Management A Focus on Leaders 2nd

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McKee Chapter 7:

CHANGE – A FOCUS ON ADAPTABILITY AND

RESILIENCY

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

7.1 Define change.

7.2 Learn how you and other people change.
7.3 Recognize drivers of change in organizations.
7.4 Identify the difference between incremental and transformational change.
7.5 List and describe models that assist in understanding change.
7.6 Describe which practical models are useful tools for managing change in organizations.
7.7 Learn how HR can foster effective change.
7.8 Understand how you can change and develop yourself.

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Chapter 7 first looks at what change is and why it is a constant in our lives and the life of
an organization. Then we look at how people change, the psychological and neuropsychological
implications, the concept of intentional change, the Gestalt Cycle of Experience and how these
processes and models affect change in people and, subsequently, organizations.

Next, we explore the effects of social changes in the workplace with the ongoing evolution
of diversity, including gender and ethnicity, in today’s businesses. We then move into the
difference between incremental change and transformational change; top-down and bottom up
change. This will take us to a comprehensive exploration of the current economic meltdown as the
result of incremental changes that went unnoticed.

From here we take a look at various models of change such as Lewin’s Force Field
Analysis model of change and the powerful effects of culture on a changing system. Peter Vaill’s
“permanent white water” metaphor is examined and its implications of constant turbulent change
in organizations. Practical models for managing organizational change, such as Kotter’s 8 stage
model and Greg Shea’s Work System model are also explored.

At the end of chapter 7 we take a look at HR’s role in organizational change through
organizational development and action research, as well as leadership competency development.
The chapter concludes by giving examples of how we all can support and lead change, such as
becoming a change agent, inspiration, and facing change with courage.
CHAPTER OUTLINE

Teaching Objective: To provide students with a solid understanding of how change is the only
reliable constant not only in business, but in one’s personal life.

I. What Is Change and Why Is It So Important for You as a Leader?

A. Change – to alter, adjust, modify or transform someone or something.

B. Change is constant-change is happening constantly due to factors such as

technology and social, economic and political shifts around the world

C. Change: What it means to you

1. The ability to deal with change is one of the most important things you need to
learn in today’s world.

II. How Do People Change?

A. Change: It is not always easy for people
1. For most adults, change can be painful
2. Emotions are primal drivers of attention, focus, and ultimately behavior

B. The psychology and neuropsychology of individual change

1. positive emotional attractors – a psychological state of well-being and hope
that engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which can counter the effects
of stress
2. negative emotional attractor – a psychological state that can cause people to
feel defensive, threatened, and stressed and that triggers the sympathetic
nervous system, and a defensive response

C. Intentional Change
1. Hope- a state of mind that includes optimism, a realistic vision, and a belief that
you can do something to move toward this vision
2. Optimism- a positive outlook on life, coupled with the believe that good things
will come and bad things are only temporary and can be overcome
3. The intentional change model:
a. My ideal self
b. My real self
c. My learning agenda
d. Experimenting

D. Motivating and Sustaining Change

1. Gestalt cycle of experience explained
a. Gestalt cycle of experience- a model that helps us understand how to
mobilize and sustain energy, direct our attention, and choose actions that
result in change in ourselves and in groups
b. Model:
i. The beginning sensation
 ii. Awareness, Energy, Action
iii. Contact
iv. Resolution, closure, and assessment
2. Gestalt cycle of experience and change in groups, organizations, and
communities
a. Helps people see how the change would benefit them

III. How do Societal Shifts Lead to Organizational Change

A. Four trends that will affect organizations for decades to come
1. Technology
2. Globalization
3. Social and political revolutions
4. Environmentalism

B. Shifts in World Economies

1. Economies in the East and South such as China and India, are quickly
overtaking the traditional powers (U.S. and U.K.) in terms of economic growth

C. The Diversity and Inclusion Imperative

1. Diversity has brought enormous social change to the workplace
2. Diversity – the varied perspectives and approaches to work that members of
different groups bring
a. Ethnicity, Gender, and Pay: Some Change, But More is Needed
i. Long way to go in change process
ii. Women are earning less than men for the same work
b. Age Demographics and Change
i. Populations are shrinking and getting older on average in the North and
West (the United States and Europe)

IV. What’s the Difference between Incremental and Transformational Change?

A. Top-down changes- Changes that are introduced by leaders and managers who
identify the necessary changes and create a change plan.

B. Bottom-up changes- Changes that occur when employees or managers at various

levels spark a movement for change, influence one another and leaders, and
contribute to the planning and implementation of change.

C. Four different patterns of change are: tuning, adaptation, reorientation and re-
creation (Exhibit 7.9)

D. Revolutionary and Evolutionary Change: Slow is Not Always Better

1. Cannot anticipate everything that might happen
2. How can we rely on slow changes during a time when many aspects of
technology and society are changing so rapidly

E. Incremental change led to a worldwide financial crisis

 1. The Long Story Leading to a Global Recession
a. Investment banks- institutions that raise capital trade securities, and assist
with mergers and acquisitions
b. Net capital rule- rule that guides how much debt an institution can hold
c. Leveraging money- a practice that allows financial institutions to increase
the amount of debt they handle in proportion to the amount of money they
hold
2. Maybe No One Noticed There Was a Problem
a. Housing boom- a high level activity in the housing market resulting in
rapidly increasing home values
b. Predatory lending- deceptive or unfair lending practices such as not
disclosing the legal or financial terms of a mortgage or charging exorbitant
fees when a mortgage originated
c. Subprime lending- the practice of lending money to people who normally
would not qualify for a mortgage because they have maxed-out credit cards,
a poor debt-to-income ratio, or bad credit
d. Underemployment- a term used to describe a situation in which people are
working at lesser, or insufficient levels

V. Which Models Can Help Us to Understand Change?

A. Lewin’s Force Field Analysis Model of Change- helps us look at forces for and
against change
1. Consider the Context: The Whole Picture
a. Don’t simply look at a person, group, or organization-- look at how each
part of a system is linked and related
2. Consider the Power of Culture
a. Significant examination of forces for and against change
i. Culture, beliefs, values, behaviors

B. Change is Constant: The Permanent White Water Metaphor

1. Permanent White Water- Metaphor that refers to the fact that organizational
systems face unrelenting turbulence and constant change.

VI. What Are Practical Models for Managing Change in Organizations?

A. Kotter’s Eight Stage Change Model – Kotter’s approach to organizational change
involves eight clearly defined steps
1. Ensure that people feel an urgent need for change
2. Get the right people involved to lead change
3. Create a new strategic vision
4. Make sure the new vision is effectively communicated
5. Empower a broad group of change agents
6. Successfully pull off short-term victories
7. Consolidate the victories and go after more changes
8. Solidify the change in the organizational culture
 B. Greg Shea’s Work Systems Model – shows how complex organizations are and
how many aspects of an organization must be considered—and leveraged—when
trying to bring about change

C. Levers of Change in the Work System – a “lever” is an aspect of the

organizational system or subsystem that can be studied, attended to, emphasized or
ignored during the change process
1. Organization
2. Workplace design
3. Task
4. People and skills
5. Rewards
6. Measurement
7. Information distribution
8. Decision allocation

VII. What Can HR Do to Foster Effective Change?

A. Organization development – refers to a systematic, scientific, and research-based
approach to change in organizations

B. Action Research and Action Learning – assumes that the very act of studying a
group, organization or community results in change. That means that while we
study systems, we need to understand and manage the changes that occur because
of our research.

C. Leadership Competency Development and Change– developing leadership

competencies as an approach to supporting and managing complex organizational
change has been greatly expanded in recent years

VIII. What Can We All Do to Support Change?

A. Becoming a Change Agent
1. Power to enlist resources
2. Power to affect agenda and participate in decision making
3. Power to use current culture to enlist people and new ways of being and
working

B. Caring for Others During Change: Empathy, Inspiration, and Managing Resistance
1. Ways to lead change
a. Become aware and manage emotional response
b. Don’t assume people will resist change
c. Don’t force change
d. Don’t try to control everything
e. Be empathetic
f. Inspire people
g. Face resistance with hope and courage
h. Negotiate where and when you have to, be respectful
 i. Tell the truth
j. Be a role model

C. Facing Change With Courage

1. When we feel hopeful we are more open to learning, more able to solve
problems creatively, and more resilient
2. Cultivate practices of mindfulness
3. Get help if you need it

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Discussion Questions for Objective 7.1:

1. List a few major changes you have experienced in life (such as moving, divorce in the family,
illness, starting college, or starting or ending a relationship). Now, using the synonyms for change
in Exhibit 7.1, list some words that describe each of these changes. Can you see any patterns in the
words you chose? What do those patterns suggest to you?

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. One quickest change that students should be able to relate to is
starting college. Some of the synonyms for this change from Exhibit 7.1 might be adjust, adapt,
accommodate, alter, alternate, commute, convert, diversify, evolve, make over, metamorphose,
moderate, modify, modulate, recondition, redo, reform, regenerate, remake, remodel, renovate,
reorganize, replace, resolve, restyle, revolutionize, shape, shift, substitute, transform, etc. Students
should be encouraged to develop patterns from their responses.

2. List several major changes that you have experienced. Now, organize them into two categories:
“Changes I Initiated and Wanted” and “Changes That Were Forced on Me.” Some of your life
experiences may fall in the middle of these two extremes, but try to put them in the category that
fits best. How do you feel about each of these lists? What were the differences in how you dealt
with changes in the two categories?

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary.

Discussion Questions for Objective 7.2:

1. Think about a situation that caused you to feel hopeless about changing something in your life.
What was the impact of this emotion on your behavior? Now, think about a situation that caused
you to feel inspired and hopeful about changes in your life. What aspects of the situation caused
you to feel this way? How did these emotions impact what you actually did in your life?

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary.
2. In a few sentences describe your ideal self. How you can make a future where your real self is
your ideal self? Use the intentional change model to give an example of one thing that needs to
change in order for this to be a reality.

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary.

Discussion Questions for Objective 7.3:

1. What do you think today’s workers, managers, and leaders need to do on a personal level to
cope with technological, social, and economic changes?

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. The world today is changing quickly, and everyone needs to
recognize that the world is changing in an unprecedented accelerated pace, and that those changes
are inevitable. There is no turning back in regards to technology, for instance. More and more,
advances are bringing an avalanche of information to us all. In addition, the world is flat these
days. Cultural, ethnic, gender, and economic diversity is “business as usual” now. The smartest
thing for workers, managers, and leaders to do is familiarize themselves with and immerse
themselves in these areas.

2. What are some reasons other than discrimination that might account for differences in pay for
men and women doing the same type of work? Do men and woman value various benefits (like
vacation time, flexibility of schedule, insurance, and bonuses) the same way? Explain your
answers.

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Other than discrimination, some possible answers may be lifestyle
choice, hours of work related to family obligations and choices, vacation and other time off
preferences, flextime and telecommute option preferences, etc.

Discussion Questions for Objective 7.4:

1. How has the recession that began in 2007 affected you, your family and/or friends? How do you
think it will affect your future? What changes might you need to make in your life to deal with
this?

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Everyone has been affected directly or indirectly by the recession.
Students should be able to bring up examples of unemployment, lay-offs, underemployment, price
inflations, etc. affecting them.

2. What revolutionary changes have you seen in a business or institution you are familiar with?
What caused this organization to change radically? What was the effect on the organization’s
individual consumers? How did this change affect your perception of the organization?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary.

Discussion Questions for Objective 7.5:

1. Think about a change you attempted this year in school (such as a change in study habits, your
social life, or your extracurricular activities). Identify the status quo before you made the change.
Identify the forces for this change (those that helped you) and the forces against this change (those
that interfered) during the unfreezing process. What could you have done to capitalize on the
forces that helped you while minimizing those that did not?

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Typically, situations for students can become out of hand fairly
quickly when they are just starting out. Their study habits and social life are not always, if ever,
balanced enough to make for an optimal experience. Some students may adjust their social life to
where they only party on weekends and devote themselves to schoolwork the entire week after a
poor performance their first semester. Certainly, parental pressure would be a dominant force for
changing one’s behavior in favor of studying rather than socializing. Peer group pressure, on the
other hand, is typically a force against changing one’s socializing in favor of studying.

2. How does the permanent white water metaphor apply to your life?

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. There are many factors involved in creating permanent white water in
one’s life. Constant change in technology, the economy and job market, and environmental
instability contribute greatly to the turbulence one may feel in one’s life at any one time. The best
way to deal with this constant disruption of one’s equilibrium is to seek opportunities to get away
from the pressures and demands of these forces through brief vacations or planned downtime.

Discussion Questions for Objective 7.6:

1. Consider a change that you encouraged in your family, a group, or a team at school or work.
What did you do to ensure that people were ready for change? Did it work? Why or why not?

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. The first thing you would do is ensure that people feel a need for
change. Human nature is somewhat inclined to avoid change but rather seek stasis. You next need
to ensure that you have the right people involved in the change. Next, you would create a vision of
where that group, team, or family will eventually be after the change – what is the vision? You
would then communicate effectively what that vision is. Next you would solicit advocacy for the
change from the right people involved. A few short-term victories help drive the vision forward.
Consolidate those victories and drive toward more change. Recognize and acknowledge when the
change has occurred.

2. What are some of the small victories that you have had in your school career? How did these
victories contribute to changes in your behavior or aspirations?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary.

Discussion Questions for Objective 7.7:

1. Draft a plan to interview people about a group or organization to which you belong. Now,
generate a list of things that might happen to the group or organization as a result of your
interviews (e.g., people would be curious about what you are doing or they might talk to each other
about your questions).

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary.

2. Have you ever participated in a leadership development program at work or school? What
competencies did you work on? Did the program help you change? Why or why not?

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. When it comes to change, many of the right competencies relate to
emotional intelligence. For example, to understand and manage change, it is essential to develop
one’s capacity for social awareness by building empathy and organizational awareness. To create
and implement change initiatives you need to read people’s needs and desires accurately and
understand how various factors (such as culture and politics) affect the organization/program.

Discussion Questions for Objective 7.8:

1. Look at Exhibit 7.17. For each of the 10 tips on managing resistance and leading change, note
some concrete actions you can take to help bring about change in a group at work or at school.

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Suppose you need members of your soccer club at your college to
participate more in the day to day tasks of running the club. The first thing you must do is pay
attention to how you respond emotionally to the tasks that are not getting done. Next, you need to
be aware that people in the club may respond positively to taking on some of the tasks. Next, don’t
try to force people to do the extra work. Next, don’t immediately take on control of assigning out
tasks to the members like an autocrat. Next, try to understand how you would feel if confronted
with more work and responsibilities within the club. Next, focus on the goal of the extra work, to
be the most efficiently run and most successful soccer club the college has had, and drive that
vision to the club. Next, be patient with people’s resistance and opposition. Encourage resolution
and collaboration. Negotiate the task assignments with every one’s interests in mind. Be honest
with the club about how you feel and what really needs to get done. Role model the behavior you
expect from others.

2. When you encounter change that you do not like, do you face it head on or tend to hide from it?
Do you take time to reflect on issues and emotions during unwanted change? How do you spend
that time? Have you built strong relationships to help support you through difficult times?

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary.

END OF CHAPTER ACTIVITIES: EXPERIENCING LEADERSHIP

Leading in a Global World: Gender Diversity

A large, multinational oil and gas company, Giant Oil, has recently recognized that it has no
women in senior management or leadership positions. The organization wants to change that
situation. The executive team has decided to institute a Women’s Leadership Program that focuses
specifically on developing female employees to take on more senior level management and
leadership roles. The executive team wants to roll out this program globally; however, they
recognize that there may be cultural resistance in some of the Asian, European, and African
offices. Additionally, some of the candidates for the program expressed concern that they may not
be taken seriously by their male colleagues. These same women have also stated that they don’t
want to be “token” women in Giant’s management structure.

Using Shea’s Levers of Change in the work system, answer the following questions.
1. Which levers of change should Giant focus on? Why?
2. Shea claims that it is as important to identify what not to do as it is to identify what to do. What
do you think Giant can afford to ignore? Conversely, what should be their top three priorities?

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. In some way, to be totally integrative and impactful, all eight levers
will have an impact and need change:

• Basic structure of the Organization

• Physical and virtual Workplace Design
• Business processes, pathways, and protocols that make up Tasks
• Human resources in the form of People and Skills
• The offering and allocation of Rewards
• Data collection in the form of Measurements
• Modes and types of Information Distribution
• Who makes what decisions, or Decision Allocation

However, the top three to focus on for this change should be people, rewards, and tasks.
Organization structure and information distribution can take the back stage.

Learning objective: Describe which practical models are useful tools for managing change in
organizations
Course level objective: Describe the change process and strategies for making changes in an
organization; Explain the influences of organizational culture; Describe the components of the
management environment, Discuss different ways managers work with and promote diversity in
organizations
AACSB: Multicultural and diversity understanding; Dynamics of the global economy; Reflective
thinking skills

Leading with Emotional Intelligence: Change, Then and Now

In organizations, families, and life, change is inevitable and constant. The way we handle
change—by adjusting to it, resisting it, or embracing it—depends in part on our degree of
emotional intelligence. Organizations change to remain relevant, productive, and profitable. The
same can be said about you—you change to remain relevant, productive, and profitable—and your
education should be a transformative experience that guides you in this direction. Review the
Gestalt cycle of experience. Now, think back on yourself when you were in high school. Consider
the ways you have changed in that relatively short span of time.

1. Make a brief list of the type of person you were back then—shy, outgoing, humble, geeky, etc.
Be honest with yourself. How have you changed in terms of self-awareness and managing your
emotions? How do you handle relationships differently now?
2. Choose one obvious and powerful change that you have experienced since that time. It may be
the beginning or ending of a relationship, deciding to go or not go to college, or deciding on a
profession or major.
3. Apply the Gestalt cycle of experience to that change. Identify when you first became aware that
a change was needed. How did you energize yourself to make a move? What action(s) did you
take? Pay particular attention to the way you felt during the course of the change. Were you
excited, afraid, or confused? Compare your feelings with where you are now relative to where you
were before, during, and after the change. Are you more mature? Are you a better person for the
change?

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary.

Learning objective: Define change; Learn how you and other people change.
Course level objective: Discuss the factors that affect how individuals behave and learn within an
organization; Describe the change process and strategies for making changes in an organization
AACSB: Communication abilities; Reflective thinking skills; Analytic skills.

Leading with Critical Thinking Skills: Eight Stages for Participation

Change in organizations can be slow, time-consuming, and sometimes counter-productive. Unless

it is done right, organizational change can be a nightmare for the management team and
employees. Practical models can help organizations make smooth transitions from old to new. John
Kotter’s Eight-Stage Change Model, for instance, is useful in focusing the energy of the
organizational change process on desired goals and objectives.

Break into teams. Imagine it is Jan 2, 2025, and that your team is the student government
organization. Since the start of the fall semester, you have been struggling with indifference and
low participation in your sponsored events and activities. You continually lose money on the
events and the dean has threatened to cut your budget by 50 percent if attendance doesn’t increase
by 25 percent by the end of the summer. Using Kotter’s Eight-Stage Change Model, create a plan
to change participation and interest in your events.

1. How will you create a sense of urgency among the student body? How will you engage them
logically and emotionally?
2. Do you have the right people onboard? Who else might you need?
3. What is your vision for the student body?
4. Do you have a robust communication plan?
5. Have you engaged a team of advocates outside of your team?
6. What small gains can you achieve to build momentum?
7. How will you continue the momentum?
8. What does success, or change, look like for your team? For your school?

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Answer to the above 8 questions follow Kotter’s Eight Stages of
Organizational Change:
Stage 1: Ensure that people feel an urgent need for change.
Stage 2: Get the right people involved to lead change.
Stage 3: Create a new strategic vision.
Stage 4: Make sure the new vision is effectively communicated.
Stage 5: Empower a broad group of change agents.
Stage 6: Successfully pull off short-term victories.
Stage 7: Consolidate the victories and go after more changes.
Stage 8: Solidify the change in the organizational culture.

Students should be encouraged to think out the change process not only for this exercise of 2025,
but it is possibly a real situation that they are facing in their student organization today. Sense of
urgency for change is very important first step as it sets the stage for moving forward. Next,
getting the right people who are action oriented and believe in doing as opposed to just talking is
crucial. Helping students go through this exercise in teams can help in their student organizations
today as well as in other aspects of their life.

Learning objective: Recognize drivers of change in organizations, Describe which practical

models are useful tools for managing change in organizations.
Course level objective: Describe the roles of managers and the skills they need to succeed within
an organization; Identify the steps of the strategic management process and describe common
organizational and business strategies; Identify the different types of decisions managers make and
discuss how they make decisions, Describe communication skills and the factors affecting
communication within an organization; Describe the change process and strategies for making
changes in an organization
AACSB: Analytic skills; Reflective thinking skills

Ethical Leadership: Foreclosuregate

The incremental changes that led to the worldwide financial crisis of the last decade have had far-
reaching effects for consumers, particularly homeowners. For instance, when subprime lending
changed the traditional rules for mortgage qualification, people who would not previously have
qualified for a mortgage were given loans and home sales skyrocketed. Then, when the economic
crisis burst the housing bubble, foreclosures skyrocketed.

In small groups, research the robo-signing mortgage foreclosure debacle, or “Foreclosuregate,” of

the last few years. Robo-signing is a term used by consumer advocates to describe the robotic
process involved in the mass production of false and forged execution of mortgage foreclosures
and other legal documents related to foreclosures. Too often, for example, mortgage company
employees would sign off on these foreclosures when the notaries and witnesses required were not
present. Once you have identified the issue(s), answer the following questions:

1. Do employees of banks and mortgage companies have an ethical obligation to question the
process of mass robo-signing? Who has ultimate responsibility for the mistreatment of hundreds of
thousands of homeowners by banks and lenders?
2. Is it OK to change the rules (by not having notaries and witnesses present at foreclosure
signings) in an attempt to remedy an issue that began when lending rules changed (with subprime
lending)?
3. What ethical issues are apparent in the practice of robo-signing?
4. Identify whether actual laws were broken and where the line between unethical and illegal may
have been crossed.
5. It is easy to assume that all responsibility for this debacle lies with banks and their employees.
What about customers? How can/should customers attempt to gather information about a loan
before they sign? What if there are roadblocks to getting information? What if customers realize
they don’t understand the “fine print”?
6. Identify some of the changes that need to occur to prevent this from happening again.

Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. The entire practice of robo-signing was wrong and unethical. The
banks engaged in such practices were committing illegal and unethical acts where in some
instances few people were hired to sign someone else’s names just to get by with an impression
that process was followed. This led to not following “due diligence” and ultimately collapse of the
housing market and financial crisis. Not only banks and its employees but also the consumers were
responsible in this action. Stricter guidelines and procedures and oversight need to be instituted
with stricter sentences levied on violators.

Learning objective: Identify the difference between incremental and transformational change.
Course level objective: Describe the roles of managers and the skills they need to succeed within
an organization; Discuss the role of ethics and social responsibility in management; Describe
communication skills and the factors affecting communication within an organization; Describe
the change process and strategies for making changes in an organization
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning abilities; Reflective thinking skills
ADDITIONAL SUPPORTING MATERIALS

VIDEOS

• Google: New Leadership and Organizational Change

“When Eric started at Google, his job was largely centered around providing some organizational
design. The culture was working well but the company needed more structure. He hired a financial
and controller system, instituted staff meetings and set and reviewed quarterly objectives.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ83MffY3lI

• IBM Study: Making Change Work

“IBM announced the results of a study of more than 1,500 change management executives from 15
countries, which reveals that nearly 60 percent of projects aimed at achieving business change do
not fully meet their objectives.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ol9zYw4Chg&feature=related

• Change Management - 30-Second Management Training Course

“Our 30-Second Management Training course teaches you the fundamentals of change
management in the time it takes to tie your shoelace.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpuHUiy_xog&feature=related

• Liz Coleman's call to reinvent liberal arts education

“Bennington president Liz Coleman delivers a call-to-arms for radical reform in higher education.
Bucking the trend to push students toward increasingly narrow areas of study, she proposes a truly
cross-disciplinary education -- one that dynamically combines all areas of study to address the
great problems of our day.”
http://www.ted.com/talks/liz_coleman_s_call_to_reinvent_liberal_arts_education.html

• VS Ramachandran: The neurons that shaped civilization

“Neuroscientist Vilayanur Ramachandran outlines the fascinating functions of mirror neurons.

Only recently discovered, these neurons allow us to learn complex social behaviors, some of which
formed the foundations of human civilization as we know it.”
http://www.ted.com/talks/vs_ramachandran_the_neurons_that_shaped_civilization.html

• Bill Strickland makes change with a slide show

“Bill Strickland tells a quiet and astonishing tale of redemption through arts, music, and unlikely
partnerships.”
http://www.ted.com/talks/bill_strickland_makes_change_with_a_slide_show.html
INDIVIDUAL EXERCISES

1. “Things do not change; we change.” H.D. Thoreau

“He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects
progress is the cemetery.” Harold Wilson

“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.” Maya
Angelou

”All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward.” Ellen Glasgow

Begin this exercise by discussing all or any of the four quotes on change above. Encourage them to
reflect on the changes they have seen in themselves, their family and friends, in the world in
general. After 15 or 20 minutes of discussion, ask students to identify and list three things about
themselves that have changed since they started college. Have them note whether the changes were
good or bad. Next, ask them to make a list of three things they hope to change while they are in
college either in themselves or outside themselves (and why). Encourage them to share with the
class

2. Break the class into small groups. Have them pick something- a policy, a process, a plan – of the
university’s that they would like to see changed. Have them elaborate on what needs to be
changed, why change is needed, and how, as a team, would they go about socializing and gaining
support for the change. Lastly, have them define how they plan to implement the change.

3. Ask students to think about something they want to change in their life. It could be they want to
change their study habits, improve their skill at a particular sport, or they may want to change their
major. Tell them to use the Gestalt cycle of experience applied to change (page 239). Have them
share their results in pairs and then ask for volunteers to share with the class.

4. The change process involves identifying the ideal self, examining one’s current state, real self,
to identify gaps, and then creating a personal plan that works to narrow or eliminate those gap(s).
Ask students to think about one or two of the biggest successful changes they have had to face in
their lives. Next, ask them to consider the change(s) in terms of intentional change. Have them
answer the following questions:
Was the change easy? Was the change difficult? What part, if any, did hope and optimism play in
the change? If faced with the same challenge to change today, would they make the same
decisions, follow the same process?

5. Divide students up into triads. Next, ask them to pick a hot topic on campus that has received a
lot of attention lately. It could be a proposed tuition hike, decreased funding for the humanities, or
a push for healthier food in the cafeterias. Ask them to become change agents for that particular
problem. Remind them that they will need to identify the sources of power that can actually effect
change and how they can influence those sources. Next, they will need to identify organizational
resources that they can leverage. Additionally, they will need to identify how they can influence
the agenda and participate in decision-making on the issue. They will also need to identify how
management of meaning can be leveraged to help in the process. Ask for volunteers to share with
the class. Also, ask the rest of the class to participate in identifying gaps, missed opportunities, or
overlooked elements of the change agent process.

TEAM EXERCISE

CREATE YOUR OWN BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Business author Jim Collins, Built to Last and Good to Great, discusses creating a board of
directors for himself when he was a young man. He asked people he knew, trusted, and respected
to help guide him on the right life path taking into consideration his skills and competencies. He
chose 8 people with whom he maintained regular contact, discussing his personal mission and
vision statements, his progress and his challenges. He asserts that it made all the difference in the
world to him and his success.
Ask each student to draw a large rectangle on a piece of paper. Tell them that the rectangle is a
table. Ask them to make a list of people, approximately 6-8, that they know who have been a
positive influence on them; who have helped them change. Have them place these people around
the table as their own personal board of directors. Have them label the strengths and qualities of
each “member” as a way to identify what each brings to the table and their own personal
development. Tell them to consider the two ends of the table are reserved for the most influential 2
people they have identified. Have them consider following up with their list of people as possible
mentors to them.

Additional Research

Managing Change Personally

Learning and change comes easy to children. As adults, this is often not the case. Scholars have
long been interested in how our minds respond to change—basically, how adults learn new
behaviors and different ways of dealing with the world. Scholars David Rock and Jeffrey Schwartz
note that success in leadership often depends on the ability to change the behavior of others to
successfully face new challenges.1 But for most adults, change is pain. It makes them feel
uncomfortable. Part of the reason is that the mind can function efficiently along well laid out
neural pathways, where conscious attention is not needed. However, the working memory is
limited and memory overload can lead quickly to fatigue. However, the act of simply paying
attention corresponds to real chemical and physical changes that occur in the brain in the form of
new neural pathways. As practice continues, these pathways become stronger and more efficient.2
Psychologist Paul Waring has referred to this process as “coaching the brain.”3

In their book Primal Leadership, scholars Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie
McKee harness emotions to implement change.4 The limic system, the seat of our emotions, is the
key to access and control of the rest of the brain. This is because emotions are the primal drivers of
attention. But emotional intelligence is required to ensure that the emotions guide growth in the
thinking brain rather than hijack it with anxieties and fears that have little to do with survival.5
One way of doing this is to develop and foster optimism. Optimism allows you to control your
emotions and where to focus attention. It also changes the way you perceive the world, which has
an effect on health, decision-making, and productive change.6 Learning optimism is a form of
“cognitive therapy” and is particularly useful in coping with stress, which is a constant companion
for most managers in today’s organizations.7 Scholars have also noted optimism’s effect on
cultivating resiliency and focus on attainment of goals.8

1
Rock, David and Schwartz, Jeffrey. 2007. The neuroscience of leadership. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 16, 3, 10-
17.
2
Ibid.
3
Waring, Paul. 2008. Coaching the brain. The Coaching Psychologist, 4, 2, 10-16.
4
Goleman, Daniel, Boyatzis, Richard E. and McKee, Annie. 2002. Primal leadership: learning to lead with emotional
intelligence. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
5
Ibid.
6
Seligman, Martin. 1998. Learned optimism: how to change your mind and your life. New York: Pocket Books.
7
Scheier, Michael F. and Carver, Charles S. 1992. Effects of optimism on psychological and physical well-being:
theoretical overview and empirical update. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 16, 2, 201-228.
8
Ibid.