LEAP I: Accessible Text

LEAP I: Accessible Text Version

2. Leading through System Changes

Section summary

Managing change requires more than just a model; it requires strong leadership that can manage the people involved in implementing change. Although change management focuses on systems and processes, change leadership addresses people’s beliefs and practices. In this section, you will learn about change leadership and how it differs from change management. You also will learn about using adaptive leadership and leadership change styles to help manage challenges during the change process.

By the end of this section you will

  • understand aspects of change leadership,
  • learn strategies for being an adaptive leader,
  • identify your own leadership style and how to use it to effect change, and
  • learn strategies and activities for staff development during change.

Change leadership

What is change leadership?

In the previous section, we covered change management and several models for processing change. What is the difference between change management and change leadership? Although change management deals with the operations (processes and procedures) surrounding an organizational change, change leadership focuses the people (beliefs, emotions, and reactions) involved in the change process. (See Figure 4.)

Figure 4. Change Leadership vs. Change Management

change leadership vs. change management

From Navigating Change: A Leader’s Role, 2015

Change leaders navigate the change process from three levels: self, others, and organization.

  • Self: From this level, a leader considers how he or she deals with change. Determine your own thoughts and feelings toward the change and how you react in particular situations. Focus on how you can modify your behavior and leadership style to direct the change process in the direction it needs to go by assessing how your change style affects others.
  • Others: From this level, a leader considers the impact of change on others. As a change leader, consider what you can do to help others through the change. This does not mean doing things for others, but providing staff with what they need to move through the phases of change. Determine the information and others need to understand their role in change. Learn to build relationships and defuse negative situations as they come along.
  • Organization: From this level, a leader looks at the broader landscape. Consider the effects of the change within the broader context of the organization. At this level, change leaders also look at how to influence different levels within and outside the organization. Consider how to build networks to support the organization as a whole.

Change leaders not only manage the change; they also are thought leaders who move the process forward.

Adaptive leadership

Adaptive leadership is an approach to leadership grounded in the situation and factors at hand. An adaptive leader solves adaptive challenges instead of technical problems. Adaptive leaders deal with experiences as they occur, and work through challenges to find a solution that works for the particular situation. What separates adaptive leaders is that they are continually challenging, adapting, and learning, which prepares them for the next situation. Adaptive leaders show emotional intelligence, organizational justice, character, and development. This means adaptive leaders are aware of their own emotions and those of others, and use this knowledge to build and manage effective relationships. They respect the insights of others and learn how to integrate value into the situation for the betterment of the group. Adaptive leaders are transparent and forthcoming and earn the respect of others. Finally, they are constantly learning to improve their adaptive skills and remain flexible in their worldview.

TIP: When dealing with change, adaptive leaders:

  • Give direction to the team. They communicate effectively and often, and repeat the plan.
  • Provide protection to the team from external threats, maintain levels of confidence, and keep the team focused on their responsibilities.
  • Clarify roles in a changing environment for staff.
  • Manage conflict as it arises and defuse negative situations.
  • Shape the organizational norms and ensure they are maintained.

Leadership styles

In the regional training, we discussed the continuum of three change styles. The Change Style Indicator (CSI) is an assessment that can be used to capture an individual’s preferences in approaching change and in dealing with situations involving change. (See the CSI Overview handout in the appendix for more information on CSI.) Results of this instrument place an individual on a continuum ranging from a Conserver orientation to an Originator orientation. (See Figure 5.) A Pragmatist orientation occupies the middle range of the change style continuum. The closer an individual’s score is to one end of the continuum, the stronger the preference for that “change style.” True pragmatists score in the middle ranges. CSI results will not indicate one’s effectiveness at utilizing a preferred change style.

Figure 5. Continuum of Change Styles

change styles

© 2010, 2014 Discovery Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

There are various other views on leadership styles. Kurt Lewin identified three core leadership styles:

  • Authoritarian (autocratic) leadership: Decisions are made without consulting others. This style tends to breed discontent so works best when the decisions would not change as a result of input and people’s motivation for carrying out the change would not be directly affected.
  • Participative (democratic) leadership: Some level of input is provided to the group; however, the leader is responsible for making the final decision.
  • Delegative (laissez-faire) leadership: The leader is provided a minimal role in decision making; the group is allowed to make its own decisions and manage itself. This style works best in situations where staff is self-motivated and the need for coordination is minimal or nonexistent.

Regardless of the label or style of leadership, what is important is understanding your own leadership style or preference. You cannot control how others behave or react, but by understanding how you react in situations, you can modify your own behavior to deal with other people or challenging situations to steer the situation to where it needs to be.

Activity

Change style discussion

Now that participants know what their change style preference is, they can work in groups with those who have the same preference to discuss (1) what they like about their own style, (2) what they find challenging about their own style, (3) what they like about the other two styles, (4) what they find challenging about the other two styles, and (5) tips they would offer the other preferences to help everyone work together more effectively. Although not everyone we work with can complete the CSI, it is important to recognize that everyone deals with change differently. As a leader, understanding this and being proactive about your approach is one way to manage your various stakeholders’ stress about change.

Adaptations

For use with other state, or local program staff: This activity was used in the training as part of the CSI style discussion. Adapt this activity by selecting the leadership styles that most resonate with your situation and complete the activity as stated.

Leadership Assessments

In the regional training, Leap Into WIOA, Part I, participants took the CSI assessment to determine their preferred change style. Since it is a paid assessment that cannot be shared, we have provided links to several alternative online assessments that you can share with other state and local program staff, if desired.

Activities

Change model and CSI: action planning

Combining Lewin’s change model management and the CSI, participants use this information to begin developing action steps to addressing the stages of change within their state, specific to their stated priority area. They also will consider how each change style preference may affect the perception of the change and the action steps, and use that information to refine their action steps.

Adaptions

For use with other state or local program staff: Select the leadership styles that most resonate with your situation and modify the activity to replace the CSI styles (if you choose not to purchase the assessment). Remind staff that knowledge is power when it comes to leadership styles. Knowing your own preference can help you adapt to a variety of situations in a positive way.

Perspective activity

As the group begins to shift focus on leadership, they will complete an activity about perspective. The activity segues into a presentation and discussion about adaptive leadership and is intended to demonstrate the downfalls of limited perspective. The group will be divided into three groups, and each will have an image (each image depicts a different viewpoint or perspective of the same scene). They will have 10 minutes to discuss what they see in the picture and answer specific questions about it. This activity will lead to a discussion on adaptive leadership and the two perspectives leaders need to be aware of and engage in while leading challenge solutions and change: the balcony perspective and the dance-floor perspective. After a brief presentation about these two perspectives, training participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their own practice, what perspective they most frequently rely on, and respond to this question: What steps can you take when planning for WIOA changes that keep both the balcony and dance-floor perspectives? What would that look like?

Adaptations

For use with local program staff: This activity can be a good team-building exercise for professional development or training sessions. Staff learn how different perspectives can affect the larger result and reminds staff to consider various viewpoints when undergoing a system change.

Your priority area and adaptive leadership

Bringing together concepts from Day 1 (Change Models, Change Style Preference) and Day 2 (Leadership), participants will identify some big-picture ideas (balcony perspective) they may be concerned with at the state level versus details (dance-floor perspective) their staff or local program staff may be concerned about in respect to each state’s priority area. This activity will help leadership gain a 360-degree “view” of challenges and concerns around their priority area from both a state and local perspective. This “view” will support effective communication and planning around state plan implementation elements.

Adaptations

For use with local program staff: This activity is best used with leaders; however, it can be used as is to provide perspective to staff in a variety of situations.

Philosophical chairs

Now that participants have learned about adaptive leadership, they will focus on the difference between technical problems and adaptive challenges. Technical problems often are procedural and have clear answers, but adaptive challenges require behavioral or changes in relationships and don’t have a right or wrong solution. These challenges can pose a problem for leaders because the solutions will almost always involve shifts in the nature of interactions and require time on the balcony and the dance floor. This also might mean that others who work with you in a leadership capacity may need to join you more on the balcony or make sure they are spending enough time on the dance floor. One major obstacle in implementing change is trying to solve adaptive challenges as if they were technical problems. This activity is designed for participants to explore a variety of issues related to implementing their state plan and preparing for the types of challenges they will most likely face. Volunteers will offer a potential problem, related to one of the priority areas, and the group will move to one side of the room if they believe it is a technical problem or the other side of the room if they believe it is an adaptive challenge. Through disagreements, opposing sides will debate why they believe they are correct.

Adaptations

For use with local program staff: This activity can be used as is, though it works best with more people. Instead of focusing on the state plan, local staff should focus on aspects that directly affect the local program.

Adaptive challenges and technical problems

Applying new strategies and understanding, teams will work together to focus on their priority area by addressing the following: (1) identify challenges you think will (or have already) come up in relation to your priority areas; (2) indicate if they are technical or adaptive; (3) brainstorm strategies to use (experiments, new discoveries, adjustments in the organization, changing attitudes, values, behaviors or culture shifts, or delegate work); and (4) begin to brainstorm possible solutions to each identified challenge—focus on adaptive challenges first. This activity will help states prepare and be proactive regarding state plan implementation.

Adaptations

For use with local program staff: Instead of focusing on the state plan, local staff should focus on aspects that directly affect the local program.

Additional resources

The following resources provide further reading about WIOA implementation, systemic change, change management, and change readiness.