Cases – using the Four Rooms of Change

What happens when The Four Room of Change is involved? Here are some examples.

A change project in Mo Gård School

Carina Boman is the CEO and principal of Mo Gård School where all teaching takes place in sign language. The schools are in four locations in Sweden; Örebro, Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Åkarp. Carina tells us about a development journey that has made the operations in the four places more well-functioning and created prosperous employees and managers. One school has closed down, and a new one is open. Problems and conflicts have been addressed. Last but not least, Carina also raises her development with several significant changes. Read more!

Leadership and the Four Rooms of Change®

Lynda Jones and Bob Campbell on Leadership and the Four Rooms of Change The Tasmanian Leaders Program identifies and develops leaders who are committed to creating and influencing the growth of a successful society and future for the island state of Tasmania. Bob Campbell and Lynda Jones are presently helping to deliver the three residentials of the program. These four day retreats provide an immersive experience for the learners, offering teachings and coaching in four key areas: diagnostics, self-awareness and development, energising others and the design and delivery of skilful interventions. The Four Rooms of Change tools are used to explore leaders, followers and situations.

Recently Lynda and Bob presented the program outline at the Four Rooms of Change International User Forum in Stockholm.

Four Rooms of Change at IKEA

Four Rooms of Change at IKEA - The 4-Room Apartment IKEA has used the Four Rooms of Change all over the world in all of its businesses and with all levels of staff and management since 1996: in China, Japan, North America, England and Scandinavia to mention a few examples. Today, IKEA is the world’s largest user of the Four Rooms of Change and holds its own corporate license. Two special editions of the material have been published especially for IKEA, one in Swedish and one in English and referred to as ‘The 4-Room Apartment – Furnished by IKEA’.

Four Rooms of Change at MacKillop College

“The Four Rooms of Change has invigorated my teaching. No longer am I guessing how students are feeling. I can directly ask students about their welfare as they understand that to have a better classroom climate that’s what I will do. I do believe that little, if any, bullying occurs in the classroom. If it occurs outside the class at recess or lunch, the Four Rooms of Change gives a forum to discuss and develop strategies as to how to best handle the situation. I will be very interested to follow how this particular class fares next year. I hope that they will be encouraged to use The Four Rooms of Change and as a result further grow as empathetic individuals and continue to support one another as a learning group.”

Some other experiences from school

Utah Transit Authority

Utah Transit Authority (UTA) has used the Four Rooms of Change since 1999. It has been used in every area of the organization from the board of directors to special customer groups such as the disabled community. It has also been used with various work groups within the business units including bus operators, mechanics, the body shop, the machine shop and the transit police force over and over again for strategic planning, team building and conflict resolution. The Four Rooms of Change model and its associated tools at the individual, group and organizational level are used at the UTA to keep communication authentic, further strengthen collaboration between management and staff and improve productivity and working conditions. This supports continuous improvement and organizational growth.

Swedish Municipal Workers’ Union

Eva Amundsdotter The Swedish Municipal Workers’ Union (‘Kommunal’) is Sweden’s largest trade union. The union had reaffirmed its commitment to gender equality in the workplace and decided that it wished to review its own internal practices and explore how gender equality was currently experienced by staff members. A workgroup of 17 men and women was formed and tasked with discovering the role of gender within the union and acting as change agents whenever gaps in practice and/or culture were identified. This first group committed to ten two day meetings over an 18 month timeframe. Two consultants, Eva Amundsdotter and Søren Holm were asked to facilitate the process and support the group.

The Victorian Managed Insurance Authority

The Victorian Managed Insurance Authority (VMIA) is a statutory authority providing insurance for state assets and risk management services to the State Government of Victoria. VMIA underwent a major reorganisation with four objectives: firstly greater client impact, secondly product and service development, thirdly increased career paths and professional development opportunities for staff and fourthly enhanced internal and external communication. Other aspects of the change included the relocation of staff to new office space, changes to business information systems, the recruitment of new personnel and the development of a 360 degree performance management system.

VMIA engaged consultancy Scaffidi Hugh-Jones (now SenateSHJ) to develop a communication strategy that would help smooth the path of the reorganisation.

“Change programs need to give power back to the individual. That’s why at SenateSHJ, we have embraced the Four Rooms of Change: a theory that helps people to reflect on their responses to change and to take responsibility for their own feelings and actions. This theory recognises the powerful personal drivers for change, including hope, family, support, community, celebration and success. Those leading the change also get a clearer picture of how people are responding, to better guide the direction and pace of change.”
Angela Scaffidi, Partner and Change Practice Lead at SenateSHJ