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September 2023 |
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In the September 2023 Newsletter
We are surrounded by change. It is the one constant in life. Driving through the Colorado mountains to Gunnison for a Board of Trustees meeting at Western Colorado University, I see aspen trees bursting out in glorious gold — this shows the change of seasons. My daughter just got married — there is change in her life and mine. When I meditate, I am mindful of the flow of sensations — here is evidence of the impermanence of life. One of the companies with which I'm affiliated was just acquired — there is change in my professional life and in that organization. Change is all around us. How do you manage it? What Is Change? Change is transition. It is defined as the act or instance of making or becoming different. Practical Pointers for Effectively Managing Change Social Change Theory developed by Kurt Lewin in the 1940s offers a useful approach to understanding and managing change. I have put it to work in all aspects of my life, especially organizational change. Here is a quick overview. First, represent the situation as a field of forces. There are positive forces encouraging movement to the desired state and there are restraining forces holding movement back. Then, to change the situation and the force field, use Lewin's three steps to unfreeze, change, and refreeze. "First you must melt the ice to make it amenable to change (unfreeze). Then you must mold the iced water into the shape you want (change). Finally, you must solidify the new shape (refreeze)." Further details from Lewin's model are below.
My Story When we were building our first tech venture, Radish Communications Systems (aka Radish 1.0), we applied Lewin's change model. We had introduced our VoiceView product and made the first big sale, but we realized we were not going to get to our financial goals. Change was needed. We conducted a force field analysis of the situation. While there were positive forces encouraging companies to buy and implement Radish's 'voice with visual exchange' solution (such as improved understanding, reduced time to transact business, and improved user experience), there were strong negative forces holding companies back (users needed new hardware and software on both sides of a phone call, there were no standards, and there was uncertainty if our company would survive). So we changed our business model to realign the forces. We were fortunate to attract a significant partner, Microsoft, to embed our software in the Windows operating system and modem partners (representing 90% of the worlds' chip, modem, and PC shipments) to embed our hardware in their off-the-shelf devices. With these powerful partners, we removed the negative forces and our solution became the defacto standard for voice / data communications over standard telephone lines. Remarkable! Summary Change is inevitable. How to manage it? Use Kurt Lewin's change management model. Recognize there is a field of forces holding the situation in its current state. Unfreeze the situation, make change happen by realigning the forces, and then refreeze. The result can be fast and smooth change leading to a stable outcome. Selected Events October 9-11, 2023. I will be in the Chicago area attending the EDUCAUSE annual conference. Let me know if you would like to meet. October 24-28, 2023. I will be in the Sacramento, CA area. Let's find a time to connect. November 13-17, 2023. I will be in the Los Angeles, CA area. Let me know if you would like to meet.
Theresa M. Szczurek, Ph.D. Pass it on. Feel free to share this newsletter, using my name and copyright declaration, with your colleagues. |
 Theresa M. Szczurek, Ph.D.
Technology and Management Solutions
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