Avoiding the Traffic Jam

Using the DICE model in Predicting the Success or Failure of a Change Initiative
 
 
 
 

In my way to office every morning, there is always this little thinking exercise that I have to go through – which route I must take to avoid Jakarta’s horrible traffic jam.

I have my favorite route surely, but it has not always been a great choice on several occasions.  I need to change and drive away from my favorite route and taking another route sometimes when the traffic has become too unbearable.  But taking another route is not an easy option to choose, as I might just end up driving to a route with an even heavier traffic.

The traffic ahead doesn't look good this morning,  should I change my route and make a right turn in the intersection ahead ?

The route change in the avoiding-traffic-jam case might be similar in a bigger perspective, to the change in a journey that project team or organization goes through. From all the wisdom of the guru in the project/organization management, it has been said that change is almost always inevitable for any organization and successfully managing change is a part of the day-to-day effort in managing a successful project and/or organization. 

But in heading towards a change initiative, how can we ensure that a change initiative can be implemented successfully or at least how can we predict that certain change initiative can be implemented successfully while other can not - is there a way to measure this?

DICE – Predicting the Successful Change Project

In the article by Harold L. Sirkin, Perry Keenan, and Alan Jackson, The Hard Side of Change Management, they stated that while looking at the soft aspect of a change initiative is important, it is not sufficient.  Aspects such as culture, leadership and motivation are true indeed an important part of the change process.  But, while looking after the soft aspects, we need to be also looking after the hard aspect of change.  Such hard aspect are characterized by, first they are measurable, second their importance can be communicated easily, and third they can be influenced quickly.

These characters can be identified into four hard aspects: Duration, performance Integrity, Commitment, and additional Effort required.  To describe these four factors further:

D. The duration of time until the change is completed. If it is a long change program, then the duration between each of the milestones can be monitored.

I. The project team’s performance integrity, the ability to complete the change, that depends on the members skills and traits related to the change requirement.

C. Commitment, from top management and also from employee.

E. the additional effort, beyond the usual work, that is required by the change initiative.

The DICE factor of a certain change initiative can then be scored, depending on the result it can be then categorized into a win zone, worry zone or woe zone.

If the change initiatives are within the worry zone or woe zone, we can then examined the critical factors and take the required steps to steer the change initiative into a win zone.

So after all this, coming back the traffic ahead, should I then make a right turn?

D - It will only take me 5-10 minutes longer than my normal route ….

I - I have my GPS and familiar with the route, so no chance in getting lost and circling around ….

C - My wife sitting next to me in the car said that she is OK with it ….

E - As I say, it only took 5-10 minutes more driving effort than my usual route, fine by me ….

All seems good with our DICE in avoiding the traffic jam ahead, we are definitely in a win zone, let’s make a right turn then!

Reference:

• The Hard Side of Change Management, Harvard Business Review, http://www.il-inc.com/pdf/HBR%20The%20Hard%20Side%20of%20Change%20Management.PDF
• Photos taken from http://indonesia-cars.com