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Change Ringing: Real Change Requires Continuous Learning!

by William Bracken Ph.D.

181 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #00-0016; ISBN 1-55212-352-9; US$20.50, C$27.62, EUR18.00, £12.50

Change Ringing is full of thought-provoking messages that are useful for Change Leaders when implementing system-level changes

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about the book      about the author      Introduction      Table of Contents      catalogue info

About the Book Change Ringing emphasizes the fact that continuous personal preparation is required by everyone, especially Change Leaders, so that organizational system-level changes can be successfully implemented. This preparation involves acquiring broad competencies through both formal and informal training. A variety of thought-provoking messages are presented that are intended to stimulate the mind and, by thoughtful reflection, improve individual awareness and judgment. Read the news release for this title.

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About the Author William Bracken, Ph.D. is Vice President Technology and Operations of Mitsubishi Electric Detroit. Dr. Bracken has over 25 years of automotive industry experience that includes employment at Ford Motor Company (1973 to 1983), Kelsey Hayes (1983 to 1992) and Mitsubishi Electric (1992 to the present). During his career, he has held numerous positions in Engineering and Quality involving transmissions, brakes, sensors and research and development. He has authored numerous SAE papers and received several Quality Engineering Certifications as well as holds a patent. He holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor) and Business (Masters and Doctorate). Contact William at 734-455-6479 or email bbracken@meaa.mea.com

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Introduction

Why Another Book Dealing with Change Management

Implementing change is a topic that has received considerable attention in the process during the past few years. My interest in the topic of change was intensified when I was assigned the task of implementing a total business quality system. During each phase of the project, I found that each article or book that I read provided some new information, or at the very least a variation on some previously acquired information that had not been considered.

The project resulted in the implementation of a new business quality system that required ongoing maintenance and refinements. Both the implementation and the continuation of the system have required changes in thinking, structure, assignments and workloads. These changes were implemented with great difficulty and have required continuous improvement accompanied by continuous difficulty.

My experience, reading and reflection taught me that a Change Leader must be prepared to guide organizational change by emphasizing personal growth for himself/herself and other members of the organization. The development of suitable reactions to the changes that influence both business and personal life requires that a leader thoughtfully explore multiple subjects and assimilate the information into a cohesive structure. Both business and personal development are mentioned because implementing change involves people and their capacity for change is influenced by their knowledge in their particular field of business and their personal opinions, beliefs, prejudices and conduct.

I found that personal and business development requires the review and analysis of available literature, particularly in those specific technological areas relevant to your career. However, I also discovered that the success of your career is not based solely on your technological powers, but rather is more dependant on your ability to understand and cope with the change of technology or business process and the influence on individuals.

The problem then is, not how to implement change but, "How do we as individuals understand people, cultures, business, and technology to develop a business structure to prepare for change?" Specifically, significant business operation changes required by new customer standards, requires leadership that is skilled in multiple disciplines. This is particularly true when an individual works in a bi-cultural environment, such as I do. Real change begins with ourselves.

I previously mentioned that I have been involved in implementing change during my career. My recent experience was the most comprehensive because I was required to lead a transformation of an organization. The transformation involved a change from a small organization, organized on an ad-hoc basis, to a structured, continuously improving organization, which is independently certified and is required to maintain certification as judged by independent auditors. I possessed adequate knowledge of the standards, quality tools, statistics and operations to initiate change; but I experience resistance to change that substantially slowed the transformation.

At first I thought that the resistance to change would simply be corrected by explaining why we needed to change and followed by distribution of information. I mistakenly thought that everyone would recognize the importance and follow my agenda. Unfortunately, this approach was wrong because I failed to recognize individual agendas, capacity, motivation, background, needs and rewards. I began thinking that the development of individual understanding, capabilities, and attitude are required to maintain focus and to permit the successful improvement of business, career, and personal lives. The improvement can be compromised whenever an individual is not adequately prepared and lacks a road map on how to adjust to changing conditions. This book provides inspirational and varied messages that I found to be helpful, along with some specific guidelines to follow growth in multiple areas.

A case history, involving the transformation of an automotive supplier to a documented business system, is provided as an example of the interrelationship between individual and organizational change.

Project management tools are very useful for tracking and reporting an organizational transformation. However, if the individuals within the organization are not prepared or have different agendas, then project reporting will simply report delay after delay. A broad multi disciplinary review of topics is very helpful in dealing with obstacles to change because business, career, and personal experiences are interrelated. Knowledge in technical, legal, psychological, cultural, historical, spiritual and philosophical areas must be combined with life experiences and thoughtful contemplation to develop effective responses. This book then is an effort to provide such a collection, which when reviewed and combined with the reader's own thoughtful consideration will provide an improved ability to deal with change.

The book also provides a first-hand account of the difficulties encountered and lessons learned when a bi-cultural international automotive supplier office applies the requirements of a new business process, QS-9000, to its sales/engineering/distribution center.

In a broader frame, I believe that human beings must be adaptable to change, but people resist change because they do not know how to adapt. People recognize physical or biological changes, disease or weather, however, change involving work patterns and reporting relationships are more complex for the individual because the change may involve physical, biological, social, cultural and technological areas. Coping with complex change involving people requires broad based knowledge developed from reading and studying varied information combined with contemplative analysis. The change preparation of the individuals, who are required to participate/nor lead the transformation of an organization, can lead to the success or failure of a company's efforts. Therefore, it is very important for all members of the organization, but especially for transformation leaders, to acquire knowledge combined with contemplative thought so that their capability to implement business and workplace changes can be less stressful and more meaningful.

The organizational change involved business process changes or better definition of individual roles, responsibilities, requirements and reporting. An industry standard called QS-9000 was used as the model to develop the new business operating system. The QS-9000 standard is based on an international standard, ISO-9000, but is more extensive. It was decided that the best way to introduce the QS-9000 based business operating system was to also include aspects of Management By Objectives (MBO) and Total Quality Management. Since these terms that are commonly used in the automotive industry, and are not universally familiar, then the following explanations will be helpful.

1. ISO 9000

A quality management and quality assurance standard developed as an international document by the "International Organization for Standardization."

ISO 9000, in this book, is also used as a reference term for the ISO 9000 series of standards. "The ISO 9000 series consists of five documents: three core quality system documents which are models of quality assurance, namely, ISO 9001/Q91, ISO 9002/Q92, and ISO 9003/Q93 and two supporting guidelines documents, ISO 9000/Q90 and ISO 9004/Q94." The series of standards (9000-9004) are not technical in content in that they do not specify nor set criteria * i.e., minimum purity, pH tolerances, hardness requirements, etc., for products. Rather, the quality system standard 9001/Q91, 9002/Q92 and 9003/Q93, "complement relevant product or service requirements given in the technical specifications" (ANSI/ASQC Standard Q90-1987, p.1). Each standard focuses on the documentation of operational techniques and managerial activities used to fulfill customer expectations and requirements."

2. QS-9000

An American automotive industry quality system requirement that uses the ISO 9000 series as a basis. The standard's name, Quality System, suggests that its applicability is to the quality function or department, when, in fact, the standard involves a business system. "AETNA discovered ISO 9000 defined a business management system, not just a quality management system."

3. MBO

MBO is an acronym for "Management By Objectives". MBO is a systems approach to management that involves looking at the entire process. First, objectives are defined which may be social, political, technical, personal, spiritual, financial, economical, or any combination. Second, objectives are measured and third, the system provides feedback for adjustments.

MBO is sometimes considered as simply an individual performance review process of goal setting. The process of goal setting for individuals is one aspect of a business MBO, but the actual meaning is broader involving a business philosophy.

"Management By Objectives isn't an additional company program appended to or layered over the existing structure. It forces a relationship between all units and becomes a way of life. The attempt to treat it as a mechanistic program, encased in a twice-a-year interview bubble, is probably the greatest cause of its misuse and failure. But seen systematically, MBO can change the character and direction of the organization for the better."

4. TQM

TQM is an acronym for "Total Quality Management". TQM is a "cooperative form of operating an organization in a way that relies on the talents of both labor and management to continually improve quality and productivity using teams and facts in decision making."

TQM involves the use of multiple practices to achieve the goal of a successful, productive, and confident organization. The theories and practices that influence TQM are as follows:

• "Scientific management taught us how to seek the best way to do a job by measuring time, motion, and results.
  
• Group dynamics taught us how to unleash the mental and emotional power of a group to solve problems. Training and development gave us insights into how people learn and showed us how to design effective learning experiences of adults.
  
• Achievement motivation theory made us aware of how much satisfaction we get from accomplishing something.
  
• Employee involvement strategies helped us to learn that workers become more responsible when they can influence the way their organization works and the way they do their jobs.
  
• Linking-pin organizations, a concept of Rensis Likert (1967), conceived of organizations as a series of overlapping teams in which each manager is a leader of one group and a member of another.
  
• Sociotechnical systems made us think of organizations as systems in which every part is interdependent with every other part.
  
• Organization development theory and practice taught us how to think about change and how to help a whole organization identify and diagnose its problems and learn to improve.
  
• Corporate culture literature made us aware of the power of beliefs and myths influencing people to decide on their priorities and do their work.
  
• New leadership theory taught us the difference between leading and managing * and the importance of vision, trust, and empowerment in mobilizing human effort.
  
• Strategic planning gave us the technology to map an organization's environment and to plan its development in a systematic way."
  

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Table of contents

IV PREFACE

1 INTRODUCTION
Why Another Book Dealing with Change Management

8 CHAPTER ONE
What is Change Ringing and a Change Leader

23 CHAPTER TWO
The Change Leader and the Change Management

40 CHAPTER THREE
Personal Reflections: An Opinion Developed After Consideration

62 CHAPTER FOUR
Reflections on Business

78 CHAPTER FIVE
The Consideration of Quality

95 CHAPTER SIX
The Care and Understanding of People and Employees

107 CHAPTER SEVEN
The Culture of Innovation and Creativity

118 CHAPTER EIGHT
Comparison of American and Japanese

135 CHAPTER NINE
Relationships and Alliances

151 CHAPTER TEN
You Need Continuous Improvement

160 CHAPTER ELEVEN
Change at an Automotive Supplier Company

169 CHAPTER TWELVE
What was Learned and What can be Learned

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Catalogue Information

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