Smart managers know change brings opportunity. According to Charles Bishop, Ph.D., who has helped plan and implement change strategies at some of America's top companies, including QuakerOats, Federal Express, Lucent Technologies, Bank of America, and ADT Security Services, effective change requires choosing the right people for the right positions. As simple as this sounds, it's rarely done. Managers and human resource people make all sorts of false assumptions about an individual's readiness for change, ability to lead it, and capacity for performing within a changed system. Relying on antiquated profiling methods that focus on psychological evaluations, job performance, and seniority, managers overlook the very qualities most likely to enhance momentum in dynamic, evolving environments.
Bishop offers leaders a new way of assessing talent.
A-players not only respond positively to change, but also drive change. They are eager to experience new ways of doing things. Often technically proficient and competent, C-players may be willing to try new approaches in familiar technical areas, but may resist taking on any new roles or responsibilities. D-players are rigid and conservative. Change response-an individual's past willingness and ability to learn, and to modify behavior accordingly.