Projects of Change Challenges of managing organizational changes Peter Pfeiffer August 2009
Oct 19, 2014
Projects of ChangeChallenges of managing organizational changes
Peter PfeifferAugust 2009
Presentation Content
Organizations change …
All the time, each and every day!
Some because they want to,
Others because they need to,
Some evolve and develop,
Some organizations simply disappear
What doesorganizational change
has to do withprojects ?
Some projects are proactivelyturned towards organizational change.
Others are reactively related to change.
The vast majority of projects is related to organizational
change
… but ¾ of all organizational change projects fail
Why do so many change projects fail?
People’s resistance
inadequate PM approach
Confusion of change and product
Resistance,
Doubts,
Fear
Forms of Resistance
Active / passive
Open / covered
Individual / group
Aggressive / timid
biological
sociological
psychological
Perspectives of Resistance
Resistance and Adaptation
necessity of adaptation to environment
Changes in the environment
changes in living beings
The change comes from outside: the reference is the environment.
Resistance and Adaptation
Internal adjustments until self-conservation is reestablished
Changes in the environment
congruency with the changes in the
environmentSelf-conservation
The change comes from inside: the reference is the living being.
Collective Resistance
Organizational change affects interest groups, influence,
control, power.
Groups are fundamental elements of organizations
They are links between the individual and the organization.
Generate more identity than the organization as a whole.
Allow to share perceptions and visions.
Groups are also a critical element of change
Facilitate to “organize” resistance, without exposing the individual.
Suggest the impression that the collective is stronger than the sum of the individuals.
Change tends to stimulate the competition between groups.
Individual Resistance
Organizational change affects people not only as employees but also as
individuals.
Technology
Hierarchy
Tasks
Rules/Norms
Procedures
Objective Information
Sentimentos
Simpatia/Antipatia
Esperança
StatusAmbição
Desejos
Valores
Medo
Insegurança
Desconfiança
Rejeição
Tabus
Ansiedade
To know the risks, one needs to dive deeper!
Feelings
Sympathy/Antipathy
Hope
StatusAmbition
Desire
Values
Fear
Insecurity
Mistrust
Rejection
Taboos
Anxiety
Technology
Hierarchy
Tasks
Rules/Norms
Procedures
Objective Information
Resist or not resist?
People don't resist change, they resist being changed.
Peter Bregman
PM Approach
“Classical” Project Management might not be the best approach
to deal with organizational change.
Change should be strategic – that is rather a program's issue.
PM’s main purpose is to deliver products – change is different.
Its structure is temporary – change has to be permanent.
It does not include some important tools and techniques - organizational development does.
Types of ProjectsDevelopmentDeployment
Engineering
Purpose/Objectives
Planning/Monitoring
Direction/Leadership
Needed Competencies
OrganizationalDevelopment x
≠
Project Organization
People x Products
Provoke behavioral changes, intangible, but relevant.
Are strongly influenced by organizational, social, cultural and economic aspects.
Development Projects
Have to deal with a high degree of uncertainty for planning and implementation.
Beneficiaries are not commercial clients of the project.
Development Projects
Example Project Management Office
PMO is to introduce change and promote development within the organization.
At the same time, the
establishment of a PMO is a development
project.
More explicit Challenges
Obtain sponsorship and resources.
Demonstrate the value of the PMO.
Have qualified staff.
Have the responsibilities well defined.
“Culture” (whatever that means).
Less explicit Challenges
The management of perceptions, beliefs, politics and power.
What are the keys to success?
Recognize the diversity of people.
Build up trust.
Orient the pace of change towards people, not technology.
Reveal the value for the people, not only for the organization.
Involve people actively.
Create, use and share the organizational knowledge.
Not all organizations need to be identical ...
... but all should comply efficiently with their mission and be a pleasant place to work!
Some resources used:• Bauer, Ruben (2009): Conhecimento e cognição. Apresentação no SBGC no Rio
de Janeiro.
• Bregman, Peter (2009): How to Counter Resistance to Change. http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/bregman/
• Burke, Wyatt Warner (2007): Organization change. Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
• Friess, Peter M. (2000): Systemische Konzepte für das Management von Organisationsprojekten. www.gpm-ipma.de/docs/
• Neumann, Donald/Baureis, David/Stock, Torsten (2009): Capacidade de Transformação: Gestão Ágil de Projetos em Estruturas Organizacionais Transformáveis. In: Revista MundoPM, nº 26.
• Nicolette, Dave/ Kosekla, Lasse (2008): Overcoming Resistance to Change. http://submissions.agile2008.org/node/1655
• Pfeiffer, Peter (2005): Gerenciamento de Projetos de Desenvolvimento. Conceitos, Instrumentos e Aplicações. Rio de Janeiro: Brasport.
• Pfeiffer, Peter (2006) Facilitação de Projetos. Conceitos e técnicas para alavancar equipes. Rio de Janeiro : Brasport.
• Schlichter, John (2009): Transformando a Cultura através do PMO e OPM3. In:Revista MundoPM, nº 27.
• www.flickr.com