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 Change as "How" "What" and "Why" problem

 The change problem is often expressed, at least initially, in the form of a "how" question. How do we get people to be more open, to assume more responsibility, to be more creative? How do we get this organization to be more innovative, competitive, or productive? How do we raise more effective barriers to market entry by our competitors?

To frame the change effort in the form of "how" questions is to focus the effort on means. Diagnosis is assumed or not performed at all. Consequently, the ends sought are not discussed. This will in many cases be problematic.

To focus on ends requires the posing of "what" questions. What are we trying to accomplish? What changes are necessary? What indicators will signal success? What standards apply? What measures of performance are we trying to affect?

To ask "why" questions is to get at the ultimate purposes of functions and to open the door to finding new and better ways of performing them. Why do we do what we do? Why do we do it the way we do it?

Different people with different functions within an organisation will concentrate on only one or two of this sets of questions because they are either not used to move from how and what to why or they are actually fearing for their position/influence within a company.

One tool to overcome this problem is using techniques like "Six Hats"

 Contact: wolfgang.arlt@fh-stralsund.de  Office: 1/132, Tel. (03831) 45 6961