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Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, Psychology of Product Adoption (46-slide PowerPoint presentation). Some innovations are truly spectacular, but consumers are slow or just refuse to adopt. In fact, over 70% of all new products fail in the marketplace--and innovative, new products fail at an even higher rate. Why is this the case? And, how do companies overcome this? This document discusses [read more]
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Problematic situations exhibit a common structure or pattern. The structure of most problems comprises 3 main elements:
The Problem State implies “what is,” the Solved State denotes “what should be,” and the Solution Path implies the changes integral to bridging the gap between the two states. When presented with a problem, the Solution Path is a means of transitioning from the Problem State to the Solution State via certain specific actions.
Change Management presents several inherent underlying issues. To confront a problem, the leadership should specify the behaviors that need to be stopped as well as those that should be adopted and seek practical solutions. These solutions necessitate a set of changes with a clear course of action to change individuals’ behaviors.
When trying to solve a problem, it is important to look at it from two perspectives:
The method of confronting a problem from the content and process perspectives is manifested in fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Organizational Design, Digital Transformation, and Performance Management.
Most problems that organizations encounter are either general change related or specific Behavioral problems.
To tackle these problems, Lewin’s Force Field Analysis can be applied as a broad diagnostic tool. As per Lewin’s Force Field Analysis, the Problem State (current situation) arises as a result of two equal forces that are contrasting but acting together. One of these forces is a Driving Force, which pushes to break away from the current situation and toward a new or desired state. The other is a Resisting Force that restrains the Driving Force and acts in the opposite direction. These forces balance each other and maintain a state of equilibrium.
The Force Field Analysis helps in understanding why some people support change while others resist it. If the Driving Forces are stronger, they make the change more attractive to people. However, if the Resisting Forces are greater, they are successful in maintaining the status quo.
Behavior Problems, in general, can be classified into 2 groups:
The Problems of Omission and Commission both have negative consequences. Omission can lead to missed opportunities, a loss of trust, and damaged relationships. However, Problems of Commission result in legal or financial penalties, harm to others, or reputation damage.
There isn’t a single strategy to address these behavioral problems. Depending on the type of behavior problem, Change Managers should exercise strategies that are ideal for a given scenario.
Increasing the factors that drive individuals to perform specific actions, reducing the factors that make them resist the directive, reducing the factors that support existing behaviors, and raising the forces that might potentially constrain them are some of the tactics that help managers deal with these problems.
Interested in learning more about the drivers and consequences of Behaviors and how to change them? You can download an editable PowerPoint presentation on Problem of Change & Behavioral Change here on the Flevy documents marketplace.
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