*Executive Summary
Departmental chairs and their departments face a range of external and
internal forces that challenge academic traditions and expectations.
Critics suggest that departments are either unwilling or unable to
respond. Chairs play a significant leadership role in initiating and
facilitating change processes to make necessary changes.
External and internal forces for change in departments are described.
Three types of changes are identified: (1) adaptations in which people
make adjustments only to changes that are in place, (2) innovations or
major changes in which new ideas and procedures are implemented, and (3)
change creation in which organizations make priority changes to be on
the cutting edge. The changes occur at the individual, group, and
departmental level. Change can be managed in a number of ways and is
usually driven by an implicit or explicit model. This briefing suggests
that an eight-stage model is a useful guide. The eight stages are (1)
establishing a sense of urgency, (2) creating a guiding coalition, (3)
developing a vision and strategy, (4) communicating the change vision,
(5) empowering broad-based action, (6) generating short-term wins, (7)
consolidating gains and producing more change, and (8) anchoring new
approaches in the culture.
No matter what model is adopted, chairs are both managers and leaders of
change. It is suggested that leadership is particularly crucial to the
change process, because it is driven by vision, motivation, and
meaning-making. Chairs should also play the roles of gadfly and
facilitator.
Resistance to change is part of the change process. Concerns should be
surfaced and addressed so that people can move through the change
process. Kinds of resistance identified are tradition, self-interest,
lack of skills or competencies, change mandated from the top, flavor of
the month, not invented here, complacency, and faculty nearing
retirement.
A number of strategies to address resistance are suggested. They include
demonstrating empathy and understanding for those in the change process;
tying initiatives to the vision, mission, and values of the department;
showing that the proposed change is consistent with the academic
traditions and expectations; building on previous successes; and
communicating often and in a variety of ways.
In this briefing I describe eleven effective practice principles to
guide chairs in their change efforts: (1) respect the people and
traditions, (2) make decisions and processes transparent, (3) keep one
eye on the present and one on the horizon, (4) value involvement in the
life of the department, (5) involve faculty and staff in the what and
how of decisions, (6) recognize that change management has a human side
to it, (7) understand the difference between management and leadership,
(8) have a short list of what is really important, (9) invest in having
everyone be successful in the change process, (10) be sincere and
authentic in whatever you do, and (11) make change management a
priority.
Change management is critical to departmental success today and will be
even more so in the future. Department chairs need to take the lead in
this process.
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