Leading Change
Recognizing the need for change, being open to new ideas and methods, and championing transformational change within the organization and beyond.
Level 1 Embraces change.
BEHAVIORS
- Seeks to fully understand the need for change and how to support change.
- Gives self and other's permission to express doubt or anxiety.
- Deals with their own resistance to change with a constructive attitude.
- Coaches others on dealing with resistance to change.
- Adopts new ideas and ways of doing things.
- Challenges the status quo to identify areas for improvement others have overlooked.
QUESTIONS
- Talk about a time when you were faced with an organizational change that had a direct impact on your work.
Probing Questions
* What was the change?
* What did you do to understand and support the change?
* How did this change affect your work?
* What actions did you undertake to adopt the new ideas?
- Describe a situation when you were accepting new ideas or new ways of doing things.
Probing Questions
* What was the situation?
* Describe how you accepted these new ideas or new procedures.
* Did you have resistance to the change? What did you do?
* What was the outcome?
- Describe a time when you challenged the status quo to identify areas for improvement, which others may have overlooked.
Probing Questions
* What were the circumstances?
* What action or approach did you take?
* How did your colleagues or others react?
* What was the outcome?
Level 2 Facilitates change at a team level.
BEHAVIORS
- Enhances understanding of and commitment to change by involving those affected by it and asking for their input.
- Shares information on decisions and changes with relevant team members in a timely manner.
- Gives recognition to team members involved in improvements.
- Addresses team members’ reasons, feelings and opinions about the change and its possible fallout.
- Establishes the urgency for the need to change in clear and compelling arguments, including consequences if change does not occur.
- Encourages others to leave their comfort zone to challenge preferred patterns–in essence, to go against the grain.
QUESTIONS
- Describe a time when it was necessary to change the way a particular task was carried out within a workgroup. How did you introduce this change?
Probing Questions
* What were the elements of the change?
* How did you ensure the group felt they had input on the change?
* What was the reaction to the change?
* What actions did you take to help ensure success?
- Describe a time when you introduced an urgent change that you knew employees would initially resist and have difficulty accepting.
Probing Questions
* Describe the change.
* What were the consequences of the change if implementation was unsuccessful?
* How did you gain team support for the change?
* What were the outcomes?
Level 3 Orchestrates change initiatives that involve multiple teams and functions.
BEHAVIORS
- Explores different teams’ reasons behind resistance to change.
- Guides teams in adjusting priorities and reallocating resources to effect change.
- Tracks the impact of change on multiple teams/functions, making adjustments as needed.
- Partners with change leaders and managers in planning, implementing and evaluating interventions to improve organizational performance.
- Enlists a guiding coalition group with strong formal and informal influence to lead the change.
- Aligns multiple change initiatives as one unified effort and ensures the integration of plans, resources, and pace.
QUESTIONS
- Describe a time when you needed to ensure multiple change initiatives were aligned for successful implementation.
Probing Questions
* What were the different initiatives?
* How did you select the key resources necessary to align the initiatives?
* What advice/coaching did you give to them?
* What impact did your actions have on the success or lack of success?
- Describe a time when it was necessary for you to reallocate resources across units in order to effect an organizational change.
Probing Questions
* Describe the organizational change involved and the impact on each unit's responsibilities.
* Who did you identify as critical change agents?
* What factors did you consider in guiding the units to adjust priorities and accept the changes?
* How did everything turn out?
Level 4 Leads organization-wide change initiatives and builds a culture of continuous transformation.
BEHAVIORS
- Leads the translation of broad organizational change strategies into specific directions and goals.
- Communicates a sense of relevance to sustaining momentum for change.
- Addresses systemic barriers that undermine the organization’s transformation.
- Assesses the climate on a regular basis, adjusting the pace of change for maximum success.
- Encourages risk-taking and non-traditional ideas, activities and actions.
- Monitor improvements for ongoing consolidation and institutionalization of improvements.
- Monitors the implementation of change initiatives, adjusting ineffective strategies.
- Discerns what changes are relevant and will lead to improvement.
QUESTIONS
- Describe a time when you had the opportunity to lead widespread changes across the organization.
Probing Questions
* Describe the situation, including the transformation, its anticipated effects, and your role in leading or managing this change.
* What communication issues did you anticipate in this situation?
* How did you address these communication issues?
* How successful were your communication strategy and activities?
- Tell us what you have done in your current job or a previous one to create an environment that supports the change and encourages innovation within the organization?
Probing Questions
* Describe the situation, including your role.
* What specifically did you do that helped to create such an environment?
* What challenges did you encounter?
* How did you measure the degree of success in implementing the change?
* Using these measures, what level of success did you achieve?
Level 5 Champions change in the community and the industry.
BEHAVIORS
- Links the organizational change effort to the market and business strategy to create clarity in the minds of stakeholders.
- Communicates a clear vision of change in the community/industry, including actions required to make the change happen.
- Advocates for a culture of empowerment that encourages change, innovation and improvement in the community/industry.
- Creates links to engage with external stakeholders to provide input and guidance for change.
- Shares best practices and lessons learned for transformational change with the wider community.
QUESTIONS
- Describe a time when it was necessary to link an organizational change requirement with a business goal or strategy.
Probing Questions
* What was the goal and what change(s) were you advocating?
* Who were the stakeholders?
* How did you communicate the change required?
* Describe the measures used to assess your success in making the link between the change needed and the business goal(s)?
* What was the outcome?
- Talk about a time when you communicated a vision and actions required for change within a community or industry.
Probing Questions
* What were the circumstances?
* What changes were you advocating?