All too often change does not succeed because there is no clarity as to what exactly it is trying to achieve; checking stakeholders' perceptions and reinforcing clarity in communications and the scope for the change helps ensure that the message is clear, and that those involved are working towards the same goal.
Clariscope is a decision-making tool that can help to build consensus and enthusiasm around the change initiative, provide a clear message of what is wanted of whom by when, and check perceptions and understanding of the scope of change. It assumes that the intended outcome of the change is known - but not the means by which the change will be achieved.
It is best used in a group context and can be used at the team, departmental, faculty or institutional level.
The scope of the planned change is the topic for a brainstorming session. The key question to be asked is:
What is it that we could do to effect the change we are seeking?
Once the ideas have been collected (on a flip chart or even better each on a series of post-it notes) the next step is to decide which of these ideas are necessary for effecting the desired change, which are desirable and which are out of the change process.
In making this decision there will be a number of factors to be considered:
- How far should we stretch ourselves?
- What time do we have?
- How much resource will be available?
- Do we have the staff expertise?
This should lead into a discussion which clarifies precisely what the change means. There are a number of ways in which this step can be handled but it's probably better to get each member of the team to work individually and follow this up with creating a shared vision. This allows the different perceptions and priorities of the individual members to surface and be discussed. The final set of priorities is then owned by the team rather than being seen as driven from the top down.
One possible approach is:
- Each member has Post-it notes and writes one thing which could be done on each
- These are put on the walls and people walk around and review them
- Each member is given ten votes to apportion to those ideas which he/she feels are most important
- These are then divided into three groups: essential, desirable and rejected. Rejecting ideas at this stage may be ruthless, but at the same time crucial for the success of the change. Rejection does not mean that the ideas aren't good ones - just that they're not central to the change or are unrealistic at the current time.
- Finally agree on what is in and out of the change process and how each area will be taken forward
