Transforming the Character of Public Organizations: Techniques for Change Agents A. Carol Rusaw QUORUM BOOKS TRANSFORMING THE CHARACTER OF PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS Transforming the Character of Public Organizations Techniques for Change Agents A. Carol Rusaw QUORUM BOOKS Westport, Connecticut • London LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Rusaw,A.Carol,1946– Transformingthecharacterofpublicorganizations : techniques forchangeagents / A.CarolRusaw. p. cm. Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. ISBN1–56720–103–2(alk.paper) 1. Organizationalchange. 2. Administrativeagencies. 3. Public administration. I. Title. JF1525.073R87 1998 352.3’67—dc21 97–20730 BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationDataisavailable. Copyright(cid:1)1998byA.CarolRusaw Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbookmaybe reproduced,byanyprocessortechnique,without theexpresswrittenconsentofthepublisher. LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber:97–20730 ISBN:1–56720–103–2 Firstpublishedin1998 QuorumBooks,88PostRoadWest,Westport,CT06881 AnimprintofGreenwoodPublishingGroup,Inc. PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica TM Thepaperusedinthisbookcomplieswiththe PermanentPaperStandardissuedbytheNational InformationStandardsOrganization(Z39.48–1984). 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Illustrations vii Acknowledgments ix Introduction xi PART I Getting Grounded in Organizational Transformation 1. Leading Public Sector Change from the Inside Out 3 2. A Holistic View of Organization Change 13 3. Techniques for Collecting and Analyzing Data 27 4. Building Trust and Preparing for Change 41 5. Implementation and Evaluation Guidelines 57 PART II The Art of Change Agentry 6. Using Self as a Change Instrument 71 7. Mediation Roles of Public Organizational Change Agents 85 vi Contents 8. Fostering Perspective Change for Empowerment: A Skills-Based Approach 97 PART III When They Don’t Want to Change 9. Empathy and Encouragement 115 10. Confronting Change with Courage and Compassion 125 11. Hope as the Imperative for Transformation 139 PART IV Change through Creative Involvement 12. The Art of Cooperation: A Case of Management-Union Joint Problem Solving 155 13. Creating Community in Government 169 14. Holistic Learning: Integrating Individual and Organiza- tional Change 181 PART V Wholeness in Organizational Transformation 15. Change as the Ethics of Concern 199 16. Cultivating Integrity in Change 215 Selected Bibliography 227 Index 237 Illustrations FIGURES 2.1. Systems in Public Organizations 17 2.2. Steps in Holistic Systems Change 21 3.1. Steps in Organization Change 29 4.1. Elements of Trust Building 44 4.2. Example of Client Map 47 4.3. Elements in Readiness for Change 48 5.1. Some Potential Areas of Implementation Failure 61 6.1. Four Types of Learning 75 6.2. Common Sources of Erroneous Thinking 76 7.1. Roles of Change Agents 87 8.1. Levels of Ideology 100 8.2. Cognitive Mapping Diagram 102 8.3. Skills in Dialogue 103 8.4. Critical Thinking Skills 104 8.5. Skills for Promoting Power Sharing 107 8.6. What Influences Power Sharing? 108 9.1. Skills to Support and Encourage Change 116 viii Illustrations 10.1. Sources of Resisting Change 127 10.2. Organizational Barriers to Change 129 11.1. Antecedents of Hope 141 11.2. The Cycle of Hope 142 11.3. Degrees of Hopelessness 145 13.1. Skills of Community Building 171 14.1. Disincentives to Individual and Organizational Learning 184 14.2. Integrating Individual and Organizational Learning 187 14.3. An Organization Chart of the Town of Windsor, Connecticut 191 15.1. Contexts of Ethical Dilemmas 201 15.2. Sources of Ethical Dilemmas 206 15.3. Asking Ethical Questions 210 16.1. The Seven ‘‘Re’s’’ of Building Organization Integrity 218 Acknowledgments The book’s contents, rooted as they are in human experiences, reflect the support, encouragement, teaching, and personal valuesofnumeroustrans- forming agents I have known. My particular thanks go to Bernardino Es- pinosa, my first supervisor who was also a model of spiritual leadership for me and for so many other faculty at the Defense Language Institute. I also thank Terry Newell, Jim Wolf, and Allan Drexler, who not only trained change agents in the Senior Managers Program at the Department of Education but inspired many of us when we most needed it. Ithankespeciallythoseexemplarswhowerewillingtosharetheirchange agent experiences in order that we all might better serve public needs and inspirethosewhofollowus,particularlyRuthCrone,AlIlg,LeeErdmann, and Gene Gavin. I also appreciate the thoughful comments and suggestions from col- leaguesinthefieldofmanagement,publicadministration,andorganization development. Special thanks are due to Peter Vaill, Mike Harmon, Fred Luthans, Bob Goliembiewski, Jane Moosbruker, Peter Carleton, Alex Pat- takos, and Dave Arnold. Lastly,IwishtothankmyhusbandMichael,whohasgivenmeavision, a hope, and the determination to keep reaching.