Four Change

Management
Strategies
Fred Nickols
11/05/2010
This paper presents four change management strategies. Three are
summarized versions of
classics from the work of Kenneth enne and !o"ert Chin. The fourth is of
the author#s own making. Most successful change e$orts will re%uire some
mi& of the four strategies' rarel( will a single strateg( su)ce. The paper also
provides some factors to consider in selecting a strateg( or mi& of strategies.
Four Change Management Strategies
The source for the first three strategies presented here is General Strategies for Effecting
Changes in Human Systems (1969 !y "o!ert Chin and #enneth $% &enne' Section 1%( of Chap)
ter 1 in The Planning of Change (*
nd
Edition' +arren G% &ennis' #enneth $% &enne and "o!ert
Chin (Editors% Holt' "inehart , +inston- .e/ 0or1' .0% The fourth strategy is one of my o/n
ma1ing%
Change Strategy Underlying Assumptions
Empirical-Rational 2eople are rational !eings and
/ill follo/ their self)interest 3
once it is re4ealed to them% Suc)
cessful change is !ased on the
communication of information
and the proffering of incenti4es%
5or the most part' people
reasona!le and they can !e rea)
soned /ith% 6n short' they can !e
persuaded% 7alue 8udgments
aside' they can also !e !ought%
This is the carrot side of car)
rot)and)stic1 management% &ut
for reason and incenti4es to
/or1' there has to !e 4ery little
in the /ay of a do/nside to the
change and9or the upside has to
greatly out/eigh it% 6f there:s a
!ig do/nside and it:s not offset
!y an upside that is !ig enough
and attracti4e enough to offset
the do/nside and null out any
ris1 in4ol4ed' people /ill indeed
!e rational; that is' they /ill op)
pose or resist the change 3 o4ert)
ly or co4ertly%
Selection Factors
Change strategy here centers on
the !alance of incenti4es and ris1
management%
This strategy is difficult to dep)loy
/hen the incenti4es a4aila)!le are
modest% +hy ris1 /hat /e ha4e
for an uncertain future that
promises to !e no more than
modestly !etter than the present<
This is especially true /hen
people currently ha4e it pretty
good%
=ne stratagem of use here is to
cast dou!t on the 4ia!ility of the
present state of affairs% 0ou can
attempt to con4ince people that
they are on a !urning platform
(not a good choice if they really
aren:t or you can simply try to
persuade them that the current
state of affairs has a short shelf
life% 6n either case' the story you
tell has to con4ince them' not you%
> !y)product of this strategy
consists of con4erts' that is' people
/ho !uy the story% Some /ill see the
light and /ant to sign on% These
people can !e 4ery helpful%
Ho/e4er' depend)ing on their
stature in the organi)?ation' you
might not /ant them%
>nother stratagem here is to sys)
tematically target con4erts' that is'
thought leaders and influenc)ers
/ho' if they !uy the story and !uy
into helping ma1e the change' /ill
influence others%
@ 5red .ic1ols *A1A
///%nic1ols%us 2age *
Four Change Management
Strategies
Change Strategy
Normative-Reeducative 2eople
are
soci
al
!ein
gs
and
/ill
adhe
re to
cult
ural
nor
ms
and
4alu
es%
Succ
essf
ul
chan
ge is
!ase
d on
rede
finin
g
and
reint
er)
preti
ng
eBist
ing
nor
ms
and
4al)
ues'
and
de4e
lopi
ng
com
mit)
men
ts to
ne/
ones
%
5or the most part'
most people do
/ant to fit in and
go along% They
/ill go /ith the
flo/% The tric1
here is figuring out
ho/ to esta!lish
and define
the flo/%
>gain' set
aside 4alue
8udgments
and you /ill
see such
commonplac
e practices
such as
ad4ertising'
positioning'
and so on%
Central here
also is
charis)matic
and dynamic
leadership% 6t
is also the
case that the
influ)ence of
the informal
organi?a)
tion is felt
strongly
here' espe)
cially in the
form of
communi)
ties of
practice%
Selecti
on
Factors
Change
strategy
here
focuses
sCuarely
on
culture 3
/hat
people
!elie4e
a!out
their
/orld'
their
/or1
and
themsel4
es and
the /ays
in /hich
people
!eha4e
so as to
!e
consiste
nt /ith
these
!eliefs%
=rdinari
ly'
culture
doesn:t
change
Cuic1ly
and
certainly
not
o4ernig
ht% This'
then' is
not the
strategy
of
choice
in a
turna)
round
situation
on short
dead)
lines%
Doreo4e
r' an
organi?at
ion:s
cul)ture is as
much in the
grip of the
informal
organi?ation
as it is the
formal
organi?ation%
5or this
reason' this
strategy
/or1s only
/hen the
relationships
!et/een the
formal and
informal
organi)
?ations are
at least
cordial and
hopefully
harmonious%
6f they are at
odds /ith
one another'
this change strategy
is denied to
management%
Still' there is an
a4enue or t/o open
here% >lmost all
change ef)forts
ha4e long)term as
/ell as short)term
goals% To some eB)
tent' the long)term
change strat)egy
/ill ha4e to
incorporate some
normati4e)
reeducati4e ac)
tions% Enlisting and
in4ol4ing the
informal leaders of
the or)gani?ation
and 1eeping them
in)4ol4ed is one
such a4enue% (6t
should !e 1ept in
mind
that the
formal
and
informal
organi?a
)tions
often
o4erlap
in the
form of
people
/ho lead
or
influenc
e large
or
importan
t
constitue
ncies
and /ho
also hold
po/erful
po)
sitions%
@
5red
.ic1
ols
*A1A
///%nic1ols%us
2age (
Four Change Management
Strategies
Change Strategy
Power-Coercive
Selection
Factors
T/o ma8or
factors
influencing the
choice of this
strategy are time
and the
seriousness of
the threat faced%
6f the organi?ation
sits astride the
fa!led !urning
platform' the
threat is gra4e and
the time for action
is limited% The
meta)phor of a
!urning platform is
useful !ut only if
all concerned can
in fact see that the
platform is on fire%
This is rarely the
case in an
organi?ation% 5e/
compa)nies are
filled /ith people
/ho understand the
/ay the !usiness
/or1s and fe/er
people still ap)
preciate the threats
it faces or the
opportunities it
encounters%
6t has !een argued
that change)
minded leaders
should create a
!urning platform%
That idea might
ha4e merit in
eBtreme sit)
uations !ut it also
entails consi)
dera!le ris1 3 to
the organi?a)tion'
to its people' and
to the leader /ho
attempts it%
> mitigating factor
here is
the
culture%
6f the
culture is
!asical)
ly one of
a !enign
!ureaucr
acy that
is clearly
threatene
d' its
mem!ers
are
li1ely to
go along
/ith a
sensi!le
program'
no mat)
ter ho/
high)
handed%
Con4ers
e)ly' if
the
culture is
laced
/ith au)
tonomy
and
entrepre
neurship
!ut has
gro/n
fat'
dum!
and
happy'
people
/ill
resent
and
perhaps
oppose
or resist
authorita
rian
mo4es%
6n this
case' 1ey
posi)
tions
might
ha4e to
!e filled
/ith ne/
people%
@ 5red .ic1ols
*A1A
///%nic1 ols%u
s 2age E
Four Change Management
Strategies
Change Strategy
Environmental-
Adaptive
Selection
Factors
The ma8or
consideration here
is the eBtent of the
change% This
strategy is !est
suited for situa)
tions /here
radical'
transforma)ti4e
change is called
for% 5or gradual or
incremental
change' this is not
the strategy of
choice%
Time frames are not
a factor% This
strategy can /or1
under short time
frames or longer
ones% Ho/e4er'
under short time
frames' a 1ey issue
/ill !e that of
managing /hat
could !e eB)plosi4e
gro/th in the ne/
organ)i?ation and' if
it is not adeCuate)ly
seeded /ith ne/
fol1s' the rapid
influB of people
from the old culture
can infuse the ne/
organi?ation /ith
the old culture%
>nother factor to
consider is the
a4aila!ility of
suita!le people to
seed the ne/
organi?ation and
8ump)start its
culture% Some can
come from other
organi?ations !ut
some can come
from the old
organi?ation' too%
6n the old cul)ture
can !e found
re!els'
misfits
and
other
noncomf
ormists
/ho are
precisel
y /hat
is
needed
in the
ne/
culture%
They
must !e
chosen
/ith
care'
ho/e4er
' !e)
cause of
the
politics
and the
pos)
si!ility
that
some
/ill !ear
grudges
against
some
mem!er
s of the
old
culture%
>nother
conside
ration
here is
perhaps
!est
termed
as !ad
ap)
ples
(i%e%'
people
from
the old
organi?
ation
/ho
simply
cannot
!e
allo/ed
into the
ne/
one%
@ 5red
.ic1ol
s *A1A //
/%ni
c1ols%us 2age F
Four Change Management
Strategies
Strategy Selection Considerations
1. Degree of Change% "adical change or transformation argues for an en4ironmental)
adapti4e strategy (i%e%' /all off the eBisting organi?ation and !uild a ne/ one instead of
trying to transform the old one% Gess radical changes argue against this strategy%
2. Degree of Resistance% Strong resistance argues for a coupling of po/er)coerci4e and en)
4ironmental)adapti4e strategies% +ea1 resistance or concurrence argues for a com!ina)
tion of rational)empirical and normati4e)reeducati4e strategies%
3. Population% Garge populations argue for a miB of all four strategies' something for e4e)
ryone so to spea1% $i4erse populations also call for a miB of strategies% This implies
careful segmentation%
4. Stakes% High sta1es argue for a miB of all four strategies% +hen the sta1es are high' noth)
ing can !e left to chance% Doderate sta1es argue against a po/er)coerci4e strategy !e)
cause there is no grand payoff that /ill offset the high costs of using the po/er)coerci4e
strategy% There are no lo/)sta1es change pro!lems% 6f the sta1es are lo/' no one cares'
and resistance le4els /ill !e lo/% >4oid 2o/er)Coerci4e strategies in lo/ sta1es situa)
tions%
5. Time Frame% Short time frames argue for a po/er)coerci4e strategy% Gonger time frames
argue for a miB of rational)empirical' normati4e)reeducati4e' and en4ironmental)adapti4e
strategies%
6. Expertise% Ha4ing a4aila!le adeCuate eBpertise at ma1ing change argues for some miB of
the strategies outlined a!o4e% .ot ha4ing it a4aila!le argues for reliance on the po/er)
coerci4e strategy%
7. Dependency% This is a classic dou!le)edged s/ord% 6f the organi?ation is dependent on its
people' its a!ility to command and demand is limited% =n the other hand' if the people are
dependent on the organi?ation' their a!ility to oppose is limited% (Dutual dependency
almost al/ays signals a reCuirement to negotiate%
Generally spea1ing' there is no single change strategy% 0ou can adopt a general or grand strategy
(say' a po/er)coerci4e one !ut' for any gi4en initiati4e (and there /ill al/ays !e multiple initia)
ti4es' you are !est ser4ed !y some miB of strategies and tactics% > useful eBercise is to Cueue up
the change initiati4es and eBamine each of them in relation to the 4arious change strategies% The
end result of this eBercise is a filled)in matriB something li1e the ta!le !elo/%
Rational- Normative- Power- Enviromental-
Empirical Reeducative Coercive Adaptive
Change R-E Strategy 1 N-R Strategy 1 P-C Strategy 1 E-A Strategy 1
Initiative 1 R-E Strategy 2 N-R Strategy 2 P-C Strategy 2 E-A Strategy 2
R-E Strategy n N-R Strategy n P-C Strategy n E-A Strategy n
Change R-E Strategy 1 N-R Strategy 1 P-C Strategy 1 E-A Strategy 1
Initiative 2 R-E Strategy 2 N-R Strategy 2 P-C Strategy 2 E-A Strategy 2
R-E Strategy n N-R Strategy n P-C Strategy n E-A Strategy n
Change R-E Strategy 1 N-R Strategy 1 P-C Strategy 1 E-A Strategy 1
Initiative n R-E Strategy 2 N-R Strategy 2 P-C Strategy 2 E-A Strategy 2
R-E Strategy n N-R Strategy n P-C Strategy n E-A Strategy n
@ 5red .ic1ols *A1A ///%nic1ols%us 2age 6
Four Change Management Strategies
Related Readings
There are additional articles related to change management on my /e! site% Gin1s are
pro4ided !elo/%
1 Change Danagement- > Selected &i!liography
2 Change Danagement 1A1- > 2rimer
3 Change Danagement in Hard Times
4 Em!racing "esistance to Change
Contact the Author
5red .ic1ols can !e reached !y e)mail at fredHnic1ols%us% =ther articles of his can !e found
on his /e! site at- ///%nic1ols%us %
@ 5red .ic1ols *A1A ///%nic1ols%us 2age I