Jean Roberts

It seems as though the nonprofit sector is in a constant state of change!

Extract from Chapter 6 of my e-book,
Riding the Waves of Community Development from the 1970s

The speed with which change is introduced can be a crucial factor in its acceptance and eventual success. The best advice is to heed the concept of MOMENTUM, where there are three basic components –

• the size of the object,
• the speed with which it is moving, and
• the direction in which it is moving.

If you transfer these components to the introduction of change into an organisation, you are looking at:

• the size of the change – the amount of change and the degree to which the organisation and its environment may be affected by the change,
• the speed of introducing the change – the amount of preliminary discussion, preparation and planning, and time allocated or available to the introductory stage, and
• the direction in which the change is taking the organisation – the purpose and vision you are working to achieve in the grand, as well as the immediate, plan.

Change which grows out of analysis and identification of the status quo will, of its very nature, respect these three components of momentum and develop its own genuine self-induced momentum. However, imposed change can bring about disruption and disquiet: transplanting change from someone else’s context can be disastrous, and forced change can be greeted and treated with a mammoth lack of enthusiasm.

Be aware that change can be introduced or imposed in such a way that it is seen to be moving too far, too fast, and too soon. In this case, people will fall away and behind, their interest and support will disintegrate and the initiator or facilitator of such change will find themselves stranded and isolated. If this should happen, the task of regaining that ground will be difficult and daunting, to say the least.

Consider my Driving Change Checklist, first presented to the Tasmanian State HACC (Home and Community Care) Conference in November 2005 as a guide to planning change, responding to imposed change, or evaluating a recent change process.

Step 1 – Understand the Four Primary Players in Driving Change:

1. the Individuals – people who make up the Organisation, and who will be involved with and/or affected by the change process or outcome,
2. the Organisation – both as a legal entity, and as a service-provider,
3. the Geographic Community or Community of Interest served by the Organisation, and
4. the internal or external change agent/s – frequently also the source of resources and support for, or direction of, change.

Step 2 – Identify and examine the Key Drivers (catalysts, causes or contributors to change) which can be:

1. internal or external factors,
2. chosen or imposed,
3. processes (a series of events that lead to or generate a change in attitude or behaviour which in turn lead to a change in activity or outcome),
4. stage of growth in the Organisation as a legal entity or as a service-provider, or
5. increase or decrease in the level of job satisfaction of, or practical support for, paid staff, unpaid staff, service-users – or in the strength of external networks.

Step 3 – Be aware of the likely impact of Change, for example:

1. simple or complex – and anything in between, and
2. can mean or include any of these – to alter, improve, strengthen, introduce, replace, remove, expand, extend, shift, use differently, share, combine, adjust, add beauty to, promote, explain, simplify, make more effective, make more accessible, make more friendly, reformat, etc.

The process of change can be affected by enthusiasm, desperation, innovation, need, opportunity, challenge, fear, negativity, naivety, ignorance, great wisdom or lack of wisdom, manipulation, etc.

Change of itself isn’t necessarily positive or negative: it is the motive or intention behind the change where these can more easily be recognized. Some of the most positive changes in communities and in organisations have been initiated with questionable intent – and some of the greatest changes have come about seemingly by accident.

Step 4 – Plan effective, efficient and humane change

Effective change begins with gaining an understanding of the current situation with questions like these:

• what’s happening now?
• what are the facts, and how do we feel about the facts?
• what do we wish to change, and why?
• who will benefit?
• what is the nature and extent of control or influence that we have or need to have?
• what is our criteria for making decisions and setting priorities in planning and introducing change, or in reacting or responding to imposed or forced change?
• what is the nature and extent of resources required, and where do these come from?
• how will we evaluate the process of change as well as the outcome of the change process?
• who will be responsible and accountable for the agreed change process and for the desired change outcome?

Efficient change means that all available resources are used or utilized in the most effective way to support an effective change process and outcome (‘effective’ is doing the right thing: ‘efficient’ is doing it the right way’).

Humane change means that the needs and interests of all involved in the process or outcome are carefully and continuously considered and respected.

Step 5 – Anticipate and apply the 3 components of Momentum

In planning change – or responding to imposed change – carefully consider and monitor:

• the size of the change – the amount of change that is acceptable to the Four Primary Players in Driving Change, and the degree to which the organisational environment (both internal and external) is going to be affected by the change process or outcome,
• the speed of introducing the change – carefully examine the Drivers (catalysts, causes or contributors to change), and carefully schedule preliminary discussion, preparation and planning to ensure that the speed is appropriate to the nature of change, and
• the direction in which the change is taking the Organisation – that the focus of change is on the purpose and vision you are working to achieve in the grand, as well as this immediate, plan.

Please leave your comments to discuss momentum and how change affects your organisation.