e. e. cummings vs. Shakespeare: An Unlikely Literary Comparison of Documentation Styles in Corporate

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e. e. cummings vs. Shakespeare An Unlikely
Literary Comparison of Documentation Styles in
Corporate Organizations
Necie Elizabeth Young Marianne A. Broyles Shannon
Thurman Tom Weathington
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So What?

• To understand organizational change and recognize
  the associated behaviors
• To understand resistance
• To develop strategies to address resistance
• To be flexible and adaptits up to you

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Ground Rules

• Participate fully in the discussion and the
  exercises
• Share your experience and knowledge
• Respect everyones point of view

Are there any other points you would like to add?
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Why does this matter to me?
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Brain Teasers
ACUM
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Brain Teasers
U S T I
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Brain Teasers
more it it thani
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The Soft Stuff is the Hard Stuff

• because an organizations output mirrors its
  input. Consider the following
• phrasing of WANT ADS
• marketing / PR materials
• job descriptions
• adherence to standards

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 Traditional vs. Non-Traditional Structure

• Shakespeare takes on the Big 5 Firms?
• Iambic pentameter in cascading style sheets?
• Streams of dot-comsciousness?
• Cummings the ad agency?

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Consider the following
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TRADITIONAL STRUCTURE

• Shakespeareiambic pentameter metered conformed
  to style creativity withinconfines of structure
  (but not always strict adherence)
• Dickensverbose template-story based
  formalist-style of language and punctuation
• Large accounting firms / manufacturing companies
  / health care organizations
• Linear structuring
• High level of detail in hierarchy
• Formal instruction
• Corporate style sheets / grids

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NON-TRADITIONAL

• e e cummingsnonconformist unconventional free
  thinking stream of consciousness
• Hemingwayplain language descriptive creative,
  yet to the point

• Smaller less linear organizations
• Plain English standard
• Minimalist document design punctuation
• Stream of consciousness
• More matrix organizations
• Ad agencies idea companiesinternet start-ups
• Web designstructured but still not according to
  strict paper adherence guidelines yet growing
  in that realm

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Consider the following dialogue from the
character Philostrate from A Midsummer Night's
Dream
  A play there is, my lord, some ten words
long, Which is as brief as I have known a
play But by ten words, my lord, it is too
long, Which makes it tedious for in all the
play There is not one word apt, one player
fitted And tragical, my noble lord, it is For
Pyramus therein doth kill himself. Which, when I
saw rehearsed, I must confess, Made mine eyes
water but more merry tears The passion of loud
laughter never shed.
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D-re-A-mi-N-gl-Y

• By
• e. e. cummings

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• D-re-A-mi-N-gl-Y
•  
• leaves
• (sEe)
• locked
•  
• in
•  
• gOLd
• After-
• gLOw
•  
• are
•  
• t
• ReMbLiN
• g
•  
• ,.,

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e. e. etc.

• Job Titles / Descriptions
• Departments
• Internal Protocol and Corporate Culture
• FedEx Planes and Iambic Pentameter
• Coffee, Tea, and DT
• All about org charts

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Change is situational the new site, the new
boss, the new team roles. Transitionis the
psychological process people go through to come
to terms with the new situation.
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Change Curve

• Transition Phase Objectives
• Minimize A Duration of performance drop-off
  during transition phase
• Minimize B Depth of performance drop-off
  during transition phase
• Maximize C Continuous improvement

Performance
Time
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Transition Curve
Externalization
Commitment (CONTROL)
Denial (SHOCK)
Ill believe when I see it. Emotions
Behaviors Lost Denying Bewildered Ignoring
I do have a future Emotions Behaviors Hope Livi
ng Life to the Fullest Confidence Having Lots of
Energy
F U T U R E
P A S T
Resistance (LOSS)
Exploration (CONFUSION)
Maybe I can make a deal! Emotions Behaviors Ange
r Getting Sick Confusion Whining,Blaming
I have to get a life! Emotions Behaviors Hope
Soul Searching Indecisive Learning New Skills
Internalization
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Transition Curve
Comfort/Deny EMOTIONS BEHAVIOURS Unspecific
Anger Denying Anxiousness Minimizing Lost Ignori
ng Bewildered Refusing to hear new
Information Unaware of others
presence Stupefied SHOCK THOUGHTS This will
never happen! This cannot be true! Ill
believe it when I see it! Ive heard this all
before and nothing ever happened.
Agree/Believe BEHAVIOURS EMOTIONS Living life
to the Fullest Confidence Having lots of
Energy Hope Understanding others
Situations Sense of Future Co-operation Sense
of Direction Mobilizing Resources Enthusiasm Maki
ng New Associates Power Freedom THOUGHTS Fo
cus I can do this. Commitment I know this is
right for me. Balance I do have a
future. CONTROL
Compromise/Explore THOUGHTS EMOTIONS Maybe
there is hope. Insecurity What can I
do? Hope Lets get on with life! Anxiety I have
to get a life! Bitterness Indecisive BEHAVIOUR
S Energetic Soul Searching, Self
Analysis Excitement Identifying
resources Enthusiasm Identifying Needs, Wants,
Desires Self Doubt Exploring Ideas Lack of
Direction Learning new Skills Unfocused Self
consumed Scattered Distancing from
others CONFUSION
Challenge/Resist EMOTIONS THOUGHTS Anger They
(or God) cannot do this to Hatred
me! Anguish Maybe I can make a
deal. Vengefulness I am entitled to
this! Insecurity Confusion BEHAVIOURS Moodiness
Whining, Pouting, Blaming Disinterest Bargaining
, Pleading Distress Scheming LOSS Shadow
Behaviour Refusing to Work or
Co-operate Bringing up History Banding
Together Getting Sick
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RESISTANCE
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Resistance is a normal reaction to change.
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Three Levels of Resistance
Level 1 - Based on Facts Level 2 - Based on
Emotional and Personal Level 3 - Deeply
Entrenched
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Level 1 - Based on Facts

• Lack of Information
• Disagreement with the idea itself

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Level 2 - Emotional Personal

• Loss of power, loss of status, loss of face or
  respect
• Made to seem incompetent, mistrust
• Disrupt a well-ingrained status quo, ingrained
  structure
• Fear of being left behind
• Worn out (too much change)

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Support for a New Idea
Great idea! Go for it!
It will never work
Zealots 5-10
Naysayers 5-10
Silent Majority 80-90
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Level 3 - Deeply Entrenched

• Any of the 2 forms plus
• Historic animosity
• Conflicting values

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Why People Resist

• They experience loss of
• Turf space, power, responsibility
• Relationships-mentors, friends, group membership
• Structure, familiar work, schedules
• Future dreams, hopes, aspirations
• Meaning, purpose, reason for doing things
• Control, influence, options, choices, decision
  points

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Observing Resistance

• Easy agreement
• Deflection
• Silence
• Sabotage

• Confusion
• Immediate criticism
• Denial
• Malicious compliance
• In your face criticism

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Build commitment to change
Allow room for participation in the planning of
the change Leave choices within the overall
decision to change. ( ie. Validation
process) Provide a clear picture of the change, a
vision with details about the new state of
events. Share information about change plans to
the fullest extent possible. (in a timely
fashion) Divide a big change into more manageable
and familiar steps. Minimize surprises give
people advance warning of new requirements. Allow
for digestion of change requests - a chance to
become accustomed to the idea of change before
making a commitment. Repeatedly demonstrate your
own commitment to change. (walk the talk) Make
standards and requirements clear - tell exactly
what is expected of people in the change. Offer
positive reinforcement for competence let
people know they can do it. Look for and reward
innovators and early successes to serve as
models. Help people find or feel compensated for
the extra time and energy that change
requires.(long hours, multiple initiatives) Avoid
creating obvious losers from the change. If
there are some, be honest with them - early
on. Allow expressions of nostalgia and grief for
the past - then create excitement about the
future. (dont sugar coat new processes)
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Reasons People Accept or Welcome Change
Status/Prestige/Financial Gain Support and
personal contacts Increased security Better
working conditions More authority Respect the
leader of the change Have opportunity for
input Feeling that it will improve the future See
the change as necessary Like the way it is being
communicated New Challenge Takes less time and
effort to change than stay the same.
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Lesson Learned?To thine own self (and audience)
be true!
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Contact Information
Necie Elizabeth Young neyoung_at_dttus.com Marianne
Broyles mbroyles_at_dttus.com Tom Weathington
tweathingt_at_dttus.com Shannon Thurman
sthurman_at_dttus.com