Project Managers (PMs) are on the front lines of organization change. Yet the statistics on change are dismal. McKinsey Quarterly reported that only 38% of leaders believed their recent transformation effort was better than somewhat successful. And the project success rates (coming in on time, within budget, and to scope) are lower than anyone would like. Clearly, there's room for improvement. In this engaging, participatory session, participants learned about what it takes to become successful change leaders. Specifically, we discussed: • The one method that makes a change initiative 10 times more likely to succeed. • The six ways of creating change in organizations. • How PMs can use the six way to help create change. • How PMs can choose the best fit for their project. This session was presented at the PMI Mass Bay Professional Development Day on May 5, 2012. More: http://partneringresources.com/building-networks-to-support-change-leadership/

1. Becoming a Change Leader (Yes, You!)
What You Need to Lead Your Organization to Achieve its
Change Goals
PMI Mass Bay
Professional Development Day
May 5, 2012
Maya Townsend, Founder
Partnering Resources

2. Learning Objectives
• The one method that makes a change initiative 10
times more likely to succeed.
• The six ways of creating change in organizations.
• How PMs can use the six way to help create
change.
• How PMs can choose the best fit for their
projects.
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3. Maya Townsend
• Founder & lead consultant, Partnering Resources
► We help organizations solve complex collaboration problems
• Former instructor in Boston University Corporate Education
Center’s PM Certificate Program
► Now: Leadership, strategy, collaboration, alignment and change
• Published author
► CIO.Com, Chief Learning Officer, Mass High Tech, Talent
Management, and other magazines and journals
► Serves on the Editorial Review Board for OD Practitioner, the
premier organization development practitioner journal in the
United States
• Likes chocolate a lot
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4. Pace of Change is Increasing
81%
of managers say the
pace of change has
increased compared to
the pace 5 years ago
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5. PMI Says: “PMs Make Change Happen”
Project managers are change agents
• They make project goals their own
• They inspire a sense of shared purpose within the project team
• They enjoy the organized adrenaline of new challenges
• They enjoy the responsibility of driving business results
But how?
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Definition: PMI

6. And Along With Change Comes…
More volatility 69%
More uncertainty 65%
More complexity 60%
50% 55% 60% 65% 70%
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Data: IBM (2010) “Capitalizing on Complexity.”

7. Moving Beyond…
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Image: Unknown.

8. Experiences with Change Leadership
• Think of a change leader
you admire
• Turn to the person sitting
next to you
• Identify: What does the
change leader do
(behaviors) that help
people change?
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9. Using 4+ techniques leads to
10 times greater likelihood of success
Grenny, Maxfield, & Shimberg, MIT Sloan Management Review, Fall 2008
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10. Ways to Create Change
Individual: Increase
Individual Social Structural staff motivation and
ability to change
Social: Create social
networks and
relationships that
MOTIVATION value and reward
change
Structural: Ensure
that the environment
ABILITY supports change
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Model adapted from Grenny, Maxfield, & Shimberg, MIT Sloan Management Review, Fall 2008.

11. INFLUENCING CHANGE AT THE
INDIVIDUAL LEVEL
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12. I-M: Link to Mission & Values
Techniques:
Public testimonials
Storytelling
Future mapping
For Individual Motivation
Link to
Mission and Help people link change to the
Values
mission and values
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Model adapted from Grenny, Maxfield, & Shimberg, MIT Sloan Management Review, Fall 2008.

13. I-A: Overinvest in Skill Building
For Individual Ability
Overinvest in
Skill-Building Help people build skill over time
Techniques:
Periodic training
Immediate feedback
Webinars
Simulations
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Model adapted from Grenny, Maxfield, & Shimberg, MIT Sloan Management Review, Fall 2008.

14. INFLUENCING CHANGE AT THE
SOCIAL LEVEL
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15. So-M: Use Peer Pressure
For Social Motivation
Use Peer
Pressure Create social momentum
Techniques:
Engage informal leaders
Train all informal leaders to model the new behaviors
Involve the “squeaky wheels” early
Reinforce leadership commitment to change
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Model adapted from Grenny, Maxfield, & Shimberg, MIT Sloan Management Review, Fall 2008.

16. So-A: Create Social Support
For Social Ability
Create Social
Support Make sure support is there
when people need it
Techniques:
On-the-job coaching
Create special reinforcement for tough challenges
Create easy ways for people to get help
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Model adapted from Grenny, Maxfield, & Shimberg, MIT Sloan Management Review, Fall 2008.

17. Stronger Networks & Project Success
Successful Projects Less Successful Projects
Very Strong
Strong 27%
36%
Strong
57%
• 93% of successful change initiatives were led by people with very
strong / strong personal networks
while
• Only 27% of less successful change initiatives were led by people with
very strong / strong networks
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Data: NEHRA / Partnering Resources study (2009).

18. INFLUENCING CHANGE AT THE
STRUCTURAL LEVEL
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19. St-M: Align Reward Systems
For Structural Motivation
Align Reward
Systems
Help match motivation
to the message
Techniques:
Link formal rewards systems to the change
Make clear the consequences of not changing
Find informal ways to recognize change
Hold people accountable
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Model adapted from Grenny, Maxfield, & Shimberg, MIT Sloan Management Review, Fall 2008.

20. St-A: Change the Environment
For Structural Ability
Change the
Environment Make the environment match the
message
Techniques:
Change the workplace to remove obstacles
Provide software or other enabling tools
Share information and measures
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Model adapted from Grenny, Maxfield, & Shimberg, MIT Sloan Management Review, Fall 2008.

21. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
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22. Putting It All Together
• Which techniques are
you most likely to use to
influence change at
work?
• Which techniques might
you add to your toolkit?
• How does all this relate
to your current projects?
• What are your next
steps?
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23. Where To Go From Here
• Ackerman Anderson, L., Anderson, D., & Marquardt, M. (2003). Development, Transition, or
Transformation? OD Practitioner.
• Bridges, W. (2003). Managing Transitions (2nd Ed.). Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books.
• Gartner, “Planning and Managing Change in the IT Organization: Case Profile Study.” For
Gartner clients only.
Grenny, J., Maxfield, D., & Shimberg, A. (2008). How to Have Influence. MIT Sloan
Management Review.
Ibarra, H. & Hunter, M. (2007). How Leaders Create and Use Networks. Harvard Business
Review.
• Kotter, J. (2007). Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail. Harvard Business
Review.
Spreier, S. W. Fontaine, M. H. & Malloy, R. L. (2006). Leadership Run Amok. Harvard
Business Review.
• Townsend, M. (2007). Becoming a Change Leader. CIO.Com. Available at http://bit.ly/HIWqh.
Townsend, M. (2009). Leveraging Human Networks to Accelerate Learning and Change.
Chief Learning Officer. Available at http://bit.ly/L4NRS.
• Townsend, M. (2011). People Problems? Keep Your Human Network Up and Running!
Available on http://www.cio.com .
• Vinitsky, M. H. & King, A. S. (2006). Change from the Employees’ Perspective: The Neglected
Viewpoint. OD Practitioner.
• Warrick, D. D. (2009). Developing Organization Change Champions. OD Practitioner.
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24. Becoming a Change Leader (Yes, You!)
What You Need to Lead Your Organization to Achieve its
Change Goals
What questions
do you have?