BUMGT5970 Leadership Lecture 10 – Leading change

Learning Objectives and Topics
Course Learning Outcomes (Wk 10) Key Topics (Wk 10)
• K2. Evaluate management principles
and practices with respect to leadership
theories
• K3. Interpret influences on leadership
styles through variables including
culture and gender
• K4. Appraise leadership approaches
contextualised by the different
organisational situations and settings
• S2. Evaluate the effectiveness of
leadership styles in various workplace
contexts and scenarios
• S4. Communicate leadership learning
through a variety of formal and informal
channels
• S5. Reflect on one’s own leadership
skills in the workplace or comparable
settings
• Key challenges to leading change
• Positive frameworks for
engagement, creativity and
sustained outcomes
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Key challenges for change
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Key challenges
Contemporary organisations:
• Fast paced environments
• Human instinct to resist
change
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Leaders must:
• Role model
• Share vivid visions
• Be courageous and
believe in people
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Key challenges
Think about COVID for a moment and the extent of
change that has occurred in organisations and for
workers over the last few months – as well as the
changes we will continue to see.
A substantial change has been the uptake of
technology in workplaces. While many
organisations had digital transformation strategies in
place – COVID forced many more companies to
visit digital transformation much sooner than
planned.
This has brought many immediate challenges for
leaders, and will continue to present challenges as
our workplaces adapt to post-COVID environments.
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A popular meme circulating on Linkedin:
Source:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2020/04/05/is-co
vid-19-forcing-your-digital-transformation-12-steps-to-movefaster/#
22ad356b617b
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Key challenges
More current COVID challenges:
• Study of 1019 Australian workers conducted before the close of
non-essential businesses
• 81% of Australians are reporting increased levels of struggle since
the start of 2020 – biggest challenges include:
• Managing money at home (29.9%)
• Mental health (29.5%)
• Changes at work (22.6%)
Source: https
://www.michellemcquaid.com/81-of-australian-workers-report-increased-levels-of-strugg
le/
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Key challenges
More current COVID challenges:
• Workers who shared their struggles
with others at work were more
likely to have higher levels of
wellbeing and performance, but
20% of workers felt it was best to
keep their worries to themselves.
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What are the implications for leading
and managing in the workplace?
Leaders and managers can work to
‘normalise struggle’ by helping workers
feel ‘psychologically safe’ to talk about
things in their lives that might be
impacting their wellbeing. Talking
about these issues help people to see
how others deal with challenges and
can improve motivation to care for
each other at work.
Source:
https://www.michellemcquaid.com/81-of-australian-workers-report-increased-level
s-of-struggle/
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Planned change model

1. Light a fire for change
2. Get the right people on board
3. Develop a compelling vision and strategy
4. Go overboard on communication
5. Empower employees to act
6. Generate short-term wins
7. Keep up energy and commitment to tackle bigger problems
8. Institutionalise the change in the organisational culture
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   Positive frameworks
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   Positive frameworks
   Appreciative inquiry – takes a positive affirming approach
   through stages of discovery, dream, design and destiny
   Underpinned by notion that you move in the direction you
   focus on (i.e., focus on what you do well and grow it rather
   than trying to fix weaknesses)
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   Positive frameworks
   Leaders need to instil:
   • Positivity
   • Creativity
   • Innovation
   • Collaboration
   • Brainstorming
   • Lateral thinking
   • Taking time to think, plan and act
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   Positive frameworks
   ‘LEAD’

• Understand why people resist change – opportunity to
  engage these people as supporters
• Acknowledge emotions
• Be compassionate, provide support through change
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  Sustainable Change
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  WATCH:
  Carmazzi, A. (2019) Creating Sustainable
  Organizational Culture Change in 80 Days,
  https://youtu.be/r2XE87EoI7M
  (23 minutes)
  • What are some of the organisational
  cultures Carmizzi talks about?
  • What do we need to consider in
  achieving sustained change in
  organisations and organisational
  culture?
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  COVID and positive frameworks
  COVID has sped up our digital transformation, can it speed
  up other organisational changes – such as an increase in
  positive approaches to leading and leading change?
  Scan over this article and pull out the key points that resonate
  with you and your leadership journey:
  • Vienne, D. (2020) 5 changes to expect in the workplace
  after COVID-19, available: https://
  www.fastcompany.com/90496811/5-changes-to-expect-in-t
  he-workplace-after-covid-19
  (approx. 4 minute read)
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  Reference:
  Daft, R. (2016). Leading Change, In R. Daft (Ed). The
  Leadership Experience, Cengage Learning, 462-493
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