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Evolutionary Team Effectiveness

Change Management

Commitment! — Enneagram Change Management Step 2

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When you’re surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible.

— Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO of Starbucks

The word commitment comes from the Latin committere – “com” meaning with or together, and “mittere” relating to the word “mission” and meaning to release or to send.  In other words, commitment speaks directly to a team on a mission with common cause. Often overlooked in problem solving and change management is the emotional aspects – Who cares about solving the problem? Who cares about making transformational change? Step 2 in change management is developing your team of problem solvers emotionally and passionately committed to the shared future envisioned in Step 1.

Excerpt from Teamwork 9.0

The next step in your problem-solving initiative is to pull together the team of people committed to solving the problem and realizing the vision of the beautiful world. Enneagram Type 2s are attuned to understanding the emotional connections that people have with the problem and with one another. They intuitively know who will benefit by eliminating the problem and thereby who will have an emotional stake in the problem-solving effort. Step 2 in the problem-solving process involves tapping into Type 2’s dynamic and recruiting team members who are passionate about solving the problem.

A few days after the Step 1 kickoff meetings, I hold a Step 2 meeting. I review the goals the team formulated and ensure that everyone is satisfied with the scope and wording. This process can take a little time; I wait for the team to get it just right.

Next, press your team to think through who they need to accomplish the goals. This activity is the heart of Step 2. Who needs to be involved in the initiative, from beginning to end? Were other people identified during the Step 1 meetings who are impacted by the problem in some way? If so, you should consider including them on the team. Is certain expertise required to solve the problem? If so, you should enlist the help of those experts. Will there be an impact on the workflow of any group or groups while solving the problem? If so, make sure those groups are represented. How about a need for systems or IT infrastructure? If yes, include an IT representative as part of your group.

Simply put, ensure that the people who need to be involved in both designing the solution and living with the results are represented on your team. These people are your stakeholders.

When building your change management team, do you consider the emotional connection each team member has to the problem and the mission? Do you consider the emotional impact of the problem on all stakeholders? How do you create impassioned commitment on your team?

[Video Transcript]

So who cares about the problem? Step 2 is where you identify the people who have an emotional connection to the problem. Enneagram Type 2 is often called The Helper. They understand the emotional desire to solve problems and want to chip in and help. In Step 2, you establish your team of committed stakeholders, those that will help solve the problem. This is your problem solving team.

Thanks so much for listening. If you like this, please leave a comment and share it with others. And please subscribe to the channel and stay tuned for the next episode. Thanks again.

The Elephant in the Room — Enneagram Change Management Step 1

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A problem well stated is a problem half-solved.

— Charles Kettering, inventor and head of research for GM

Not everyone perceives a problem similarly.  Like the elephant in the room, each person may experience the symptoms as distinct problems.  By having people realize that they in fact share the same problem – it’s the elephant in the room(!) – the group transforms into a team with a shared purpose to solve the problem.  The first step in any transformational change management process is clearly describing the shared problem and visualizing the world in which the problem is solved.

Excerpt from Teamwork 9.0

A large problem can seem like an elephant. Some people will describe the smell. Some will describe the noise. Some feel like they are being crushed or squeezed. People focus on the symptoms and effects—how they personally experience the problem. At some point, your team members begin to appreciate that although the symptoms they personally experience may be different, the root cause of the various symptoms is the same—there is an elephant in the room. Once the team recognizes that they all share a common problem—a common enemy, so to speak—the team shifts from focusing on one another to focusing on that common enemy.

The flip side of the terrible world in which everyone is suffering from their big common problem is the beautiful world that they imagine is possible once the problem is vanquished. Once everyone has had a chance to describe the problem in the first meeting, I adjourn the group and reconvene on the following day. At the second meeting, I ask every stakeholder in turn to describe that beautiful world and how it will improve their situation. This technique is called visualizing, and it creates a focal point for the group as they work through the subsequent steps in the problem-solving process.

How do you instill mission and purpose into a group of people to solve a shared problem?  Do you carefully solicit the perspective of each team member? Do you collectively create a vision of the world once the problem is solved?

[Video Transcript]

What’s the first step in problem solving? It’s realizing that you have a problem. Enneagram Type One is often called the perfectionist. They’re often the first type to point out that things aren’t right, aren’t as they should be. They also have a clear vision for how things should be. In problem solving, describing how things shouldn’t and should be corresponds to problem definition and goal. Problems and goals are two sides of the same coin and the first step in problem solving.

Thanks so much for listening. If you like this, please leave a comment and share it with others. And please subscribe to the channel and stay tuned for the next episode. Thanks again.

What? — The Enneagram is also a Change Management Process?

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Did you know that the Enneagram can also be used as a change management system? Many know the Enneagram as a personality system, but that is just scratching the surface of this remarkably powerful tool.   In this video, I explain how I discovered the Enneagram approach to change management and organizational problem solving.  I have used this approach with clients, and it is so effective and powerful I was compelled to write the book Teamwork 9.0 and share how the Enneagram serves as a change management system.

Excerpt from Teamwork 9.0

My exploration of Enneagram-based problem solving began with a simple question: The Enneagram numbers imply an order, so why is the Perfectionist the 1, the Helper 2, the Achiever 3, and so on? The order seemed arbitrary. For instance, why couldn’t the whole circle be rotated so that the Perfectionist is Type 3? I asked one of my Enneagram mentors, who told me that the specific order of the Enneagram types is important and referred me to a book by Klausbernd Vollmar.

Vollmar’s book, titled The Secret of Enneagrams: Mapping the Personality, asserts that the Enneagram describes flows of energies. He goes on to explain that there is a specific sequence to those energy flows in the numerical order of the Enneagram types.

Having a background in science and engineering, I have used many different problem-solving methods; for example, the scientific method. I noticed a pattern between the steps in problem-solving methods and the numerical order of the dynamics of the Enneagram. The Enneagram numbers describe the order of the steps by which humans solve problems. With that epiphany, the number assignments on the Enneagram now made perfect sense.

Using the language of problem solving, the dynamics associated with each Enneagram type can be described as follows:

Step 1: Problem-Goal. Identify the problems, define the goals.

Step 2: Stakeholder Identification. Recruit a committed team.

Step 3: Ideation. Generate ideas for solutions.

Step 4: Emotional Reaction. Assess reactions to each of the ideas.

Step 5: Logical Analysis. Study and score promising ideas.

Step 6: Planning. Select the most promising idea and build an action plan.

Step 7: Promotion. Passionately promote the plan, get approval to proceed.

Step 8: Implementation. Execute the plan, solve the problem!

Step 9: Integration. Confirm the problem is solved with all stakeholders.

Using the Enneagram as a framework for solving problems highlights how each Enneagram type is attuned to a particular step in the problem-solving process. There is a one-to-one mapping between the Enneagram types and the steps in the process. It seems that humans instinctively know how to solve problems as a team, and the Enneagram describes that methodology.

Do you use a structured approach to organizational development and organization change management?  How does your change management approach link team members’ interpersonal dynamics with the change management process?  How have you incorporated continuous improvement into your change management system?

[Video Transcript]

I had a question. Why is the Enneagram Type 1, the 1? Why is Type 2, the 2? And so on. Why couldn’t Type 1 be the 7, and Type 5 be the 3? It turns out that the number assignment is not arbitrary. There’s a specific reason for that order. The numbers represent the order of a process. In fact, it’s the order in which humans solve problems. The problem solving nature of the Enneagram is described by the outer circle. Each of the nine Enneagram dynamics describes a specific step in problem solving. This use of the Enneagram is not commonly known or understood, which is why I was compelled to write my book, Teamwork 9.0, and share my discovery with you here.

The aspect I love about this problem-solving framework is that there’s a direct link between each step in problem solving to a specific personality dynamic that is particularly suited for that step. Now more than ever, organizations are being challenged with threats that require everyone in the organization to collaborate and find new ways to survive and thrive working on the business, not just in the business. Using a step-by-step approach to problem solving, you can get your team to focus on the challenges and invent a new path forward.

Thanks so much for listening. If you like this, please leave a comment and share it with others. And please subscribe to the channel and stay tuned for the next episode. Thanks again.

Change Management and the Enneagram

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Many know the Enneagram as a personality system. Less well known is that the Enneagram can also serve as a change management framework independent of personality. I discovered this aspect of the Enneagram when I asked the simple question, why are numbers used to label Enneagram types. It turns out that the numbers are the order of a change management process! Here’s how it works…

Change Management Defined

Change management is the term used to describe the systematic approach to transforming an organization to solve structural problems and improve organizational performance. I developed the change management tools described in Teamwork 9.0 based on the dynamics associated with each Enneagram number, a change management process comprised of 9 steps.

Change Management Framework

Having a systematic change management process to lead your organization through challenging situations keeps your team focused on objectives and consistently moving towards resilient solutions.  Here is a brief summary of the change management steps that I outline in chapter 2 of Teamwork 9.0:

Step 1 – Define the Problem and Set the Goal – Step 1 establishes the Big Why, the starting point of any transformative effort.  Clearly define the problem by ensuring you include all stakeholders’ perspectives.  The flip side of defining the problem is creating the vision for success—what will the world look like when your team reaches the goal and solves the problem.  Step 1 creates purpose for your effort.

Step 2 – Identify All Stakeholders – The people who have any connection with the effort are the stakeholders.  This is the Big Who. Who is suffering with the problem?  Who will be affected by the solution? Who needs to help in the effort? As new stakeholders are brought into the fold, be sure and loop back to Step 1 and record their unique perspectives on the problem. Also, verify that new stakeholders are in alignment with the effort’s vision and goals.

Step 3 – Brainstorm Ideas – Listen to everyone’s ideas for how to solve the problem.  Collect all ideas without prejudice. By creating a positive, inclusive environment, you will enhance your team’s creativity.  Don’t discard any idea—keep them all!  Out of these will emerge the team’s Big What.

Step 4 – Pick Positive Ideas – That idea’s great! That idea sucks!  You will have some emotional reaction to each idea.  In this step the team collectively ranks the ideas.  The top few ideas serve as the Big What.

Step 5 – Analyze Ideas – Validate which promising ideas actually solve the problem. Perform cost-benefit and pro-con analysis.  Prototype and validate ideas. Step 5 determines the Big How for your transformation.

Step 6 – Plan Path to Goal – Taking the best approaches from Step 5, build a plan around the most promising idea —  Plan A — and keep a backup approach — Plan B. Consider what resources you will need and schedule a path that will get your team to the goal.  Step 6 considers the timing of resource allocation — the Big When.

Step 7 – Get Buy-In – With the plan completed, it’s time to get stakeholder buy-in. In this step you present the plan and get the approval and the resources to start the project.  Keeping stakeholders updated on progress in Steps 1 through 6 makes Step 7 buy-in easier by minimizing surprises.

Step 8 – Implement the Plan – Having stakeholder buy-in, you now get to action.  Step 8 in the Enneagram change management process is the step in which you actually solve the problem!  Up to this point it has been all talk.  Now you execute the plan, achieve the goals and realize the vision!

Step 9 – Debrief and Harmonize the Solution – In Step 9, the team assesses how well they realized the vision and solved the problems. Here you assess the solution measured against the problem-goal statement from Step 1. Step 9 requires conversations with and feedback from all stakeholders.  Here you ensure that the solutions are working well with everyone and becoming integrated and habituated within the organization. Inevitably,  these conversations will uncover new issues which can take you back into Step 1, and that’s why the Enneagram-based process is a circle, a never-ending cycle of continuous improvement.

Change Management Models

There are a number of change management processes.   When compared to the Teamwork 9.0 change management approach, I find that some systems will overemphasize some steps while skipping other steps entirely.  For instance, the more analytical change management approaches may skip steps related to the emotional aspects of change management like Steps 2 and 4. Skipping these steps may slow or even prevent buy-in in Step 7.  Another aspect of strictly analytical approaches is that they can become bogged down in detail—paralysis by analysis.   Compare your current approach to the Teamwork 9.0 model and see how they differ. Such a comparison will give you insights into the efficacy of your approach.  I share an number of such change management examples in chapter 8 of Teamwork 9.0.

People Plus Process Provides Purpose

Having a change management system that takes into account the distinct gifts of each team member keeps your problem solvers engaged and performing at their best. The Enneagram as a personality system describes nine personality dynamics each with a set of strengths. Since the Enneagram change management process dedicates one and only one step to each Enneagram type, this change management framework is arguably the most balanced approach from a humanistic point of view. The framework considers the strengths of all nine Enneagram human dynamics.  Applying the strengths of your teammates to the process creates a powerful and purposeful team dynamic.

What change management tools have you used? Which work well? Which have stalled?  How do those approaches compare to the Teamwork 9.0 approach?

How to Lead a Board of Directors Change Management Task Force

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Faced with extraordinary challenges, boards of directors are establishing committees and change management task forces, teams of people responsible for formulating plans to address acute problems the  organization faces.   Here’s how to lead a change management task force team through transformational change with maximum stakeholder buy in.

Structure

Your change management task force will benefit by using a structured process.  The process serves as a framework that helps focus conversations and keeps your task force team moving forward towards successful outcomes.  I detail a framework ideal for change management task force teams in Chapter 2 of Teamwork 9.0.

Nine Steps

The change management framework consists of nine steps that takes your task force team from Step 1, defining problems and goals, tthrough Step 9, assessing the solution’s effectiveness.  Here’s a summary of the nine-step change management process:

Step 1: Problem-Goal — Identify the problems and define the goals.

Step 2: Stakeholder Identification — Recruit the committed team.

Step 3: Ideation — Generate ideas for solutions.

Step 4: Emotional Reaction — Select ideas with the most positive response.

Step 5: Logical Analysis — Study and score the ideas.

Step 6: Planning — Select the most promising idea and build an action plan.

Step 7: Promotion — Passionately promote the plan and get approval to proceed.

Step 8: Implementation — Execute the plan and solve the problem!

Step 9: Integration — Confirm the problem is solved for all stakeholders.

You can find more details about each step in this article:

https://evolutionaryteams.com/change-management-and-the-enneagram/

In this video, I run through each of these steps:

 

Don’t Forget Step 2!

The successful task force will carefully dedicate time to each step as they work through the initiative.  Inadequate time in a step, or worse skipping a step, will result in poor outcomes at best and a stalled initiative at worst. Here’s an example of what happened when a task force skipped Step 2.

At a workshop in which I took a group of policy makers through this nine-step framework, one of the attendees came up to me afterwards with excitement in her eyes.  “Now I get it,” she said, “now I understand why my task force stalled. We skipped Step 2!”  Step 2 is the step in which you consider the perspectives of all stakeholders who are impacted by the problem or will be impacted by the solution.

This policy maker reported that her task force team didn’t dedicate time listening to all the stakeholders who would be impacted.  After defining the problem and setting the goals, they skipped Step 2 and went on to Steps 3, 4, 5 and 6.  When they got to Step 7 and presented the plans to solve the problem, there was outcry and backlash from various constituents of the community.  Why?  Because they had not considered everyone connected to the problem in Step 2 and had not incorporated their concerns and perspectives when defining problems and goals.   This reaction from the community compelled the task force team to return to Step 1 with a reconstituted team of stakeholders.

Leading A Change Management Task Force Team

Every task force team will have a unique set of characteristics.  The nature of your organization influences these characteristics as do the personalities of the individuals on your task force team. Teams love to play to their strengths and downplay their weaknesses.  For instance, a highly analytical team may love spending time in Step 5, but be reluctant to move on to Step 6.

As the task force leader, you need to recognize the distinct tendencies of your team and when it may spend too much or too little time in each step. Keep the team on track by spending an adequate time and energy in each step while not feeling rushed to jump to the end.  This change management framework helps you do this.  It provides you with a vocabulary and enables you to communicate the importance of each step  to the overall success of the initiative. Another benefit of this framework is that it gives everyone a chance to participate, not just the most outspoken team members.

What challenges does your organization face?  What changes are you managing through? How have you led your change management task force team?  In which steps did your team excel?  Which steps were skipped?  How could the results have been better?

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