The Process of Change

Most organizational consultants report that it takes about three years to change the culture of a team, a church, a nonprofit organization, or a business. I've seen this process as occurring in four stages, illustrated by this diagram:

Originally developed by Sam Williams and adapted by Carol Childress, cited in “Levels of Change, Part 2,” Leadership Network Champions Fax, Volume 3 Number 2, January 26, 1998.

 Knowledge

The  fi  rst  level  requires  a  change  of  mind  resulting  in  increased knowledge. Facts that support the reasons for change need to be gathered  and  shared.  Facts  are  far  more  persuasive  than  opinions, but facts alone don ’ t produce culture change. In fact, they can precipitate confl ict because everyone may not agree on what needs to be done or be ready to do it.

 We gain knowledge by reading books and articles, attending seminars,  and  listening  to  friends  who  are  learning  important  lessons about taking responsibility for their roles in the cultures of their churches or teams. 

Attitude

  The  second  level  requires  a  change  in  attitudes  about  roles,  goals,  and relationships. In this stage, people may feel  threatened because their  rituals, expectations, and  job  descriptions  are  being   examined.   Quite   often,   leaders   react   by   producing    more    information  to  support  their views,  but  this  is  counterproductive.  The  issue  now   is   emotional,   not   intellectual,  and  the  leader  ’  s  role  is  to  provide  support,  listen  carefully,  and  help  people  steer  through  the    emotional  minefi elds  that always accompany culture change.

The leader ’ s role is to provide support, listen carefully, and help people steer through the emotional minefields that always accompany culture change.

At  this  level,  our  knowledge  seeps  into  our  hearts  and  produces  convictions.  We  determine,  I  don  ’  t  want  to  act  that way with Barbara anymore. I want to be kind and affi rming,  not  short with  her.  ”    As  a  team  talks  about  the  culture  and  its  implications,  don  ’  t  be  surprised when  people  become  defensive.  Turf  issues  surface  very  quickly  at  this  point,  but patiently  listen.  Let  fears  run  their  course.  Answer  questions,  reassure people of their importance and their roles, and look to the future. 

Behavior

The  third  level  requires  a  change  in  behavior,  and  as  those behaviors  become  habits,  a  new  lifestyle  becomes  the  norm  in  the  culture.  Each  change  may  begin  with  incremental  choices that  feel  relatively  safe  and  offer  the  biggest  chance  for  success.  As  those  new  behaviors  come  to  feel  natural,  the  leader and the team can move to the next, and perhaps more challenging, priority.

We may apply the principles of becoming a change agent in different ways, but all of us will take action in this level. Some of  us  instinctively  remember  a  concern  shared  by  someone  in the last meeting, so we ask about it as the next meeting begins, but some of us need to write down those concerns to remind us to ask about them. If we realize that we talk to a particular team member  only  at  the  meetings,  we  may  want  to  go  to  that  person ’ s offi ce a few minutes before the next meeting to say something like,  “ Kim, I really appreciate the wisdom you share in our meetings. I wish we had more time together. I could learn a lot from you. Thanks for your contribution to the team. ” 

The  team  leader  may  lead  the culture, but it is sustained and deepened by the team members.

 

 We have different talents, different backgrounds, and different experiences,  but  everyone  on  the  team  plays  an  important  role  in   shaping   the   culture   of  the  team.  During  this  stage  of  culture  change,  each  person  realizes  his  or   her   unique   contribution,   spoken   by   the  person  and  affi  rmed  by  the  team. 

Institutional Behavior

The  fourth  level,  which  is  the  cumulative  effect  of  knowledge,  attitudes, and new habits, requires a change in the culture of the  organization.  Each  person  on  the  team  has  had  time  to  think,  plan,  and  experiment  with  new actions  that,  over  time,  take  root and change the expectations and relationships.