Four Rooms of Change

I had the opportunity to listen to Kenny Moore, the Monk from "The CEO and the Monk" speak. He introduced the "Four Rooms of Change Theory" developed by Claes Janssen. While similar to other change models, this one offers some imagery that may be useful in conversations with managers. As with all models, it has some limitations.

The premise is that all systems - individuals, teams, communities, organizations - live in a within a space of four rooms; often referred to as a 4 room apartment. The rooms within this apartment are Contentment, Denial, Confusion and Renewal. According to Moore, people move from one room to the next when 1) they are ready, 2) life invites them, and 3) reality kicks them.

When we look at this model in the context of organizational change, its very simplicity enables its use with management teams. It is easy to relate each room to life experiences, as Janssen and his collaborators have done.

What makes the model interesting for these discussions is the premise that people move of their own accord. As leaders, we can not push, pull, threaten or entice people from one room to the next. We can, however, work to "keep the doors open".

As we look more deeply at this model, we begin to notice the following questions:
1. How do people behave in each room?
2. What are the most effective leadership tools aligned with the behaviors each room?
3. If every room is a necessary part of the change, what is the value of each room?
4. Is there a way to "decorate" or light each room that makes it a safe place?
5. How do we keep the doors open? Are there different strategies for different rooms?
6. What organizational systems and structures keep doors open? Which ones shut doors?
7. Is it true that the best thing that leaders can do is keep the doors open, and not push, pull, threaten or entice?

If you've used this model, I invite your comments and thoughts. I'll use future blog posts to delve into my questions.

How do leaders get in the way of Lean, Six Sigma and other improvement projects?

How have you seen leaders get in the way or slow down lean, six sigma and other improvement projects?

Becoming the Boss

Michael Watkins at Harvard Business Review Online has published a case on Making the Shift from Peer to Boss. The case, the comments and suggestions and the series of blogs Watkins posts are extremely insightful on the typical issues and challenges faced as the new boss. Check out the scenario, the challenges, actions for the first day and preparations for the team's off-site meeting.

Taking the Frat House Out of Business Culture

"Our business school professors never mentioned that smoking, drinking, swearing, hunting, fishing, and visits to strip clubs might be keys to rising in the world of high tech. Indeed, were lessons about how to prosper in frat house companies like EMC Corp. included in the MBA curriculum, many women would have dropped out right then and there."

So begins a posting by Alice Eagly, the co-author with Linda Carli of Through the Labyrinth: The Truth About How Women Become Leaders.

While these behaviors become less frequent in the US, they remain standard practice for entertainment in much of Asia. The question becomes whether it is necessary to ensure the sale, the deal, the guanxi. Or perhaps there are a growing number of men, companies, and cultural settings in which new practices are required.

If business relationships are changing, what can be done about changing the current culture? In an HBR podcast, Alice Eagly suggests that leadership should take a hard look at the practices to see whether they are aligned with the important strategic aspects of its customer and client relationships. Consider how wide-spread disclosure, like in EMC's case, might support or tarnish your company's image. What does this do to the employment brand? Are all of your employees (men and women) comfortable with this? Will you be able to attract the largest pool of talent to your company in a tight labor market? Will this enhance or diminish your ability to retain the top talent in your industry?

Should the Frat House be there in your business culture?