The inner side of Organizational Change: | Thijs Homan | TEDxAmsterdamED

TL;DR

Change management in organizations is not about smooth transitions and managing change, but about understanding the power dynamics and offstage behaviors that affect change.

Transcript

good afternoon uh everybody my name again is tan I'm a professor in change management but um I am what we call a critical uh scientist so my uh opening sentence would be the more you try to manage change the more it comes to a hold that is my basic principle and the second second one is that a lot of change in organizations uh is going on in spite ... Read More

Key Insights

• ✊ Change in organizations is often assumed to be managed and smoothly transitioned, but this perspective overlooks the complexity and power dynamics involved.
• 💱 Traditional change management approaches focus on interventions and tools, but research shows that the majority of change projects fail.
• 😶‍🌫️ Offstage behaviors and informal conversations play a significant role in shaping change in organizations, and managers should pay attention to these clouds of meaning.
• 💱 Organizations should shift from a monocentric perspective of change management to a polycentric perspective that values existing change and power dynamics.
• 🎮 The management paradox arises from the tension between wanting to be in control and recognizing that managers cannot fully control offstage behaviors and dynamics.
• ✊ Rather than trying to regain control, managers should focus on understanding and enhancing existing offstage dynamics and power relationships.
• 👔 Change is not solely the result of formal interventions, but a complex interplay of actions and interactions within the organization.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why do traditional change management approaches fail?

Traditional change management assumes that the manager can control and direct change, but this overlooks the complex power dynamics and offstage behaviors that influence change in organizations. This results in failed change projects and a disconnect between the formal interventions and the reality of the organization.

Q: What is the difference between onstage and offstage behaviors in organizations?

Onstage behaviors are the behaviors people show when managers are present, while offstage behaviors are the day-to-day behaviors and informal conversations that reflect how people make sense of their reality. Offstage behaviors, or clouds of meaning, have a strong influence on behavior and are often overlooked by managers.

Q: How can managers navigate the management paradox of being in control and not in control at the same time?

Managers cannot fully control all the offstage dynamics in an organization. Instead of trying to regain control, managers should focus on understanding and enhancing the existing offstage dynamics and power relationships. This requires a shift in perspective from managing change to uncovering and supporting existing change.

Q: How can organizations improve their approach to change management?

Organizations should reflect on their assumptions about change management and consider adopting a polycentric perspective that values offstage behaviors and power dynamics. This entails recognizing that change is happening everywhere and that managers should connect and enhance existing change rather than imposing change from the top-down.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Change in organizations is often assumed to be managed and smoothly transitioned, but this perspective overlooks the complexity and power dynamics involved.

• The traditional approach to change management emphasizes interventions and tools, but research shows that the majority of change projects fail.

• There are two perspectives on change: monocentric change, which assumes change is managed from one sender, and polycentric development, which views change as emerging from multiple sources.