Disjointed incrementalism and a reliance on Level One Change often reflects a strong bias toward action and an accompanying neglect of data collection, analysis, and interpretation. An action-oriented plan for change in any organization that is based on an inadequate assessment of organizational needs and resources may yield desirable short-term change—but will rarely produce substantial long-term effects. Furthermore, one can’t determine what type of change, if any, has occurred as result of this effort—for such a program is conducted with little attention to the collection of information about current organizational characteristics and goals, Consequently, a successful change effort can rarely be reproduced in the same organization, let alone in another one, since we do not know either how the change occurred or if such an approach would again be appropriate in the same organization or elsewhere.
We are becoming more skillful about bringing about planned change in most organizations. This very fact, however, makes it imperative that we document these efforts more carefully and systematically. Only when changes can be related to a systematic understanding of an organization will we have a clear rationale for selecting specific developmental strategies.
Selecting Between Change and Stabilization
Within any organization there is always the option to initiate stabilization rather than Level One change. There is even the option to question the need for Level Two change. This option is rarely considered, in part because stabilization is not as attention-getting an activity or as exciting as change. A great deal of public (or at least scientific community) attention is directed in contemporary life toward the sciences and technologies devoted to dynamic systems that are constantly changing and evolving; conversely, the sciences and technologies associated with the converse—the field called statics—is given scan attention. Yet, statics is concerned with very important matters, such as the design of a bridge or building that will not collapse under stress (wind, earthquake, terrorist attack), and the construction of highways and monuments that will endure for many years.
