mart, 23, 24, 150 war o n terrorism, 13-16 anti-Americanism. 16 inevitability viewpoint of, I4 Islamics versus Christians viewpoint of, I4 as isolationist activity, I6 reasons, 14-15 safety o n job a n d , 15-16 web and, 15

world view o n , I6 Watkins' Facilitating Learning in the Workplace, Karen. 56 web as information source. 9-10

PAT GILL WEBBER spirituality and, 19 . terrorism and, 15 work-life balance, 19 workers being underestimated, 7-8 Worldwide Wellness, research at, 95, 96-98 background, 96-97 commentary, 9 8 emotional intelligence and, 97 mean scores on change reaction scale, 97 mean scores on emotional competency inventory, 98 Technical Leadership Development Process and, 97 Worldcorn, I1,24 Zemke's Generations at Work: Managing the Clash of Veterans, Boomers, Xers, and Nexters in Your Workplace, Ron, 39

"A musthave book h m the mmgment guru Pat Gill Webber. Her ins& on the effects of9/11 on he worlrpla~eis a&p call to aU ofuswho call u u r w h ~ Kathy XRWis, President d CEO, Chistopher k e w Fourdab11 "The m ~ 3 m e d t i o n i sn this book for orgakdicms on h to today's workforce; and to individuals on how to manage their -IS are i n d d . m e s11evolved from exkixiw d l Ifyou want. to know the sup p o r t f c w t h e ~ m m e ~ 0 ~ 1 s r e a d ~ e n tIfyoujustwanttn ire~ benefitfnom the m o d s of and go dm& to, and immediately act upon,the ~ ~ d a t i 0 ~ 1 ~ " . William E Perry, CEO, Quality Assurance Institute

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