Politics 101: Lessons for Would be Change Agents
by Cary Griffin,
Director of Adult Community Services and Supports
The Rural Institute
"The crisis through which we are
going…is rooted in the fact that we all
hold beliefs contrary to our behavior." - Henry Miller
This country is built on the ideals of fairness and democracy. This is also the country that prompted Alexis de Tocqueville to write, in his landmark book, Democracy in America (1835), "beware the tyranny of the majority." As customers, bureaucrats, leaders, managers, or front line personnel, we have all, at one time or another questioned a practice, policy, or decision. In America it is our right to question, but that does not mean we will not anger those invested in that practice, policy, or decision. In all systems, there are politics. And, as another keen observer, Albert Einstein, once observed: "Politics is harder than physics."
This monograph is about change. It is about changing our techniques and our beliefs to increase the employment and community participation of individuals with significant disabilities. Making change within a system or organization is difficult, even when the change is right. As a consultant, I have probably had as many top level administrators say to me, "I wish I could change this organization, but the staff resist new ideas," as I have had front line staff complain about their leadership's entrenchment. Ineffective change-agents often get trapped when they attack individuals instead of ideas, demonize specific classes of folks, are angry instead of constructive. The best tactics invoke collaborative fact-finding and conversation. It sounds cliché, but it works. When assumptions are made about the "evil intent" of someone suggesting change, defensiveness and polarization result.
Many of us are destined to make change. Many of us are never satisfied—always seeking something better. It is both our purpose and our curse in life. While there is no avoiding the conflict and personal controversy that comes with this role, there are some rules of engagement that will help minimize conflict and actually ease change.
1. Get the Facts.
One of the best tactics for innovation and change is to know the rules better than anyone else. Many arguments begin because the opponents have insufficient or incomplete data. Do your homework before making a case for change. Plans for Achieving Self Support (PASS) through the Social Security Administration are a fine example. PASS plans are often resisted by consumers, Social Security, and service providers because of incomplete or false information. Knowing the rules and the truth about Social Security Work Incentives allowed the Rural Institute to successfully write more PASS plans than any other team in the country.
2. People Want to Do What is Right.
It may sound foolish and naive, but believing that people have the best of intentions goes a long way to securing their trust and maintaining a reasonable environment for change. The most common form of job accommodation in the United States for workers with disabilities is flextime. Flextime is based on trust. Managers who trust their workers typically achieve better outcomes. Assuming that people engaged in a change program will act honorably opens the doors to substantive conversation and problem solving.
3. The Answers are Already Present in the Community.
Too often the public sector tries to create a "special" program or intervention to solve complex (and not so complex) problems. Transportation, employment, recreation, and housing are all community issues. Allow the community to face the circumstance by standing back and offering technical support, not isolation and segregation. Substantively involve the community in the change initiative. Ask for help. Too often we rely on deductive reasoning to solve our problems. We add up all the problems and look for solutions. Instead, great change agents utilize inductive reasoning. They identify a large solution and pull as many problems into it as possible. In the case of disability, the community is the big solution.
4. People have to Believe that Change is Necessary.
Effective change agents make the need for innovation compelling and necessary. This is why self-advocacy is so important for us all. The voices of those affected are the most powerful, the most clear, and the most urgent. A bureaucrat can go before the legislature and argue for increased funding for employment programs, and that would be good. But the best tactic is for those personally facing unemployment and discrimination to speak for themselves. Those closest to the problem make the issues real.
5. People have to Believe that Change is Possible.
Most of us get quite comfortable with, or at least tolerant of, the status quo. Many people got into human services in order to change the world. All toos often, however, the system either wore them out or waited them out. A diverse team that clearly identifies the issues and pledges to work together builds confidence in itself, in the leadership, and in the safety of the future. Small, immediately rejuvenating victories build a strong and viable coalition that can handle large, related issues later.
6. Change often Generates New, Complex, and Unique Circumstances.
Because of this, embracing ambiguity, intuition, and ad hoc roles is vital. Resist the temptation to write rules and regulations. Instead, study and implement best-practices that lead to measurable results. These best-practices will evolve through application in unique circumstances, instead of being inhibited by job descriptions and lines of authority. Learn to satisfy the customer and develop policies that support these outcomes. Remember Hock's Law: "Everything has both intended and unintended consequences. The intended consequences may or may not happen; the unintended consequences always do."
7. People Need to Know How to Change as Much as They Need to Know Why to Change.
Doing things differently takes new skills and changes the Corporate Culture. Learning new ways of operating and communicating requires a personal and professional investment. Organizations that seek change, but that do not invest in educating staff on how to change, simply rearrange their organizational charts, doing little to mix up the original power structure. Old habits and practices are given new names (e.g., a "Staffing" is now referred to as a "Futures Plan") and on-lookers witness the disingenuousness of the effort.
8. Political Realities Demand Thoughtful Consideration.
Knowing who the Good Ol' Boys are is not enough; you need to know how much clout they have. Do the homework and know the stakes; pick the right battles and kill them with kindness. Most of all, work behind the scenes whenever possible, and build your political capital by being smart, trustworthy, and competent. Good Ol' Boys eat, breathe, and sleep politics. Good Ol' Boys don't resist change, they resist being changed. Create relationships with them based on their needs, then use your position with them to enlist their help with new ideas. This is slow, meticulous work.
9. Incubate Ad-hoc Relationships.
Change makes for strange bedfellows. Capitalize on as many non-traditional partnerships as manageable. These relationships may be short-lived, but they can bring together public-private coalitions that are powerful and outside the political arena of those who oppose change. Having numerous allies also leads to better ideas because the diversity of thought creates options outside any one person's experience. Diverse groups leverage more political capital. They divert and diffuse attacks by presenting multiple moving targets. Groups are more resistant to fatigue. A group with an idea is more likely to succeed than an individual with an idea.
10. Strategies Need to be in Place in the Event That a Partner Fails to Contribute.
In organized change efforts, there should be some agreed-upon operational duties. Typically, a partner who fails to achieve her/his outcomes either relinquishes her/his seat at the table, or takes on a less visible role. When internal team members fail to perform, job loss or reassignment may result.
11. There are Few Shortcuts to Reaching a Viable Agreement.
Change takes time. One of the worst outcomes is a poorly designed innovation that fails due to an overabundance of enthusiasm and a paucity of intelligent implementation. The old adage, "slow down to speed up," guides the best design work for both individuals and organizations. Taking the time to think processes through clearly will save substantial re-work time later. When substantive change occurs, especially in highly charged political surroundings, one misstep can be reason enough for those "being changed" to sabotage the plan and engineer its demise.
12. Each of Us has a Stake in Success; Each of Us Will be Changed by the Change; Each of Us is Part of a Larger Problem.
Change is almost never quick, neat, and easy. Change can occur very slowly, very quickly, erratically, and/or planfully. Regardless, prepare to be threatened, challenged, and renewed; you are unleashing chaos and it cannot be contained in any but the most stringently controlled processes. Those who resist the unexpected changes they foster are destined to be the victims of the future. The true mark of a change agent is his/her ability to shed the prejudices of the past that he/she is so quick to point out in others.
13. Remember to Honor the Past.
Gary Donaldson, President of Strategic Performance Solutions, once noted that people do not fear change—they fear loss. There are often good reasons for people and systems not to change. Recognizing these reasons and the accomplishments of the past are critical. Most of us played a role in creating the past and when change agents marginalize our accomplishments, they endear themselves to no one.
14. Timing is Everything.
There are many, many issues facing every individual, organization, and community. One person's critical issue is on another's back burner. Skilled tacticians help others get their ideas recognized in return for quid pro quo assistance. Another efficacious strategy involves "bundling" an issue with other more visible but related issues in a community, team, or organization. For instance, economic development is a critical concern in many communities, whereas employment for people with disabilities is on most citizens' back burner. By joining forces with the economic development proponents, the addendum of employment and disability becomes mixed with the greater community goal. (See # 3: The answers are already present in the community).
15. Live your Values.
Individuals, teams, and organizations that challenge traditional methods and beliefs become lightning rods, attracting oversight and criticism. Practicing what one preaches demonstrates authenticity and commitment. For instance, an employment program for people with disabilities that does not visibly employ workers with disabilities throughout its organization, is not exemplifying the behaviors it seeks from local businesses.
16. Deviance/Competence.
Marc Gold's life-changing hypothesis postulates that one can exhibit what others might consider "deviance" as long as it is balanced by recognized competence. In other words, people who are very good at their jobs (competence) can make changes (deviance) that people with less respect might not be able to survive. Know the facts, work hard, produce visible and valued outcomes. Once your reputation is established, finding allies as a champion of change will be easier.
Making change requires allies, clear thinking, a positive reputation, determination, capacity for ambiguity, strong intuition, and knowledge. Some theorists believe that making change should start slowly and gather speed, while others suggest a thorough evaluation of the circumstances followed by launching a full-speed change program. Whatever approach fits the situation best, the above dimensions of change-behavior serve as a guide and checkpoint on the journey.