and ambivalence toward beginnings, 67
creating temporary systems for, 51–53
as creative opportunity, 48–49
creative use of, 56–59
difficulties of, 46–48, 164
effect on people’s self-confidence, 80
leader’s role in, 180–81
leading people through, 45
managing, 48, 60–62
normalizing, 49–50, 144
organizational picture during, 73
and path of renewal, 102–103
redefining, 50–51
revitalization in, 144
shift in, 59–60
social events in, 145
strengthening intragroup connections in, 53–54
transition monitoring team in, 54–56
Nietzsche, Friedrich, 118
Nin, Anaïs, 88, 95
Nonstop change, dealing with, 109–110
checklist for, 126–128
clarifying purpose, 117–119
cycle of challenge and response, 123–125
forecasting, 114–115
increasing transition-worthiness, 125–126
as norm, 116–117
rebuilding trust, 119–121, 128
selling problems, not solutions, 122–123
unloading old baggage, 121–122
worst-case scenarios, 115–116
Objectives, confusion of purposes and, 118–119
Old baggage, unloading, 121–122
Old problems, brainstorming new answers to, 58
Olive oil, 124
Opportunities, created by change, 173
Organization
and organizational development, 96–97
in organizational life cycle, 90–91
Organizational development (OD) specialists, 88, 101
Organizational Development, Laws of, 94–95
Organizational life cycles, 87–88
and laws of organizational development, 94–95
organizational renewal in, 99–101
planning, 115
role of transition in, 93–94
seven stages of, 88–93
Organizational picture
explaining, 142
and timing of beginnings, 69, 72–75
versus vision, 85n2
Organizational renewal, 99–101
ambiguity in, 104–105
checklist for, 105–106
choosing path of, 102–104
Organization charts, 22
Output objectives, setting realistic, 52
Overreaction, 31, 179
Part to play, and timing of beginnings, 69, 76–78
Past
and ambivalence toward beginnings, 67
and mementos, 40–41, 81
talking about, 39–40
and unloading old baggage, 121–122
Pasternak, Boris, 103
Pauling, Linus, 58
Pavese, Cesare, 65
Peter, Irene, 72
Peters, Tom, 153
Philanthropy, 155–157
Picture
explaining, 142
and timing of beginnings, 69, 72–75
versus vision, 85n2
Plan
creation of, 75–76, 163–165
explaining, 142
flexibility in, 181
and timing of beginnings, 69
Polarization, in neutral zone, 47–48
Policies, reviewing, 52
Positive thinking, 149
Practice cases, 13–23, 133–149
Predictions, basing plans on, 114
Problem
collecting information regarding, 163
selling, as reason for change, 18, 69–71, 122–123, 140, 141, 163, 178
Procedures, reviewing, 52
Prochnow, Herbert V., 70
Procter & Gamble, 41, 54
Production targets, increasing, 148
Purpose
clarifying, 117–119
explaining, 142
and timing of beginnings, 69–72
Quality-improvement training, 147
Quick successes, and reinforcing new beginnings, 80
Quisenberry, Dan, 115
Realism, 149
Renewal. See Organizational renewal
Reorganization
and organizational renewal, 100–101
as test case for managing transition, 13–23
Resentment, 152
Respect, for past, 39–40
Retained employees, 151–153
Rewards
for cost-saving suggestions, 144
and reinforcing new beginnings, 79
Rhys, Jean, 89
Rollerblade, 4–5
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano, 3
Roosevelt, Theodore, 98
Rossiter, Clinton, 41
Royal Dutch Shell Research & Development Laboratory, 169
Sadness, 34. See also Depression
Saint-Exupéry, Antoine de, 73
Salary cuts, 145
Schweitzer, Albert, 78
Self-absorption, 153
Self-managed teams, 7
Seminars, 21
Sensitivity
in communication, 139
resentment due to lack of, 152
Shakespeare, William, 153
Shell Oil and Chemical, 169
Shell Technology Transition Monitoring Team, 169–172
Short-range goals, 52
Sims (naval officer), 97–98
“Sinking ship,” 50, 51, 144
Social events, 145
Specificity, 37–38
Stability, 117
Stanhope, Philip, Earl of Chesterfield, 33
Stoppard, Tom, 36
Stress, 153, 179
Success(es)
celebrating, 81–82
quick, and reinforcing new beginnings, 80
Supervisors
challenge and response and, 125
communicating through, 36
training, 53
Survivors, 151–153
Symbols, 21, 80–81
Syrus, Publilius, 94
Tagore, Rabindranath, 60
Targets, changing individual, to team, 21
Tartakower, S. A., 133
Television, 124
Temporary systems, 20, 51–53
Test cases, 13–23, 133–149
Theognis of Megara, 121
Threats, 23
Toffler, Alvin, 154
Tolstoy, Leo, 31
Toynbee, Arnold J., 123
Training and training seminars, 21, 53, 147, 160
“Training task force,” 35
Transition
aftermath of, 151–153
assessing readiness for, 159–161, 163
career advice for employees of organizations in, 173–176
versus change, 3, 7, 23, 160, 163
to “change as norm,” 116–117
checklist for, 105–106
different paces in, 74
evaluating, 182
as experience, 104
explaining, to employees, 140–141
increasing transition-worthiness, 125–126
leader’s role in times of, 177–182
mismanaged, 3–5, 6, 7–8
monitoring, 161
phases of, 5, 10, 110–112
planning for, 163–65
role in organizational life cycle, 93–94
starts with ending, 8–9
test case for managing, 13–23, 133–149
understanding, 19
Transition deficit, 31
Transition management advisory group, 134–136
Transition management plan, 69, 75–78, 134–136
Transition Monitoring Teams, 54–56, 141, 164, 167–172
“Transition News,” 53–54
Trudeau, Pierre, 40
Trust
assessing employees’ level of, 178
mistrust, 168
rebuilding, 119–12
1, 128, 140
and transition readiness, 160
Trustworthiness, 119–121
Truth
hiding, 36, 37, 71, 141
Mark Twain on, 121
trust and, 121
T-shirts, 21
Twain, Mark, 49, 121
University of Tennessee, 81–82
Unmet needs, and capitalizing on reorganization, 173–176
U.S. Forest Service, 35
U.S. Navy, 97–98
Valéry, Paul, 27
Van Gennep, Arnold, 63n1
Venture stage
innovation and, 94
launching, in organizational life cycle, 89–90
and organizational development, 95
recapturing spirit of, 100
Vision, versus picture, 85n2
Visualizing new beginning, 69, 72–75
“Wall of Fame,” 41
Website, for change-related information, 142
West, Jessamyn, 101
West, Mae, 58
Whitehead, Alfred North, 13, 48, 109
Wilde, Oscar, 100
Worst-case scenarios, 115–116
Wozniak, Steve, 57
Yamaha, 57
Yearbook, 41
About the Authors
William Bridges (1933–2013) was a preeminent authority on change and managing change in the workplace. A former American literature professor, he was educated at Harvard, Columbia, and Brown, where he received his Ph.D. in 1963 in American Civilization. He initiated his own career change, founding William Bridges Associates in 1981. He consulted with organizations and individuals that were dealing with major business, professional, and personal changes, focusing on transition management, the human side of change.
As an internationally known author, speaker, and consultant, William Bridges’ expertise has been utilized in several hundred organizational mergers, reorganizations, leadership changes, and cultural shifts by companies, including Baxter Healthcare, Cisco Systems, Apple, Intel, Microsoft, the US Department of Energy, BankBoston, Saudi Aramco, Transamerica, Stanford University, Visa USA, AstraZeneca, McKesson, and Harvard Business School. The Wall Street Journal listed him among the top-ten independent executive development presenters in the United States.
Susan Bridges, president of William Bridges Associates, consults with leaders and organizations facing significant challenges as a result of non-stop change. Her key focus is providing insight and tools to make change less disruptive, capitalizing on the opportunities for development and innovation that change and its resulting transition offer.
Previously, she held senior management positions with international consulting firms where she provided leadership and guidance through start-up, turnaround, and growth periods. Her clients have included a broad range of industries in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Hewlett-Packard, Applied Biosystems, Chevron, Procter & Gamble, Levi Strauss, Bank of America, YPO, and Montessori. She holds a BA and an MA in Communications, with a focus on neurolinguistics and psychology, from the University of Colorado.
For more information on publications and services contact:
822 College Avenue, #426
Kentfield, CA 94904
Telephone: 415-925-1980
Fax: 415-925-1540
www.wmbridges.com
Email: [email protected]
E-mail: [email protected]
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