This short version of an article published by Lederweb presents ideas for exercises for a workshop you can hold with your MED committee when you are faced with finding common ground in connection with a restructuring or a change process.
How reverse brainstorming works
Reverse brainstorming is about getting a group to answer what it would take for you to fail. Through reverse brainstorming, it's often easier to think of all the things that make a change fail.
Involvement
It's energizing to focus on what you actually have a mandate to influence in a change process where paralysis is a common feeling. Therefore, you need to approach your change and, for example, ask the MED committee: "What if the truth/knowledge/information is not "out there" but generated by us here in the room?" For example, talk about how "involvement" becomes concrete and practical rather than "the train you never reach" because you can never involve the right people enough. And talk about how you need to continuously adjust, how often, who takes the lead on it, etc.
Data: "your little helper"
For many people, data is an abstract concept that they don't know how to access - after all, data is "something in the cloud" or at least something we don't have access to by definition. But data is not limited to being algorithm-driven or something that complicated systems have to generate. Data is also, for example, minutes and other written communication.
"The Mirror Egg": Inside and outside the influence zone
Along with the MED committee, you have an important role as an ambassador of change, but it can be overwhelming to be confronted with the concerns and questions of many frustrated employees in a change process that is typically not linear. Focusing on your zone of influence (the plum), discussing the opportunities (the white) and being clear on what lies beyond the "looking glass" provides a clearer mandate and a shared direction in difficult change processes.
So: Involve, adjust, evaluate, communicate and use the collaborative spaces and data that already exist in your organization - and you'll be well on your way to successful change.
Learn more about change management through our knowledge universe
In most organizations, creating change and development is an ongoing challenge. Whether it's time pressure, process fatigue or resistance to change that makes it difficult to reach the finish line.
On this page you can find some of our articles and videos on the topic. Read along and get input on how to succeed with change management.
