8 Steps to Sustainable

Organizational Transformation

Leading Change in Complex Human

Service Environments
RBS Reform 8 Steps to Transformation 1
 Stages of Change
• Urgency • Empowerment
• Authority • Momentum
• Vision • Mandate
• Engagement • Anchorage

Proehl, Rebecca Ann. (2001). Organizational Change in the Human

Services. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN: 0761922504

RBS Reform 8 Steps to Transformation 2

 Urgency
• Communicate a clear sense
of urgency that
motivates the
necessary attention
and learning

RBS Reform 8 Steps to Transformation 3

 Authority
• Give change leaders the power,
resources and time to make the
change happen

RBS Reform 8 Steps to Transformation 4

 Vision
• Articulate a consistent and clear
vision of the new system’s purpose,
design, operations and highlights

RBS Reform 8 Steps to Transformation 5

 Engagement
• Change leaders share both the
urgency and the vision with their
units and engage everyone in the
change effort

RBS Reform 8 Steps to Transformation 6

 Empowerment
• Leaders, teams and programs
implementing the new system are
given the power, permission and
flexibility to overcome the inevitable
obstacles

RBS Reform 8 Steps to Transformation 7

 Momentum
• Teams identify and take advantage
of short-term wins to build
momentum

RBS Reform 8 Steps to Transformation 8

 Mandate
• Change teams have the mandate and
authority to consolidate the short-
term wins and keep moving forward

RBS Reform 8 Steps to Transformation 9

 Anchorage
• The new system must be anchored in
the organization’s culture,
infrastructure and community
relationships

RBS Reform 8 Steps to Transformation 10

 Eight Questions for RBS
1. Why is it urgent for your agency to change?
2. How much authority do your change leaders need to leverage this
change?
3. What is your vision for your agency’s role in the new RBS system?
4. How well are your staff engaged in the change process?
5. Do staff have the tools they need to implement change?
6. Where is the low hanging fruit you can pick to gain momentum?
7. Do your change teams have a mandate for continuing to move
forward?
8. What would your agency be like if RBS was anchored in its culture
and operations?

RBS Reform 8 Steps to Transformation 11

 Passion Drives Change
• “Changing behavior is less a matter of
giving people analysis to influence
their thoughts than helping them to see
a truth to influence their feelings.”

• John Kotter - The Heart of Change

RBS Reform 8 Steps to Transformation 12

 Vision Focuses Change
Why Change?
Clarify the need for change
Explain the options for change

Describe the present Define desired future

state state

How Can We Get There?

Here’s who will do what, and when
they’ll do it

And Here’s How We’ll Make It

Work!
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 Performance Measures
Drive Change

• People produce what is

measured …
• So be careful what you
keep track of …
• The better the alignment with vision
and value -
• The more likely people will rise to
the challenge
RBS Reform 8 Steps to Transformation 14
 Human Factor Engineering

IfIfyou
youkeep
keepputting
puttingdifferent
different
people
peopleininthethesame
samesituation,
situation,
and
andthey
theykeep
keepmaking
makingsimilar
similar
mistakes
mistakes……
Maybe
Maybeit’sit’sthe
thesituation
situationand
and
not
notthe
thepeople!
people!

RBS Reform 8 Steps to Transformation 15

 Change Levers
• Language
• Reaction to crises
• Attention and recognition
• Shared learning experiences
• Allocation of rewards
• Consistency/Repetition
• Framing
• Criteria for selection and dismissal

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