© Roger M Tagg 2023
I don't claim to be an expert on managing change in organizations, even though I have been involved in quite a few! But we need to think about all sorts of change, even mundane things like moving house or getting married.
Not all these factors will apply in all change processes.
| Motivations for the change might be | - Make more money | - Enjoy a better life | - Grab an opportunity | - Reduce risk | - Arrest decline | - Avert disaster |
| Primary beneficiaries | Individuals | Customers | Employees | Shareholders | Health patients etc etc |
| Secondary beneficiaries | Consultants | Accountants | Lawyers | Empire builders | Primary initiator |
| (how they stand to gain) | - contract work | - chargeable hours | - fees to sort out conflicts | - power in new environment | - kudos (if it works!) |
| People and organisations impacted | Initiators (individual or org) | Competitors | Employees | Loyal opponents | The person in the street, voter |
| (why they may lose out) | - cost, risk | - threat to market position | - extra work and upset | - loss of credt for their alternative | - higher prices, poorer service |
| Stages | The Idea | The Justification | The Plan(s) | The Change Process | The Review |
| (what's critical | - consider alternatives | - acceptable budget | - have a "Plan B" | - achievable milestones | - lessons learned |
| to success) | - encourage loyal opposition | - beware underestimation | - have an escalation policy | - built-in agility | - consolidation period |
| - no "TINA" or "imperatives" | - communicate the risks | - choose good key people | - honest progress reports |
Added to the above, PR (public relations) is critical at several stages. For those who remember 1980s UK Premier Margaret Thatcher, "TINA" stands for "There Is No Alternative".
There are two almost inevitable downsides to change: a) the changeover cost to the initiator; and b) the general reluctance of human beings to embrace change.
| Risks | #1 risk - Cost blowout | #2 risk - Delay | Competitors' counter-actions | Insiders' counter actions | Overdependence on key people | Left-field events | Bad publicity |
| (examples) | - materials cost rising | - unavailability of materials | - retaliatory projects | - foot dragging | - illness, personal crises | - pandemic | - bad news coverage |
| - contractors price gouging | - people problems | - legal challenges | - mild sabotage | - head hunting | - natural disasters | - decline of good will |
The links below lead to the other components of PLOVER
| Philosophy | Language | Ontology | Value | Evolution | Religion |
Links to other parts of this website
| Back to Evolution A | PLOVER index page | Back to Roger's home page | Back to tagg.org website |
Some of these links may be under construction – or re-construction.
This version updated on 10th July 2023