Re: Resistance to Change LO841

Dr. Ivan Blanco (BLANCO@BU4090.BARRY.EDU)
Wed, 19 Apr 1995 22:09:42 -0400 (EDT)

Replying to LO753 --

> Date: Wed, 12 Apr 1995 23:27:43 -0400
> From: Dmweston@aol.com
>
> Replying to LO738 --
>
> Stuart Umpleby's comment carries such a ring of truth: "I liked John
> Warfield's description of resistance to change. It describes quite well
> my feelings when I resist change -- I do not know how to act in the new
> situation."
>
> Even in settings I've seen where people are very eager for change and have
> been actively involved in the change design, I have seen the phenomenon
> Stuart describes come up. When implementation actually occurs, people do
> not know how to act. The people most desirous of "empowerment" (and
> capable of self-management) are suddenly asking to be told what to do!
> Seems like a fairly rational response to the unknown, but it's not too
> productive for the change initiative. Possibly some of you have developed
> some theories about this phenomenon that you could share.
>
> Perhaps some of our visioning work needs to be on imagining the new
> context on an individual and group level as well as on the strategic
> organizational level that we already do. I also think it may help with
> this problem to work with people in their own job context to facilitate
> the change, rather than taking them out of their workplace in a meeting or
> seminar or retreat.
>
> Diane Weston DMWeston@AOL.COM
>
There are many uncovered issues here. For instance, it could be
that what is taking place is the "I am empowering you, but I want you to
make sure that you know that I can take the empowerment back at any time"
type of situation. Then empowerment will not produce the expected
results, and it will be "confirmed" that employees don't know what to do
when they are empowered. When we don't know how to act in a new situation
is basically because we have not imagined our full role in the new
scenario. Or, the pressures imposed on us have lept us from doing it.
This is something that people really need to do. Learn how to learn to
imagine how we would fucntion in a new role. In some situations that I
have experienced, and after working out all the details of the change, I
find myself not know exactly what to do because aI get mixed signals from
those who are supposed to give the go ahead. I think that one of the
worst situations is when you get the go ahead, but then you are told not
too move too fast, or be cautious, or some other expression that leaves
you with a big doubt in your brain!

Ivan,

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R. IVAN BLANCO, Ph.D. Voice 305 899-3515
Assoc. Prof. & Director Fax 305 892-6412
International Business Programs
Andreas School of Business _________E-Mail Addresses________
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"Las naciones marchan hacia el termino de su grandeza, con
el mismo paso que camina su educacion." "The nations march
toward their greatness at the same pace as their educational
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