Change Management is not Organization Development: A Conversation with Warner Burke

This is the thirteenth video produced in the ‘Just in Case…’ mini-series sponsored by Quality and Equality. This is another rare occasion for us to hear from one of the giants in the field of OD. Warner Burke is the author of the famous “Burke-Litwin” change model, which is one of the most frequently used frameworks in our practice. Professor Burke is a pioneer contributor to the field of organization development, a brilliant thought leader, and a dedicated steward of the profession of OD for over 50 years. His deep academic scholar-practitioner insights have been shaping a whole generation of practitioners. His commitment to ensure OD is a value anchored, theory-based field of knowledge have helped the field stay true to its purpose through the times of change. His work shows us how we can play a critical role to maintain the civil society. Today, Warner is speaking from a place of passion and concern as to how ODPs can continue to play vital roles in supporting client systems. His topic is Change Management is not Organization Development. There are two parts to this video as he unpacks the evolving focus for change management, OD, leadership and group dynamics in this world of the internet and virtuality.
Articles, Books, and References
Part One
• Beckhard, R. (1967). The confrontation meeting. Harvard Business Review, 45(2), 149-155.
• Beer, M., Eisenstat, R.A., & Spector, B. (1990). The critical path to corporate renewal. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
• Bunker, B.B., & Alban, B.T. (1997). Large group interventions: Engaging the whole system for rapid change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Burke, W.W., & Litwin, G.H. (1992). A causal model of organizational performance and change. Journal of Management, 18, 523-545.
• Burke, W.W. (2018). The rise and fall of the growth of Organization Development: What Now? Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 70, 186-206.
• Burnes, B. (2004). Kurt Lewin and the planned approach to change: A re-appraisal. Journal of Management Studies, 41, 972-1002.
• Cooperrider, D.L. (2012). The concentration effect of strengths: How the whole system "AI" summit brings out the best in human enterprise. Organizational Dynamics, 41(2), 106-117.
• Cooperrider, D.L., & Srivastva, S. (1987). Appreciative inquiry in organizational life. In W.A. Pasmore & R.W. Woodman (Eds). Research in organizational change and development, (Vol. 1). Greenwich,CT: JAI Press.
• Kanter, R.M., Stein, B.A., & Jick, T.D. (1992). The challenge of organizational change. New York, NY: Free Press.
• Kotter, J.P. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
• Schein, E.H. (2013). Humble inquiry: The gentle art of asking instead of telling. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
• Stouten, J., Rousseau, D.M., & DeCremer, D. (2018). Successful organizational change: Integrating the management practice and scholarly literatures. Academy of Management Annals, 12(2), 752-788.
• Burnes, B. (2020). The origins of Lewin’s three-step model of change. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 56, 32-59.
• Weisbord, M.R., (1978). Organizational diagnosis: A workbook of theory and practice. Reading MA: Addison Wesley.
Part Two
• Beckhard, R. (1972). Team building efforts. Journal of Contemporary Business, 1, 23-32.
• Burke, W.W. (2014). Changing loosely coupled systems. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 50, 423-444.
• Dunbar, R.I.M. (1992). Neocortex size as a constraint on group size in primates. Journal of Human Evolution, 20, 469-493.
Biography
W. Warner Burke, PhD, is the Professor of Psychology and Education and a founder of the graduate programs in social-organizational psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University where he has been since 1979. He continues to teach courses in leadership and organization change, and his current research focuses on learning agility. Dr Burke’s consulting experience has been with a variety of organizations in business-industry, education, health care, government, religious and professional service firms.
Prior to 1979, Dr Burke was a professor of management and chair of the Department of Management at Clark University and from 1966 -74 was a professional staff member at the NTL Institute, and he also served as the initial executive director of the OD Network.
Academically Dr Burke has authored some 200 articles and book chapters and authored/edited over 20 books. He has served as Editor of Organizational Dynamics, Academy of Management Executive, and the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. Among his many awards are the Public Service Medal from NASA, Distinguished Professional Contributions Award from SIOP, Distinguished Scholar-Practitioner Award from the Academy of Management, and most recently the Outstanding Civilian Contribution Award from the Department of the Army for his work with West Point.
Contact
Email: [e-mail]

[@mrinalkrant2523]

24:10 Primary role of an OD Consultant...."What the hell is going on there:" is called Diagnosis! So true!

[@gabrielg.benarkuu1869]

Great presentation. OD Education has evolved so fast. Ghana and Africa should invest in OD Education to create sustainable growth and environment.

[@supriyadesai8437]

This is unfortunate - I was so looking forward to listening to Dr. Burke thoughtfully distinguish between organizational change management and organizational development. It is the first opportunity I've had to listen to this pioneer in the field of OD, and someone whose Burke-Litwin model was my introduction to understanding the complexity - and power - of effectively navigating a changing organization. But I cannot finish, at least for now. This broad-brush condemnation of change management is unnecessary and, frankly, rooted in a very limited understanding of how change management is practiced these days. I'll try to come back to this at some point because I still would like to learn what I can from him.
But here's what I'll say - as someone who started out practicing organizational change management in one of the large consultancies Dr. Burke mentioned, I can understand why he might be bitter about the turn that consulting firms have taken in how they guide clients to practice change management without the behavioral sciences- or humanistic-foundations that have defined the field of OD. It is - as practiced by many of those large consultancies - more like executing change management actions versus taking a systems approach to diagnosing and intervening to help develop the capacity and effectiveness of the organization as a system.
However, those same consultancies started out decades ago with professionals who had deep respect for the roots of OD and its role in helping organizations evolve effectively and stay vital and were successful in spreading that knowledge and wisdom to those of us who were just learning. Further, not all organizational change management practitioners today are in consultancies. Many of the brightest minds have either gone off on their own or, more likely, joined corporations as OD and/or OCM practitioners, where they are valued for the solid grounding in OD that they bring to their teams.
Going back to my agreement that there is an over-simplification of organizational change management as practiced by some of the largest consultancies, we should be fair and include outfits like Prosci, who I see as also responsible for popularizing a transactional, execution-focused approach (vs. inquisitive, diagnostic and developmental approach) to managing change. Nevertheless, there are practitioners (like me) who work everyday to broaden the perspectives of junior practitioners - who may only be versed in the less sophisticated models of change management.
In every field, there will be profit-driven motives for commercializing valuable approaches; OD is not the only victim in this regard. To ignore the organizational change practitioners who hold true to the core of what we know to be in the best interest of organizational health and vitality is to be narrow-minded.

[@mrinalkrant2523]

15:10 Keyword that defines Change management is "Facilitation", while OD is "Development"!

[@saikrishnabandi8736]

Really well explained the difference between Organization Development and Change management, How the pandemic has impacted the collection of non verbal data

[@mrinalkrant2523]

23:50 The Coaches work for Change Management Consultants for "Facilitating" Change , using coaching process!

[@drpaulward]

Thank you Professor Burke. An interesting analysis. I can agree with your observation that “the title of Change management is a misnomer” (47:25). In my experience, more similarities than differences exist between the roles of OD and CM consultants although overall I prefer the term Change Execution. In terms of the latest change model, Stouten et al. (2018, 38:00) suggested leaving the vision until step 5 but how can you assess the organization’s readiness for the change in step 2 if you don’t have a vision of the desired future state and the scale of the change required to realize that vision?

[@Madhu2405]

It's pure gold! Thanks,

[@IgnitedIAS]

Thanks for the insights.

[@mrinalkrant2523]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:09 🌐 *Introduction to the Video and Speaker Acknowledgment*
- Introduction to the just-in-case mini-series by Quality and Equality.
- Acknowledgment of Professor Warner Burke's contribution to organization development.
- Mention of Warner Burke's influence on the speaker's practice.
03:52 🗣️ *Warner Burke's Appreciation and Topic Introduction*
- Appreciation for Warner Burke's dedication to OD over 50 years.
- Warner Burke's ability to stay updated with literature and research.
- Introduction to the main topic: "Change Management is not Organization Development."
04:07 🤔 *Anger and Disassociation from OD in Change Management*
- Warner Burke's reference to the movie "Network" expressing frustration.
- Observation on the disassociation of change management from OD.
- Mention of consulting firms favoring "change management" over "organization development."
06:33 📊 *Part 1: Comparison - Value System*
- Change Management focuses on building and expanding the consulting firm's business.
- OD emphasizes development, social justice, participation, openness, honesty, and psychological safety.
- OD aims to strengthen beliefs and values for both consultants and client organizations.
10:52 📚 *Part 1: Comparison - Theory*
- Change Management is described as a-theoretical, primarily relying on facilitation.
- OD is grounded in theories such as open system theory, Lewin's contributions, and motivational theory (Maslow).
- OD consultants are clear about the theoretical foundations guiding their work.
22:26 🛠️ *Part 1: Comparison - Primary Skill*
- Change Management primary skills include facilitation, coaching, and often taking over client meetings.
- Coaching certification is common among Change Management consultants.
- Emphasis on Change Management skills not necessarily leading to significant organizational change.
24:13 🧭 *Change Leadership in OD*
- Change leadership based on system thinking and clear goals is a primary skill of an OD consultant.
- Diagnosis, collaboration, process consultation, coaching, and effective communication are key skills.
- Emphasis on educating the client and giving away knowledge to empower them in the change process.
27:10 🔄 *Intervention Modes in Change Management*
- Change management consultants work alongside client managers, providing an extra pair of hands.
- Use of questionnaires to gather data, but focus on business outcomes rather than individual development.
- Interventions may help individuals but may not contribute significantly to organizational change.
29:23 📊 *Lewin's Three-Step Model in Organization Development*
- Lewin's three-step model involves diagnosing, unfreezing, and changing, emphasizing small steps.
- Diagnosing focuses on understanding forces for and against change.
- Action research involves small, experimental changes with immediate data collection.
31:34 🔄 *Change Model for Change Management Consultants*
- Change management consultants facilitate decisions made by top management.
- Clients often hire change management experts to handle challenging changes, keeping executives removed.
- Change management consultants are tasked with facilitating change rather than leading or participating.
38:11 🔍 *Evidence-Based Ten-Step Change Model*
- The ten-step change model: get facts, assess organization readiness, implement evidence-based interventions, develop change leadership, communicate change vision, work with social networks, use enabling practices, promote experimentation, assess progress, institutionalize change.
- Emphasis on evidence-based interventions and a holistic approach to change.
- Challenges the notion of starting change with a vision; vision comes after groundwork.
42:28 🌐 *Change Activities: OD vs. Change Management*
- Change management consultants focus on activities to keep employees busy without a clear organization change objective.
- OD consultants define change activities within the broader ten-step model, aiming for systemic change.
- Activities include large group interventions, organizational diagnosis, and skills development.
44:54 ⏩ *Sustainment of Change: Different Objectives*
- Change management sustainment objective is to expand business for the consulting firm.
- OD consultant sustainment involves addressing deviations, constant assessment, and celebrating successes.
- Change management consultants aim for business growth, while OD consultants prioritize effective organizational change.
47:18 🔄 *OD's Rich Understanding vs. Change Management*
- Organization Development (OD) has a rich theoretical understanding and clear values, guiding its work.
- Change Management lacks a comparable theoretical foundation and clear values.
- Emphasis on the misnomer of the title "Change Management."
48:34 🌐 *Truth and Leadership*
- The importance of truth in leadership, especially during complex times like a pandemic.
- Leaders like Andrew Cuomo, who openly shared data during the pandemic, were appreciated for their honesty.
- The need for leaders to speak truth to both power and followers, emphasizing the role of OD practitioners in coaching leaders for truthful communication.
51:18 🌐 *Impact of the Internet on OD*
- The significant impact of the internet on how OD practitioners operate, especially with the rise of virtual work.
- Challenges in reading non-verbal cues in virtual settings, affecting the traditional OD reliance on non-verbal behavior.
- Suggestions to cope with limitations, such as using quick surveys and relying on breakout sessions in virtual meetings.
54:40 🌐 *Essential vs. Non-essential and Social Needs*
- Reflections on the pandemic prompting a distinction between essential and non-essential aspects of life.
- Recognition of essential workers through traditions like applauding them daily in New York City.
- Consideration of heightened social needs, like the importance of physical gestures like hugs, prompting personal reflection.
57:13 🌐 *Importance of Group Dynamics in OD*
- Emphasis on OD practitioners often working with groups, small and large, rather than just individual clients.
- Clarification on what constitutes a team, focusing on common goals, roles, agreed-upon processes, and interpersonal relations.
- Differentiation between virtual groups and teams, highlighting the need for new tools like social network analysis for virtual settings.
01:02:16 🌐 *Group Size and Dunbar's Number*
- Discussion on the importance of group size, introducing Dunbar's research on social channel capacity and the "magic number" of 150.
- The idea of breaking organizational units into smaller groups when exceeding this number.
- The need for OD professionals to stay knowledgeable about large group interventions and their impact on organizational dynamics.
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[@atulchugh7906]

Very meaningful & insightful

[@manjularamprasad3925]

Well it is taken in the same breathe now. I would say cm is a subset of OD. Managing change is integral as it involves human, od looks into systemic layers .

[@mrinalkrant2523]

What Prof. Warner says, "Change management consultants are tasked with facilitating change rather than leading or participating"!
From what I hear Prof. Warner talk, OD and Change management are associated practices and CM follows from OD as a facilitation hand! That doesn't mean OD and CM are the same! Selling cars is not manufacturing it or designing it or servicing it! They are all associated but not the same! To me, they all are complete and monolithic practices of their own kind!

[@mrinalkrant2523]

17:15 Open System Theory

[@JoMcDermott]

I think your sweeping condemnation of change management practitioners is unfairly broad. Many CM practitioners I know are trained in OD and have gone on to specialize in CM. I admire you as one of the gurus of the study of organizations, but I think your broad brush here is wrong in a lot of cases.

[@dearkoku]

I agree - with all due respect to Warner Burke, there is some confusion here between the objectives of change management, and the objectives of consulting firms (such as the point on billable hours at 45:00).