By Faye A. Silas

Change will happen with or without your consent. It is necessary, if not inevitable, if organizations expect to survive, grow and prosper. 

“You can’t depend on tried and true methods. You can fail in today’s world despite what you’re doing . . . because of the rapidly changing times. Above everything else today, you must innovate to grow,” says Douglas Eadie, president of Strategic Development Consulting in Frisco, Texas, who talked about how to promote change and innovation in associations in programs offered by the National Association of Bar Executives. 

Eadie, who has written books on change and how to be an extraordinary chief executive officer, explains that in order for change to occur, staff leaders must allow an association to govern itself by changing its design and empowering and inspiring staff. Bar executives must learn how to lead with their heart, as well as their head. 

“Change should be painful, in a way. It does not come easily . . .”

- Douglas Eadie

“Everyone is smart and rational, but not everyone can lead,” he says. “Change should be painful, in a way. It does not come easily. . . . So don’t depend on rationality. Listen (with your heart) to yourself” when laying the groundwork for change. 

Empowering staff means allowing them to maximize their contribution to the organization; letting them participate in the planning process; and allowing them to develop their skills through education and training. 

Adequate planning is the most important precursor to change. It is an ongoing process that involves group involvement and attentiveness to the organization’s values, vision and mission; a focus on strategic issues and change initiatives; a serious commitment to the process; and the need to tackle the process in reasonable chunks. 

A three-pronged approach that bar executives can use to lead change involves leadership from the executive officer and the board; innovation and creativity during the process; and implementation of the change through structure and process and culture.

Support at the top

Change cannot occur without commitment from the top—the board and the CEO. There must be a marriage between planning and creativity, and the implementation phase must be of high quality.

“You can’t sell change; you must get people to participate,” he says. 

Eadie says that the quality of change is related to the degree of creativity during the process, and people are the key. For example, the more people who brainstorm ideas for how to address the issue of declining volunteer leaders, the more comprehensive the resolution process will be. 

While it does create feelings of uncertainty and anxiety, the change process can and should be exciting. Discovering how to innovate is challenging, and planning is critical to ensure effective change. Planning aspects to consider are: 

• Value and vision. You can’t lead change without first having a vision. 
• The process involves focusing on strategic issues relating to the desired change.
• Be selective about innovation. Make sure the desired change is realistic.
• Change cannot be facilitated on paper, it must involve people. 

Change is uncomfortable, but necessary. That’s why it is important to keep the organization’s vision in mind, Eadie says. Approaching the process in a step-by-step manner is the most efficient way to address change.

Eadie suggests that the executive director become the association’s “change champion” by becoming an expert on the issue. With the recent crop of writing on the subject, he suggests that executives read books and management publications like Harvard Business Review.  With that done, approach selected members of the board and make a pitch to them. If they understand the concept and become excited, they will bring others on board.

“If you try to convince an entire board to do what you want to do, you’ll probably fail,” warns Eadie. He suggests that you get the change champions on the board to initiate the idea. Buy-in or ownership from staff and the board is essential to getting the process started and making it work. 

Since volunteer boards come and go, it’s important to fully integrate the change process so that new people will know what to do. 

“You cannot afford to think about changing governance unless you know what good governance is,” says Eadie. “Otherwise you’ll be treading extremely treacherous territory. Understand good models of practice.”

The author is the editor of Bar Leader.