Transformational Change: Shift the Narrative and the Rest will Follow

Dr. MSeven Laracuente, LCSW

7/18/20253 min read

a sign that says tell the story on it
a sign that says tell the story on it

When I was appointed as the Director of Domestic Violence Services and Programming at the Seamen’s Society of Children and Families in 2016, I faced a significant challenge: where to begin. Tasked by the Chief Operating Officer to transform the domestic violence program into a trauma-informed and evidence-based model, I knew the road ahead would not be easy.

Having worked as a therapist there for six years prior to my promotion, I was acutely aware of the hurdles. At that time, our team consisted of just four employees, we had a poor data management system, and we had just lost partial funding. With no program policies in place and no data to support our historical methods, the program had been operating since 1997 with little evidence of its effectiveness.

To tackle this challenge, I conducted a thorough assessment to identify the program's strengths and weaknesses. As any trained social worker would agree, understanding what is working well is crucial. The Safe Passage program had several bright spots:

  • A passionate team dedicated to helping survivors of intimate partner violence.

  • A consistent community presence through monthly outreach events.

  • High client satisfaction with our services.

Recognizing these strengths, I knew that increasing employee involvement was essential for transformation. As Glew, Leary-Kelly, and Van Fleet (1995) note, empowering individuals within an organization enhances their voice and involvement in the change process, which is key to reducing resistance (Hussain et al., 2018).

Identifying Points of Change

Change management, as defined by Moran and Brightman (2001), is about renewing an organization's direction and capabilities to meet evolving needs. During this process, I emphasized transparency, which, as Morgan and Zeffane (2003) highlight, fosters trust and encourages employee engagement.

With the strengths identified, I followed the framework of Pettigrew, Ferlie, and McKee (1992) to guide our changes, focusing on the quality and coherence of our policies while using language familiar to those on the ground.

Sense-Giving

Leaders as “sensegivers” play a crucial role in shaping perceptions and commitment to change (Foley, Goldman, & Ospina, 2008). This involves not only sharing a vision for the change but also articulating the underlying reasons behind it, fostering collective meaning-making with the team. By bringing everyone along on the journey, I was able to cultivate buy-in and engage all in the transformation process.

Soon after communicating the vision and the "why" for the change, I focused on recruiting the team toward a growth-oriented mindset. Together, we created a unified sense of what we wanted the department to look and feel like, as well as the consumer experience we aimed to deliver. This collaborative approach ensured that everyone felt invested in the transformation, reinforcing our collective commitment to the program's success.

In conclusion, that experience taught me the importance of understanding the motivations and needs of the people involved. Structural changes alone are insufficient; it's through collaboration, creating a supportive culture, and communicating clear goals that lasting benefits can emerge organically (Ong, 2019).

#TransformationalChange #TraumaInformedCare #MacroSocialWork #ChangeManagement #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #Wellness #NonprofitLeadership #ProgramDevelopment #OrganizationalChange

References:

  1. Glew, D., Leary-Kelly, A., Griffin, R., & Van Fleet, D. (1995). Participation in organizations: A preview of the issues and proposed framework for future analysis. Journal of Management, 21(3), 395-421. doi: 10.1016/0149-2063(95)90014-4.

  2. Hussain, S. T., Lei, S., Akram, T., Haider, M. J., Hadi, S. H., & Ali, M. (2018). Kurt Lewin's change model: A critical review of the role of leadership and employee involvement in organizational change. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 3(3), 123-127. doi: 10.1016/j.jik.2016.07.002.

  3. Moran, J. W., & Brightman, B. K. (2001). Leading organizational change. Career Development International, 6(2), 111-120. doi: 10.1108/13620430110386273.

  4. Morgan, J., & Zeffane, R. (2003). Employee involvement in organizational change: A review of the literature. International Journal of Management Reviews, 5-6(3-4), 223-238. doi: 10.1111/1468-2370.00093.

  5. Ong, B. N. (2019). The ethnographer as health service leader: An insider's view of organizational change. International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 34, e934–e946. doi: 10.1002/hpm.2708.

  6. Pettigrew, A., Ferlie, E., & McKee, L. (1992). Shaping Strategic Change. London: Sage.

  7. Schulschenk, J. (2018). The Role of Strategic Champions in the Change Process. Retrieved from University of Cape Town.

  8. Foley, S., Goldman, B. M., & Ospina, S. (2008). The role of leaders as sensegivers: A review of the leadership literature. The Leadership Quarterly, 19(3), 335-352. doi: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2008.07.004.

Previously published on Linkedin.