2. Viral Change The Alternative to Slow, Painful and Unsuccessful Management of Change in Organizations AUTHOR: Leandro Herrero PUBLISHER: Meetingminds DATE OF PUBLICATION: 2006 392 pages
12. NEW BEHAVIORS This map will help you describe a process to ‘uncover’ which behaviors are needed and how to make them available to the organization.
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17. 15 CHANGE MANAGEMENT ASSUMPTIONS REVISITED Here are 15 of the most prevalent assumptions change management holds dear and how viral change nullifies them. 1. “Big change requires big actions.” Viral Change banks on the power of a small set of levers – behaviors – that can generate great change in a non-linear way. 2. “Only change at the top can ensure change within the organization.” ‘Change at the top’ is obviously desirable, but Viral Change does not wait until this is happening to take place itself. 3. “People are resistant to change.” Viral Change proves that behaviors that could be called resistant disappear when alternative behaviors are reinforced. 4. “Cultural change is a slow and painful long-term affair.” Viral Change is adamant that if we can’t see those ‘cultural changes’ happening in short timeframes, something is wrong. 5. “Everybody needs to be involved in the change.” Viral Change uses the power of internal networks to effectively reach everybody, but communication-to-all is actually the most ineffective way to do so. A small percentage of the organization is highly connected and of high influence and they can be the ones directly reached instead.
18. 15 CHANGE MANAGEMENT ASSUMPTIONS REVISITED 6. “Communication and training are the vital components of change.” Viral Change tells us that communication and training are components of the change, but that we really need to focus on behaviors. 7. “New processes and systems will create the new necessary behaviors.” Viral Change tells us that the assumption is wrong. We need to have new behaviors in place in order to support new processes and systems. 8. “People are rational and will react to logical and rational requests for change.” Viral Change tells us that what really matters is behavioral change and that this is only going to happen if particular behaviors are reinforced. 9. “There is no point in creating change in one division without the rest of the company participating.” Viral Change focuses on the spread of changes via internal viral networks. 10. “Skeptical people and enemies of change need to be sidelined.” Viral Change has the following words of wisdom: suspend judgment, be willing to be surprised and, above all, don’t write off assets that quickly. 15 Assumptions List Part Two…
19. 15 CHANGE MANAGEMENT ASSUMPTIONS REVISITED 11. “Vision for change needs to come from the top and cascade down.” In Viral Change, initial vision may come from the top leadership itself, but it doesn’t follow the forces of gravity. 12. “After change you need a period of stability and consolidation.” Viral Change provides a mechanism for a continuum between changes (from tipping points) and establishment of new behaviors as a routine. 13. “Short-term wins are tactical but they do not usually represent real change.” A central tenet of Viral Change is of course that small changes can lead to a big impact; it is but natural that short-term wins be part of the picture. 14. “There will always be casualties – people not accepting change – and you need to identify and deal with them.” Viral Change asks you not to make early assumptions. From those who finally exclude themselves, we can learn not only what was ‘wrong’, but perhaps also what is going so well that they can’t integrate it! 15. “People used to not complying with norms will be even worse at accepting change.” Viral Change is using completely different highways to establish ‘norms’. Non-normative people often make good champions! 15 Assumptions List Part Three..
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