In this Assignment, you are to complete a critical mass analysis
Page 1 Reference citation: Beck hard, R. & Harris, R. (1977). Organizational transitions: Managing complex change . Boston: Addison -Wesley Publishing Company. Note: The following are the directions about HOW to do a Critical Mass Analysis. The directions should N OT be included in your Focus Paper with Appendix. Critical Mass PART A What is Critical Mass? Critical Mass analysis addresses the involvement of key stakeholders in a project. It can be used at any time during the course of a project. Critical Mass can b e particu larly helpful during the start -up period of a project when the various relationships needed to make the project successful are beginning to take shape. Doing a Critical Mass analy sis requires explicit and conscious identification of the variou s organizational stakehold ers who are already connected to the project in some way and identifying those who need to be connected. Once this has occurred the work shifts to carefully assessing each actor’s current level of involvement with the project. Th is assessment is based on four different ways of relating to the project that range from being highly influential to having nothing to do with it. The labels for these different levels of influence and involvement are: Make it happen, Let it happen, Help it happen and Not Involved . How is it done? The analysis proceeds by completing a grid in which each person’s current level of involvement is identified by placing an “O” in the appropriate cell. In addition, the level of involvement that would help mos t to make the project successful is represented by placing an “X” in the relevant cell. Then, the work shifts to developing a strategy for each stakeholder whose “O”, current involvement, and “X”, desired involvement, are dif ferent. What this amounts to is carefully considering the situation of such a stakeholder and formulating a negotiating strategy to create a win/win solution for the stakeholder and the project resulting in the desired level of involvement. Page 2 What is involved? It is not unusual for s omeone who has never done a Critical Mass analysis to feel quite self -conscious and even worried that the purpose of such an analysis is manipulation. This is decidedly not the case. Power and influence are, without exception, an omnipres ent dimension o f every organization. It takes power and influence to get anything done, including maintaining what is. Since everyone, including the leader(s) of a project, are embedded in the organizational system, exerting some form of influence is inescapable! Critica l Mass makes the relationships that are or will influence a project explicit. And, it makes it possible to use influence in a way that is positive for the stakeholder and the project. This is a far cry from self -centered influence seeking to create condi tions that benefit only one side of the relationship. There is a large body of literature addressing how to negotiate in a way that is beneficial to both parties. Perhaps the most famous example of this form of negotiations is Getting to Yes by Roger Fishe r, Bruce Patton and William Ury (1992) and the workbook that followed, Getting Ready to Negotiate by Roger Fisher and Danny Ertel (1995). Since then, many additional articles and books have been published on this topic. Critical Mass analysis can be done by a single a n individual or by several. At the begin ning of a project it can be helpful in working through how to launch a project. Later, it can be used any time the project shifts to a different phase of work and the cast of stakeholders will, or needs to change. Directions for Completing a Critical Mass Grid 1. The first step is to think carefully about the time period you want to use for this analysis and then be sure you use it consistently throughout this Critical Mass analysis. 2. Specify the n ames and positions of the relevant stakeholders in the first and second column on the left side of the grid. a. Think carefully about who should be included on this list. These are the people currently involved in the project or not yet involved but need to be. b. List a single actor by name and position on each row. Page 3 3. Identify the current involvement to each stakeholder by placing a large “O” in the cell representing one of the four levels of influence. The four levels of involvement and influence are: Make It Happen — Is very involved in the project, influencing the evolution of it. Help It Happen — Provides resources (ideas, time & effort, equipment or logisti cal support.) Let It Happen — Is aware of and approves of the project without being directly in volved or directing the course it takes. Not Involved — Does not influence the project. 4. Repeat the same process but this time place an “X” in the appropriate cell that represent the desired level of involvement of the particular stakeholder. a. You may fi nd that the current level of involvement and the desired level are the same. If this happens simply put the “X” in the middle of the “O” to show this relationship. 5. In those cases where the “O” and the “X” are in different cells, draw an arrow that star ts at the current level, the “O” and extends to the “X”, the desired level. 6. For every instance where there is an arrow, you will need to develop a win/win negotiating strategy to change the current level of involvement to the desired level. Record your strategies on the following pages. a. Rather than a highly detailed statement, put only the most important highlights of your win/win strategy in the form. b. Although you may see some similarities, avoid lumping stakeholders together and develop a spec ific strategy for each. Note: Complete Critical Mass Part B before continuing be yond this point . Page 4 Critical Mass PART B Project (or Function or Task): ______________________________ ____ Involvement O = Current level X = Desired level Critical Mass Grid ROLE : Make it Happen Help it Happen Let it Happen Not Involved Name Position There should be ONE “X” and ONE “O” per person . You only need to complete the rest of this form if the “X” and the “O” are not in the same box. Page 5 Preparing to Negotiate : Key Ideas and Notes Stakeholder : Name Position: Interests : (Clarify what the other’s obvious and not so obvious interests are: Options :(Create ways to meet interests and maximize joint gains). Altern atives if agreement is not possible : (My best alternative resolution and alternatives available to the other.). Self -Preparation : (Question assumptions about the other and identify what to listen for.) Relationship : (Separate the person from the i ssues and build ways to restate proposals to help other un derstand.) Commitments : (Spell -out the issues to be included in agreement and plan the steps involved in the agree ment.) Stakeholder : Name Position: Interests : (Clarify what the other’s o bvious and not so obvious interests are: Options :(Create ways to meet interests and maximize joint gains). Alternatives if agreement is not possible : (My best alternative resolution and alternatives available to the other.). Self -Preparation : (Question assumptions about the other and identify what to listen for.) Relationship : (Separate the person from the issues and build ways to restate proposals to help other un derstand.) Commitments : (Spell -out the issues to be included in agreeme nt and plan the steps involved in the agree ment.) Page 6 Preparing to Negotiate : Key Ideas and Notes Stakeholder : Name Position: Interests : (Clarify what the other’s obvious and not so obvious interests are: Options :(Create ways to meet interests an d maximize joint gains). Alternatives if agreement is not possible : (My best alternative resolution and alternatives available to the other.). Self -Preparation : (Question assumptions about the other and identify what to listen for.) Relationsh ip : (Separate the person from the issues and build ways to restate proposals to help other un derstand.) Commitments : (Spell -out the issues to be included in agreement and plan the steps involved in the agree ment.) Stakeholder : Name Position: Int erests : (Clarify what the other’s obvious and not so obvious interests are: Options :(Create ways to meet interests and maximize joint gains). Alternatives if agreement is not possible : (My best alternative resolution and alternatives available to the other.). Self -Preparation : (Question assumptions about the other and identify what to listen for.) Relationship : (Separate the person from the issues and build ways to restate proposals to help other un derstand.) Commitments : (Spell -out t he issues to be included in agreement and plan the steps involved in the agree ment.) Page 7 Preparing to Negotiate : Key Ideas and Notes Stakeholder : Name Position: Interests : (Clarify what the other’s obvious and not so obvious interests are: Option s:(Create ways to meet interests and maximize joint gains). Alternatives if agreement is not possible : (My best alternative resolution and alternatives available to the other.). Self -Preparation : (Question assumptions about the other and identify what to listen for.) Relationship : (Separate the person from the issues and build ways to restate proposals to help other un derstand.) Commitments : (Spell -out the issues to be included in agreement and plan the steps involved in the agree ment.) Stakeholder : Name Position: Interests : (Clarify what the other’s obvious and not so obvious interests are: Options :(Create ways to meet interests and maximize joint gains). Alternatives if agreement is not possible : (My best alternative resolu tion and alternatives available to the other.). Self -Preparation : (Question assumptions about the other and identify what to listen for.) Relationship : (Separate the person from the issues and build ways to restate proposals to help other un derst and.) Commitments : (Spell -out the issues to be included in agreement and plan the steps involved in the agree ment.) Page 8 Preparing to Negotiate : Key Ideas and Notes Stakeholder : Name Position: Interests : (Clarify what the other’s obvious and not so obvious interests are: Options :(Create ways to meet interests and maximize joint gains). Alternatives if agreement is not possible : (My best alternative resolution and alternatives available to the other.). Self -Preparation : (Question assump tions about the other and identify what to listen for.) Relationship : (Separate the person from the issues and build ways to restate proposals to help other un derstand.) Commitments : (Spell -out the issues to be included in agreement and plan the s teps involved in the agree ment.) Stakeholder : Name Position: Interests : (Clarify what the other’s obvious and not so obvious interests are: Options :(Create ways to meet interests and maximize joint gains). Alternatives if agreement is not po ssible : (My best alternative resolution and alternatives available to the other.). Self -Preparation : (Question assumptions about the other and identify what to listen for.) Relationship : (Separate the person from the issues and build ways to resta te proposals to help other un derstand.) Commitments : (Spell -out the issues to be included in agreement and plan the steps involved in the agree ment.)