FREE online courses on Change Management - The Change Process as Problem
Solving and Problem Finding - The Change Problem
At the heart of change management lies the change problem,
that is, some future state to be realized, some current state to be left behind,
and some structured, organized process for getting from the one to the other.
The change problem might be large or small in scope and scale, and it might
focus on individuals or groups, on one or more divisions or departments, the
entire organization, or one or on more aspects of the organization's
environment.
At a conceptual level, the change problem is a matter of
moving from one state (A) to another state (A'). Moving from A to A' is
typically accomplished as a result of setting up and achieving three types of
goals: transform, reduce, and apply. Transform goals are concerned with identifying differences
between the two states. Reduce goals are concerned with determining ways of
eliminating these differences. Apply goals are concerned with putting into play
operators that actually effect the elimination of these differences (see Newell
& Simon).
As the preceding goal types suggest, the analysis of a change
problem will at various times focus on defining the outcomes of the change
effort, on identifying the changes necessary to produce these outcomes, and on
finding and implementing ways and means of making the required changes. In
simpler terms, the change problem can be treated as smaller problems having to
do with the how, what, and why of change.
