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What the corporate change process can learn from public protests
My research shows certain key knowledge and emotion
factors must be present in order for protest action to be
both instigated and carried out. Knowing what those
factors are can help you prevent conflict if you're a
leader or manager, and help you create positive change
and a healthier environment.
Public protest actions have been around a lot longer
than corporate change processes and they are usually
far more successful. By applying the lessons of public
activism to a positive corporate change process, you
can tap into they tried and true factors of emotion and
knowledge that results in a new order of things.
factors must be present in order for protest action to be
both instigated and carried out. Knowing what those
factors are can help you prevent conflict if you're a
leader or manager, and help you create positive change
and a healthier environment.
Public protest actions have been around a lot longer
than corporate change processes and they are usually
far more successful. By applying the lessons of public
activism to a positive corporate change process, you
can tap into they tried and true factors of emotion and
knowledge that results in a new order of things.
At first glance you may think a dramatic street demonstration has little in
common with a corporate change process. Yet the stages for successful action
in both are very similar. In fact, there's a great deal the corporate change
process can learn from the anti-corporate protesters waving placards outside
the window.
John Kotter from Harvard offers eight stages of corporate change including
creating a sense of urgency, building a guiding coalition, creating a vision,
communicating well, and ensuring that new changes are rooted into the existing
culture. Those are also the chief ingredients and stages in public protest
organization and action, which, of course, is all about changing the status quo.
Today there is a wave of employee disenchantment and more public protests
than at any time in history. The protests, boycotts, and shareholder revolts are
also better organized, better connected, and more effective. In large part, this is
because of the Internet and instantaneous communications and networking. But
it's also because the key factors associated with successful protest actions have
been fine-tuned through decades of experience.
For the past 20 years I have researched what triggers protest action in
individuals-whether against events in their immediate workplace or against
larger scale behavior by organizations (that's me on the left doing a little
research in a crowd of protesters). The lessons are invaluable to organizational
change efforts.
common with a corporate change process. Yet the stages for successful action
in both are very similar. In fact, there's a great deal the corporate change
process can learn from the anti-corporate protesters waving placards outside
the window.
John Kotter from Harvard offers eight stages of corporate change including
creating a sense of urgency, building a guiding coalition, creating a vision,
communicating well, and ensuring that new changes are rooted into the existing
culture. Those are also the chief ingredients and stages in public protest
organization and action, which, of course, is all about changing the status quo.
Today there is a wave of employee disenchantment and more public protests
than at any time in history. The protests, boycotts, and shareholder revolts are
also better organized, better connected, and more effective. In large part, this is
because of the Internet and instantaneous communications and networking. But
it's also because the key factors associated with successful protest actions have
been fine-tuned through decades of experience.
For the past 20 years I have researched what triggers protest action in
individuals-whether against events in their immediate workplace or against
larger scale behavior by organizations (that's me on the left doing a little
research in a crowd of protesters). The lessons are invaluable to organizational
change efforts.
From our Human Research & Development Laboratory