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Theoretical
Background |
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The history of
the Tipping Point simulation development explains some of its
strength. It includes existing theory of organizations, relying
heavily on the work of Kurt Lewin, Marvin Weisbord, William
Bridges, Darrel Conner, and John Kotter. It also has deep roots
in theories from systems dynamics, especially the work of Peter
Senge and John Sterman. It draws from public health,
leveraging the analogy between the spread of epidemics and the
spread of ideas, which has been explored in books by Everett
Rogers, Thomas Schnelling, and recently by Malcolm Gladwell. |
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Making the
Simulation Real |
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Experience was
needed to actually put numbers to the theory and create a
computer simulation. It initially drew on the expertise of a
small group of people, who had been responsible for implementing
a number of change initiatives and with well over seventy-five
years of change management know-how among them. Their
knowledge gave input defining the interrelationships in the
simulation. After creating a working prototype of the simulation
in 1997, the Tipping Point went on an extensive "road show"
to gain feedback from organizational leaders, graduate students
and professors in business, and teams with experience in
organizational change. Their feedback improved the Tipping Point
simulation. The dynamics captured in the simulation cause it to
generate results similar to those in a real change. The Tipping
Point has what social scientists call "face validity", that
is anyone familiar with change will recognize the results as
reflected in their own experience. |
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What You
Get |
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It would be
nice to have a computer simulation that gives the exact recipe
for implementing any change. However, all organizations and all
changes are different, and there is no single recipe for change.
So no single simulation can provide specific answers for every
change. Nonetheless, the dynamics are comparable across
organizations and changes. In the same way, the types of actions
that leaders can take -- the levers of change -- have
parallels across organizations and changes. Thus, Tipping Point
simulation's structure and change levers have relevance to every
organization. |
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Why It Is
Relevant |
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The Tipping
Point workshop offers a way to experiment with the dynamics of
change and the change levers in a safe, low-risk environment. It
fosters dialogue among team members and helps them learn from
one another and create a shared mental model of those dynamics.
A shared mental model combines and refines the knowledge of each
team member. A shared mental model helps teams create a more
effective implementation plan that addresses interactions that
might otherwise have fallen through the cracks. This platform
for experimentation that fosters dialogue is the primary
value-add of the Tipping Point workshop. |
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