Change management books
Just in time for Christmas – here are some books which I have found to be useful for change management in several ways.
Images of Organization by Gareth Morgan shows how the ways in which we view organizations and the metaphors we use affect how we manage. The other books contain a range of insights into the organization change process.
Caldwell’s work (Agency and Change) is more theoretical. It looks at how the tension between agency and structure to investigate how people as change agents can affect the way change initiatives in their organization progress.
Understanding Organizational Change by Dawson is aimed at MBA students. Nevertheless, it should be read by people in organizations because of the way it emphasises taking a view of change at all levels of the organiztion.
Finally, the Handbuch Change-Management has been written by some prominent German experts. It provides a comprehensive view of change and change management.
Cisco change management video
Here is a video from Cisco about change. It is a bit superficial, but makes some important points about planning and leadership.
The Contexts of Organizational Change
Organizations do not exist in a vacuum. The model of organizational change that I developed specifically takes account of what I call the external context. This includes – but is not limited to – developments that directly affect the financial aspects of business.
As the outer context changes, my model suggests that this then has an affect on any change processes that are taking place in an organization. The Euro is now losingvalue against the dollar.
Let’s assume that your organization is going through some change initiatives that require money (and they all do). How are you going to manage that? Will you change the scope of the change? Carry on anyway? One thing is certain – the change you began with will not be the same change that you end with.
“Bad” changes – a silver lining
During difficult financial times, organizations are changing. Often, this means that people lose their jobs. This type of change has more of an effect that just about anything else that happens in the workplace.
Sometimes, people use this change in their own circumstances to reappraise their life. Of course, this isn’t easy. But it is possible to end up with a positive outcome – people can set up their own businesses, sometimes even find a better job, or do some retraining. We must force ourselves to look for the silver lining.
Beer, Berlin and Organizational Change Management
I came across this interesting article from last year by Stefan Stern on the Financial Times web site – Bosses with a thirst 
for change. I live in Berlin, so his discussion of how the managers of brewing firms in the former East Germany adapted to the fall of the Berlin wall was interesting for two reasons.
Reason 1 – I like the beer
Reason 2 – the managers showed a great deal of skill in adapting to the changing business environment (what we at Turris Consulting call the external change context).
Good questions for organizational change management
“What kind of employees do you want? What kind of organisation do you want?”
These questions are posed in an FT book review that you can read here. No matter how you answer them, you need to do some organizational change to have the kind of organization you want.
But before you decide, here’s a tip — speak to the employees first. They will tell you what organizational change is needed.
