Lippitt-Knoster Complex Change Management

Abstract

The purpose of this wiki article is to give an overview of the Lippitt-Knoster tool for complex change management, and how this relates to project management. When considering project management, one must also consider that projects are led by people and that most projects are influenced or affected by some sort of change, whether it is a change in deadline, budget, resources, etc. Thus when working with project management, the project manager must consider the effect of changes and thereby change management. In short, when project management and change management are integrated there is a larger chance of success .

This paper will include a walk-through of the Lippitt-Knoster model and the different aspects included and considered in the model. The paper will consider the usability of the model and how the model can be used in practice, both before, during, and after a project has been completed. Thus, considering if the model can be used to improve further change initiatives and enhance learnings to use in future projects.

Lastly, the article will also include aspects of limitations, regarding the conflict areas, when looking at the model from a theoretical perspective vs. a practical perspective. As Project management and change management are different management disciplines, one must consider the possible challenges of integration of the two.

Big idea

During a project period, It is common that changes to occur. These changes can be regarding people, resources, timing, budget, etc. For this reason, it is important to account for the effects the changes have on the project and the project team. Hence why change management is an important factor to consider when performing projects and in project management in general.

Whereas project management focuses on processes and activities needed to complete and be success full in a project, change management focuses on the people affected by the projects underway. Hence one would argue that a change manager uses strategies that focus on individual achievement and change adaptation, and a project manager uses processes that focus on meeting benchmarks and achieving clearly defined objectives. Thus, an inherent focus on both management disciplines would ensure projects' long-term success in the organization .

One recognized change model is Lewin's tree step model, which involves the steps of unfreezing, moving, and refreezing. This process of change put emphasis on the need for change, hence the unfreezing, moving toward the desired change, and lastly refreezing the new norms and making sure that the change is rooted .

On the other hand, as with change management, there are multiple approaches to project management, one of them being system-oriented problem-solving or systems engineering. Here the breakdown structure is very similar to that of Lewins' three-step change model, as the framework for solving a project with a system-oriented mindset is mapping the current state and a target state, and then planning for how to achieve this .

Hence, one could argue that the nature of project management and change management follows the same life cycle as is illustrated in below picture.

Since project managers primary focus is on fulfilling the objectives of the project, there is a secondary focus on the impact the project has on the project team and involved stakeholders. As a result of the impact among employees being of secondary focus, changes can expedite uncertainty among the project team and stakeholders, and this uncertainty can foster e.g. anxiety, confusion, or resistance, which are some of the problems that are highlighted by the Lippitt-knoster model.

The Model

The Lippitt-Knoster model, as can be seen in the visual to the right, consist of five different aspects to consider, when working with and planning for change. The areas are Vision, Skills, Incentives, Resources and Action Plan, and they are outlining the required elements for successful change, and the possible conflict outcomes, if they are not considered ..

Vision

Initially, a Vision for the change must be considered, thus answering the questions 'Why is the change needed?'. Hence, the 'why' is an immensely important aspect, as the people working with the change will experience confusion, if they cannot relate or understand the reason for change and if they ask themself questions such as 'Why should I do this?'.

Skills

Considering the skills needed for change is also important, since the lack of skills among the people working with change will feel anxious about the forth coming change. Here the model seeks to map what skills are needed and if the people working with change have the necessary expertise or training.

Incentives

Another important aspect is the incentive for change. All people working with the change must be able to see the value in the change, or else possible resistance can occur. Here both tangible and intangible incentives should be considered; is the incentive monetary or does it drive personal achievements?

Resources

Resources are also important to consider, and whether the project team has the resources it requires to bring forth the change. If there are not enough resources, it will bring frustration to the people working with the change. Here it would be relevant to consider both internal and/or external resources, and how the dynamics are also influences by the combination of these.

Action Plan

Lastly, it is important to consider the fact that the change should entail an action plan, which should be clear and developed in collaboration with all stakeholders. Without an action plan, the people working with the change could start to feel they are going in no direction and it creates a false start for the project team.

Application

By integrating change management into project management, it can increase the support for the project and reduce resistance, as it combines the people aspects and the project aspects, thus contributing to achieving the project objectives and realising organisational benefits .

• How can the model be used?

There are multiple areas, wherein the model can be utilised. Thus, it can both be in the pre project or pre change period, where the model serves as a support tool for mapping areas to focus on and/or areas to assess further before the commencement of the project and/or change . The model can also be used through a change process or project, to identify areas and/or processes which are not working as intended within the project og process. Lastly, the model can also be used as a post-project or post-process review framework, to further understand what elements that succeeded and those that did not, and thus why.

Pre-project

Regarding project management and the inherently present complexity in projects, the model can be utilized as a planning tool. In the mapping of the current state, referring to the system-oriented approach to project management, the project manager can use the different components in the model as corner flags in the planning, to make sure each of these is present and/or considered in the mapping of the current state. So forth the project manager, already before the project commencement, knows that there are missing components, she will either have the possibility to plan around them, so forth budget constraints are present, or she will be able to increase or plan for the missing components so that the project team already from the beginning are prepped with the mindset of a successful change or project completion

During project

Problems and/or challenges arise in projects, often due to complexity and uncertainty . Though, even though the project manager and the project team are aware of complexity and uncertainty, it cannot always be planned for. Thus, the Lippitt-Knoster model can also be utilized during a project period, as a framework for identifying possible problems, that are the root cause of different symptoms such as delays or unmet deadlines throughout a project period. Here the model provides a framework for the project manager again, with the different components serving as corner flags in the analysis. The project manager will be able to either map out and/or exclude possible causes for unmet deadlines, with the perceived experience from the project team in focus. By utilizing the model, a derived benefit could be that the project team will feel heard and involved in figuring out what the reasons behind the delay and/or other complications are, because the components in the model take the perception of the project work into consideration, thus creating a space for collective improvement in the project team, which will benefit the project overall.

Post-project review

Lastly, the model can be utilized as a post-project review framework, where the project processes and experiences are reviewed regarding the components of the model. Both regarding challenges or areas where the project did not go as planned, but also regarding areas where the project team performed especially well, thus how successful or unsuccessful was the project, and ultimately what was the perception from the project team. Ultimately, the model can prove a helping tool, to understand what learnings have been made throughout the project. This can be regarding both continuous learning, hence a single loop learning, where the project manager would know where to tweak processes or input for future projects, to follow the project plan and make sure the components in the model are present. However, it can also be regarding challenging the ways of working and thinking within a project and/or project team, hence double loop learning, where the project manager has to evaluate and rethink processes and input, and make the corresponding changes in the project team, and integrate these new ways of working. Here the components in the model and the challenges that were experienced within each of these would serve as a root cause for changing and/or establishing new processes for future project work .

Both change management and project management are affected by the stage of either refreezing a change or reaching a target state. Both areas are dependent on some level of learning, hence it is important to have multiple views on the project performed. If the project manager only considered the components influencing the iron triangle of project management , hence what went well or wrong with time, resources, or quality, you would forget and probably be affected by the aspects of perceived value from the project team in future projects. On the other hand, if you only focus on the components in the Lippitt-Knoster model and thus the perception of the project, the project manager would have performed a poorly job as a project manager, as the aspects of project management and thus the Iron triangle is of utmost importance.

Limitation

Even though change management and project management are different disciplines in theory, most often one does not function in practice without the other. Though this correlation is not something that is inherently clear in material about either project management or change management.

Specific limitations and/or challenges with using the model in practice in the scope of project management can e.g. be that it is both time-consuming and requires a lot of input from the project manager, project teams, and other involved stakeholders, which consequently requires both resources and a budget exceeding that of the project itself. Furthermore, the project manager or the lead on the project in the organization or consultancy, must account for interdependencies between the project management processes and change management processes, as they might not be as easily divided in practice, as they portray to be in theory. E.g. many of the components in the Lippitt-Knoster model constitute the way of working in a change, hence influencing the quality of a given project, hence requiring a tweaking of the constraint within project management. Lastly, a limitation of the model is the fact that it does not provide a how-to guide for moving ahead with these problems to the project manager. It is merely a framework for identifying areas where processes are not working, and as a project manager, you would either have to know how to move forward with the results or be prepared to put in the work and/or plan for this in future projects.

References

Many of the following references are online articles and conference papers, as the Lippitt-Knoster model was introduced at a TACH conference in 1991, when he used the original model by Dr. M. Lippitt as sources.