On each of the past seven days, I tweeted three statements on the nature of leading change from an informal coalitions standpoint (hashtag: #ic). Each of these identified one specific aspect of the complex social dynamics of organization on which the perspective is based, as highlighted by that day's ‘C-word’. Taken together, the statements challenge the currently dominant discourse on how organization works and how change happens in practice.
In the hope of provoking further discussion and reflection, the 'full story' is repeated below:
- Change (and continuity) is enacted in the CONVERSATIONS between interdependent people…
- Change is a COMPLEX social process. Widespread ‘outcomes’ emerge from self-organizing interplay of local interactions…
- Change is socially CONSTRUCTED: People get together and make things up–enabling and constraining each other’s actions…
- Managers are powerful participants in the joint sense-making-cum-action-taking process but are not in CONTROL of it…
- Even if change is imposed ‘top down’, actual outcomes are CO-CREATED in people’s ongoing, power-related interactions…
- All change is CONTESTED - shadow conversations reflect differing interpretations, interests, ideologies, identities…
- People COALESCE informally around shadow conversational themes, to initiate, support or frustrate change...
- Conversation and coalitional activity occur CONTINUOUSLY - as conversations change, so does ‘the organization’…
- Actual outcomes depend on present conversations and CULTURAL patterning of interaction reflecting past sensemaking…
- The emergent patterning of ongoing interaction creates expectancy – this is about CONFLUENCE not causality…
- In the complex social process of organization, meaning is always CONTINGENT – ie partial and provisional…
- CONTEXT is critical: change is enacted by specific people, at specific times, in specific situations…
- Change CAPABILITIES: reframe communication, think culturally, act politically, build coalitions, embrace paradox, provide vision…
- Change leaders CONNECT with natural conversational dynamics and tune into themes organizing people’s practice…
- Thinking culturally suggests how managers’ own actions (and inaction) CONTRIBUTE to emerging themes and behaviours …
- Acting politically means actively and ethically addressing difference and CONFLICT in everyday organizational life…
- Coalition building mobilizes COLLECTIVE action around organizationally relevant and personally resonant themes…
- Embracing paradox aims to make the unavoidable tensions and CONTRADICTIONS of organization liveable for people…
- Providing vision is about aiding COMPREHENSION – helping people to ‘see better’ through day-to-day interaction…
- After Stacey, change leadership is also having the COURAGE to go on participating creatively, despite not knowing…
- Finally, change leaders CONFRONT myths of management orthodoxy and engage with hidden, messy and informal reality.
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