Informal coalitions: Mastering the hidden dynamics of organizational change

304 Pages·2007·1.678 MB·English

by  Chris Rodgers (auth.)

Informal coalitions
Mastering the hidden dynamics of
organizational change
Chris Rodgers
©ChrisRodgersConsultingLimited2007
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2007 978-0-230-01991-1
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C
ONTENTS
Preface viii
Acknowledgments xvi
Chapter 1 Mapping the territory 1
Introduction 1
Rational views on how change happens 2
What’s missing? 10
Interrelationship of the four views of change 15
The change context 16
Key aspects of organizational dynamics 17
Organizational outcomes 22
Roles within the change process 23
The Change Map as a whole 31
The rational view of change 32
Integrating the rational and a-rational dynamics of change 33
Chapter 2 Underlying dynamics of change 36
Introduction 36
Relationship dynamics 36
Shadow-side dynamics 40
The leadership paradox 50
The nature of the leadership task 52
Organizations as networks of self-organizing conversations 54
The origins of organizational change 56
Informal coalitions assumptions 58
Implications of the dynamics of informal coalitions 59
Change-leadership agenda 60
Chapter 3 Reframing communication 62
Introduction 62
Leadership communication grid 63
Conventional forums and processes – Mode C1 65
Workshops and structured dialogue sessions – Mode C2 70
Everyday conversations and interactions – Mode C3 74
v
Contents
vi
Role modeling – Mode C4 83
Three things to remember 85
In summary 86
Chapter 4 Thinking culturally 87
Introduction 87
The culture change industry 87
Taking culture seriously 90
A cultural “snapshot” 93
Organizations as networks of conversations 98
Management myths that obscure understanding 100
Thinking culturally 104
In summary 111
And finally(cid:2)(cid:2)(cid:2) 112
Chapter 5 Acting politically 114
Introduction 114
Politics as “playing dirty” 114
Informal coalitions view of organizational politics 118
The political process 129
Functional politics and the use of power 132
Options for political action 138
Phases of political action 141
In summary 151
Chapter 6 Building coalitions 153
Introduction 153
The nature of coalitions 153
Building coalitions – The leadership challenge 155
Issue coalitions 157
Action coalitions 162
Intellectual understanding and emotional engagement 177
And finally(cid:2)(cid:2)(cid:2) 194
Chapter 7 Embracing paradox 195
Introduction 195
The nature of paradox in organizations 196
Why embracing paradox is not commonplace 197
Why embracing paradox is important 200
Meeting the challenge 201
A practical toolkit 202
Contents
vii
The leadership paradox 202
The performance paradoxes 204
Organizational paradoxes 215
Embracing paradox 224
Chapter 8 Providing vision 226
Vision as a desired end-state 226
Vision as everyday engagement 229
Gaining perspective 232
Realizing purpose 239
Self-managing processes 242
Exploiting possibilities 247
Unlocking potential 252
Igniting passion 255
Putting it all together – Aiming for 20:20 vision 260
Postscript 262
Notes 266
Bibliography 270
Index 273
P
REFACE
The challenge
The ability of leaders to deal effectively with organizational change is
criticaltobusinesssuccess.Andyet,researchshowsthatonlyaroundone
in every three change programs deliver the sought-after improvements in
business performance.1 Informal Coalitions suggests that, by failing to
address the underlying dynamics of organizations, many of these formal
change programs inevitably contain the seeds of their own downfall.
Against this background, the book offers a fresh perspective on organiz-
ational change, and takes thinking and practice beyond its conventional
boundaries. In doing so, it aims to increase leaders’ chances of achieving
success, by exploring a new change-leadership agenda and introducing a
number of practical tools to support it.
Background
This book has its roots in my background as a practicing manager in UK
industry,andasamanagementconsultanttobothpublic-andprivate-sector
organizations. During that time, I have come to a view that something
vital is missing from most of the models of organizational change and
performance that are currently on offer. These are usually well articu-
lated and, on the surface at least, offer some practical ways forward.
However, they consistently fail to address crucially important aspects of
the“realworld”organizationsthatmanagersexperiencedaytoday.Almost
invariably, the prescriptions put forward place most emphasis on chan-
gingtheformalandstructuredelementsoftheorganization–itsprocesses,
systems and structures – and on getting these “right” through rational
analysis, project management techniques and detailed implementation
programs.Thisapproachisthencarriedoverintothelesstangibleaspects
oforganizationalchange,suchastheunderlyingculturaldynamicsofthe
organizationorthechallengeofbuildingcommitmenttothechanges.These
are also treated as separate work streams in a formal project plan. Other,
ever-present features of organizational life – such as the impact of power
and politics, the importance of informal processes and the implications
ofparadox–tendtobedealtwithsuperficiallyorignoredaltogether.
viii
Preface
ix
Assomeonewhowasoriginallytrainedasanengineer,Ivaluerational
analysis and project management disciplines; but only when these are
usedintheirproperplace.Forthemostpart,organizationsdonotconform
to the same rules as inanimate structures, systems and machines. Instead,
theycomprisenetworksofpeopleinteractingwitheachother.Andpeople
have a habit of not conforming to the mechanistic assumptions that still
channel much of the conventional management thinking about organiz-
ational change and performance. When reflecting on my own, everyday
experiences in organizations, I recognize that many of the most signi-
ficant decisions and actions are the outcome of much messier processes
than allowed for by the wholly rational school of change management.
These precedent-setting shifts in thinking and behavior rarely arise from
formal, rational analysis of “the facts” and step-by-step decision-making
by people whose agendas are fully aligned. More often than not, they
are the result of informal interactions, joint sensemaking and political
accommodations made by people who are trying to make a difference in
a complex, uncertain and ambiguous environment.
I was presented with the opportunity to explore these issues in more
depth when I embarked on a part-time master’s degree in organizational
change in the late 1990s. My research focused, in particular, on three
things that I felt were critical to the ways in which I experienced organ-
izations on a day-to-day basis. First, I was interested in the impact that
the everyday conversational life of the organization had on performance
delivery and on development of the change agenda. This work helped to
confirm and refine my roughly formed view that everyday conversations
and informal interactions are central to the way that change happens in
organizations. Secondly, I wanted to consider more fully the influence
of shadow-side dynamics (such as informal organizational practices, and
social and political processes) on behavior patterns and organizational
outcomes. This proved to be another fruitful area of inquiry, which rein-
forced my emerging ideas about the leader’s role in the change process.
Thirdly, I was fascinated by the paradoxical nature of much of what
takesplaceinorganizations.Inparticular,Iwasinterestedintheinability
of conventional, either–or thinking to deal with the challenges that this
brings. Having set out to explore paradox, it was difficult to find any
aspectoforganizationaldynamicsthatwasnottouchedbyit.Despitethis,
our ingrained patterns of perception, language and behavior ordinarily
blind us to paradox’s existence, impact and potential power. The above
three factors – the centrality of conversation, the impact of shadow-side
dynamics and the importance of embracing paradox – underpin much of
what follows in this book.