Change: An Environmental Model

Abstract:

This article describes a model of change based on the environment in which change takes place. The model hypothesizes that businesses react to environmental forces in a way intended to achieve a future target. This reaction is subject to its own limitations in the form of limiting forces and a limit of perception. The limiting forces restrict massive changes to the reaction while limited perception restricts the impulse to constant correction. The model examines the potential sources and types of change. As a result change is defined as principally something outside the control of the participants. What we consider to be Change Management is, in fact, reaction management.

The Model Parts

One of the key reasons we seek to understand change is to allow for successful management of the process. To build a successful process always requires an understanding of the environment in which the process exists. So it makes sense to begin with an initial examination of the environment in which change occurs.

This environment can be considered to consist of:

The interactions of these result in a further element:

The desired target is set by several different means. It can be set initially by executive fiat, by mutual decision or by several other variations. Once set, communicated and accepted by the group the target passes into the mutual mind.

External forces are those forces that would affect the movement towards the target. Competitive pressures, and customer buying habits are two examples that spring to mind.

Left to their own devices these forces would result in their own path to or away from the target. In order to achieve the desired target, the group determines a set of reactions. These reactions are actions, processes, and thought patterns intended to result in the achievement of the desired target. While it is comfortable to think of these as self-sustaining actions they are, in fact, reactions. They are reactions to the environment since the environmental forces so heavily influence them. And they are reactions to the desire to achieve the target.

The result of the application of these forces is a movement (hopefully) towards the target.

There are two other elements of the model of key interest to us. First are the limiting forces. While they can be considered similar to external forces there are two key differences. Firstly, they tend to be internal to the group although not exclusively so. Second, where external differences act on the situation to direct it towards or away from the target, the limiting forces restrict the nature of the reaction force. This may involve a limitation on the types of reactions or may involve a limitation of the ability of group to adjust the reaction. Examples of these forces are available technologies, morals and ability to accept change.

The second element can be considered, in many ways, to be a variation of limiting forces. That is the limited perception of the group. This limitation is often, but not exclusively, time based. That is, as the time period becomes longer the ability of the group to perceive the state reduces.

Types of Change:

Using this as the model we can then determine that there are only four types of change possible: 

It is possible that the target that the group was previously aiming for has moved or changed. It then becomes necessary to adjust the group's reaction in order to set a new path aimed at the new target.

It is also possible that the external forces have changed. Since this is a balanced system, the reactionary force offsetting the external forces to achieve the desired forces, it becomes necessary, again, to adjust the group's reaction in order to continue on the path to the target.

Finally, it is possible that a perceived "improvement" in the reaction has been identified. This desired change in the form of the reactionary force is normally intended to improve the path to the target or the probabilities of hitting the target.

The adjective is, in this case, more than an enhancement. It is a key in the understanding of the nature of change and the management of its implementation and reaction to it.

The reaction to change:

Notice that in each of the first three (external) changes the adjective is perceived. Someone has noticed that a change has or will occur. The change is external. The only manageable item is the group’s reaction to the change.

It is important to the understanding of change to recognize that any system has a limited perception. This limitation is, in fact, good. It prevents the system from over-reacting. All systems have a control limit. Only when results are outside of the limit can effective control occur. Any attempt to modify the system’s behaviour within this limit will have negative effects. Essentially, if you attempt to over-control the system will, in fact, go out of control. There are several experiments to illustrate this phenomenon of statistics.

Within the model this is incorporated in the concept of limits of perception. Essentially, the group fails to notice any change that should not be corrected. This can take two different forms – not noticing and ignoring.

Only if the group perceives the change, that is noted and judged important enough to react to, will the reactive force be adjusted.

Similarly a change in the reaction is perceived to be desirable. Only if the improvement is identified and then judged important enough to react to, will it result in the adjustment of the reaction.

Note also that this limit to perception is independent of the limiting forces. Whereas the limit of perception determines whether a change is deemed important enough to react to, the limiting forces control firstly whether or not the reaction will be modified and secondly what reactions will be deemed acceptable. To illustrate the difference between these two consider the case of an individual caught in a downsizing. Prior to the actual downsizing, clues typically are available. For example, projects are cancelled, managers become uncommunicative and “in a bad mood”. However, most people will not recognize the signals for what they are – clues that a change has or will take place. Some people will recognize the clues for what they are. This is an example of limits of perception. When the clues can no longer be ignored then there is a tendency to refuse to believe and a period of confusion. The individual may be able to find other work in their profession or may be forced to wait the process out in hopes of retraining allowances. These are examples of limiting forces. In the first case, the individual fails to recognize clues for what they are. In the second case, the individual accepts the clues and the conclusion, but is incapable of reacting appropriately.

Conclusions:

There is a theory that the words we use limit our reactions and our perceptions of the world. This environmental model would indicate that our use of the term Change Management contains the seeds of failure. Because we call it Change Management we think in terms of managing change. In fact, as this model shows, we do not manage change. The only element we can manage is the reaction to change. Change occurs outside of our sphere of influence (i.e. in the environment). Only our reaction can be modified and is therefore in our sphere of management.

This model would suggest that successful change revolves around convincing the group of the nature of the change.

Essentially our role as change agents is to bring the nature of the change within the perception limit of the group.

We can do this most successfully by concentrating on the initial observer. That is, the individual(s) who first noticed the change and recognized the importance of that change. Our principal role will therefore be to facilitate communications between that individual and the group in such a way as to convince one party or the other of the nature of the change. Is it important or isn’t it? Why? When will it become important? How should we react? All these are the questions we need to ask in order to facilitate the dialogue.

But while doing this we must remain aware of the effect of limiting forces. While improved understanding and communications affect many of these limiting forces some are not affected. It is important for the change agent to be aware of the limiting forces in order to facilitate the optimum reactions possible. In some cases, these limiting forces are short term (forming the process of change – change, denial, chaos, re-establishment of status quo) or more long term. In some cases, these limiting forces can be manipulated (e.g. business systems and computer tools can be changed). In other cases, they are outside of our direct (or indirect) control (e.g. stress from other factors).

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