Change Curve
One of the most important topics of leadership is change management. In today’s hyper-competitive environment, organisations need to adopt to change in order to stay relevant in any industry.
Change curve enumerates the stages that an individual will undergo following any change in their lives or career. Humans are naturally resistant to change because it disrupts their comfort zone. Knowing the different stages will help managers deal with the emotions of their employees more effectively.
The first stage is Shock or Disbelief. There are no angry employees at this stage. They are trying to digest what the news means for them. The next stage is Denial. “This can’t be happening… I’m sure they don’t mean it that way” says the employee. The next stage is Frustration and Anger. “This is really happening! They actually did this to me! How could they!”. Next is Depression. “Why did they do this to me? Am I not good enough? I cannot take this.”. Next is Experimentation and Decision where all emotions have been exhausted at this point and logic starts to kick in. The last stage is Acceptance and Integrations. “I ca do this. What do I need to do to get started?”
Application
How companies handle the employee emotions during times of change can make or break the implementation of change. Give people time to undergo the different stages of the Change Curve and try not to not rush anything (if possible). Do not get frustrated if you see denial and anger and understand that this stage will eventually pass. Do not start with the next step while employees are still in frustration and anger stage, just listen. There are no strict timing on the stages, some people can be in the first stages longer than others.
Herzberg's XY-Theory
JFrederick Herzberg postulated that factors that causes motivation and demotivation of employees are not in the same continuum. This means if you take out the motivating factors it will not necessarily translate to demotivated employees and vice versa. Factors such as Salary, Company Policies, Relationship with Boss, Relationship with Peers and Working Conditions are only hygiene factors and they only prevent dissatisfaction of employees but do not motivate them. Motivation factors are Sense of Achievement and Advancement, Recognition, Growth and Nature of Work itself.
Application
Critics of this theory argue that it is not applicable to the all employees and there are simply too many factor to consider such as culture, age, personal circumstances in the employee’s life. In our own thesis report, we concluded that motivation and hygiene factors changes based on the number of years a person stays in the company. Still, there are a few applications of this theory such as managers should consider that not all employees are motivated by just a high salary. It may motivate for a short but sooner or later it will die out and they will look for other things such as advancement, recognition and growth.
Learning-Performance Model
This is a very simple yet useful model that assume every employee will fall in either one of the four quadrants based on their performance and ability to learn or adapt to change. The first quadrant are the employees with good performance but low ability to learn or change - these employees needs to be motivated. The second quadrant are those high performers with high ability to learn - these are your star employees, reward them or promote them and keep them motivated. The third quadrant are those low performers but high enthusiasm or ability to learn - these employees need couching or mentoring for them to go to the second quadrant. The fourth quadrant are those low performers and low enthusiasm and ability to learn - these are your problem employees, either transfer them or fire them altogether. A low performer with no enthusiasm to work can spread negative vibes and affect other employees, you don’t want these kinds of people in your workforce.
Application
Managers should know which quadrant their employees belong so they will know how to treat them. Note that this is not fixed. One employee can belong to high performance and high ability to learn this week and totally demotivated the next week.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Abraham Maslow proposed that humans follow a certain hierarchal set of needs where in once the lower levels are satisfied, it would naturally progress to seek higher levels. The hierarchy emphasised that lower level needs are more important and the passion satisfy these are much higher compared to the higher ones. This is given as physiological needs are a matter of survival. No wonder people can be pushed to doing crimes just to have their physiological needs satisfied.
To explain the hierarchy, the lowest level are Physiological Needs which pertains to food, water, shelter, clothing and salary. The next are Safety Needs such as job security, insurance benefits and work place safety. The next are Social Needs such as good relationship with peers and superiors. The next are Esteem Needs such as recognition . Finally, the highest is Self-Actualisation Needs or growth.
Application
Understanding where an employee is in the hierarchy can help managers plan how to motivate and retain them. Take note that once an employee progresses to higher levels, he or she can always go back to the lower levels depending on the circumstances.
Mintzberg Managerial Roles
Henry Mintzberg classified the different roles of any manager in an organization. He suggested that managers have 3 main functions: preserve good interpersonal relations, process information and make sound decisions (interpersonal, informational and decisional roles respectively).
In every function, a manager should fulfil a more specific role such as to be a figurehead representing the group in various events. He should be a leader who motivate employees, and a liaison who will serve as a connection between the group and the outside of the organization. All these relating to the manager’s Interpersonal Role.
A manager should have access to important information and serve as a monitor. He should be the disseminator and spokesperson cascading information from upper management to employees and vice-versa. This is part of his Informational Role.
Lastly, the manager has Decisional Role meaning he should have an entrepreneurial spirit, proactively initiating projects for to improve the organization. He should be able to make decisions relating to conflict resolutions, budgeting and scheduling. The diagram sums up what every managers should to be.
Application
Every manager especially the new managers should know what their duties are to the organization and their employees to be able to function effectively. Senior staff promoted to managers should be aware of changes in his/her responsibilities that comes with the new position. He cannot just continue acting like a senior staff because the roles of being a manager and handling people are different.
Pyramid of Results
Pyramid of Results is a tool usually discussed under change management and organisational cultures. It states that the actions of a person and the results that he is getting are all based on his beliefs which is moulded by his experiences (bottom of the pyramid). It may seem very simple but this is actually a very powerful tool to manage people and is applicable in personal relationships as well.
Application
According to the Pyramid of Results, before implementing any major change, managers should clearly communicate how the change is beneficial for their subordinates. They cannot just simply inform and expect no resistance. How managers can effectively communicate is by appealing to the employees’ emotions, relating it to their experiences so that it may change their beliefs. Once belief is changed, it is easier to expect a change in actions and see the results. In other words, beliefs and experiences are what you need to change before expecting any change in employee’s actions and results.
Tuckman's Stages of Group Development
Bruce Tuckman in 1965 postulated that all groups regardless of culture, demographics, gender and age all undergo a series of stages. The first stage is Forming where newly created groups undergo a period of adjustment. Conflicts do not happen at this stage as members of the group are still sizing up each other.
The next stage is Storming where individual personalities and style of working emerge. This is stage is characterised by conflicts as members still do not understand each other’s style.
The next stage is Norming where members tone down on their emotions and finally understands each team member’s capacity and personality. Individual potential and talents tend to emerge in this stage.
The next stage is Performing where people in the group understands each other and know who they are in a team. They also identify themselves with the team and understand the tasks at hand. Conflicts are very seldom in this stage. And the last stage is Adjourning where the task is done and the group concludes.
Application
Understanding how teams develop will help leaders to properly manage and improve the team’s performance. Managers should support the team specially during storming stage. Note that these stages may not be linear and that it always follows one step after another. Some teams may spend more time on certain stages before they progress and some may totally skip some stages.
hr />Whitmore's GROW Model
GROW Model was developed by Sir John Whitmore in the 1980s. Goal is where managers brainstorm with their employees to set specific and actionable goals. The key is brainstorming. Goal setting should not be too directive on the part of the manager and it should be a collaborative formulation with the employee. Reality is discussing with the employee on where they stand now and how far they are from previously defined goal. >Options is about thinking of all the possible ways (or different options) on how to achieve the set goal. Way Forward or Will is defining the specific actions to take to achieve a goal and after careful consideration of all options.
Application
GROW model is one of the most successful coaching models used by managers. It is easy to remember, specific and systematic. It has been proven to increase motivation and confidence of employees which in turn led to increased self-satisfaction and productivity.
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