Change Ahead: Working in a Post 9 11 World

CHANGE AHEAD Wohina Post 911 1World

Copyrrght O 2005 Pat Gill Webbet All rights reserved. ISBN: 1-4196-1388-X To order additional copies, please contact us. BookSurgc, LLC . www.beoksurgc.com 1-866-308-6235 [email protected]

Change Ahead Working In A Post 9/11 World

Dr. Pat Gill Webber

Change Ahead

TABLE OF CONTENTS Ways to Read this Book Forward Narrative Objective

xix

Part I: The Big Picture Synopsis and Implications Chapter I - Background Chapter 2 - The Economic, Political, and Cultural Context .

-

Chapter 3 The Nature of the Organization Chapter 4 - Conclusion Part 11: Phase I Research: The Myth of Change Resistance Synopsis and Implications

33

Chapter 5 - More Pro-Change than We Knew

35

Chapter 6 - 9/11 and Other Change Levers

51

Chapter 7 - Conclusion

69

Part 111: Phase I1 of Research: A Closer Look at Attitudes and Behaviors Related to Change at Work Synopsis and Implications

-

73

Chapter 8 A New Group of Participants

77

Chapter 9 - S ~ t e that s Shlned

95

-

Chapter I0 Our "Mixed Bag" Sites Chapter 11

- Conclusion Part IV: Recommendations for Action

Synopsis and Implications Chapter 12 - Making Meaning from Research Post Script Biographical Summary Part

V: Resources

Synopsis Statistics Appendix Reference Bibliography Resource Bibliography Organizational Change and Transformation Personal Change and Transformation Post 9/11 Starting Over Index

SPECIAL RECOGNITION T h i s book would never have happened without t w o very special people. Although dozens o f colleagues and friends helped make the book happen, t w o were there throughout and deserve special t h a n k s a n d recognition. Simply p u t , they made the book possible and they made the book what it is. T h e y are b o t h in a sense my coauthors in this endeavor. T h e first is Dr. T h a n o s Patelis. T h a n o s is a brilliant statistician, a wonderf u l thinker and educator whose work at t h e College Board and a t many universities is respected a n d admired. H i s clear mind, and his ability t o synthesize a n d organize cannot bc overestimated. H i s help in shaping the ideas o f the book, and most importantly his help i n discovering the best ways t o find t h e data we were looking for, made this book possible. Dr. T h a n o s Patelis was my SLIpport, colleague, and partner in this endeavor. W i t h o u t his hard work, advice, support, a n d strength this book would never have seen the light o f day. T h a n k you T h a n o s . T h e second person whose work made this book possible is Noel Appel. Noel is a woman of many talents-a writer, editor, and executive in development in her own right. No:] has been a help, support, a n d g ~ ~ i d i nlight g from the earliest days when I was starting t o t h i n k about the book, pull together resources, and t h i n k through what I wanted t o write about. Noel did many things in this book-she edited, worked t o develop bibliographies, and oversaw a n d organized the whole writing process. N o e l Appel was my coach, colleague, and supreme helper In l n a k ~ n gthts book posstble. T h ~ ts s also your book Noel. T h a n k you.

WAYS TO READ THIS BOOK

M a n y people love t o read research. M o r e d o not. M u c h o f this book is a review o f research we conducted a n d a n analysis o f what that research means. I f you are a person in H u m a n Resources management, a leader interested in the details o f how one o r another site o r g r o u p responded t o questions, a researcher o r professor who wants to know the details-read the book cover t o cover-you will love the detail, the graphs, a n d all the weight o f research behind o u r elid o f book recomn~endations.You might also add your own thinking to o u r research findings and come u p with some new and different ideas o f how t o use the research data for your o w n needs. W e welcome and encourage such interaction . with o u r work. I f you are a "bottotn line" sort o f person-a leader looking for an idea o f what in the world your colleagites a n d staff are thinking, a n answer t o t h e question o f whether o r not people are change adverse, an individual wondering what others are thinking at work and if you are alone, o r a n organizational change leader looking for some clear a n d straight forward strategy advice that is based o n reality and facts rather than just someone's opinions, you might want t o look at specific portions o f this book and get the key points we learned from o u r research initiative and consider o u r specific strategies based o n the research results. Here is how t o d o that. Read the Forward t o know who P a t Gill Webber is. I wrote the vast majority o f the book and a m the key author. T h i s tells you where I a m "coming from" so you can understand my biases while reading the book. Read the Narrative Objective t o understand what the research and the hook was designed to do. T h e n read the synopsis and implications for Parts I, 11,and 111o f the book which cover all the research we did to understand the world'at the current time, what people a r e thinking about change, and how people are handling change a t work. A t that point p o c e e d directly t o Part IV t o read the synopsis, the implications, and the whole chapter for specific recommendations based o n o u r months and years o f research a n d hundreds of hours o f thinking. Finally, look at the synopsis o f Part V which tells you about the references a n d resources available here. T h i s recommended set o f material is less than 60 pages. I € you have the time o r interest, you c a n g o back into the first three parts to read the details o f both phases o f o u r research and o u r overview o f the "Big Picture" as we call it, the details o f the organizations we worked with in depth and the analysis o f the FopuIations we 300 people in phase one and over 600 people in phase two. worked with-over

W e hope this helps you navigate t h e book a n d gain f r o m it what you need a n d want. W e hope as well that if you have any unanswered questions o r want t o share your thoughts o r thinking o n some aspect o f the book, yo11will contact me at [email protected]

Pat Gill Webber Sumlner 2005

For Derlnis

We love you and miss you. Your suppon earb 011 meant the world to me arzd still does.

And) For BilL For all we have shared,for all we are, atid all we will be) tharik you.

tlon not just t o the need for change, but the way we organlze o r develop change. I n Terms of Engagemertt: Changing the W a y We Change Organizations, Richard Axelrod's c r i t i c a l work o n changing the change paradigm introduced t o a broader audience a new approach t o change that at its core creates a wider circle o f e,ngagement and a more expansive method of change management. T h i s work was an important part o f the change literature, bringing t o public awareness that the need for people t o be adaptive a n d flexible extended t o their organizations. T h e need then for individuals t o be more open t o change a n d more mature in their thinking is a given ifunstated assumption o f personal and organizational change. M y colleague, Dr. T h a n o s Patelis, a n d I believe t h a t this was a missing piece in the current literature o f personal and organizational change. Simply put, the need (or people to be open t o change appears t o be a given, but we did not believe we had much data o n how, if at all, individuals were evolving and shifting their perceptions about personal o r organizational change. W i t h o u t this data, people and organizations were left t o make assumptions about attitudes and beliefs that might be outdated o r incorrect. Although managers and leaders might t h i n k they know that folks don'c like change, their knowledge of individuals' actual feelings and actions related t o change were not, and are not, easily accessible. Since the m i d - 9 0 s considerable work has focused o n leaders and how they need t o evolve t o meet t h e needs,of change and globalization. I have been involved in some o f this movement. W e know that competency models developed in the 7 0 s and 8 0 s were essentially incomplete as we faced the 9 0 s and the early years o f the 21st century. T h i s updating o f leadership models is a positive developmcnt in o u r field and is creating new a n d emerging approaches t h a t reach beyond the good efforts of the previous decades. Managers and leaders remain the main means o f culture-forming in organizations as well as the producers o f bottomline success o r failure o f any organization. T h e i r influence o n how organizations operate a n d facilitate change cannot be overestimated. There has also been considerable focus o n strategies o f change a n d transformation which help shed light o n approaches that work more rffcctively than others t o creatc enduring organizations o f value. Books like Good to Great: Why Sotlie Companies Make the Leap. . .aud Others Don't (Collins, 2001) a n d What Really Works:

The 4+2 Formula f o r Sustarned Busiiless Success (Joyce, Nohria, 2003) discuss research that has provided approaches and strategies t h a t enable organizations t o meet the challenges o f increased globalization. Complexity theory a n d science also entered the mainstream o f business thought as sophisticated thinkers in organizations began t o fathom the importance o f massive shifts and nonlinear change that affect how change occurs. But, as noted above, less attention has been paid t o t h e shifting thinking patterns, developmental levels, and abilities t o manage and deal with change of XVL

FORWARD I have always been interested in the ways people change and grow t o meet life's challenges. From the time I began teaching (1970) and counseling (1973), that interest has focused on helping individuals develop resilience and competence in work and success as a person in an increasingly complex world. After I obtained a second masters degree in business (I979), my work focused almost exclusively on the world o f work, where helping individuals develop competencies and attitudes for success also meant helping the organization itself t o survive and thrive. T h i s dual perspective o f helping b o t h individuals a n d organizations has become my life's work. It has continued t o evolve over the decades along with the world o f work. I n response t o those ongoing changes those o f u s in the developmental fields (both organizational development and personal transformation and development) continue t o focus o n how best to develop organizations-as well as leaders and staff-who have the capability t o create more effective and efficient organizations t o cope with increased competition and evolving global markets. T h e impetus to write this book came about after the early dust had settled after the tragedy df 9/11. T h e r e was a sense that this ilniq~leevent would be responsible for a deeper shift in individuals' thinking and responding t o change. Inevitably, it seemed t o me, these shifts in thinking would begin t o influence the way people behave and cope with b o t h disaster a n d other less tragic but not necessarily less i~idividuallytraumatic events at their places o f work. After more than 30 years o f working in organizations, it has become clear to some o f us in the change management business that people were already evolving their thinking and attitudes toward work and their lives more broadly. Could 9/11 and its accompanying cultural changes tip the scales and hasten even broader changes in people's thinking and behavior that would influence their elnotional intelligence, behavior, and adaptation t o change at work? Are people's evolution; in perceptions and thinking being considered by organizations as chey embrace needed change? For a long time, many i n the human resource development field have felt that the methods and approaches organizations employ t o create and foster change, as well as the ways management deals with people and their livelihoods, were increasingly outdated. I f for no other reason than that change initiatives often failed, we a n d others continue to believe that therc needs t o be continued atten-

all staff. D r . Patelis a n d I believe that this would be both a n interesting and highly relevant area o f inquiry. If, in fact, people at work were more o r less open in their thinking regarding chinge, this information would support leaders who are attempting t o create greater change and transformation. Such a n inquiry would also help practitioners in the field who work with strategy approaches requiring involvement o f all staff to make progress. Finally, it helps organizations' human resoLrrce strategies and approaches in areas as diverse as selection, recruitment, development, a n d reward, which need t o consider the evolving nature o f worker perceptions. T h e point o f writing the book was to reflect upon where p o p l e "are" in their thinking and openness t o dealing with change, as well as assess their emotional intelligence as a means t o implement appropriate behaviors for organizational and personal change and success. Secondly, this book would suggest ways that might be more helpfill in working within organizations t o create the processes and approaches to work, livelihood, and success that bring a n organization t o life and sustains its energy in ongoing a n d relentlessly changing times. T h e recommendations made would evolve from the data we gathered indicating what workers are ahle and willing t o d o based o n where they "are." For while best practices may suggest one o r another strategy, we wanted t o know for sure what people were capable o f given o u r research before we recommended any specific actions. Charge Ahead is a melding o f t w o phases o f research designed t o explore the evolving thinking and emotional maturity and intelligence o f people who work in organizations. T h e first piece is broad a n d includes a survey that sought a large diverse population o f people in different age groups and parts o f the country and the world who could share with us their thinking about change and behavior post-9/11. A series o f interviews were also conducted t o attain more in-depth insight into how people's lives changed after this tragedy. T h e second part o f the research was conducted at organizations where we tried t o assess where people were in their work lives by understanding t h e specific conditions that existed in these organizations, and to consider people's emotional intelligence and reactions t o change given those conditions. W e grounded both pieces in an overview o f the current "Big Picture" of where the world is and where the world o f work is. W e felt this and d knowledge would provide a broad context upon which t o see and ~ ~ n d e r s t a nthe research data. I n a sense, it is the broader framework which has set the stage and allowed for the current thinking and attitudes o f employees today. These two sets o f data were then blended wirh o u r knowledge o f the Big Picture t o determine ideas about how change approaches and processes might need t o evolve as people's own selves had evolved a n d what that might mean for organlzatlons

Finally, my coauthor and I collaborated t o develop and share lessons learned that we thought would be broadly helpful moving forward. It is our profound hope that this discussion o f the changing workforce will bring about more research, thought, and reflection among practitioners of organizational and personal change. I t is also o u r hope that it will add t o o u r field's understanding o f shifting perceptions and how important it is t o consider these when working in organizations. Finally, we hope ChangAhead enlightens the reader in their awareness of how they o r others they know and work with may have changed personally post-9/II (and sadly now post 7/7/05), and whether that change is consistent with some o f o u r considered observations and analysis. Pat Gill Webber S u m m e r 2005

'

NARRATIVE OBJECTIVE

T h e purpose o f this book is t o explore with the reader perceptions o f life post-9/11, the current workforce a n d their evolving views o n personal and organizational change, and their levels o f elnotional intelligence a n d capacity for coping with change and transformation in thcir work lives. I t is the secondary purpose o f this book t o share o u r insights into the implications o f this "shifting t~erspective" t o help support more effective personal a n d organizational change needed in today's increasingly complex world. I t is o u r goal t o reflect o n the general results o f a two-phase research process that was conducted as part o f the preparation o f this book. T h e first phase o f research involved selected in-depth interviews and a- survey o f attitudes toward personal and organizational change post-9/11. It was not assumed that 9/11 was a seminal event. W e explored what changes, if any, the subjects felt were happening t o t h e m o r t o their feelings a n d behavior post-9/11. T h i s process provided fascinating insights into the thinking o f a broad range o f people a n d an awareness o f their openness to the research. Phase one also explored whether people had perceived in themselves some type o f change that would predispose t h e m t o be more o r less open t o personal o r organizational change. Once the first phase of rhe research was complete in 2003, we worked with the data a n d began t o sense its relevance t o the world o f individual work performance a n d organizational performance. We identified a real shift in people's understanding o f themselves and what was important t o them. A n d we felt certain t h a t whether organizations of any type were paying attention o r not, people's shifting ideas, beliefs, a n d behaviors were having a p o f o u n d effect o n the culture o f organizations a n d their capacity t o cope with ~ l a n n e do r spontaneous changes. W h i l e it cannot be said that everyone was changed post the traumatic events o f 9/11 and the subsequent "war o n terrorism," many were changed i n subtle a n d not so subtle ways. These shifts in one's sense o f self, o f what one bel~ piece o f information lieves is important, were, in o u r view, an e x t r e ~ n erelevant for organizational change professionals, as well as for all managers and leaders in organizations. I f organizations are continuing t o face radical changes in their respective markets-and there is n o argument that they are-what happens t o strategies a n d individual performance when people shift their thinking and feelings ahout what is important and worth a commitment? T h e business literature has been quite helpfill in providing a variety o f excellent books a n d articles about strategies for change and new leadership ap-

proaches t o take o n the respons~bllltyfor these changes. T h e r e has been Increasing emphasis as well o n executive coaching strategies and the need for more coaching in light o f shifts in people's perceptions a n d their need for change. However, we did not see books a n d articles which explored the relationship between what is new in the minds, hearts, a n d behaviors o f workers at all levels a n d the impact o f this o n the creation o f transformation and change in organizations. T h i s represents a major missing link in the literature o n organ~zationalchange a n d individual performance. I n Part I o f t h e book we attempt t o set the stage for the research results by considering the broader framework t h a t o u r participants found themselves in during the first part o f the 2 I s t century. T h i s helps explain some o f why they may have responded t o the research questions as they did. T h e results o f the firsr phase o f survey research are described in Part 11. I n Part 111, we look a t the workplace itself a n d explore workers' real reactions t o actual organizational change. W e also looked at their levels o f elnotional intelligence which indicate the behaviors they are capable o f using and use t o work, given the changes they are experiencing. W h i l e the first phase o f t h e research asked a n d focused o n what people feel, the second p a r t focused o n what their actual attitudes and skills are t o cope with real change in actual work situations. T h i s moved t h e research from opinion t o skills. For while many may SAY they are pro-change the proof as it were is in the real world o f work. W e end the book with suggest~onsfor individuals at work, as well as organizational change agents, managers, a n d leaders who have the bulk o f the responsibility to manage change. Leaders o r consultants have the challenging task o f providing expert counsel t o a n d working jointly with individuals throughout the organization, transforming modern institutions of all types with the goal o f helping t h e m prosper in t h e 21st century. I t is o u r hope that by more closely understanding t h e m i n d shifts and current emotional and behavioral strengths o f workers, efforts to create and sustain necessary change will be b o t h easier t o develop a n d more in keeping with the workers' needs and "abilities. Greater alignment between workers a n d organizational strategies will result in improved organizations with less stressed, more productive workers. T h e r e is n o a r g u m e n t t h a t t h e world o f business a n d nonprofits is enormously stressful and faster paced than ever before. O u r goal is to help ease this pressure a n d s u p p o r t individuals who will be more productive if they work in less pressured and insecure workplaces. W e also want t o help organizational leaders who desperately need emFloyees who are open and willing t o participate in the changes t h a t will ensure success in increasingly challenging markets. W e hope this book proves valuable t o those in b o t h the for-profit a n d nonprofit fields-in private industry a n d the public sector. N o organizations are im-

mune t o change, and n o individual who is employed 'can expect t o work without fairly consistent changes o f one type o r another. Essentially we t o o k a snapshot of people in the 2002 t o 2004 timeframe and have attempted t o share what are the critical trends in this population ofworkers. W e hope that as a result o f this d i s c ~ ~ s s i o an ,specific and textured conversation within your o w n organization will ensue. W e further hope that this dialogue will enhance your knowledge of the challenges you face so that they can be addressed with a conscious understanding o f where you and/or your employees are emotionally a n d behaviorally. T h i s expertise related t o the feeling and behaviors o f you and your staff should play a critical role in influencing how your organization can thrive in the 21st century.

PART I

The Big Picture

CHANGE AHEAD

SYNOPSIS AND IMPLICATIONS

People d o not work o r live in a vacuum. T h e y live in a context-in a culture, a time, impacted by its issues and molded by attitudes prevalent in the society as a whole. T h e y are also impacted by the context o f the workplace a n d its leadership philosophy, strategies, a n d market approaches as well as a n organization's unique culture. W h e n we began o u r research into what people were thinking a b o u t change, and how they were dcaling with change in their lives post 9/11, we felt it was imperative t o have an understanding o f the world they were living in and how it might be impacting their thinking a n d behaviors. To d o that we essentially read about and then analyzed life in the United States in the early part o f the 2 I s t century, most especially as ir relates t o the workplace. I t is not t h a t we ignored the world a t large-far from it. But we limited o u r close inspection t o what was happening here, in the United States, and how this context would effect workers o f all types in any organization including nonprofits and global enterprises. W e focused o n t h e big issues including globalization, terrorism, a n d the new unstable world it has created, the culture wars with their relatively new strong "right" leaning impact as well as the more opcn culture including t h e shift toward self-development, self-determination, and self-llelp. W e explored the rise o f spirituality and its implications. All -of these forces were seen as impacting people a n d their mindsets. Mostly we felt that these forces were creating more sophisticated thinking, more open thinking patterns, and more maturity and complexity o f thought-but we did not yet have the research t o prove it. I n these four chapters o f part one, we also considered the current workplace. W e focused o n strategies a n d markets that we saw as evolving a n d moving quickly a n d decisively t o deal with pressures o f globalization. W e observed significant progress on creating organizations o f all types with strong process orientations and a realistic view o f competition. W e saw t o o a lag in leadership a n d management styles and approaches. g W e noted that despite vast improvements in many aspects o f r ~ ~ n n i norganizations, the management and leadership often were not as educated and sophisticatcd in their thinking a n d approaches due t o a lack o f strong investment in making t h a t happen. I n an o d d twist of events a n d implications, we saw organizations grappling with business realities in the broadest sense o f that term, but we did not see a n equal commitment t o modern and more effective leadership and management in many organizations. W e also touched o n the explosion o f technology and felt that its effect was far greater than many organizations may

PAT GILL WEBBER have thought-people exposed t o technology a t work use it more often and in broader ways than others. T h i s explosion in the uses o f technology we surmised was going t o increase the m i n d sets a n d thinking o f workers across the spectrum, making them more aware a n d Inore in touch with global realities, and more open minded a n d pro-change than their leaders o r organizations might suspect. T h e results o f o u r overview o f the world at large, o r what we call "the Big Picture," set the stage for o u r first phase o f research with people who we predicted would show more positive pro-change attitudes. W e h a d n o idea HOW pro-change those m i n d sets would be.

,

CHANGE AHEAD

CHAPTER I

Background T o understand how working people may have evolved a n d changed in their perspectives, we felt it was necessary t o discuss two areas that constitute the broader context o f the workplace. W e call this two-part context the Big Picture. First, we discuss the economic, political, a n d cultural context. Second, we discuss organizations as they are currently constituted and how they have evolved in the last few decades. Specifically in this second section o f Part I, we will focus o n three core issues related t o organizations. T h e s e three areas are: the state o f strategy and markets; the role o f lcadership and the nature o f employee a n d management relations; and the area o f change and technology. T h i s context explains in part why workers may feel o r t h i n k as they do. Later, i n Part 111 we discuss the specific situations o f the work sites where we conducted o u r research. Organizational contexts, the Big Picture, and the specific work situation o f any given company arc extremely relevant t o consider as organizations and individuals move forward. People d o not operate in a vacuum. Context is highly relevant although not entirely sufficient t o understanding people's perceptions. W e know from current thinking o n organizations that randomness a n d complexity are more o f a reality than order and consistency. As theorists a n d practitioners o f "the new science" tell LLS,organizations are unique and made u p o f multiple variables t h a t make thcm different. Simple rules o f cause and effect, efforts a t standardization, o r even best practices are n o t always relevant t o a deep understanding and leadership of today's organizations. T h e fact that all organizations are unique and continually reshaping themselves is a critical, somewhat obvious but sometimes overlooked consideration in implementing change strategies. Although lessons learned a n d best practices can be helpful, they can never be sufficient in developing change strategies for a specific organization. W e hope o u r research and shared insights will remind individuals and professionals seeking t o take part in personal change o r those t h a t are trying t o influence change within organizations that t o ignore either the broader context t h a t people work a n d live in, o r a specific organizational context that is ever-shifting, could d o o m a n otherwise carefully thought o u t and well designed change strategy. O u r Big Picture, as noted, is a combination o f the world a t large and the

PAT GILL WEBBER organization a t large. I n b o t h cases we observed a number o f large scale shifts well documented in many finely researched books addressing these aspects o f modern life. W e reference a n u m b e r o f these works i n o u r bibliography. Since we are not experts in these areas, we claim n o unique insights into how the world a t large has changed o r how cultural trends have evolved, b u t rather seek t o share o u r informed understanding based on others' work in these areas. W e looked t o T h o m a s Friedman and other societal observers and experts to inform us o f the move f r o m the cold war t o the world o f terrorism, a n d from a world shaped by division t o one shaped by integration. W e reviewed political books like The Emergirg Derilocratic Majority (Judis, Nohria, 2003) and W h a t ; the Matter with Kansas?: H o w Conservatives W o t ~the Heart of Anlerica (Frank, 2004), as well as the enormous outpouring o f analysis after t h e 2004 Presidential election t h a t ' demonstrated shifts from the liberal t o conservative (and in some cases back again) to gain insight into t h e evolving mindset o f voters a n d citizens about what constitutes effective and appropriate action for o u r government. To understand the forces that were changing cultural norms and social trends outsidc o f business, we looked a t the vast self-help a n d personal transformation literature, from Melody Beatty t o Louise Hay, from Dr. Deepak Chopra t o Dr. Wayne Dyer, a n d f r o m the hot-selling C h r i s t i a n books like the "left behind" series t o reflections o n changing structures o f more mainstream religions. I n terms o f business literature, we considered strategy books like W h a t Really Works: Thc 4+2 Fonilltlafor Suslairlcd Business Success (Joyce, Nohria, 2003) and Good to Great: W h y Sor~reCoriipairi~sMake the Leap. . .and Others Doll't (Collins, 2 0 0 I ) , leadership books such as Primal Leadership: Realizing t h Power ~ of En~otior~al~rrtelligena(Golernna, McKee, Boyatzis, 2002), and countless articles such as the special January 2004 issue o f t h e Harvard Business School related t o t h e topic. W e also considered The 8th Habit: Fro111 Effect~vei~essto Greatness (2004), Stephen Covey's new book, which does a terrific job o f summarizing large-scaIe changes in organizational life and the challenges resulting f r o m those shifts. W e considered the new science's effect o n business thinking, as well as strategy and trends in business from executive coaching t o an over-reliance o n technology. As with the first section o f O L I work ~ focusing o n the broader context, o u r purpose was t o consider consistent trends a n d conditions likely t o have shaped the Big Picture a n d hence impacted o u r subjects' feelings, thinking, and perceptions o f change a n d reactions to change. O u r plan was not t o offer a review o f all the history o f the recent past, nor to write a n extensive research review o f these topics as they might exist in a doctoral dissertation, but rather t o illuminate the broad context t h a t workers found themselves in during t h e early 2 I s t century. O u r intention was also t o create a springboard for study by a particular organization t h a t might be more o r less impacted by a given situation. It will be important t o organizations engaging in any change o r transformation effort to also spend time studying changes in their

CHANGE AHEAD industry. T h i s is a major issue that would a n d does create unique conditions t h a t impact all workers a n d leaders. By sharing the perspective we developed about the Big Picture, we also hope t b clarify some o i the conclusions we draw later in the text. W e began o u r research post 9/11 when we sensed as did many others t h a t life a n d work as we have known it in the United States had changed profoundly. First we considered how 9/11 a n d other events o f recent history have changed people's thinking and priorities. We thought that perhaps these changes would begin t o show u p in new trends and ways o f perceiving work that might help b o t h individuals and organizations learn t o be more prodi~ctivea n d effective despite increasing discordant a n d stressful times. People have been impacted a n d influenced in their thinking a n d perceptions by many aspects o f modern life. From a change in cohort thinking (boomers versus Xers and Echo Boomers) t o the catastrophe o f 9/11, t o their own personal evolution and journeys in life, people are evolving in what we see as appropriate ways. W e also reviewed Chargiilg Minds: Be Art and Science af Changing O u r O w n and Other Pfopk's Minds (2004) Howard Gardner's brilliant work o n the cognitive nature o f changing one's own a n d other's minds. T h i s seminal work also informed o u r thinking o n how best t o use people's current thinking and perceptions t o achieve influence in change situations. O u r research supports o u r belief that many workers have evolved away f r o m the stereotype o f the change adverse a n d change resistant worker who is fear based and needing management t o spin the reality o f what is going o n in organizational life. W h i l e some people (maybe a new minority?) may still strongly resist innovation, change, and complexity, many workers in organizations are more independent, interdependent, and sophisticated thinkers with some greater degrees o f emotional intelligence a n d openness t o change than commonly thought by the majority. O u r work suggests t h a t some o f that evolution is due to t h e influences o f the Big Picture as we have described it. Conversely, we observe t h a t the Big Picture demonstrates how some trends stem from what we consider a n improper use by media o r organizational leaders t o ~nisleadand damage people's ability t o t h i n k a n d grow personally and profcssionally. T h e "success" o f scare tactics o r other strategies t o gain political o r personal advantage has always been available t o those who wish t o manipulate. But with current technologies such as the web, and t h e concentration o f media ownership, it is now possible t o attempt and sometimes succeed in creating trends [ha; r u n counter t o the best long-term interest o f individuals and organizations. I n summary, many people at work are being underestimated. T h i s may create a problem for t h e new minority-those who, despite Big Picture a n d interpersonal changes, have themselves remained untouched by broader trends. T h i s 7

PAT GILL WEBBER new minority of those not open t o change may be the biggest issue with which we all need t o face. W e will address this issue in the last chapter o f the book where we consider implications o f o u r research. O u r book will illuminate what we have learned a b o u t today's workers, and how b o t h organizational leaders a n d individual workers will benefit personally and professionally from using t h a t awareness t o better thrive rather t h a n just survive in these tumultuous a n d exciting times.

CHANGE AHEAD

CHAPTER 2

The Economic, Political, and Cultural Context Globalization T h e r e are n o economic trends more influential on organizational life than the rise of globalization. "Globalization is the comprehensive term for the emergencc o f a global society in which economic, political, environmental, and cultural events in one part o f the world quickly come t o have significance for people in other parts o f the world.. .the most dramatic evidence o f globalization is the increase in trade and the movement o f capital.. ..by the early p a r t o f the 21st century more t h a n 1.5 trillion worth o f yen, euros, dollars and other currencies were traded daily to support expanded levels o f trade a n d investment." (William

K. Tabb for Microsoft

Encarta O n l i n e Encyclopedia 2004.) Organizations have come t o regard the global nature o f business as a given. Competition, workforce deployment, markets, and strategies are all affected by global trends. Even organizations that tnight not seem t o be directly effected are impacted. Universities, hospitals, schools, nonprofits, government agencies, o r even local small businesses from retail t o home improvement feel the pinch o f globalization in comparison with other nations, similar enterprises, b~rsinesses,and the flow o f employees into different fields. N o organization is immune. O n l y the most nai've would ignore global trends within one's industry o r career area. T h e good news is, finding this information about globalization o r trends (or any subject for that matter) has never been easier. Increasingly, data suggests many workers are availing thenlselves o f this type o f information. T h e growth o f the web (which allows instant access t o information exceeding any library) and its impact on communications, commerce, and p o P t ~ l a r culture cannot be overestimated. N o industry is untouched, n o work o r career unchanged by the constant growth o f the web and its transformational power t o share information. W h e r e one used t o need know-how and time t o investigate an issue, pursue leads into a story o f interest to one's field, o r d o a research paper o n the expanded ind~isrryone is in, all are now easily done with the support o f nearly universal search tools like Google o r Microsoft. Of course we are aware

PAT GILL WEBBER that a digital divide still exists. However, in terms o f o u r research, we focused o n working people w h o today have access t o computers and the Internet. All o f o u r o w n research was conducted o n t h e Internet through secure links t o surveys. T h e only exceptions were in-depth interviews which were conducted ~n person o r by phone. O n e m u s t assume that people who are exposed t o computers at work are using the web. I n fact research indicates t h a t the greater exposure t o technology at work o r school, t h e greater the general use and confidence in sing technology. Organizations would be wise to stay in touch with the depth and brcath o f what people are looking a t and learning from. I t is not at all uncommon for staff t o be more informed o n what is happening in their organizations via a web search than their own management. If something about one's organization is o u t o n the ,web, wise management assumes some if n o t many einployees know it. Keeping "secrets" has never been more difficult o r futile. W e see increased interest in a n d use o f the web as a means o f staying o n t o p o f trends a n d workplace issues. W i t h diminishing confidence in leaders and managers, workers are getting information they need through the web. T h e danger is the unregulated "standing in front o f the water cooler" nature o f information accuracy o n the web. W h i l e theoretically "news" o r information presented o n a news channel o r in a book o r credible newspaper may have some (source o f validity, there is n o editorial consistency o n the web. Any and all informed o r ill-informed opinions are out there for consumption. However, despite significant inaccuracies a n d outright lies, lnany people's sophistication is apparent in their own screening o f information. W h i l e it is likely true t h a t some if not many are ill served by web information that is hugely biased o r unsubstantiated, this is not significantly different t h a n people seeking only t o see o r hear other forms of information that coincides with their own already formed opinions. Research has suggested that those watching Fox o r CNN are more conservative o r more liberal respectively. I t seems people tend t o be drawn not t o objective reality-if any such thing existed-but rather t o the point o f view one already has developed. W e recommend a thorough reading o f b o t h the concept o f paradigms as presented by T h o m a s Kuhn's text The Strurture $S~ie~lt$r Revolutiotls (2996), and the popularization o f the concept developed expertly by Joel Barker's book Paradigins: The Busirlcss of Discoverillg the Future (1993). Collectively they provide a n excellent understanding o f the dilemina people face when trying to confront o r u n d o t h e established paradigms of any person o r group. W e again I Science $Changing Our Ow11and Other Peoplcj Minds mention Changing Minds: The A ~ and (2004), H o w a r d Gardner's book, since that is also relevant in terms o f understanding the formation o f ideas and opinions as well as difficulties in changing such once formed. It appears then that there is a dichotomy. O n the one hand, we are finding LO

CHANGE AHEAD many people whose sophistication and critical thinking is evolving, while a t the same time there is an ever-present danger that people's established ways o f thinking a n d seeing the world might make them unable t o see critically a r o u n d some important issues in their personal o r professional lives. T h i s attempt to change or shift people's paradigms is often the task o f change management programs o r other efforts t o reinvent institutions. It is n o wonder the challenge is s o great and the uncertainty o f reaching people s o complex. However, i f we are finding that change is more appreciated and understood by people, Hnd there is the use o f ly i n d i v i d ~ ~ arather ls than just inform more change strategies that a c t ~ ~ a l involve o r try t o persuade them, then t h e . d i l e m m a o r dichotomy is not as m u c h o f a n issue o r challenge. For the majority o f American workers, there is a recently developed perception t h a t jobs, work, careers, and the nature o f organizational life has been a n d will hc forever altered due to the forces o f globalization. N o longer just a threat re to blue collar jobs, many in white collar professions worry a b o u t the f ~ ~ t u and the availability o f good paying and secure positions. In many ways, the very idea o f a high paying secure job is itself a n anachronism. People appear t o understand at some visceral level that security comes from their own planning and responsibility for their work a n d career a n d not f r o m any organization o r job. People expect t o have multiple positions, a career that has stops and turns, a n d likely will involve more than four o r five organizations. those who had W h e n Enron collapsed, many were shocked-especially convinced themselves that this new organization was secure despite it not following the older established rules o f what made sense in business. M a n y others who were skeptical from the start o f "new economy paradigms" were silnply not surprised. T h i s understanding o f both the potential for greed o r malfeasance (Enron, WorldCom) and more benign but nonetheless enormously yowerful economic forces larger than any organization o r company (like outsourcing, downsizing, and productivity improvements resulting in fewer unskilled workers) scelns t o have risen as the forces o f globalization have continued t o influence the nature o f w o r k , the availability of work, and the remuneration for work. Peter Drucker, the 95-year old management guru, tells Fortune magazine in O c t o b e r

2003 that, " T h e dominance o f the United States is already over. W h a t is cmerging is a world economy o f blocs represented by N A F T A , the European Union, and A S E A N . There's n o one center in this world economy. India is becoming a powerhouse very fast. T h e medical school in N e w D e l h i is now perhaps the best in the world. And thc technical graduates o f the Institute o f Technology i n Bangalore are as good as any in the world." (Downloaded f r o m www.freerepublic. corn.) M a n y are listening, responding, a n d understanding that forces ofglobalization-hoth good and bad, are influencing all aspects o f life and work. II

PAT GILL WEBBER Closely related t o the issue o f globalization is the issue o f diversity. W e n o longer live in a black and white world. We live in a global world. I t is not unusual t o work with people o f varied religions, varied backgrounds, a n d enormously diverse cultures. W h e r e once we would conduct management training workshops a n d seminars with primarily male audiences dotted by a few scattered women and people o f color, the entire m a p o f executives and workers has grown like a giant mosaic o f the world at large. I n a recent workshop of 50 new young leaders s, Europeans, a n d at a global pharmaceutical firm, Africans, ~ s i a ~Australians, Americans o f every hue and background were t h e norm. Diversity is n o longer "how the races need to get along" b u t rather a new way o f thinking about a n d learning t o interact with people who are diverse in multiple ways, t h e least o f which is skin color. Stereotypes and simple assumptions about people's backgrounds can n o longer be accepted. T h e range o f differences a n d t h e range o f cultures is just t o o great. I n response t o this increased diversity, several things are happening. First, the public at large is becoming more open and accepting o f difference. Even with all the hoopla over gay marriage, increasingly large numbers o f people are supportive o f this; the last o f the "discriminated against groups" is gaining solid support from increasing numbers of people. W e have noticed a wide spread phenomenon in the E c h o Boomer generation-where issues of race and culture were often areas o f stress for the boomers, this younger generation has grown u p with diversity and often easily adapts and accepts differences as a given. T h e y find it easy t o work for people o f different genders and cultures since they were raised with more diversity in their schools, neighborhoods, a n d via the media a n d their culture which is ever more diverse. Younger people need help with their emotional intelligence, but many seem to t h i n k the older generation's issucs o f problems with different races is a thing o f the past. and not in keeping with their ideas o f what is appropriate, sensible, or.usefu1. I t has become a more diverse world, and for the most part, especially younger people seem more than OK with that change. W e find t h a t the more people use the Internet, the more accepting o f diversity they become. W h a t we used t o call "pen pals" are now every day email friends in different countries, and meeting and interacting with various types o f people is everyday news o n the net. W h e r e once one may never have met o r worked with people in another place, today we are commonly interacting across the globe electronically, a n d finding it challenging but not Lnpossible t o d o so. re T h e challenge, o f course, is learning not just t o he color o r c u l t ~ ~blind-a somewhat ubiquitous ideal o f a n earlier age, b u t rather t o be more adept at working with a widely diverse workforce and personal groups in any setting. However, beyond getting along, we want t o create a n awareness o f the unique value o f diversity. Likely there are few historians t h a t would not acknowledge that one o f 12

CHANGE AHEAD the best things about the Unitcd States has been its acceptance o f diversity a n d its use o f the best o f all cultures. W e know t h a t we can achieve greater a n d richer innovations and results o f all types when we collaborate with others who have a different way o f seeing and being in the world. From music to business strategies, the most creative work is usually one that has a wide input from diverse thinking and diverse input. Part o f o u r own work has been t o discuss issues o f diversity in a g r o u p setting-not by the old means o f telling what different people t h i n k a n d how t o behave, b u t rather through having people share their own stories. It is through these means t h a t people learn t h a t diversity involves everyone-that white men are just as diverse as others in the way they process information and t h i n k about issues. Diversky is a complex concept that has clearly grown beyond the original concept that diversity means different raccs o r national origins t o a more sophisticated view t h a t diversity means differences o f every type-especially differences in thinking and understanding issues. Diversity is both a challenge a n d a built-in plus to the new age o f globalization. W i t h o u t a deeper understanding and acceptance o f others, we cannot and will not prosper. But too, there arc dangers in not knowing when lines need t o be kept in $ace. Businesses need global collaboration, but they also need t o design products and services that meet unique conditions a n d cultures. T h e creation o f one world culture is n o t yet a universal aim, although a c o m m o n and shared approach t o world problems is a remaining aspiration for most people in the world. The W a r on Terrorism T h e history o f the mid-twentieth century t o the present can be told f r o m the viewpoint o f governments and their interactions. After W W 2 , the cold war was the major framework o f geo-politics. T h e nation state was the unit o f action and the world was roughly divided into two armed camps headed respectively by the United States and the Soviet Union. Politics b o t h right a n d left had t o deal with this political reality. T h e primary metaphor as described by T h o m a s Friedman in Longiludes atrd Attitudes: The World ill theAge of Terrorism (2003) was "division." W e were divided from the Soviet Union a n d its allies in o u r views o f freedom, o u r values o n personal liberty, a n d o u r Fhysical presence. I f they were there, we weren't, a n d vice versa. T h e Berlin Wall was the visual symbol o f the Cold War. Some o f u s living a n d working in these times may remember the Bay o f Pigs and the days when war with the Soviet Union seemed inevitable. W e remember childhoods filled with nuclear ' b o m b drills that sent us t o scoot under o u r desks. Years later we realized t h e foolishness o f this effort, b u t then it supported o u r thinking that the world was a dangerous place a n d that clearly we were the good guys and the Soviet Union was the bad. Like the cowboys and Indians depicted in westerns of o u r youth,

PAT GILL WEBBER good and bad were often complete opposites with little consideration o f any middle ground o r concepts like multiculturalism. T h e most c o m m o n perception o f the time was that violence o r war was always possible, and t h a t if it did occur it would be fought in some type o f conventional way between warring countries. o r in one o r another place outside o f the United States a n d contained. I n the world order o f today, the United States remains the only real super power. Depending o n one's politics and understanding o f recent history, one can either believe we have handled this inantle well, o r dishonored it. But in either case, the supremacy of the United States has come with a twist: although we may be t h e only remaining super power, we are not safe from terrorism and we d o n o t any country did. control violence and "going t o war" as we once did-or T h e role of the state per se has diminished due t o the power o f the wcb a n d instantaneous communications. O n e m a n , o r many small groups o f men a n d women, can and d o have the power t o change lives, t o alter situations, t o take power into their own hands, o r t o produce terror. W h e r e once "the enemyu meant a country o r set o f countries, we now can have groups o r subgroups who decide t o "fight us" due t o any number o f real o r perceived issues, policies they deem unfair, o r s i ~ n p l yarrogant o r grossly misguided thinking which appears probable in t h e case o f t h e 9/11 disaster. 9/11 impacted people. O u r research a n d much other research indicated that people's sense o f security and peace o f m i n d was forever altered. T o those w h o were not changed, it is often because they somehow knew either through direct understanding and study that the world had been changing over a long period o f time, a n d t h a t it was n o t surprising that a t some point terror would be in o u r own backyard. I n one o f o u r in-depth interviews, we talked with a person who considered hirnsclf a world citizen. H i s perception was t h a t 9/11 was inevitable due t o o u r government's foreign policies a n d history. T h i s was in sharp contrast t o another individual w h o felt t h a t the war o n terror was really a war o f religious belief that pitted the Islamic peoples o f the world against the Christian ones. O n e has t o wonder if the recent (7/7/05) bombings ic London would further influence this view, &r the other. I n any case, it is clear f r o m ongoing events, that terrorism is an ever-present reality a n d will, in o u r view, continue t o create feelings and opinions that are strongly felt a n d deeply disturbing for many people. W h i l e either view would likely be considered "extreme" by many, there is n o doubt t h a t the reasons for terror are not simple t o understand o r control. W h i l e some would state with certainty t h a t the reason for terror is perceived ~ ~ n f a i r n c s s in United States policies in the Middle East, particularly the Palestinian issue a n d the ongoing war in Iraq, others are just as clear that what has created terrorism o r the new terrorism is a hatred o f who we are a n d what we have achieved. T h a t simply, some Islamic people are unwilling to accept their own errors o f 14

CHANGE AHEAD judgment and policy that have created ongoing poverty and lack o f progress in their own countries. T o these people w h o see flaws in Islam itself o r some o f its proponents, our values and beliefs in freedom, eq~lalityo f women, and a n open society are what creates a hatred and desire t o kill us. Regardless o f why there is a potential for more terrorism o n o u r own soil, o r in places all over the globe, the reality is that now that 9 / 1 1 (and 7/7) h a s occ ~ ~ r r ewe d , can never again believe it isn't possible for violence t o come within the United States borders o r any place around the world. Since Bin Laden has yet t o be captured and his stated goal is a n even bigger 9 / 1 1 , we can assume somethi'ng could happen again t o d i s t ~ ~ or ub r way o f life. I t is hoped that the creation o f a new organization for intelligence will lessen this threat, but it is hard t o believe even with substantial changes that there is no likelihood o f violence. W h e t h e r for reasons like religious bigotry and fanaticism o r o f perceived injustice o r just jealousy, the threat o f terror is part o f people's lives globally. Religion a n d land/ ,

resources have long been t o p reasons for wars, violence, o r terror; the difference today is thc ability o f fanatic groups o f any kind t o reach o u t via the web and other communications to both create morc terror a n d communicate about it t o its own constituencies a n d those they threaten. It is clear that terror played a role in the election o f 2004. Regardless if one voted, o r whom one votcd for, the politics o f the campaign included many rcferences t o this new state o f affairs. I t seems somewhat self evident t h a t a fear re attacks, o r a worry that more terror could occur, caused some o f f u t ~ ~ terror people t o vote either for Kerry o r Bush, believing t h a t their policies would create "more o r better safety." By connecting t o people's fears, the politicians were o n safe ground. T h i s confirms o u r finding a n d that o f others that there continues to be a sense o f unease in the new world order. T h e r e is n o d o u b t t h a t the fears associated with 9 / 1 1 and the uncertainty that it has created has influenced many t o desire more protections. I n a recent job satisfaction report (Society for H u m a n R e s o ~ ~ r cManagement c (SHRM) and C N N j l ' s Job Satigartion Series: Job Conlpet~sat i o r r l ~ a Survey j (Report 2004) covering the t o p five aspects o f job satisfaction for employees by gender, b o t h men a n d women listed "feeling safe" as a t o p element o f job satisfaction. F o r those in the h u m a n development field long familiar with Abraham Maslow's hierarchy o f needs, this data is not surprising. I n his wellknown work, people have a hierarchy of needs that starts with safety and security. I n many ways, the advent o f terrorism dcmonstrated by 9/11 created for some a reversal from attention t o higher needs for socialization and actualization-a broader humanistic agenda personally, t o one that focuses first and primarily o n safety. Businesses have had t o respond t o these needs for safety by spending increased amounts o f money on safety issues. T h e y also continue t o face increased technology costs associated with protecting systems a n d people as well as in15

PAT GILL WEBBER creased focus o n protecting global assets. Staffing a n d talent management has also been effected as more people refuse t o work in what they perceivc t o be unsafe environments. Increased anti-Amcricanis~n is another factor t h a t adds t o feelings o f lack o f safety for people who work with global businesses that are primarily seen as United States organizations. Terrorism as a factor 111 the Big Picture appears t o be something that should continue to ~nfluencepeople for the foreseeable future. W e end this section with a caveat. F o r while safety, security, and what we in the United States have come to call "the war o n terror" is a niajor factor i n o u r political landscape, the world at large has not really bought into o u r ovcrall thinking o f this as a worldwide issue. America's central preoccupation with the war o n terror is not widely shared, a n d in fact can be seen as isolating u s from the world a t large. T h i s suggests that the United States' current policies may yet shift again as either the current administration becomes more connected t o others around the globe, o r others take political power a n d choose t o create greater alignment with other sections o f the world. I f that is the case, the environment o f o u r workforce may shift again, dropping the preoccupation with safety further down t h e list o f issues. " T h e cold war world adhered t o a simple paradigm o f free societies, led by t h e United States, confronting C o m m u n i s m , with its headquarters in the Kremlin. But for all o f President Bush's attempts t o frame the current conflict against Islamic terrorism as one o f equality epochal and all-enveloping proportions, it is now clear that the world has resisted such a single, overarching framework. I n wide swaths of the southern hemisphere, including Africa and Latin America, the central preoccupation is economic development and trade. I n Asia the main focus is o n China rising, with India not far behind. I n Europe, the bulk o f political energy is still absorbed by the vast experiment in transnational governance and the banishment o f war that is the European Union." ("The World: T h e W a r o n Terror; An Obsession the World Doesn't Share" by Roger Cohen for The New York ~ ~ ~ I I December P S , 5, 2004.) Cultural Trends T h e last election seems t o leaves little d o u b t that the United States continues t o be culturally divided. I t also appears that the political partics themselves are also more divided, with strong core bases o f voters that have allnost opposite views on many critical issues. Voting patterns indicate that there are fewer politicians who stray f r o m their ~ a r t y ' sposition o n any given issue. W h e t h e r it is the war in Iraq o r abortion rights, health care policy o r safety and security, there is division in how best t o address and develop answers t o these pressing national concerns. T h e discussion o f the "red states" versus the "blue states" has continued since the election, giving rise t o a perception that culturally the nation is divided into t w o groups: one more secular, accepting o f diversity o f all types, and I6

CHANGE AHEAD concerned with issues like social justice and environinental security; the other more likely to distrust any large government programs like the tax system o r social security, is conservative o n social issues like gay marriage, a n d supportive o f a foreign policy that is less likely to consider international alliances than what o u r current leaders in the executive branch consider right o r wrong, just o r unjust. T h i s cultural divide has been the butt of jokes and serious analysis, but we are not completely convinced that the divisions are as set in stone as some might believe. For example, there is now some confusion about who owns which values and positions between the parties. W h i l e the party o f fiscal restraint more recently used t o be the Republicans, with the Democrats favoring greater spending, the exact opposite has been happening in the last few years. W e d o not understand this as a fundamental change on either side but rather a shifting case o f funding of policies o n one o r the other side. W h i l e Democrats might favor increased funding for the environment, more funding for diverse energy alternatives, scientific research, and education, the Republicans favor increased spending o n the war in Iraq and simultaneously lowering taxes, espec~allyfor upper income tax payers and corporations that they believe create jobs and therefore help the economy. W e like t o think there is enormous overlap and rooin for coinmon ground. For instance, there are likely an equal number o f Republicans, Democrats, Independents, o r nonvoters who would like t o see smaller deficits regardless o f how the government accomplishes that task. W e also see a coming together and much crossover in the social security debate, indicating that many Republicans and Democrats are finding their constituencics o f all persuasions concerned about the President's ideas o f the privatization o f some part o f the system. W h i l e we cannot contradict data that appcars t o suggest a divided nation, it is o u r sense that there is a core o f shared values and culture that covers both the red and blue states. Perhaps it is a combination o f pragmatism, a belief in the rights o f individuals to be successfi~lin their own ways, and a sense that everyone ought to be able to get a shot at opportunity, education, a n d "the American dream." There is also a large a m o u n t o f shared patriotism and respect for soldiers who serve o u r country o n both sides of the divide. T h e r e is as well a sense that it is important to take action to create a nation that reflects v a l ~ ~ oe fs decency, 'fair play, and respect for the individual and her/his rights. W i t h the recent tsunami tragedy, we once again see the enormous generosity and coming together o f all types o f Americans. T h e desire t o d o good deeds and be good is strong in o u r culture a n d transcends all political differences. T h e working together o f former Presidents Bush and Clinton represents t o us t h e model o f this distinct set o f American traits and represents the best of what is possible when the c o m m o n decency a n d compassion o f the American people is utilized in a productive manner. 17

,

PAT GILL WEBBER T h e divisiveness o f t h e last election may be the result o f any number o f factors, from the rise o f the right-leaning media to longer evolving trends which suggest that younger people and single women continue not t o vote in numbers that match their portion of t h e population. T h i s is relevant particularly as it relates t o understanding the workplace. I t is likely that workers have been impacted by these issues and have strong feelings that need to be considered carefully when one is working with groups of people in complex organizations. N o assu~nptions should be made about how staff o r employees may feel o r t h i n k about certain key issues. O u r research suggests there is an enormous need for leaders o f all types who can bring people together. Politicians like United States Senator John M c Cain and United States Senator Barack O b a m a represent those types o f leaders who seem t o have broad appeal. I n businesses and nonprofits alike, leaders who can get people t o rise above differences t o feel excitement and passion about the mission and vision of their organizations can help mitigate these cultural divisive feelings that have impacted workers at all levels. T h e role o f religion is also playing a part in the diversity o f the nation. T h e r e are more Muslims than Episcopalians, the religion o f the "founding fathers." W h i l e the developed world is generally less religious than t h e underdeveloped world, the gross exception is the United States with t h e largest number o f practitioners o f all types o f religion. W h i l e some may feel that the Christian conservatives had an unprecedented rise in power in the last election, it is equally true that religions o f all types are growing their bases of participants. Along with the continued influence o f religions o f all types is thc ever-increasing rise o f spirituality a n d its impact on all aspects o f people's lives. T h i s rise in attention t o issues o f spirit has created new ways o f thinking about meaning and effectiveness in people's lives. Magazines like Spiritualrty a i d Health and continuing growth o f alternative ways o f studying and'understanding how t o bring people together and fight common problems, indicate a constantly increasing n'umber o f people who ate open t o new ways o f looking at their lives, their l We faith, a n d the application o f these ideas t o their work as well as ~ e r s o n a lives. see the acceptance and appeaI o f sites like beliefnet.com which covers all religions of the world as a n example o f how people o f all traditions and backgrounds are looking t o share what is best about the spirituality and approaches o f their faiths t o bringing about better conditions and better tolerance around the world. "Spirituality at work" is a trend, and has been noted as such by the New York Times, the Wall StreetJournal, Fortune a n d National Public Radio. I t remains, o f course, somewhat o f a controversial and complex topic since the term spirituality is s o broad and t h e applications s o diverse. Employees want t o bring rheir whole selves t o work. T h i s creates challenges for leaders who need t o consider how t o engage the whole person, show respect and tolerance for diverse religious views, and maintain a strong division between Church and State. Experts in the 18

CHANGE AHEAD field, such as Harvard Business School senior lecturer Dr. Laura Nash and 0 s Hillman, t h e director of the International Coalition o f Workplace Ministries, feel that the trend was created and driven by the baby boomer generation who rebelled against religious conformity and instead began to revere "respect for the sacred self." (Training and Development, November 2004, pgs. 17-19.) W h i l e 9/11 increased people's interest in their families, it also gave rise t o more thought about spirituality and "what's most important in life." Since spirituality often links t o more community-based activities, this increase in spirituality would seem t o be a good thing. I t seems, however, that at the same time there is more religious diversity and increased interest in spirituality, there is also a decline in many community-based activities. W h e t h e r due t o 24/7 work lives or other pressures o f modern life, o r just a changing focus on the seIf and one's own family, some types o f connection and community seem t o be decreasing in o u r lives. T h i s trend may begin t o reverse itself as more people move t o exurban areas beyond the suburbs and develop more ties t o smaller towns and communities. It may also be that although traditional types o f connections a n d volunteer activities are decreasing, connection to others through the web has increased and people are linking with those with whom they share c o m m o n volunteer o r socially conscious interests. Organizations like MoveOn.org a n d hundreds o f new charities are using the web t o engage people in both practical a n d spiritual ways. T h r o u g h organizations focused o n issues from spirituality t o helping o u r troops overseas, research and science t o shared parenting tips, empowerment for the disabled t o global dating a n d mating sites, strong connections have developed online, creating new types o f comnlunities that, as noted, may well be taking the place o f older "place based" organizations o f the 5 0 s and 60s. T h e c ~ ~ l t u r landscape al is also shaped by several other large trends. As the baby boom generation gets closer t o retirement, we see Generation X and Y coming forward with more interest in work-life balance. T h i s can he illustrated by the fact that for the first time since 1976, the labor force participation rate o f mothers with infant children declined in 2002. T h e SHRM Research (2004) pointed o u t that this interest in establishing more o f a work-life balance is shared by men as well as women. However, since the Generation X group is not that large, the impact on work and its need t o have more family-friendly policies may not happen until the later Generation Y has children. T h e idea o f work being the center of people's lives is definitely passi. M o s t of the younger generations are clear that work is necessary, important, and possibly critical t o one's dreams and aspirations, but work is not a life-and a life without ties, connections, and family is not worth living. Education presents some interesting insights into o u r evolving culture. W h i l e the workplaces o f the current time and future require more a n d ' b e t t e r skilled workers, o u r efforts t o improve education in the United States are decid-

PAT GlLL WEBBER edly mixed. W h i l e women are obtaining increased degrees a n d credentials, men are not. W h e r e once international students were anxious t o come here for college o r graduate school, less o f these students are doing this, causing real concern in the college community. Also it appears that the number o f people obtaining college degrees is remaining constant despite the need for more educated workers. T h i s may well be due t o constantly rising costs o f education a n d people being unwilling t o take on large loans even if they are the "cheapest a n d best loans out there." O u r public schools may be trying t o "Ieave n o child behind," but therc remains a crisis in the quality of o u r schools and educational resources. A recent study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development suggests that the United States, while spending more t h a n other nations, has lower graduation rates than other developed nations. I n addition, it further made the point that our educational success rates o f students were particularly poor in math and science. If these educational trends continue, the United States may continue t o lose well paying jobs t o nations like India who are continuing t o

,

graduate more a n d better educated students. I n February o f 2 0 0 5 , Bill Gates, the founder o f Microsoft, gave a blistering indictment o f education t o the governors o f the United States a n d committed funds from his foundation t o begin t o address what he sees as t h e failures o f the country t o provide decent educations to the vast majority o f its citizens.He is not alone in perceiving the dangerous situation the, country will face if it continues t o fail in providing more broad, high quality education. T h e educational crisis seems t o be intersecting with business a n d workplace needs. T h e r e continues t o exist a mismatch between skills needed for jobs and people available. "In t h e decade following 2010, the portion o f the population begin under age 45-the principle talent pool for managers and workers-will shrinking by 6 percent annually. I n other words, structural demographic forces are now in place for a real war for talent that could continue for 20 years following 2 0 1 0 . . .. As the skilled people who r u n United States corporations retire and the number o f younger entry-level workers continues to fall, t h e effects o f the great mismatch o f skills and jobs will intensify. Unemployment will d r o p as jobs g o unfilled and some businesses may leave the United States entirely in search of highly skilled, job-ready workers elsewhere." (Training, January 2005, pg. 35.)

C H A N G E AHEAD

CHAPTER 3

The Nature of the Organization Strategy and Markets As noted, the single greatest ongoing phenomenon impacting organizational stratcgy and markets is globalization. I n response to this challenge, there has been a change in the approaches o f organizations toward developing strategies and engaging with markets. Strategies that emphasize focus and tightly constructed and implemented missions and visions have b r o ~ ~ more ~ h t people into the process o f active engagement in businesses and organizations. T h i s has been a good thing. However, if other statistics are to be believed, despite efforts o f organizations t o include and educate people about their industries and tie folks into the key decisions o f the enterprise, s ~ n a l lnumbers o f employees truly feel engaged at work. I n the opening t o his new book, The 8th Habit: Fro111EffPctiveness lo Greatrress (2004), Stephen Covey shares the analysis o f the Harris Intcractive who recently polled 2 3 , 0 0 0 U.S. residents working in key industries. T h e results were shocking-only 37% had a clear understanding o f what their organization is trying to achieve, and only one in five were enthusiastic about t h e goals o f their team o r organization. In reality, the last ten years has been a time o f survival and profound shifts. Globalization h a s created b r u t a l competition in m o s t markets, including nonFrofits. W i t h these challenges have corne increased governmcnt regulation, post scandals of the recent past, and the rcalities o f living in a post 9/11 world. These somber realities have caused many businesses t o focus o n what they saw as essentials-keeping their stockholders happy if they had them, o r keeping the marketplace pleased with their product a n d service offerings. Less attention was paid t o culture, appropriate motivation, and engagement strategies with people, despite years of research demonstrating its importance, a n d notwithstanding the enormous lip service that leaders o f all kinds give to people and their issues. T h e environment was just t o o tough t o allow most executives and managers the c o ~ n f o r to f being "side tracked" to implement needed and appropriate human, compassionate, and workable people strategies. Exceptions with wonderful stories are out there. A new book entitled joy at Work: A Revolutiorlary Approach to Furl on the Job (2005) by Dennis MI. Bakke about A E S (a 4 0 , 0 0 0 person global energy enterprise) describes one o f those organizations that took the radical

PAT GILL WEBBER approach o f involvement a n d creating joy at work-achieved amazing results. However, this approach was rare. W h i l e HR folks tried t o get t o the table in larger numbers, a n d consultants continued t o generate enormous resources that demonstrated the need for engagement and involvement, it never took center stage. Rather, short-sighted survival strategies-such as layoffs, inappropriate and failed mergers, new leader-generated change programs, and power grabsbecame increasingly popular. St;ong efforts t o create pro-people, pro-learning, pro-high performance, and high engagement cultures did exist, particularly at winning firms. However, looking across strategies used by large numbers o f organizations, those chosen were relatively standard market strategies o f constant cost reduction, modified products, line extensions o f existing products, attempts to make inroads with the emerging "upper class" of affluent Americans, low price and discount strategies, and expanded uses of all types of technology t o replace workers when possible. These types of strategic efforts took the majority o f resources f r o m other strategies that would have p u t creative involvement of people, innovation, and productivity front and center. A few terrible leaders o f organizations in the last I0 t o 15 years reached new levels of greed a n d arrogance as t h e c ~ ~ l c u roef individualism a n d self-concern that is part o f the broader American culture became part o f the business culture as well. W h i l e this is changing somewhat in t h e early 21st century as contracts for C E O s are examined and reconsidered, it is clear from recent history that the guiding principle for some high profile leaders was their own enrichment rather than what was good for the majority o f customers o r employees. Again, this is not t o suggest that this is a new phenomenon-greed after all has becn,around since the earliest o f times-nor are we suggesting all leaders are greedy o r that all executives took advantage o f boards that would overpay t o get them. W e are suggesting that this recent bout o f greed took hold due to a number of forces, leaving the majority o f workers less well off a n d less secure, while a few at the t o p were overly compensated and were depended on t o make the difference that businesses felt the economy demanded. T h e idea o f getting just the right leadership (the perfect CEO, for instance) became a strategy itself. Rather than relying o n broader leadership and an approach that would have engaged a larger group in meeting market conditions, the strategy that took hold was t o find the right players a n d hope they would make the right call and redirect failing o r floundering organizations. I t is hoped that a more realistic view o f senior leaders will emerge, creating strategies and approaches that are more sensible, more broadly developed by the entire workforce within an organization, based o n sound research o f change management, and more likely t o lead t o better climates within organizations. I t is not important o r necessary t o blame boards o r leaders. It is, however, helpful t o suggest that better strategies will emerge when organizations provide more security a n d more engagement t o broader numbers of people, 22

CHANGE AHEAD a n d when they spread compensation in ways that encourage deeper commitment to organizational goals. W h i l e these failures existed, some better strategies also took hold during the period o f the last ten plus years. Q u a l i t y a n d reengineering, which had been around for decades, found real success in companies that at long last were trying these strategies as a means o f continuing t o drive o u t costs and waste. These strategies were also used t o fix processes that were outdated o r inefficient. W h i l e getting less publicity than at the height o f the quality movement in the 1 9 8 0 s a n d early I990s, quality initiatives were often quietly initiated and met with some success. T h o s e organizations that continued t o be innovative in the operations area, such as Dell and Wal-Mart, continued t o beat their competitors consistently demonstrating that process improvements o f any type can be a means o f competitive advantage. I n fact, quality process improvements, used consistently and with excellence, have and d o help organizations sustain advantage in the marketplace. Also tried with some success have been high performance culture strategies that are morphing into more concrete approaches to making high performance more predictable. Studies by groups like Booz Allen H a m i l t o n and the Accenture Institute for High Performance Business are working t o decode and simplify the areas that organizations need t o focus o n t o be successful. As with books like I/Vha/ Realb~ Works: The 4+2 Forn~u/aforSustained Busilless Success (Joyce, Nohria, 20031, there are certain star performing companies (Toyota, Johnson & Johnson, and eBay, for instance) that have managed t o innovate with excellence due t o strategies that combine successful use o f motivation tools, application o f technology in strategic ways, focus o n those few areas that will lead t o success in a given business, a n d balancing long and short term results. Companies that used tried and true strategies such as refocusing o n customers and sticking t o their core businesses also succeeded.

Leadership: The Employee/Management Relationship I n talking about globalization, we covered what is the major change in organizational life in the last ten years. Speed and pressure t o perform have multiplied. N o matter the industry, productivity and rising expectations is the nature o f modern working life. Workers feel the emphasis o n productivity and push t o d o more with less. T h e knowledge workers o f today are being expected to not just perform and increase productivity, hut they are being c o ~ ~ n t eo dn t o be creative as well. T h i s pressure t o do more with less has directly impacted the employee/leadcrship relationship and unfortunately remains a problem for most organizations. W h i l e the landscape o f organizational life has changed due t o globalization and increased needs to compete, the nature o f organizations remain for the most 23

PAT GILL WEBBER part in t h e industrial age in terms o f how they are organized and how Inanagement operates. W h i l e organizations are evolving through changing economic, cultural, and technological trends, organizational life has been slower t o adjust to the need for work cultures that allow workers t o be creative, contribute o n an ongoing basis, a n d be truly engaged as full people excited by their work. W h i l e employers have expected more f r o m employees, they have consistently supplied less. Secure pensions, b ~ ~ i l t - icost-of-living n increases, a n d ongoing and open opportunities for advancement are all less common t h a n ever. ~ m ~ l o ~ ees have become increasingly aware that their individual success is tied t o the achievements o f their organizations. T h e y have come t o expect less o f the "perks" o r benefits o f a n earlier'rime. However, one frustration that many employees feel, understandably, is that while they know their fate is tied t o their organization's present situation, they seem less able t o influence outcomes. O f t e n leadership decisions (Enron, W o r l d c o r n , and M a r s h & M c L e n n a n Companies, Inc. for example), poor market conditions (post 9/11 airlines for example), o r just smarter competition (Dell, W a l - M a r t , and Southwest Airlines) makes their individual efforts t o help the organization seem less impactful. T h i s leads t o further alienation a n d turmoil in the workforce as employees wonder what t h e y c a n d o t o protect their own interests more effectively in light o f t h e current challenging economic developments. Furthermore, some employees are keeping u p with the changes in business, the Internet a n d its impact o n corporate cultures and business realities, as well as the co~npetitiona n d new global conditions. Keeping LIP with such dramatic changes has created a s i t ~ ~ a t i owhere n some workers i r e less able t o grasp these new realities, o r if they grasp them t o deal with the resulting more "Darwinian" work culture. T h e r e have been dramatic increases in the attention paid to leadership education in many for p o f i t and nonprofit organizations in the last decade. Leadcrship styles and approaches have been increasingly described in thousands o f new books describing how best t o lead in these t u m u l t u o ~ ~times. s Having evolved from the more straightforward "how to" management development efforts of the 1970s and 8 0 s , increased attention was placed on helping managers ~ ~ i i d c r s t a n d a n d develop missions, as well as visions and goals t h a t linked t o these objectives. Today's leaders must handle the basics like setting and a,rticulating goals, hiring a n d firing staff, making day-to-day decisions, a n d listening a n d responding t o employee needs. T h e y also must be able t o set and maintain m o m e n t u m toward a vision, t h i n k critically a n d strategically not just locally, be a team leader a n d a team player, create and maintain a high performance culture, choose and.develop talent for the organization-all the while being inore self-aware and self-regulating, and willing t o use collaboration to lead change successfully and influence beyond their own turf. Just reading the list is exhausting. T h e demands are greater t h a n ever a n d there are fewer resources. T h i s leaves a leadership crisis in ma'ny

;oar

24

CHANGE A H E A ~ organizations, compounded by t h e inevitable loss o f their most talented leaders as boomers are starting to retire. More attention was paid t o creating high cultures as t h e legacy o f quality a n d process reengineering continued t o encourage the empowerment o f workers, as well as the involvement o f teams t o address organizational bottlenecks and increase productivity a n d innovation. Executjve coaching came into its own and many executives began to avail themselves o f this service. But despite its p o p ~ ~ l a r i and t y press, the actual numbers o f people utilizing personal coaches o r being impacted by new leadership strategies is relatively minor. T h e combination o f cyclical tough times, and limited resources especially for education and training, created a situation where leadership a n d management development is not a fully implemented approach in the bulk o f companies outside o f the t o p tier Fortune 50 o r I00 and nonprofit t o p tier organizations. W h i l e many organizations dabbled in leadership and management development, the number o f organizations who have a consistent and thorough training and education system in place for their management and leadership ranks remains relatively small. Added t o this gap between the literature o f leadership and management training and the reality o f its practice, the growth o f newer technology firms and high tech companies with young and inexperienced management increased the gap between organizations with solid and professionally developed leaders and those that had whoever could handle the pace and push o f the work culture. W h i l e leaders need increasing skills and models t o handle increased complexity and growth o f organizations, most leaders a n d managers outside o f a n elite few have minimal opportunities for leadership development, executive coaching, and ongoing support in their professional growth. From o u r vantage point, the needs are ever greater a n d the educational opportunities in shorter supply. Competition has also led t o increasing instability o f work life, which cont i n ~ ~ teos make many workers extremely concerned with their survival. T h e natural tendency t o feel secure and safe has led some people t o be overly cautious, trying t o remain below the radar t o avoid €roblems a n d potential loss o f their job. W h i l e this is the exact opposite o f the skills a n d attitudes needed, i t is a natural consequence o f workers feeling exceedingly vulnerable in a fast-paced a n d coinpetitive work world. W h i l e organizations need t o support rather than stifle creativity and innovation through empowerment a n d improved h u m a n resources policies, many managers and leaders themselves lack the knowledge a n d skill t o fully engage workers, treating them like disposable parts. T h e b o t t o m line is t h a t there is a n increased need for'new and evolved workplaces, b u t both workers and leaders are.generally ill-equipped t o make the necessary changes. Finally, there is the issue o f change management approaches. W h i l e many organizations have begun t o ~ m p l e m e n one t o r another change initiat;ves, few if

PAT GILL WEBBER any have utilized newly recommended strategies t h a t suggest more a n d broader engagement. As noted earlier, suggestions o f a new paradigm o f change t h a t includes widening circles o f constituencies are used very selectively, if at all. M o s t organizations are trying t o cope with a n d address the need t o change-few are successfully utilizing the advice o f change experts who suggest more and everwidening use o f participation in these efforts t o create successful a n d sustained Improvement. W e d o not want t o appear totally without h o p e o r suggest that many organizations are not attempting-whether through online learning o r traditional learning-to close t h e gaps o f skills a n d attitudes o f both workers and leaders. But o u r general sense o f the workplace indicates the needs' are ever greater and the abilities to meet those needs are increasingly limited. T h e r e is an irony here. W h i l e people appear t o be shifting their perceptions on change a n d essentially a r e m o r e open a n d willing t o engage t h a n ever before, organizations appear t o be under-utilizing their people a n d continuing t o underestimate the ability of workers t o engage in and take part in helping t o shape their futures. T h e r e is a saying in learning circles that "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear." I t is evident t h a t the student is ready, but the teacher is not allowing the student t o learn o r grow. Covey's The 8th Habit: Frorn qfectiveness to Greatness (2004), presents a n approach t h a t supports many of o u r beIiefs o f fuller engagement. W e are hopeful this book will achieve t h e success o f Covey's first book, introducing more organizations t o updated a n d effective methods for dealing with what we have found in o u r shifting perspectives of today's workers.

Change and Technology W i t h statistics showing t h a t IM (instant messaging) will become a n integral part of most workFlaces in a few years, we can be sure t h a t t e c h ~ ~ o l oisg ~ everywhere part of t h e new workplace. According t o a recent study by Gartner, Inc., about 70 pPrcent o f organizations are using instant messaging now; by the end o f 2 0 0 5 , IM will be the primary way people interact electronically, surpassing email. T h e r e is n o d o u b t that increased means of co~nmunication,powered by and through technology, has swept the business world. Beginning in the 1970s and relentlessly into the 8 0 s a n d 90s, the technology functions o f organizations continued t o expand, bringing increased mcans o f productivity, increased ability t o get and understand data, and tremendous changes in how work is done, organized, a n d processed. F r o m supply chains t o selection, f r o m customer web sites t o new purchasing systems, technology has transformed the corporation and nearly every nonprofit as well. M o r e and more people work with colleagues they have never nlet o r seen. People are part o f teams that work exclusively over the net, a n d often there are customer and organizational bonds that are forged without anyone saying a word.

CHANGE AHEAD: T h i s is a profound change in the work world which will likely continue t o expand. W h i l e collaboration is one o f the essential new skill sets for successful work, the ability t o collaborate is n o t what it needs t o be-especially in complex organizations. Training in collaboration is increasing in organizations that value innovation, as it is determined t h a t the pcrsonal skills needed t o be a n effective collaborator, and the tools needed t o work across boundaries and cultures, is missing f r o m many modern workers. Books like Business without Boui~daries: A n Artiorl Frarneworkfor Collaborating Across fitne, Distance, Ovganizatiot~,and Culture (Mankin, Cohen, 2004) are trying t o help individuals a n d companies increase their effectiveness in this arena. A t the same time t h a t many people are connected exclusively by technology, the ability t o interact in a meaningful way with o t h ers t o either create possibilities o r t o imagine new ways o f reaching people with services and p-oducts demands that we still work closely together. Wr still need t o listen and engage with others in order t o create successful businesses, projects, a n d lives. W e have t o find ways to d o this with technology-and that remains a challenge. W h i l e the use o f technology has continued t o reshape work, it has left some gaping holes as well. W h i l e communication tools a n d means o f connection have never been greater, there is a sense that in many organizations there has been a loss o f commitnication a n d connection. Ironically, more has not necessarily meant better. T h i s , o f course, is a frightening thought-we expect technology t o be the answer t o problems, not a creator o f new ones, as it clearly is. A n d while there is little doubt that technology, properly used and applied, has made critical a n d amazing improvements t o the b o t t q m lines o f many organizations, there clearly has been a fall-out with new challenges generated from t o o much email which distracts rather than supports work, t o t o o much time o n the Internet which decreases rather than increases people's productivity. Further, generations growing u p with technology may find dealing with people "too slow" o r "too boring" and have less adequately developed interpersonal skills that are desperately needed in today's organizations. Daniel Goleman's Working with Errlotional Intelligence (1998) suggested a new way t o measure a n d encourage intelligence i n leaders a n d workers at all levels. H e noted that the need for emotional intelligence is greater than ever, not lessened by technology. " T h e globalization o f the workforce puts a particular premium o n emotional intelligence in wealthier countries. Higher wages in these countries, if they are to be maintained, will depend on a new kind o f productivity. And structural fixes o f technological advances alone are not enough:. . .streamlining o r other innovations often create new problems that cry o u t for even greater emotional intelligence." (p. 9.) Technology continues t o improve the means o f cornrnunicating. From IM t o ipods, the digital world is here a n d it is not likely t o decline. T h e question is how this technology is impacting workers, their emotional intelligence. their 27

PAT GILL WEBBER ability to work well with others, and their ability to work coherently to achieve needed changes. At this point in time, there appears to be a mixed set of results. In many cases technology has speeded processes and generated short cuts to eliminate,old systems that were outdated, but removcd the customer from his o r her rightful place at the center of an enterprise. O n the other hand, some people have become so overwhelmed by the amount and isolation of too much electronic communication, that they have become less effective in dealing with the emotions and attitudes o f people at work, creating gaps in needed communication and connection. T h e answer lies not in less use of technology, but in more effective uses of technology married to more effective interpersonal and personal strategies which allow workers to engage with people more deeply when they meet o r connect, whether it be by voice or some other electronic vehicles for communication. People need to use technology-not be used by it. Newer innovations of office sharing systems such as those being introduced by Microsoft in its next iteration of Office-the ubiquitous tool of the modern corporation-hopefully will produce more real opportunities for connection and collaboration without becoming simply another technology tool that puts more "distance" between the very people who desperately need to connect in deeper ways.

.

CHANGE AHEAD

CHAPTER 4

Conclusion T h e r e is n o d o u b t thnt the world is a vastly different place than it was in

1950 o r 1980-or even 2001. It continues t o be shaped by political, social, cultural. and econolnic forces. People working in organizations are strongly influenced by these forces, a n d it is important t o be aware o f what is happening more broadly in society t o understand the reactions and opinions o f workers. Workers are also impacted strongly by the style a n d management/leadership approaches i.n organizations and the strategies and technology these organizations employ t o stay viable. Continuing t o monitor these broad trends is essential t o being a professional in the fields o f leadership, as well as personal organizational development. In the I995 book I n Over Our Heads: f i e Mer~talDemands af Moderr7 Lge, Dr. Robert Kegan suggests that modern life and its expanding complexities is t o o difficult for the average person whose development is not at sufficient levels of conscious ~lnderstanding.W h i l e we agree with Dr. Kegan t h a t life is increasingly complex and that many may be stumbling t o grasp how best t o work at life and its expanding complications, o u r own research implies that many people are evolving o r are evolved in ways that are helping t h e m cope with complexity a n d change. People are being influenced by many o f the trends a n d situations we have discussed t o have higher levels o f adaptation t o change, greater emotional intelligence, and grcater openness t o engage with new ideas and approaches. T h i s may be due n o t just t o increasing exposure t o more mature ways o f t h i n k i n g about life and work, but also due to the aftereffect of events like 9/11, which for many was a n extreme experience requiring a new lens t o view reality. W e are encouraged by o u r findings t h a t for the most part, many people we surveyed a n d talked t o perceived that they had much o f the "right stuff" to b o t h cope with a n d manage change a n d complexity in their lives a n d at work. T h e y welcomed the chance t o adapt, grow, a n d reinvent themselves t o cope with new conditions a n d did not, as a group, seem either afraid o f change o r worricd a b o u t it. O u r work has given us sufficient evidence that success in organizations o r in an individual life does not mean simply handling change, o r responding t o change. Rather, success with change means leading change, o r creating the internal changes one needs t o thrive in life, not j~rstsurvive. Organizations as a whole

PAT GILL WEBBER are best off when they are innovating and carving o u t new markets and/or new and better strategies and approaches t o customers a n d their markets rather than just fending o f f competition o r floundering t o cut costs t o survive. W e best deal with change when we are aware o f it a n d open t o t h e good it brings while minimizing the negative it might be creating. We, also deal best when we are in touch with ourselves a n d o u r own values as well as life's core unchanging principles s o t h a t we can grasp what is changing and leverage it t o improve o r expand o u r lives and those o f o u r neighbors a n d colleagues. Finally, we need t o be aware of what trend o r change is dangerous s o we can minimize its impact o r deal with its aftermath. W e do well when we get o u t in front o f the trends a n d evolutions t h a t are continuingly reshaping o u r modern world. I n many cases, we might never individually be able t o see what the world is coming to-but collectively, through interacting with others, listening t o multiple viewpoints, reading, and working diligently, we can often see ahead t o what is coming and prepare for it. A n d once immersed in organizational life o f any kind-our mosque, church, o r synagogue, o u r place o f paid work o r volunteer group, o u r political party o r local club-it is imperative that we become a continual part o f the process o f improving a n d shaping these institutions t o be more adaptive, more creative, a n d more flexible. G r o w t h is collective as well as individual. T h e more we grow personally, t h e more we grow collectively t o create the world we want t o create, not just suffer the aftermath o f violence like 9/11 o r corruption in its many. forms. W e have learned a great deal by listening t o o u r data. I t is rich in its complexity. W e are offering o u r interpretations o f it t o you so you can take o u r insights a n d combine them with a11 that you are seeing and experiencing in your own life in terms o f change, adaptation, a n d growth. W e hope t o influence you t o consider that despite the troubling world i n which we live, there are many positive aspects t o the ways in which individuals and organizations are evolving. W h i l e clearly n o t everyone benefits from every dramatic change, and some changes can creare havoc and confusion, collectively it appears that more people benefit from evolutionary changes-as long as they develop t h e appropriate tools and skills t o work well in multiple situations, a n d they approach change with a n openness a n d flexibility. F r o m where we sit, it appears t h a t many more than we initially realized are doing just that.

PART I1

Phase I Research: T h e Myth of Change Resistance

CHANGE A H E A D

SYNOPSIS AND IMPLICATIONS

Phase one of our research involved about 315 subjects who responded t o an open survey we developed and put o n the Internet. W e worked with an organization t o help us get a spread o f ages and a mix o f sexes as well as some diversity in terms o f race and background. We accomplished this and had a mixed sample. W e also interviewed a number of people in deFth after the survey was completed and analyzed the results t o get additional insights into o u r research quest~ons. I n phase one we were asking two major sets o f questions. T h e first had t o d o with change in general and how people felt a b o ~ it~ tand dealt with it in all aspects o f their lives. Secondly, we asked questions about 9/11 and living in a world of terrorism. Since we surveyed people all over the United States and some internationally, we did not see o r account for any bias o f people who were close t o the events o f 9/11. Some suggest that 9/11 was an event largely lived a n d felt on the east coast o f the United States O u r research did not support this contention with no differences found in o u r sample based purely o n geography. Simply put, ~t we were looking t o learn what people's attitudes a n d feeling were a b o ~ change and adaptation and how all this played o u t in relationship t o living in a post 9/11 world. T h e results were very strong, persuasive, and not ambivalent. Across all ages, sexes, races, and backgrounds, people were strongly pro-change, open and willing t o change personally and Frofessionally, if they were clear that change was needed in many situations in the world today and were aware that without change and often strong change they could not succeed personally o r profcssionally. There were virtually no'differences by group-a very unusual and different result than one might expect. I n terms of living in a terrorist world, clear patterns emerged. People have become much inore self- involved and family-centric. One's home, family, personal life, and all things ~ e r s o n a lare more important than careers, money, o r moving ahead. Health concerns took preccdence over business opportunities. W h i l c not surprising t o some, the findings certainly contained rich data for people running organizations o r working in them. People want a n d expect different things from organizations-and their commitments t o them are clearly less intense than when the world was a safer and more secure place, or at least perceived t o be such. T h e threc chapters in Part II g o through the details o f all the questions asked in both parts o f this portion o f the research.

It

also shares specific data

PAT GILL WEBBER suggesting what small differences existed between various groups o f those that responded. Portions o f interviews with ten different people are also inclided which shed light o n the feelings, needs, and concerns o f a range o f workers from their 2 0 s t o their early 6 0 s who work in a variety o f settings. T h i s in~erviewdata helps support o u r recommendations later on as well as suggests that o u r data was accurate in the surveys. T h i s result we found-namely that people are very strongly pro-changc and deeply impacted by the new world order-encouraged us to look further to see if, in fact, the differences in various organizations would influence how people specifically dealt with change a n d handled change in organizations-not just what they thought about change. W e were surprised at the depth o f the material and how different these views were, from t h e commonsense wisdom o f change resistance and the dismay seem t o indicate when faced with making changes. If t r u t h be told, we were expecting more sophisticated views, but the depth o f people's sophistication, and openness t o new thoughts a n d actions, did strike us as a profound and criticaI paradigm shift.

CHANGE AHEAD

CHAPTER 5

More Pro-Change than We Knew Was 9/11 an event that fundamentally changed people, effecting them t o be more open t o change? D o people resist change and growth as much as many business leaders seem to think they d o because o f 9/11! Why is it that so Inany organizations o f all types that need t o respond t o opportunities and challenges in rhe world d o not make the changes needed in appropriate time frames? These are distinct and yet inter-related questions in a post 9/11 world. 9/11 was not just a political, religious, o r personally devastating event. I t was also a n economic event that for years threw southern M a n h a t t a n .and N e w York City a serious economic curve ball. Its severe "temporary" effect on many industries like airlines and travel continues t o affect n l a r ~ ybusinesses even today. Like all tragedies, there has been a silver lining for some businesses such as security and related industries that find themselves more busy dealing with the fallout of a more safety-conscious, fearful, and concerned public. As change consultants who have worked in organizations attempting t o create and sustain change process initiatives, it often seemed t o 11s that people were never as change adverse as management thought. Employees did have fears and issues about how changes might affect them. Employees t h a t we worked with were also rightly skeptical o f how the change would work itself out, what it meant for them a n d how any new twist o n the wheel would work out after the dust settled. T h i s might mean they were cautious o r sensible, but they never seemed adverse t o change per se. W h e n 9/11 occurred, its impact began to filter into o u r brains a n d nervous systems. T h e question o f how this event would o r could transform o r strongly impact people kept recurring t o us. Would the post 9/11 times be a unique opportunity to look at people in the workplace and actually observe how they were thinking about change and adaptation? Could we use the post 9/11 world about as a way t o gain insight into people's thinking about themselves-and change-and thus help both individuals and organizations understand what was happening t o people and their attitudes about middle- t o large-scale change? These types o f questions were the impetus for the first part o f o u r research. After a number o f false starts and with a good deal o f help f r o m colleagues, we finally developed an online questionnaire and Ict the pros d o the job o f get-

PAT GILL WEBBER ting a diverse audience t o take the survey. W e did not want the respondents t o be people we knew o r who worked in companies that might b e current o r former clients. T h e questionnaire was anonymous, although simple demographic data d world and the United States rewas gathered. Over 315 people from a r o ~ ~ nthe sponded to our survey; in addition, personal one-to-one in-depth interviews were conducted with a selcct group o f people which honed in o n reactions to 9/11 and thoughts about change. T h i s first survey and interview phase o f the research was completed by 2003. T h i s chapter describes the first p a r t o f the research-it looks at the survey itself, the questions asked, and how the participants responded. It also shares selected insights from the interviews-using disguised names and situations t o protect the identities o f those interviewed. Table 1 describes the age and gender demographics o f t h e participants who responded t o the survey. Table 1. Gender by Age Group

8%Female / 046 MEIS 1

0%

tOOk

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

7096

80%

80%

100%

Percent of Gender

T h e survey was tested with many individuals t o make certain it was easy t o read and understand, b u t it has not been used beyond this research. T h c questions fell into t w o broad areas. T h e first set o f questions, numbers one t o ten, focused'on what individuals thought about personal and organizational change, with n o mention of 9/11: Table 2. General Questions Regarding Personal a n d Organizational Change

I.

People can change and often d o change for the better.

CHANGE AHEAD People are who they are-with

o r without major drugs, therapy, o r other

~ntervention,they tend to stay the same.

.

I don't

believe I need t o change-and most people don't either. I a m always working t o improve myself. I let people and events affect me-not all the time, but when it matters. I a m my own person-things outside myself don't affect m e all that I ~ L I C ~ .

I t h i n k things happen for a reason-no

matter what. Changing, growing, being different is a good thing-things

change and

people change, and ind;vidunls a n d organizations have t o respond t o those changes. If you don't believe in change and g r o w t h you are going to have a bad time in life. I f t o o many things outside o f themselves influence an organization, country, o r person, they lose their u~liquenessa n d core roots a n d purpose. W h e n you look a t the responses, the answers nearly "pop out" with strong majorities in each case, demonstrating people's significant pro-change choices. Table 3. Responses to General Questions on Change

Pecph n a h o l h y an-.mhM (nwen wth) mw d r v , thnapy or ~n!rr*rma IIW lend m say IM .am I mn I t.cm I&a

rormngt-and

m mP

P O emndt ~

I am .Imp m*1qla l m p m

Iam myam-4tnngs

m1a~mp,e11~1hdon1nmrm~~11mat I mlnk ~

ma reason--no

h vm p ~en

mamr

chmpmq prwdng, tanpdlllanss s gam m~?g-lhlng. chroae nd p w cn ard m5sdunlsand apnUa1,ms h.vc Io r e r w D h o e shmw

If m ~)pnDlrtlm, counh, p s m 8s tnnucnrcd 4 t m many Wng. Dulrld8 ~ h e ~ r 10ey e r M tmr u n l q u e and ~ ~ c m mms am pupupae

100% 80°A 6096 40%

20%

0%

20% 40% 80% BO% our_ces_a_bllltle? a_n_dIimltSS t r ~ l n gt_o ImproJe _or-meet~ng standard of euc_elle?ce

- -* A - ~ u ~ a tSfif-Asse~srnente A+e-mn< O~ent_fro_" Ada!t?bll!Q* "-AFlexlblllt~ ~nhandling change --.tln+i;nS o f p ? a e g y CFapge.* Cha_?ge_C_ataly_st * iNegotlatlng disagreements --.-_ Co_nf!'c!-M_a"lageme"_' - ._-?$:esoklng 'Se21ng