Managing Change and Uncertainty in UT Environment

Managing Change and Uncertainty

Agenda Change at UT The Impact of Temperament Models for Change Strategies Communication Resilience

When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves. Viktor E. Frankl

Challenges at UT Perceived Threat oBudget Cuts Culture of Concern Stress oDoing More with less

Change vs. Transition Change is an event that is situational and external to us. Something stops or something starts Transition is the gradual, psychological reorientation process that happens inside of us as we adapt to external change. Can happen before or after the external change

Responding to Change Some are Energized By It Some Accept It Some Dread It

Neuroleadership David Rock 2008 http://www.scarf360.com/about/index.shtml

Transition/Neutral Zone Playing it safe may reduce effectiveness and creativity Work feels less meaningful System and process vulnerabilities resurface Priorities get confused - work becomes disjointed Employees fill in the information blanks with information that makes them more stressed or confused G Guilt R Resentment A Anxiety S Self-Absorption S Stress Managing Transitions William Bridges, 2007

Models for Change Seek Data Normalize Change Look for Choices Identify What you have Control Over and What You Don t Communicate Support and Acknowledge Reactions Reinforce the Behavior You are Seeking Incorporate the Learning Curve Follow up

Communication Strategies Communicate your vision Communicate what is and is not ending Acknowledge losses o Keep a piece of the past o Use ceremony or rituals to honor the past Remove excuses to hold on to the past Use boundary actions and events to mark a clean break Sell the problem but don t put down the past Listen 1998 and 2010, William Bridges & Associates and Linkage, Inc

Reasons Managers Dont Communicate they don t need to know yet, we will tell them when the time comes o Remember the grapevine they already know o Say it again and say it in numerous ways we don t know the details o Not saying anything increases the anxiety o Say you don t know or can t say

Successful Meetings Plan Ahead and Set Expectations Plan Ahead and Set Expectations Avoid no news is good news Avoid no news is good news Notice Notice S Surroundings urroundings Assess for Threat Assess for Threat L Level and Create o Incorporate your understanding of Incorporate your understanding of p perceptions Make Yourself Make Yourself M More ore A Available o Normalize the potential reactions of your employees Normalize the potential reactions of your employees o As a manager what you don t say says as much as As a manager what you don t say says as much as what you do say what you do say o Listen Listen create an environment that encourages create an environment that encourages dialogue dialogue o Share the information you can, acknowledge you Share the information you can, acknowledge you can t can t evel and Create S Safety afety erceptions vailable

Personal Resilience What information do you have, what do you need, and what will remain unknown? What are you telling yourself? o Carefully sort out thoughts from feelings o Are these thoughts based on information or fears? o What other information do you need? o Are your thoughts making you feel calmer or more concerned? o What is your worst fear? What is the best possible outcome? Identify what else makes you feel calmer? Physical Cognitive

The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it s the same problem you had last year. --John Foster Dulles

Resources Managing Transitions Managing Transitions, William Bridges Leading Change Leading Change John P John P Kotter Heart of Change, Heart of Change, D D. Cohen and J. Primal Leadership, Primal Leadership, Daniel Boyatzis Boyatzis and Annie McKee and Annie McKee The Tipping The Tipping Point Point, , Malcolm Who Moved My Cheese Who Moved My Cheese, Spencer Johnson , William Bridges Kotter . Cohen and J. Kotter Daniel Goleman Goleman, Richard Kotter , Richard Malcolm Gladwell , Spencer Johnson Gladwell. .

Presented by Susan Harnden, LCSW EAP Manager HealthPoint EAP 471-3366 http://www.utexas.edu/hr/eap