leading change

Bret L. Simmons, Ph.D.www.bretlsimmons.com

Training for Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital

October 31, 2013

Leading Change

www.bretlsimmons.comhttp://www.slideshare.net/BretLSimmons(775) 336-9576

Agenda• 1 pm. Session 1: Leadership and The

Progress Principle• 2:15 pm. Break• 2:30 pm. Session 2: Switch• 3:45 pm. Wrap-up

Why does this hospital matter?

Primary Sources

Exercise 1

How do you recognize good leadership?

Leadership is..

InfluenceReal Change

Shared PurposeRelationship

Trustworthy, Interdependent Partners

Trust

Willingness to be vulnerable to others in risky situations

Trustworthy

• Ability• Integrity• Benevolent Intentions

Person +

Environment (system) =

Behavior

Behavior at Work

Person

PersonalityAttitudesValues

PerceptionsEmotionsMotivation

System

PoliciesProceduresEquipment

HiringTrainingStaffingRewards

Performance EvaluationSupervisionDaily Events

Behavior

HelpingCivility

TardinessAbsenteeism

TurnoverParticipationPreparationPerformance

Inner Work Life Effect:

“People do better work when they are happy, have positive views of the organization and its people, and are motivated primarily by the work itself.” (p, 47)

WorkdayEvents

Perceptions/thoughts(Sensemaking aboutworkday events)• The organization• Managers, self, team• The work• Sense of

accomplishment

Emotions/feelings(Reactions to workday events)• Positive emotions• Negative emotions• Overall mood

Motivation/drive(Desire to do the work)• What do to• How to do it• When to do it• Whether to do it

IndividualPerformance

Inner Work Life System

Amiable, T & Kramer, S. (2011). The Progress Principle

Daily progress doing meaningful work

Team Leaders / Immediate Supervisors

Whatever your level in the organization … you bear some responsibility for the inner work

lives of the people around you (p. 181)

Even seemingly mundane events – such as small wins

and minor setbacks – can significantly

effect inner work life

The Progress PrincipleEvents signifying progress• Small wins• Breakthroughs• Forward movement• Goal completion

The Catalyst FactorEvents supporting the work• Setting clear goals• Allowing autonomy• Providing resources• Providing sufficient time• Helping with the work• Learning from problems and successes• Allowing ideas to flow

The Nourishment FactorEvents supporting the person• Respect• Encouragement• Emotional support• Affiliation

Positive Inner

Work Life

Amiable, T & Kramer, S. (2011). The Progress Principle

1

2 3

Daily Events

The power of setbacks to diminish happiness is more than twice as strong as the power of progress to boost happiness. The power of

setbacks to increase frustration is more than three times as strong as the power of

progress to decrease frustration. (p. 92)

Meaning Killers

• Dismiss someone’s ideas• Make employees doubt the

work they do is important• Assign people to work for

which they are overqualified• Keep people from assuming

full ownership of their work

Inhibitors

• Unclear goals• Micro-management• Lack of resources (e.g. information,

equipment, funding, personnel, training)• Time pressure• Punishment (vs. learning) from problems or

mistakes• Shut down open discussion• Increased workload + decreased control

Toxins• Disrespect • Discouragement• Emotional neglect• Antagonism

Exercise 2

What are the catalysts and inhibitors in your work environment?

List at least three of each

Break!Session 2 starts at 2:30 pm

Session 2

For anything to change, someone has to start acting differently. Can you get people to start behaving differently? (p.4)

If you want to be effective at helping others change their

behavior, then build a reputation for

proactively changing your own behavior

Change Metaphor

Rider - Rational – Deliberates,

analyzes, looks into the future

– Provides planning and direction

Elephant – Emotional

– Feels pain and pleasure

– Provides the energy

Direct the RiderFollow the bright spots:

Investigate and clone the successes

Destination postcards:Shows the Rider where you are headed and the Elephant why the journey is worthwhile

Change is easierwhen you know whereyou are going and whyit is worth it

Script the critical movesBe specific about the behavior you want to change

Direct the Rider• What looks like resistance

is often a lack of clarity• Clarity dissolves

resistance

Motivate the Elephant

Find the feeling

Motivation comes from confidence. The Elephant has to believe that it’s capable of conquering the change

Shrink the change:

Break down the change until it no longer spooks the Elephant

Sense of progress is critical

Make change a matter of identity, not consequences

Who am I? What kind of situation is this? What would someone like me do in this

situation?

Grow your people

Encourage a growth mindset by

praising effort rather than skill

Growth Mindset

• Talent is NOT fixed unless you believe that it is. Treat talent as something almost everyone can earn, not that just a few people own.

• Everyone can learn to work smarter

39

Motivate the Elephant

Change is hard because people wear themselves out.

What looks like laziness is often exhaustion

Shape the PathTweak the environment. When the

situation changes, behavior changes

Build Habits

Supportive habits that are easy to embrace and advance the new

behavior

Action Triggers: Decisions you make to execute a certain action when you encounter a certain situation

Checklists help educate people about what is best by showing then the right way to do something

Rally the HerdBehavior is contagious; help it spread

Shape the path

What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem. When you shape the path, you make the change more likely, no matter what’s happening with the Rider and the Elephant

The law of crappy systems trumps the law of crappy people

47

Exercise 3

Identify a change that is happening right now at work. Think elephant, rider, path: Why do people embrace that change? Why do others resist that change?

Questions?