Transcript Housing & Community Development Assessment

From Vision to Reality:
The Art of
Implementation
Russ Linden
[email protected]
Website: www.russlinden.com
Blog: http://russlinden.wordpress.com
About Russ Linden
Russ Linden is a management educator and author who specializes in organizational change methods. Since 1980, he has helped
government, non-profit and private-sector organizations develop leadership, foster innovation, and improve organizational
performance. He is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Virginia, University of Connecticut, and the Federal
Executive Institute. He writes a column on management innovations for Management Insights, an online column sponsored
by Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and Governing Magazine. In 2003 he was the Williams Distinguished Visiting
Scholar at the SUNY (Fredonia) School of Business.
He has published numerous articles, and five books. His book Seamless Government: A Practical Guide to Re-engineering in the
Public Sector (Jossey-Bass, 1994), was excerpted in the May, 1995 issue of Governing Magazine, and has been translated
into Chinese. His book Working Across Boundaries: Making Collaboration Work in Government and Nonprofit
Organizations, is now in its 7th printing. It was a finalist for the best book on nonprofit management in 2002 (awarded by the
Alliance for Nonprofit Management). His latest book, Leading Across Boundaries (Jossey-Bass, 2010), describes the process
of forming collaborative teams, the leader’s role in creating collaborative cultures, emerging trends that support collaboration
(including Web 2.0), international examples, and methods for dealing with difficult people and situations when collaborating.
His clients have included the National Geographic Society, several military and intelligence agencies, a partnership of the Forest
Service and Bureau of Land Management, Drug Enforcement Administration, National Park Service, U.S. Departments of
Treasury, Interior, HHS, State, and Education, a governor, two state attorneys general and over four dozen state and local
government agencies. He’s also worked with several non-profit agencies in the U.S. and Israel.
Before beginning his full-time practice, Russ was a Senior Faculty Member at the Federal Executive Institute. He served as the
Director of Executive Programs at the University of Virginia's Center for Public Service, taught at the UVa McIntire School
of Commerce, and worked in the human services field for 10 years. His volunteer commitments include scholarship programs
that help low-income youth afford college. Russ Linden's bachelor's and master's degrees are from the University of
Michigan. His Ph.D. is from the University of Virginia. He and his wife have two adult children. They live in Charlottesville,
VA. For more, see his web site: www.russlinden.com.
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Implementation: Two examples
One that should have gone better: leading
change at the Dept. of State
And one that went better than expected: a
collaboration among natural resource
agencies.
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Collaboration among natural resource
agencies – Service First
Some results:
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Over 20 co-located field offices
One-stop service centers, serving both agencies’ customers
Integrated operations in several locations
Financial savings from reduced duplication
Improve land stewardship, from improved collaboration
A key learning: the relationship among line mgrs. was a critical
success factor.
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“Implementation is ultimately what
government is all about.” -- Gordon Chase*
The good news about implementation:
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Most managers get energized by implementation opportunities.
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Implementation taps our “get-it-done” mentality.
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It can remind us why we signed up for this work years ago.
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It brings career opportunities.
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It’s our chance to make a big difference in people’s live.
* From How to Manage in the Public Sector, by Chase and Reveal.
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Our Goals: Learn …
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How to take a program idea (ours, someone else’s)
and make it a reality,
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The key skills needed,
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Some proven strategies for implementing programs,
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How to anticipate and overcome the many speed
bumps,
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Tools for implementation, and
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Common implementation phases.
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Some challenges to implementation
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Psychological: we often jump from concept to action, without
adequate planning.
Political/Turf: If it’s a new program, some are likely to be
threatened/oppose it.
Systemic: The Framers created a gov’t based on fragmented
power. Everyone on the gov’t “bus” can hit the brake!
Organizational/Human: “People do not resist change … People
resist loss.”*
* From Leadership on the Line, by Heifetz and Linsky, p. 11.
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Some challenges to implementation (cont.)
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Obtaining needed resources (without creating
enemies)
Finding an executive sponsor
Obtaining subject-matter experts (who are often
needed for other projects)
The program idea is tied to the last administration
Stakeholders have different/competing expectations
Leaders lose interest; idea is “OBE”
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Some challenges to implementation (cont.)
Another kind of challenge:
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Some implementation challenges
What other challenges to implementation have
you experienced?
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Our learning activities, course agenda
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Cases
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Guest speakers
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Some tools
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Analysis of video clips
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Your own “case” – develop a plan to implement a
program or service
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Implementation that’s not going well: The
National Park Service
NPS mission includes preserving resources in our nat’l parks
Its leaders emphasize the use of partnerships
Major partnership opportunity: Maintenance
Maintenance function very large: sometimes ½ of a park’s FTE
Maintenance staff may work in same park entire career
Their pay not high, but they take great pride in their work
Often understaffed
Issue: How help maintenance staff get comfortable working with
volunteer partners, to maintain parks?
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The National Park Service
Superintendents offer many incentives to partner:
Volunteers are eager to help
They’ll do work the staff can’t get to
They’ll spot unmet needs
Volunteer partners increase public support for parks
Volunteers do low-skill work, free up maint. for higher skill tasks
Working with volunteers will give maint. staff good experience that
enhances their careers
Forming partnerships is one of the agency’s priorities
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The National Park Service
Maintenance staff know their superintendents want them
to work with volunteers, but they often oppose it.
Why?
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Effective implementation usually begins
before it begins
When implementing a program, what are some
steps you’ve taken (or, wish you took), prior to
“starting”?
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Getting started before you “start”
• Do homework. History of past efforts? Results? Who’s likely to be
threatened? Who wants it to work?
• Before selling the solution, “sell the problem”
• If possible, keep plan general at the outset so others’
input can be used
• Do a stakeholder analysis
• Identify the “veto holders;” learn their interests (FDA embedded
OGC and IT staff in their impl. teams)
• Create a communications plan (and team); identify the audiences,
the information important to each
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Before selling the solution, “sell the
problem”
A great example of “selling the problem” up front:
The Declaration of Independence
The 2nd sentence includes truly inspiring words: “We hold
these truths to be self evident, that all men are created
equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable rights…”
But fully 2/3 of the Declaration lists complaints against
the king. Jefferson’s main objective was to sell the
problem.
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Getting started (cont.)
• Connect the program to current agency priorities
• Seek an executive sponsor; can the program solve a problem on
his/her mind?
• Involve key line managers who’ll have a stake in the program;
they’ll be there long after appointees leave
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Discuss the read-ahead
1. What did JIVA’s leaders do well?
2. What did they do poorly/overlook?
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Force Field Analysis: An important planning
tool
FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
DRIVING FORCES
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3
2
1
RESTRAINING FORCES
-1
-2
-3
-4
GOAL:
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Force Field Analysis example: the JIVA case
FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
DRIVING FORCES
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3
2
Serve Customers
Team Leaders
Motivated Analysts
Software
1
RESTRAINING FORCES
-1
-2
-3
-4
Mid Manager Resistance
GOAL:
No Metrics
Some Leaders
Need to Know
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Force Field Analysis: An important planning
tool
Write down the goal
Identify the driving forces – those internal and external factors that
can help achieve the goal
Identify the restraining forces – internal/external factors that are
hurdles to achieving the goal
Decide the length of each line (length = its strength)
Identify a few restraining forces that you/your team can influence:
how can you reduce or neutralize those forces?
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Your projects
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Fill out the first 2 questions in the project
worksheet.
Find a partner. Explain your project to each
other.
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Implementation strategies that work in most
cultures
1. Leverage the power of an impassioned champion(s)
2. Set broad goals, involve stakeholders in the plan
3. Don’t oppose forces, use them
4. Raise the stakes
5. Change the scale; chunk it down or enlarge it
6. Use “pull” as well as “push”
7. Develop trusting relationships
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1. Leverage the power of an impassioned
champion(s)
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It’s great to have a senior champion/exec. sponsor
But it’s usually critical to have a champion at the
working level
A great example of having both: Washington, Madison,
and the U.S. Constitution
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1. Leverage the power of an impassioned
champion(s)
A project champion is one who:
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Is passionate about the project and makes it a priority,
Has credibility among the stakeholders, and
Has some clout.
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1. Sometimes, champions have to be tough;
almost always, they need to be resolute
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The tasks of the working-level
champion
 Articulate the project’s purpose in a way
that excites others
 Get appropriate people to the table and
keep them there
 Help parties see common interests, and the benefits from
joint effort
 Generate trust
 Celebrate small successes, share credit widely
 Find a senior champion for the effort
 Provide confidence, hope, resilience
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2. Set broad goals, involve stakeholders in
the plan: INEAP
Interagency Network of Enterprise Assistance Providers
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Began in ’06, after consultation with her leaders, stakeholders
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Carroll Thomas Martin was a GS-14 at NIST at the time
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She was passionate about creating a network of orgs. that serve
small businesses
She had run a small business, contacted gov’t agencies for
assistance, none could help (or tell her who might help)
She developed idea of info-sharing alliance among gov’t agencies
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2. Set broad goals, involve stakeholders in
the plan: INEAP
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She shared idea with manager who said OK (but wasn’t involved)
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She wrote concept paper, found a colleague at SBA who liked it
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She and her colleague met with potential partners over lunch (one
at a time), explained idea, sought input, listened carefully
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She revised plan over 10 times (!) based on the input
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Carroll was flexible on INEAP’s design, focused on broad goals
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2. Set broad goals, involve stakeholders in
the plan
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The network started small; 6 attended first mtg.
As people saw the benefits to them/their customers, they got
excited; soon membership grew rapidly
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They rotate mtg. locations, all contribute to agendas
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Carol is very open; shares problems, invites all to exchange ideas
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One reason it’s worked: nobody thinks Carol is in it for power. It
is all about networking to service small businesses
There is no cost to belonging (except one’s time)
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2. Set broad goals, involve stakeholders in
the plan
INEAP – a few results
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INEAP now has members from over 60 agencies
INEAP members share best practices (e.g., how companies can
reduce energy usage) which are helping their clients
At regional INEAPS, cross-trained employees provide businesses
information from several agencies (not only their own)
The Green Suppliers Network helps large companies share info
on reducing pollution without raising costs; these tips are
shared with their suppliers
INEAP has provided training on lean manufacturing
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2. Start with broad goals …
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Carroll Thomas was a great champion. One reason for
her success: she stated general goals, and invited
stakeholders to craft the plan
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What are some advantages to this approach?
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What are some potential downsides?
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The phases that some implementation
projects follow …
1. Getting intelligence
2. Getting organized
3. Getting commitment/performance
The INEAP network is a good example of doing the first
two phases well. It also demonstrates a dilemma of the
third phase.
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3. Don’t oppose forces, use them
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Aikido uses your opponent’s energy to your benefit
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This is what Russ learned (too late) at the State Dept.
EXAMPLES:
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The rumor mill
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Dealing with contrarians
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The egotist who wasn’t heard
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3. Don’t oppose forces, use them
EXERCISE:
Apply this strategy to the hurdles you identified
yesterday.
Which ones could be opportunities?
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Your projects
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Fill out questions 3 through 4 in the project
worksheet.
Get with your partner, discuss responses.
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4. Raise the stakes: the Charles River case
Cleaning up the Lower Charles River
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By 1995 river had been filthy for over 50 years
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Some rowers got tetanus shots before going in the water(!)
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Was swimmable 19% of time, boatable 39%
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After multiple clean-up efforts, nobody wanted to try again …
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Except for the Regional EPA administrator
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4. Raise the stakes: the Charles River case
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At ‘95 Charles Regatta, EPA reg. admin. announced a goal:
The Lower Charles will be swimmable by 2005.
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300,000 were in attendance
The venue guaranteed major media coverage
Many nonprofits offered to help
EPA offered carrots and sticks to gov’t agencies in area; also
sued Boston U. for spills in the river
Harvard and other ed. institutions quickly offered to help (!)
6 months later, EPA reg. admin. gave the river quality a “D.”
The media covered the story well; they liked his candor, became
partners in keeping pressure on agencies to perform
8 agencies started meeting with EPA, which tapped their expertise
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4. Raise the stakes: the Charles River case
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Agencies monitored river in 37 locations. It put cause-effect
together after spills
EPA provided tech. assistance, resources to cities/companies
on the river to reduce their emissions
EPA gave polluters 2 months to begin cleaning up, or face
citations/fines
Media gave major attention to all water quality grades (EPA
briefed them the day before each announcement)
Media also noted which orgs. were active players, which weren’t
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4. Raise the stakes: the Charles River case
After 5 years, on Earth Day, 2000, EPA gave the river a
grade of “B.” It said that the river was now
Swimmable 65% of time
Boatable 90% of time
For an excellent account of this story, see Shelley Metzenbaum’s “Measurement That Matters:
Cleaning Up the Charles River,” at www.ksg.harvard.edu/visions/performance_management
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4. Raise the stakes
Some other ways to “raise the stakes” of your
project:
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Involve a senior leader (or other well-respected person) who
is invested in the project’s success
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Connect the project to a higher purpose
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Connect the project to one of org’s strategic objectives
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Invite customers to tell team why the project matters to them
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5. Change the scale: chunk it down, or
enlarge it
Examples of chunking it down:
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Manage expectations (avoid bells, whistles)
Conduct small pilots, learn from them
Implement in phases, each with visible deliverables
Monitor, report progress frequently (like the Charles River project)
Thos. Jefferson and his “Academical Village”
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5. Change the scale: chunk it down, or
enlarge it
“If you can’t solve a problem as it is, enlarge it.”
-- Dwight Eisenhower
Two ways to enlarge it:
1. Put the problem into a larger context
2. Widen the number of people involved in solving it
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5. Change the scale: enlarge it
The Philadelphia Phillies, Clearwater Fl., and the new
stadium.
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6. Use “pull” as well as “push”
Push – using the power of our formal authority
Pull – tapping an internal need, goal, or value in others
“Push a string and it goes nowhere … Pull a string and it follows you
wherever you go.” – Dwight Eisenhower
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6. Use “pull” as well as “push”
Joshua Chamberlain and the Union deserters from Maine
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6. Use “pull” as well as “push”
Some examples of using pull we’ve seen:
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Madison’s efforts to get Washington to attend the Con. Convention
Carroll Thomas’ meetings with stakeholders, using their ideas in
the plan
The detective’s last comment to the police chief: “I think you know
what the right thing to do is sir.”
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Sometimes, we need to find others who can
pull people along
Bill Leighty and the Form 47 office
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The art of influence
7 sources of influence:
Positional
Reward
Coercive
Expert
Referent
Affiliative
Information
– legitimate power of your position or job
– your ability to provide rewards
– your ability to withhold rewards/be punitive
– your specialized knowledge
– your “likeability,” trustworthiness, credibility
– your connections/access to others with power
– your access to information valued by others
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Effective influence: Eisenhower and
Operation Overlord
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Eisenhower and Operation Overlord
1. Which sources of influence did he use?
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Positional
Reward
Coercive
Expert
Referent
Affiliative
Information
2. What other ways did he use influence skills?
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The art of influence
Think about yourself. When trying to influence others …
1. Which of these sources do you frequently use?
2. Which would you like to use more/more effectively?
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Positional
Reward
Coercive
Expert
Referent
Affiliative
Information
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The art of influence: the power of validators
Validators have credibility with certain audiences.
Issue:
Possible validator:
2010 health care act
Soc. Security changes
Which school for your child?
Your physician
AARP
Another parent
QUESTION: Who are some potential validators for your
project?
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Influence role play
Each of you will take a turn giving a short presentation to your
colleagues; they’ll play stakeholders in the project you’re pitching.
I. Prep: describe the project, their roles
5 min.
II. Conduct role play:
Your presentation:
Stakeholders’ reactions/questions:
10 min. total:
4 min.
6 min.
III. Debrief
5 min.
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Influence and change: Lessons from the
book Switch
The authors offer a 3-part model for change:
1. Direct the “rider,” the rational part of our brain
2. Motivate the “elephant,” our brain’s emotional part
3. Shape the path, making it easier to change
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Influence and change: Lessons from the
book Switch
1. Direct the “rider”
2. Motivate the “elephant,” our brain’s emotional part
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Influence and change: Lessons from the
book Switch
3. Shape the path, making it easier to change
Think about your project this week (or other work
initiatives):
Could you apply these strategies to facilitate easier?
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Remaining flexible once you launch …
How to stay in touch with early results and reactions?
• Find your “canary in the coal mine”
• Ask people, “what are you hearing?”
• Select a “designated worrier,” and listen carefully
• Get up “on the balcony”
• Adopt a “ready, fire, aim” approach
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Remaining flexible once you launch
Some examples:
• Find your “canary:”
In classroom situations
• “What are you hearing?”
The “good to great” project
• Get up “on the balcony:”
The ATF plan that none of the agents
would have read
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What these approaches have in common:
situational awareness
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POP QUIZ:
On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere rode from Boston
toward Lexington, warning of the British plan to attack Lexington.
Colonists along the trail quickly prepared to fight the British.
Another revolutionary, William Dawes, took a different route to
Lexington carrying the same message. Few colonists responded.
Why not?
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The 7th strategy: Develop trusting
relationships
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Positive relationships give us credibility (that was Revere’s
advantage)
They also shield us when things go poorly:
Studies show that patients rarely sue doctors they like (even when
the doc made a big mistake)
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Forming relationships: Mandela and the
capt. of national rugby team
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7. Develop trusting relationships
The best time to form relationships: before you need
them:
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“MBWA” (managing by wandering around) is an
effective approach
So are regular lunch meetings
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Other ways to form relationships
Discuss the approaches in Leading Across Boundaries
(pp. 60-70):
Which have you tried? Results?
An excellent book to check: The Speed of Trust, by Covey
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EXERCISE
Review the various implementation hurdles we’ve
identified this week. And think about the challenge
you’re working on in class.
What are the most likely hurdles to implementing your
project? What strategies might help? Can you use any
sources of influence to address some hurdles?
Complete questions final sections of your Worksheet.
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Final Thought …
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Course Summary – Some key ideas
Getting started:
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•
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•
•
•
•
Do homework. History of past efforts? Results? Who’s likely to be threatened?
Before selling the solution, “sell the problem”
If possible, keep plan general so others’ input can be used
Do a stakeholder analysis (see Stakeholder tool)
Identify the “veto holders” who can shoot it down; learn their concerns, interests
Create a communications plan (and team); identify the audiences, the information
important to each
Connect the program to current agency priorities
Seek an executive sponsor; can program solve a problem on his or her mind?
Involve key line managers who’ll have a stake in the program
With stakeholders, create the plan: build program in small chunks
(continued on next slide)
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Course Summary (cont.)
7 General Strategies to Consider:
1. Leverage the power of an impassioned champion(s)
2. Set broad goals, involve stakeholders in the plan
3. Don’t oppose forces, use them.
4. Raise the stakes
5. Change the scale; chunk it down or enlarge it
6. Use “pull” as well as “push”
7. Develop trusting relationships: Seek support of informal leaders, other credible people
7 Sources of Influence:
Positional
Reward
Coercive
Expert
Referent
Affiliative
Information
In addition, leverage the influence of key “validators”
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References
Bossidy and Charan: Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done. Crown
Business Press, 2002.
Carlin: Invictus: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation. Penguin, 2008.
Chase and Reveal: How to Manage in the Public Sector. Addison-Wesley, 1983.
Collins: Good to Great. Harper Business, 2001.
Collins: Good to Great and the Social Sectors. 2005.
Conger: Winning ‘em Over: A New Model for Management in the Age of Persuasion.
Simon and Schuster, 1998.
Covey: The Speed of Trust. Free Press, 2006.
Cuming: The Power Handbook: A Strategic Guide to Organizational and Personal
Effectiveness. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1981.
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References
Duhigg: The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and business. Random
House, 2012.
Eggers and O’Leary: If We Can Put a Man on the Moon: Getting Big Things Done in
Government. Harvard Business School Press, 2009.
Gladwell: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Little Brown
and Co., 2000.
Goldsmith and Eggers: Governing by Network: The New Shape of the Public Sector.
Brookings, 2004.
Heifetz and Linsky: Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of
Leading. Harvard Business School Press, 2002.
Heath and Heath: Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard. Random House,
2010.
Linden: Leading Across Boundaries: Creating Collaborative Agencies in a Networked
World. Jossey-Bass, 2010.
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