How Change Happens

How Change Happens
The Openlab Change Model
Openlab Workshop
http://openlabworkshop.wikispaces.com
Washington, DC. December 1-2, 2015
Michael Peter Edson @mpedson
CLIR/Open Knowledge

Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAMs)
have some of the most important missions in society *
Put the tools of knowledge creation into more hands
Share the joy and meaning of artistic and cultural exploration
Deepen engagement with the challenges that face our species
* These slides apply to all cultural/memory/knowledge institutions - - and many other kinds of organizations as well

And technology provides
them with new opportunities to dramatically
increase the scale and impact their work…

…But change is hard, and GLAMs struggle to
recognize and exploit these opportunities.

Some institutions struggle to experiment and
begin the process of digital engagement.

Others struggle to innovate and
begin the process of digital transformation.

And others struggle to sustain innovation
and deepen the impact of their programs.

Everyone struggles with disruption and change.

We’re often told that change takes time,
and that things will be different
a little farther down the road.
But how much farther? Can we do something now
to make change happen faster?

It’s difficult to predict what will drive change in an
industry—or even in a single office—
but some patterns seem clear.

Pattern #1: Change flows
Pattern #2: Top-down and bottom-up
Pattern #3: Labs are an under-utilized resource
Pattern #4: Think big, start small, move fast
Pattern #5: Use the power of conveners
The Openlab Change Model

Pattern #1: Change flows
Change doesn’t happen at the same time across an
entire industry, it flows across the landscape
from organization to organization.

New ideas can come from anywhere.

And new ideas take root and grow when
organizations can see them, understand them,
and take action on them.
 We’ve heard about this.
 We understand this.
 We can do this.
 We can test this.
 We can adapt this.
 We can see the effects of this.
 We have a sense of urgency.

Innovative organizations are prepared to see,
understand, and act upon new ideas
quickly, without a lot of outside help.
 We can do this.

 We can do this.
They can see, understand, and act
because they have these capabilities.

Early adopters are influenced by the successes and
failures of the innovators.
Early adopters need time to gain confidence and
develop the skill and resources to act.
 We can do this.
• We can test this.
• We can adapt this.
• We have a sense of urgency.

Early majority organizations follow the early
adopters. They need even more time, support,
and resources before they will take action.
• We understand this.
 We can do this.
• We can test this.
• We can adapt this.
• We can see the effects of this.

Once you get the innovators, early adopters, and
early majority on board you’ve got critical mass, and
change across an entire industry is possible.

This is called an innovation adoption curve…
C H A N G E

This is called an innovation adoption curve…
And it’s a well studied phenomenon.
C H A N G E

It’s not perfect, but it seems to explain GLAMs
(and a lot of other industries) pretty well.
C H A N G E

Each group differs in its ability to see,
understand, and act upon new ideas.
• Social connections with colleagues—We’ve heard about this
• In-house knowledge and resources—We understand this and can do it
• Idea fits with needs & systems—We can adapt this to our needs
• Idea is conducive to prototyping—We can test this and see the results
• A sense of urgency—this is perhaps the most critical factor!

It’s important to work across the entire spectrum to
prepare each group for the arrival of new ideas
according to their needs and abilities.
C H A N G E
Develop social connections with colleagues | Build in-house knowledge and capacity
Foster a sense of urgency

This is not about the size of an organization.
It’s about the organization’s readiness to see,
understand, and act upon ideas in their own context.

To accelerate change using this model, first
figure out how far an idea has moved
across the curve from left to right.

Then work to help the next cohort of organizations
build the awareness, capacity, and sense of urgency
necessary to put the idea into action.

Sometimes this area is called the chasm because it’s
notoriously difficult to get new ideas seen,
understood, and acted upon by the early majority…

But once you cross the chasm you’ve got half
of all organizations on board and ongoing
adoption is more likely.

Recommendation
Use the innovation adoption model to invest
resources where they’ll have the greatest impact.
Increase everyone’s ability to see, understand,
and act upon new ideas that are meaningful to their
mission, context, and capacity.
Focus energy on driving change across the landscape.

Pattern #2: Top-down and bottom-up

Change is easier when the people
at the top are leading it.

But in this day-and-age it’s not enough
to just lead from the top: leaders and innovators
are everywhere.

Many visionaries and change makers are mid-career
managers and practitioners: it’s easy for them
to become isolated in small organizations,
or lost within large ones.

Often, the best people are among our ‘audience’—
people who work outside our institutions, volunteering
their time and expertise for the greater good.

And many smart creatives* are trapped
at the bottom of organizations, with no
recognition, visibility, or resources.
* A term used by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg in How Google Works (2015)

Even directors and their boards need support.

To drive change across an industry, individuals
at all levels need to be recognized, trained,
and empowered to lead.

Recommendation
To drive change, focus attention on the top (including
board and donors), and middle, and bottom of
organizations, as well as non-staff participants.
At each level, consistently recognize and celebrate
the kinds of behaviors and outcomes
you want to see more of.
Spread news of success, and pattern the behavior of top
performers, whoever and wherever they are.
Train and communicate relentlessly at all levels,
in small groups and at scale.

Pattern #3: Labs are an
under-utilized resource

There are over 70 “labs”
in the cultural industries.

These labs are vital, creative, and innovative,
but they tend to work in isolation.

…And this undermines our ability to solve big
problems and spread new ideas.

In addition, the cutting edge work of labs is not
always useful to the small and mid-sized institutions
that serve millions of communities.

Recommendation
Bring labs together to network and
collaborate on shared goals.
Establish annual challenge/stretch
goals for the network of labs.
Establish lab programs that directly serve
the needs of small and mid-sized organizations—
and raise the bar for established innovators.

Pattern #4:
Think big, start small, move fast

Big goals are important.
Society needs us to be successful, at scale.
But how do big things get done?

Big things are rarely achieved in one giant step,
but small, incremental steps don’t necessarily
add up to big results either.

…And while patience is a virtue and some things do
take time, much of our work is overly cautious,
tentative, and slow.

Sometimes big goals are easier to accomplish than
small ones. Big goals force you to re-think what is
possible, and big thinking attracts the kinds of
communities you need to succeed.

“Work on stuff that matters,” said Tim O’Reilly.
Do that, but do it now…
http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/01/work-on-stuff-that-matters-fir.html

Break big goals into small, manageable pieces. Short-
term, achievable goals aligned towards a big vision
create a sense of urgency and accelerate learning.

But beware of incrementalism—small steps
that feel like progress, but don’t add up
to something bigger.

Speed—speed of decision making, speed of
execution, speed of learning—is critical.

Recommendation
“Work on stuff that matters.”
Break large, ambitious goals into smaller
sub-projects, and execute them with speed.
Beware of incrementalism.
More on Think big, start small, move fast
http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/think-big-start-small-move-fast

Pattern #5:
Use the power of conveners

What should we work on? What’s important?
What is even possible?

Conveners—organizations and individuals who
bring people together around certain ideas—have a
lot of power to set the agenda and drive change.

But many established conveners are tied down with
preexisting relationships, business models, and
constituents that are wary of change.

New conveners are always emerging, but many
struggle to reach established audiences at scale.

New kinds of conveners are needed who have the
authority and reach of established organizations, and
the freedom and agility necessary to experiment and
drive change.

Recommendation
Build on the convening power and authority of
established organizations.
Create new workgroups far enough inside established
organizations to have reach and legitimacy, but far
enough outside to have operational autonomy and the
freedom to experiment.
Use the power of conveners to set an agenda and
support change over the long term.

Thank you!
Some pictograms © Khoon Lay Gan, via: http://www.123rf.com/profile_leremy
(others are remix/mashup by @mpedson)
The Openlab Workshop: http://openlabworkshop.wikispaces.com
@mpedson

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