{"id":92160,"date":"2023-02-12T14:56:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-12T18:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=92160"},"modified":"2023-02-17T16:41:37","modified_gmt":"2023-02-17T20:41:37","slug":"implementing-change-in-an-organization-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/implementing-change-in-an-organization-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The 4 Steps for Implementing Change in an Organization"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you making big changes<\/a> at work? What’s the easiest way to implement change in an organization<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Change is normal for any organization, but everybody has to be on the same page. That’s why Aaron Dignan’s book Brave New Work<\/em><\/em> gives key advice on making changes as smooth as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading for the key to implementing change<\/a> in an organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Strategies for Implementing Change<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve set the stage for reform by establishing psychological safety and a consent process at work, you\u2019re ready for a plan on implementing change in an organization<\/a> to combat disillusionment and inefficiency at work<\/a>. Each of these strategies aims to incorporate his foundational principles of autonomy and flexibility into your organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Define a Unifying Purpose<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Defining a unifying purpose is an essential step in establishing autonomy and flexibility because it enables cohesive work in a decentralized context<\/strong>. This should be a group effort (ideally using the consent process) to determine the overall purpose of the work, who your purpose<\/a> serves, and how the purpose could be changed in the future if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As individuals and groups gain the freedom to act autonomously, the unifying purpose should guide decisions and determine what organizational changes are needed<\/strong>. Metrics can be used to determine if the work is aligned with the unifying purpose, but not necessarily as a measure of success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if your organization\u2019s purpose is to make access to clean water more equitable, members can use statistics on the number of new wells installed as a helpful indicator without it becoming the sole focus. Natural disasters may set back the efforts to install wells, new and improved technologies may emerge, or employees may find other innovative ways to work toward the goal of equitable water access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Distribute Authority Widely<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For the principles of autonomy and flexibility to be effective in your organization, authority is another important area to reform. In general, Dignan recommends giving people the power to carry out the organization\u2019s purpose the best way they see fit, rather than workers simply following orders from a superior. Regular governance meetings and allocating resources as needed<\/strong> are a couple of specific ways to distribute authority. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A regular governance meeting creates a democratic space for everyone to implement the consent process discussed in the previous section. In these meetings, everyone has the authority to propose changes<\/a> to structures and processes<\/strong> or to raise concerns about anything inhibiting their work. If your organization already has a lot of meetings, Dignan also recommends canceling all meetings for two weeks to give everyone a chance to figure out what meetings are genuinely helpful. People can then return to the governance meeting with a new perspective on what changes they want to see and what processes they want to maintain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Applied in a different context, governance meetings within families enable a more democratic style of parenting<\/a>, as opposed to an authoritarian style (where parents set strict rules) or a permissive style (where children can do what they want). In democratic parenting, governance meetings are an opportunity for each family member to have a voice and weigh in on activities, household rules, and allowances. Similar to Dignan\u2019s benefits of an autonomous workplace<\/a>, advocates of this practice argue that it fosters feelings of connection, worthiness, autonomy, and courage in children.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since control of resources is another way to exercise authority, allowing workers to allocate resources as needed is another way to distribute authority. Rather than adhering to a rigid, traditional budget that controls the flow of resources, Dignan suggests maximizing<\/a> discretionary funds and the number of people who have access to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Create Dynamic Teams<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Creating dynamic teams gives individuals and groups within the organization the autonomy to get work done quickly as self-sufficient units<\/strong> (while still being united by the group\u2019s overall purpose). Dignan argues that individuals should not be tied to a specific job title<\/a> and should instead have the flexibility to join multiple teams<\/strong> based on their interests and desire to contribute toward the overall purpose. This results in a network of dynamic roles rather than a traditional organization chart with fixed and limiting positions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One strategy for creating dynamic teams is to experiment with what Dignan calls SLAM teams:<\/p>\n\n\n\n