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Imagine Out Doors as a small bus. Over the years this bus got lost,
slowed down and eventually came to a stop at an unknown point
on an unknown highway. Since 2004, various drivers tried to speed
the bus up but with very little progress. Drivers, mechanics and
passengers could not agree with one another on the cause of the
inefficiency, what parts may be required and in what direction the
bus should go. In 2007, a new driver was found and the bus started to
move slowly but was forced to stop very frequently as the mechanics
were not sure if the bus should continue in the current direction. It
was not until 2008 that a guidebook emerged (Strategic Plan) which
provided guidance to all on the bus, including directions on the
highway and how to get to the destination. However, the guidebook
was then denigrated by some of the passengers for not providing the
right direction and demands were made that that the bus be turned
around. All in all, the bus continued to travel on the highway with
some stops on the way where several mechanics and passengers
decided that the ride was not for them, but others who liked the way
the bus was now going, hopped on. The driver maintained the course
outlined in the guidebook and currently, the bus is travelling towards
its known destination (our vision) very well, with skilled mechanics
and very satisfied passengers.
lessons
The long-term future of the organisation is unpredictable, akin to
the inability to predict Melbourne's weather far into the future.
I can only state that the changes within this organisation for the
past 3 years have been challenging for all. The staff turnover and
changes in Council members reached 70%. This process has taught
us that sometimes we need to assess each organisation individually
and to draw on research and studies in this area but not necessarily
follow a specific path. What worked for this organisation might not
work for others. It was clear that for this organisation to be able to
survive, it needed staff who were committed to the vision of the
organisation and keen to see change. Staff who were resistant to
changes and were not inclined to follow the strategic direction have
left the organisations and new staff employed. I do agree that staff
commitment and trust in management is crucial to a successful
organisation. However, when staff continue to resist changes, it may
not be feasible to continue with allocating resources in this area.
Managers in general tend to spend an enormous amount of time
with staff who are not compliant or not performing whilst fewer
resources are put in place in supporting staff who are ready to take up
challenges and develop professionally.
The development of the Strategic Plan in collaboration with staff,
funding bodies, agencies and clients has been this organisation's
turnaround point. The document provided a direction for the
organisation and restored the trust of clients, agencies and funding
bodies in the future of this organisation.
Personally, I have learned how to manage staff anxieties that arise
from being on the edge of chaos through believing that the future is
bleak. Current systems encourage continuous changes/improvements
with the hope that this organisation will never go through such
experiences again. The proverb "new broom sweeps clean" is worth
considering for other organisations contemplating or being forced
through similar changes. n
Iudita Trifa-Schmidt is Chief Executive Officer of Out Doors Inc.
www.outdoorsinc.org.au
MaNageMeNt
C
hanges are inevitable and they start from the day we
are born. Whether we welcome those changes or not,
we cannot stop them from occurring. Many of us are
threatened by change and tend to be reluctant in taking
up the challenge unless we have enough information to satisfy
our grounds for engagement. Like humans, organisations need to
change due to forces in technology, politics, government policies and
priorities, environment, client and social demands, just to name a
few. Out Doors Inc. is one of those small not-for-profit organisations
that needed to make changes and the changes needed to take effect
fast if the organisation was to survive.
background
Established in 1987, Out Doors Inc. (Out Doors) is a not-for-profit
community-managed mental health organisation that delivers a range
of adventure, recreation and respite programs to people living with a
mental illness. We aim to assist people to get out the door of hospital
or home and to participate in the life of their community.
Similarly to many not-for-profit organisations, Out Doors relied
fully on government funding. In this context, with increased
demand for services, reduced funding and greater accountability, the
governing Council (Board) needed to review and redefine the way
the organisation operated. The process of moving towards a more
sustainable organisation began in 2004 with a number of changes in
staff and leadership positions. For a more financially viable solution,
the organisation was restructured and senior positions were made
redundant. By the end of 2006, when I started as the CEO of the
organisation, Out Doors had been through three CEOs and 100% staff
turnover. For a period of 6 months in 2006, operational staff did not
have a CEO or management staff to support them in their day-to-day
tasks and programs. The Council had stepped in to assist staff yet
this could not be done on a full time basis. The bank balance was not
looking healthy either thus discussions of possible amalgamation with a
larger organisation began to appear on the agenda at Council meetings.
approaches to managing organisational
changes
By early 2007, it was clear that Out Doors needed to remain a
separate entity because through amalgamation it would lose its
identity. As a result, the Council, CEO and staff embarked on a
process of reflection in order to ascertain the future directions/
opportunities for the organisation.
The first step was to identify the issues within the organisation at all
levels. Some of those identified included:
}
Lack of future direction
}
Lack of role clarity
}
Council meetings ineffective
}
Ongoing financial loss
}
Autonomous operating team that found it difficult to take direction
from the CEO
}
Lack of trust in management
}
High staff turnover
The main questions that we needed to ask ourselves were:
}
Why do we need to change now?
}
How much change is needed? and
}
What is the best way to implement change?
Whilst there was an air of urgency in implementing systems, staff
resistance and lack of trust in processes delayed the organisation's
ability to move forward. The development of a Strategic Plan took
over 12 months of consultations and discussions before a decision
was made to finalise the document with or without the agreement of
all staff.
Akin to other smaller not-for-profit organisations, we were all aware
that by repositioning the organisation in the sector, the process of
change would bring uncertainty amongst staff, clients and funding
bodies. Whilst there are hundreds of research studies, theories and
empirical data suggesting various approaches to managing change,
this small organisation was on the edge of chaos and was forced to
reduce the chaos by taking control.
It is not within the scope of this article to expand on the processes
taken to support staff though the changes, but I would like to provide
a short analogy:
Managing a culture of change
Out
INC:
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