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Welcome to Colorado’s Innovation Conference 2024!

We Strive for Excellence!

The Colorado Innovation Conference will provide you tools, resources and knowledge that will support YOU in making successful and sustainable changes that will save time, reduce cost and improve safety in the following areas:

  • Process Improvement and Innovation
  • Change Management
  • Project Management and Implementation
  • Strategy Development and Deployment
  • Greening Government
  • Digital Transformation
  • Enhancing Customer Experience and Service

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Welcome to Colorado’s Innovation Conference 2024!

We Want to Hear from YOU!

After the this session please be sure to fill out the feedback form so that we all can continuously improve upon our processes and facilitation of content. A link will be provided at the end.

BE AN INNOVATION CHAMPION!

After the conference, we will be reaching out to you to find out more about YOUR improvements and innovations. Five lucky innovators will receive a special award! So, be sure to stay tuned and tell us about how YOU have improved your work in your agency!

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Change Style Preferences

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Objectives

  • Identify your preferred change style and gain an appreciation of other change style preferences
  • Develop strategies for working and communicating with all change style preferences
  • Utilize strategies to flex your change style preference when the situation requires

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Change Style Indicator

CSI Does:

  • Offer an explanation of preferred styles for initiating and dealing with change
  • Describe three change style preferences…more personality-influenced than situation-influenced
  • Create an appreciation for change-style diversity

CSI Does Not:

  • Present a right or wrong, better or worse change style
  • Measure competence in initiating and managing change
  • Limit individuals to predetermined responses to change

© Discovery Learning, Inc.1996, 2015

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Change Style Preferences

CONSERVERS

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  • Accept the structure
  • Prefer change that is incremental
  • Evolutionary

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PRAGMATISTS

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  • Explore the structure
  • Prefer change that is functional
  • Situational

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ORIGINATORS

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  • Challenge the structure
  • Prefer change that is expansive
  • Revolutionary

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© Discovery Learning, Inc.1996, 2015

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Conservers

  • Prefer clearly defined structure
  • Start with traditional ideas when problem solving
  • Don’t like surprises and uncertainty
  • Focus on details and implementation
  • Value tradition and best practices

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

“Let’s take it slowly.”

“This is how we’ve always done it.”

© Discovery Learning, Inc.1996, 2015

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Originators

  • Challenge existing structure
  • Dismiss traditional ideas when problem solving – think “outside the box”
  • Enjoy risk and uncertainty
  • Systemic in their thinking
  • Can dismiss established practices with little regard

“We can think about the details later, let’s not get in the weeds.”

“Why not change it?”

“It won’t be as bad as you think.”

© Discovery Learning, Inc.1996, 2015

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Pragmatists

  • Value change that produces readily visible benefits
  • More interested in functionality than tradition or novelty
  • Operate as mediators and catalysts for understanding
  • Are open to both sides of an argument – take a middle of the road approach

“I see both sides. Can we compromise?”

“What are the pros and cons to changing it?”

“What’s the value add of this change?”

© Discovery Learning, Inc.1996, 2015

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Change Style Data Trends

  • Correlation with Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
    • Sensing = Conserver, Intuition = Originator
    • Perceiver = Originator
  • Correlation with gender (when reported)
    • Females = higher rates of Conservers
    • Males = higher rates of Originators
  • Correlation with leadership position
    • Executives = Originators
    • Front-line supervisors = Conservers
    • Mid-Level managers = more balanced

© Discovery Learning, Inc. 2014, 2015

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Change Style in Industries

CONSERVER-LEANING INDUSTRIES

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  • Law/Legal Services
  • Public Health
  • Government Agencies
  • Education: Elementary/ Secondary

ORIGINATOR-LEANING INDUSTRIES

  • Technology/Software
  • Nonprofit agencies
  • Health: Products/Equipment

© Discovery Learning, Inc. 2014

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Perceptions: Conservers

Originators can see Conservers as:

  • Dogmatic and bureaucratic, yielding to authority/tradition
  • Having their head in the sand
  • Supporting the status quo
  • Lost in the “weeds”
  • Lacking new ideas
  • Diligent and responsible
  • Considerate and thoughtful

© Discovery Learning, Inc.1996, 2015

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Perceptions: Originators

Conservers can see Originators as:

  • Impulsive and unfocused
  • Overlooking or ignoring important details
  • Lacking appreciation for tested ways of getting things done
  • Starting but not finishing projects, not interested in follow through
  • Wanting change for the sake of change
  • Creative and innovative
  • Energetic initiators

© Discovery Learning, Inc.1996, 2015

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Perceptions: Pragmatists

Pragmatists can be perceived by strong Conservers and Originators as:

  • Compromising and mediating
  • Indecisive and/or flip-flopping on issues
  • Easily influenced or noncommittal
  • Playing politics
  • Hiding behind their team
  • Supportive and inclusive
  • Solicitous or curious

© Discovery Learning, Inc.1996, 2015

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Communicating Effectively

Conservers

Pragmatists

Originators

  • Know the details
  • Ask about anticipated obstacles
  • Lay out steps to get to future state
  • Tell them what isn’t changing
  • Share why this change and why now
  • Speak in terms of outcomes/objectives
  • Talk about timelines and enforce deadlines
  • Include short- and long-range perspectives
  • Ask what they would like to see happen
  • Ask for ideas, especially in early stages
  • Talk about the connection between the change and future effectiveness
  • Give details as requested

© Discovery Learning, Inc.1996, 2015

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Situational Appropriateness of Change Styles

  • How many solutions have been tried already?
  • How critical is the situation and time?
  • How limited are resources?
  • How long has the team worked together?
  • Are politics playing a part in the situation or decision?
  • Who is requesting the change?
  • Is the client a conserver, a pragmatist, or an originator?
  • In what stage of development is the project?
  • Has the competition changed?
  • Are you facing regulatory changes?

© Discovery Learning, Inc.1996, 2015

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Flexibility: Avoiding Style Traps

Conservers

  • Consider at least three alternatives before making a decision
  • Think of the “big picture” consequences of actions
  • Outline the risks of maintaining the status quo
  • Find someone who is willing to play devil’s advocate with your proposed solution
  • Write a description of a desired future outcome in positive, global terms

© Discovery Learning, Inc.1996, 2015

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Flexibility: Avoiding Style Traps

Pragmatists

  • Specify a period of time in which to consider alternatives before committing to a solution
  • Identify decision criteria and apply to each possible solution
  • When dealing with strong conservers or originators, ask exploratory questions (How do you feel about this? How would you like things to be?)
  • Ask questions for situational appropriateness of each change style

© Discovery Learning, Inc.1996, 2015

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Flexibility: Avoiding Style Traps

Originators

  • Wait a day before taking action
  • Learn to screen activities rather than attempting all that is initially appealing
  • Identify and try to understand at least five facts related to the situation or decision
  • Attempt to understand the impact on at least two other people
  • Explore and understand what is already working in the current situation

© Discovery Learning, Inc.1996, 2015

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Summary

  • Change Style Preferences are personality-driven and reflect a preferred approach to initiating and navigating change
  • Each Change Style has strengths and pitfalls, and each will interact with other Change Styles in both complementary and conflicting ways
  • Individuals can increase their effectiveness in navigating change by practicing techniques outside their preferred Change Style when appropriate

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Resources

  • Complete the Assessment or Certify as an Instructor
    • Instructor training typically includes Change Navigator
  • Trends in Change Leadership from Discovery Learning International, 2014
  • The Bicycle Book Story - why doing what we’ve always done is not always the best path forward

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My contact info: michelle.zapapas@childrenscolorado.org

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Questions?