The Change Equation at Work

Change & AdaptationManagement & LeadershipManagers≈ 15 min

Key skill: Change management

Summary

Drive organisational change by overcoming resistance: gauge dissatisfaction, build a shared vision, and launch concrete first actions — while staying the course and adjusting as you listen to what's happening on the ground.

Target audience

Any manager or project lead responsible for promoting and supporting change within their organisation.

Learning objectives

Use the 3 levers of the change equation (Dissatisfaction, Vision, and first steps) to overcome resistance to change
Identify and articulate current sources of dissatisfaction and dysfunction.
Define a positive vision for the future and involve team members in shaping it.
Put the first concrete steps of change in place and celebrate them to encourage the next ones.

Module outline

ArticlesTeam attitudes toward change · Tips for supporting teams through change · A reflection exercise on attitudes toward change
Expert videoAn introduction to David Gleicher and Kathie Dannemiller's change equation: D x V x S > R (Dissatisfaction x Vision x First steps > Resistance)
AnchoringA quiz and True/False questions to explore the topic further and anchor what you've learned
Memo cardA downloadable memo card: the key takeaways from the expert video
CommitmentConcrete examples to help you define your own commitment

Models & methods

Change equation: Dissatisfaction x Vision x First steps greater than Resistance; typology of attitudes; test-learn-adjust.

Research-based

Equation formulated by David Gleicher in the 1960s, later refined by Kathie Dannemiller in the 1980s.