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Almost every manager I know struggles at some point with managing change. This can be for many reasons, but foremost among them is the degree to which people 'buy in' to the proposed changes. So why do some people resist change, while others thrive on it?
Some key answers I believe can be found stemming from the grounbreaking work of Prof. Albert Bandura, of Stanford University, who is renowned for his work on Social Cognitive Theory and in particular what he has to say about the power of Self-Efficacy Beliefs.
Now, good theories are just that, good theories. They need to be proven, then made capable of being translated and implemented into practice, and then diffused across different boundaries, contexts and cultures.
Think of this in an organizational context. For example, one of the most vexatious problems leaders face today, according to research by the Gallup organization, is low levels of employee engagement. This is not just an organizational problem, it's also a societal one, because the attitudes that we develop in a disengaged environment spill over into our family and community lives.
So you develop a theory of change - how this problem of employee disengagement can be turned around. You have tried out your theory on a pilot basis, and found that it works reasonably well on a small, local scale. In particular it has been demonstrated that your approach can overcome resistance and change organizational norms.
But will it scale up, and across different divisions (cultures) of your organization? And if you have international divisions, will it be culturally sensitive? How much resistance to change can you expect? And how will you deal with that resistance? Will established organizational and cultural norms be too ingrained and defeat your efforts?
I believe that many of the answers to these questions and problems that leaders face in leading change in their organizations and communities can be found in the very successful work of Bandura and his associates. It's best if I leave it to the venerable Professor to explain it himself, which he does exceedingly well in this video, which by the way lasts for over 90 minutes, but it's well worth it...
Prof. Albert Bandura - Speaking at The Univ of Southern California - Annanberg School for Communication - September 2007 - 93 mins
About Brian Ward
Brian Ward is a Principal in Affinity Consulting, a consulting and training practice based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He is the author of Lead People...Manage Things. He works with all levels of leaders and teams as a leadership coach, facilitator, trainer and consultant.
