Fearless Change Patterns for Introducing New Ideas

Book description

“All that have ever tried to impose change in their organization will immediately recognize and truly value the in-depth knowledge and experience captured in this book. It contains a collection of eye-openers that is a treasure chest for pioneers of new organizational ideas, A fantastic toolbox for use in future missions!”
—Lise B. Hvatum, product development manager, Schlumberger

“If you have need of changing your organization, and especially of introducing new techniques, then you want to understand what is in this book. It will help you avoid common pitfalls that doom many such projects and will show you a clear path to success. The techniques are derived from the experience of many individuals and organizations. Many are also fun to apply. This stuff is really cool—and really hot.”
—Joseph Bergin, professor of computer science, Pace University, New York

“If change is the only guarantee in life, why is it so hard to do? As this book points out, people are not so much resistant to change itself as they are to being changed. Mary Lynn and Linda have successfully used the pattern form to capture and present the recurring lessons of successful change efforts and have placed a powerful knowledge resource in the hands of their readers.”
—Alan O'Callaghan, researcher, Software Technology Research Laboratory, De Montfort University, United Kingdom

“The most difficult part of absorbing patterns, or any technology, into an organization is overcoming the people issues. The patterns in this book are the documentation of having gone through that experience, giving those that dare push the envelope a head start at success.”—David E. DeLano, IBM Pervasive Computing

“If you have ever wondered how you could possibly foster any cultural changes in your organization, in this book you will find a lot of concrete advice for doing so. I recommend that everyone read this book who has a vast interest in keeping his or her organization flexible and open for cultural change.”
—Jutta Eckstein, Independent Consultant, Objects In Action Author of Agile Software Development in the Large





48 Patterns for Driving and Sustaining Change in Your Organization

Change. It's brutally tough to initiate, even harder to sustain. It takes too long. People resist it.

But without it, organizations lose their competitive edge. Fortunately, you can succeed at making change. In Fearless Change, Mary Lynn Manns and Linda Rising illuminate 48 proven techniques, or patterns, for implementing change in organizations or teams of all sizes, and show you exactly how to use them successfully.

Find out how to

  • Understand the forces in your organization that drive and retard change

  • Plant the seeds of change

  • Drive participation and buy-in, from start to finish

  • Choose an "official skeptic" to sharpen your thinking

  • Make your changes appear less threatening

  • Find the right timing and the best teaching moments

  • Sustain your momentum

  • Overcome adversity and celebrate success

  • Inspired by the "pattern languages" that are transforming fields from software to architecture, the authors illuminate patterns for every stage of the change process: knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation. These flexible patterns draw on the experiences of hundreds of leaders. They offer powerful insight into change-agent behavior, organizational culture, and the roles of every participant.

    Best of all, they're easy to use—and they work!

    Table of contents

    1. Title Page
    2. Copyright Page
    3. Dedication Page
    4. Contents
    5. Foreword
    6. Preface
    7. Acknowledgments
    8. Part One: Overview
      1. Chapter One. Organizations and Change
      2. Chapter Two. Strategies or Patterns
      3. Chapter Three. Where Do I Start?
      4. Chapter Four. What Do I Do Next?
      5. Chapter Five. Meetings and More
      6. Chapter Six. Take Action!
      7. Chapter Seven. It’s All About People
      8. Chapter Eight. A New Role: Now You’re Dedicated!
      9. Chapter Nine. Convince the Masses
      10. Chapter Ten. More Influence Strategies
      11. Chapter Eleven. Keep It Going
      12. Chapter Twelve. Dealing with Resistance
    9. Part Two: Experiences
      1. Multiple Sclerosis Society Experience Report
      2. UNCA Experience Report
      3. Sun Core J2EE Patterns Experience Report
      4. Customer Training Experience Report
    10. Part Three: The Patterns
      1. Ask for Help
      2. Big Jolt
      3. Bridge-Builder
      4. Brown Bag
      5. Champion Skeptic
      6. Connector
      7. Corporate Angel
      8. Corridor Politics
      9. Dedicated Champion
      10. Do Food
      11. e-Forum
      12. Early Adopter
      13. Early Majority
      14. Evangelist
      15. External Validation
      16. Fear Less
      17. Group Identity
      18. Guru on Your Side
      19. Guru Review
      20. Hometown Story
      21. In Your Space
      22. Innovator
      23. Involve Everyone
      24. Just Do It
      25. Just Enough
      26. Just Say Thanks
      27. Local Sponsor
      28. Location, Location, Location
      29. Mentor
      30. Next Steps
      31. Personal Touch
      32. Piggyback
      33. Plant the Seeds
      34. The Right Time
      35. Royal Audience
      36. Shoulder to Cry On
      37. Small Successes
      38. Smell of Success
      39. Stay in Touch
      40. Step by Step
      41. Study Group
      42. Sustained Momentum
      43. Tailor Made
      44. Test the Waters
      45. Time for Reflection
      46. Token
      47. Trial Run
      48. Whisper in the General’s Ear
      49. External Pattern References
    11. Appendix
    12. References
    13. Index
    14. Footnotes
      1. Preface
      2. Acknowledgments
      3. Chapter One
      4. Chapter Three
      5. Chapter Four
      6. Chapter Five
      7. Chapter Six
      8. Chapter Seven
      9. Chapter Eight
      10. Chapter Twelve
      11. Part Three

    Product information

    • Title: Fearless Change Patterns for Introducing New Ideas
    • Author(s): Mary Lynn Manns, Linda Rising
    • Release date: October 2004
    • Publisher(s): Addison-Wesley Professional
    • ISBN: 0201741571