FAQ

FAQ

What is the Leadership and Change Toolkit?

The Leadership and Change Toolkit is a web based set of tools designed to aid in the implementation of change projects of all sizes in organizations. Drawing on the work of Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter of Harvard Business School, one of the world's leading experts on leadership and change management, the Toolkit will help managers and staff in organizations implement the kinds of modifications necessary to impove their performance and effectiveness.

What is the structure of the Toolkit?

Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter has distilled her extensive writings on leadership, innovation and change management into 26 topic areas that form the main body of the Toolkit.These topic areas are divided into three major sections: the Change Wheel, Change Masters, and Change Fundamentals. (There is also a major section called Background Materials, which contains additional tools not directly linked to a core section, or tools relevant to your specific organization.) Each of the 26 topic areas has five associated tools: Overview: A brief description of the topic Background: A deeper exploration of the topic Diagnostic: Helps you assess your organization, your project or your individual status on the topic Action: Practical, interactive tools to help you apply the information on a given topic Story: One or more short actual examples related to the topic drawn from a wide variety of organizations (These can easily be customized to reflect your organization's actual experience.) In addition, the Toolkit also contains: Work on a Specific Task that will suggest a tailored set of "priority" topics, from all the tools available, for your specific change intitiative "How To's" which provide step-by-step advice on how to progress through common change challenges (These can easily be customized to address common issues in your organization.) An interactive forum, that allows for team collaboration and project planning

How do I know if using the Toolkit is appropriate for my particular situation?

The Toolkit is useful for both individuals and teams or work groups. It is probably most useful for teams of any size that are collaborating on a specific change problem, whether it is a new initiative to be launched or one that is already underway. The initiative can be as large as a total corporate redesign or as small as introducing a new filing system in your office. Individuals who are interested in self-paced learning or in working on their own will find it easy and accessible. There are a number of different ways of using it as an individual, including browsing the tools, using the "Work on a Specific Task" track (accessed from the main option box), applying the "How-To" lists if appropriate (also accessed from the main option box) and completing any of the 40 diagnostic tools available.

How can a team use the toolkit?

The Toolkit was specifically designed to help enable teamwork and collaboration. Every time someone logs on to the web site, he or she will be able either to create a new "Project," join an existing one, or work alone. He or she can adjust their own project, invite different team members to join it, and enable team members to share their insights on different part of the site, have "threaded" discussions, upload and download documents, fill in and share Diagnostics and Action Tools, and track the status of the project through the included planning tools. Teams usually need to work together to decide which sections of the Toolkit are most relevant, and if different team members disagree, that information can also be shared and used effectively. Note that a "Project" is not necessarily large, nor does it need to involve more than one person. It might be large and team-oriented, but it may also simply be someone's non-routine task or new idea.

How do I decide which path is best for my situation?

If you would like to explore the site on your own, the 26 topics are grouped under under three areas based on Professor Kanter’s tested frameworks: the “Change Wheel,” “Change Masters” and “Change Fundamentals.”  Just click on “Get Tools”  and then "Chapters" to see the 26 topics. It is up to you and your team to determine which areas of the Toolkit are most useful for your situation.However, the Toolkit will, if you like, create a customized starting point based on your needs.Just click on “Work on a Specific Task” and you will be asked some questions on your role and on the status of your initiative. Based on your responses to these questions, the Toolkit will give you some summary thoughts and some tools to get you started. The Toolkit also has a group of “How To’s”, which contain step-by-step advice on some of the more common change problems.

How does browsing the Change Wheel, Change Masters, and Change Fundamentals differ from using the “How To's”?

Browsing the Change Wheel, Change Masters and Change Fundamentals sections will allow you to explore three of Dr. Kanter’s tested leadership, innovation and change management frameworks in their entirety. Each of these sections provides introductory text that explains the underlying rationale and framework, and how it can be applied to your situation. The “How To’s” were created to provide a "start-up" set of solutions to common challenges in change management projects.They weave together relevant sections of the Toolkit with content specific to each of “How To” questions.The tools highlighted in the “How To’s” can also be found in other parts of the Toolkit under the “Change Wheel,” “Change Masters” or “Change Fundamentals” sections. New "How-To's" can easily be added to reflect the particular priorities in your organization, or to focus on tasks needing extra attention right now. There is no limit to the number of "How-To's" your version of the Toolkit may have.

How do I know if I want to focus on the Change Wheel, Change Masters, or Change Fundamentals?

The Change Wheel focuses on organizational issues surrounding change initiatives that are large and extensive, thus affecting an entire organization or independent unit. It is called a “Change Wheel” because each spoke contains an element that, when combined with the others, gets systemic change rolling.  You might typically start at the top of the Change Wheel with the “Common Themes, Shared Vision” and continue on clockwise around the circle. Remember, like much successful change management, this is an iterative process. You should, over time, keep going around the Change Wheel to revisit old topics, using the diagnostic tools to check your progress. Change Masters focuses on your skills as a Change Leader, providing insight and guidance on the seven skills that are critical to leading effective change initiatives. These topics loosely follow the phases of a change initiative - going from Sensing Needs and Opportunities to Celebrating Accomplishments - so you can start at the top and work your way through.(See also "Assessing Change Progress" in Change Fundamentals for a more substantive treatment of progress isssues and measurement.) Again, remember that becoming a Change Master is a long-term process, so return to these areas as you progress on your project and on future projects. Change Fundamentals captures nine elements that are building blocks or deal with basic competencies relevant to most change projects.These topics are not in a particular order, so feel free to explore them at your own pace and in your own order.

How long should I spend on a given section of the site? How long will this all take?

It’s up to you! There is no set amount of time using the Change Toolkit should take. The Toolkit is designed to provide you with targeted information quickly, so it can be used as a reference even when time is short. You should be able to get some helpful advice within 10 or 15 minutes, through a variety of options; browsing tends to take much longer.. However, looking in more detail at the full Toolkit also allows you to dig deeper and to spend some time building your skills and collaborating with your team.

Whom do I contact with questions or comments?

In the US, contact Barry Stein at Goodmeasure Software (bastein@goodmeasure.com.) or in Europe or the Middle East, contact Mark Janssen at Bologna Adviesgroep  (mark.janssen@bologna.nl) for any questions or comments you may have regarding the Toolkit.

Take me back to the main menu.