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Managing Change from the Front Lines When an improvement feels like an aggravation

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In response to a change in your firm, have you ever:
• Kept quiet about your doubts?
• Implemented a “work-around” to avoid new processes?
• Started looking for another job?

Successful organizational change requires effective, active support across a firm. When plans stall or disappoint, it’s normal for front-line employees to feel frustrated.

You might believe you’re stuck with a less than perfect solution, but you do have options to improve the situation.

1. Try an anthropological approach.
What was the manager or firm trying to achieve with the change? How does it relate to long-term goals? Observe how people answer the question and listen to the language they use. The organizational view will reveal the context for why certain decisions were made. This will help you make sense of your role in the “big picture”. It will also identify what you might need to prepare for down the road.

2. Speak the truth of your day-to-day work.
If you have a trusting relationship with your direct supervisor, describe how the change impacts your work. Be specific – which systems, teams and people are involved? What are the biggest roadblocks? Focus on facts, not opinions.

Sometimes, when you quantify what’s happening, you’ll realize that the impact isn’t as big as you thought even though your feelings about it are strong.

Also, your supervisor might be genuinely unaware of the consequences of the change.

By communicating your perspective, you’ll also help executive decision makers see how their vision is (or is not) being fulfilled by highlighting reality, rather than rationale. For example, what were the milestones and metrics of success? And what really happened?

According to Prosci (pronounced pro-sigh), the largest research and training organization involved in the “people side of change”, only 44% of organizations measure whether change is occurring at an individual level.

3. Get involved.
If a change implementation plan was created, ask your manager if you can review it. Offer a post-mortem to explain how the reality of your experience differs from what was intended and what could be considered next time.

Organizational change is usually an iterative process. You might be able to join a user-testing or advisory group in planning the next phase of a roll-out.

When front-line employees don’t know why a change was made, or if they don’t believe in the ultimate goal, they often disengage from activities that support it. Apathy, learned helplessness and cynicism (the three horsemen of the organizational culture apocalypse) are often the result. Individuals can help improve the situation, but it takes courage to speak up and try a different approach than usual.

A Simple Formula for Change Turn good ideas into good strategies

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Q. How do you get a lawyer to change?

A. Hire a different one.

The executive who told me this joke thought it was hilarious. I cringed. I knew she wasn’t alone in her opinion about the perceived pace of change amongst professionals.

Whether your firm sets out to implement new software, improve client satisfaction or change another aspect of operations, you will need to plan the initiative well in advance.

One classic organizational development theory suggests a simple formula for success:

 

Let’s break it down.

D = Desire for change.The pain of not changing must be greater than the pain of changing. You need to be willing to search for alternatives to the current situation. E.g. when a client threatens to move because your bills always require adjustments or clarification.

Caution: others might not see the need for change as clearly as you do. Be patient and build trust.

V = Vision of a preferred future. What do you want to achieve together? How is it better? E.g. improve quality assurance and, therefore, client loyalty.

Caution: forcing people to adopt changes rarely works. Involve firm members in creating a shared vision instead.

F = First steps. Ask people to describe the reality of their experience. What processes do they currently follow? What works/doesn’t work well? Encourage firm members to self-identify potential improvements and make the tentative first steps together. E.g. create a pilot project team that comprises lawyers, finance staff and clients.

Caution: people get frustrated when they want change and are able to articulate it, but can’t see a path out of the current situation. Keep communicating.

Desire, vision and first steps must be greater than:

R = Resistance. Firms don’t resist change; people do. Gauge the nature and degree of potential resistance through two-way communication. E.g. Supplier and client relationships might need to be renegotiated or accounting staff roles might require adjustment.

Caution: without metrics, you won’t be able to identify ongoing resistance or trouble spots. Show people how far they’ve already progressed.

If D x V x F > R, then your firm will achieve Change.

A final takeaway: This formula can be applied to almost any change initiative, at any stage. It works best when shared with a team to determine if a transition is on track or whether interventions such as further communications, investments or training are necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Trust Imperative: Part I

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Do you trust the leaders in your organization to make decisions in the best interest of the entire firm? Do you trust them to proactively deal with important issues or prevent crises? Studies such as the 2014 Edelman Trust Barometer would indicate that your answer is likely “no”.

Some of the current notions regarding trust are based on the times in which we live – a legal market that is changing as well as shrinking, record numbers of unemployed law school graduates saddled with record amounts of student debt, daily news of trust violations between business, government and society. Read more →