Managing and Maintaining Change Change itself is the only constant for organizations that hope to have a full lifespan. While small changes occur with regularity, a wholesale transformation or quantum evolutionary leap sometimes becomes necessary. Without the full support of staff and management, such fundamental shifts are challenging, perhaps even impossible to orchestrate successfully. Part of gaining that support lies in managing change effectively. Haphazard change cannot breed confidence, but directional, managed change that follows a logical progression carries the entire organization forward. The process outlined in John Kotter's 1996 book from Harvard Business School Press, “Leading Change,” defines an eight-step program for directional evolution of organizations. This article builds on Kotter's foundation with the Method Frameworks system to develop a program for successful, lasting change with a minimum of upheaval. One of the greatest challenges with transformative alterations is that organizations, while inherently in need of change, also inherently resist it. The people who make up that organization tend to prefer familiarity and stability; making the shift to an entirely new paradigm takes more effort than staying the current course. Even motivated staff can find themselves on uncertain footing when sweeping changes affect their organization's stability. New modes of thought, new skill-sets and new routines take time to instill. Metamorphosis is a potentially uncomfortable process. Four elements govern how successfully a sweeping change is implemented: How those directing the changes impart the goals and vision behind those changes to the rest of the organizational structure. The whole organizat... ... middle of paper ... ...ionally to ensure that it still fits the organization's purposes. The leadership team must also undergo revision on occasion to keep its feedback fresh and linked in to the organizational structure. Make progress itself part of your vision. By incorporating change itself into the fabric of your organization, you embrace the possibility of building on your successes. Staff members understand that with effort, they can effect a change on their position within the organization, giving them the impetus to strive for more. As valued members of your change coalition move on or retire, as inevitably they will, add new viewpoints to the team. Change is unavoidable, but the difference between directed, effective change and haphazard change is like the difference between a rock wall and a rockslide. Both involve moving mountains, but only one provides lasting security.
Leaders benefit from building a team to create and implement change, this is a key theme in the Kotter model of change. This teambuilding engages employees throughout the process. Allowing employees to be a part of the change process gives them the opportunity and trust to be creative moving toward the future (Cochrane, 2002). Leaders can create opportunity for employees and leaders to dialogue about the change, which can help troubleshoot the process. Leaders who engage employees throughout the organization from various levels of the organization will receive perspectives from the entire organization helping them make better-informed decisions. Employees want to be allowed the opportunity to help an organization they believe in, in a way that enhances the
Leading Change was named the top management book of the year by Management General. There are three major sections in this book. The first section is ¡§the change of problem and its solution¡¨ ; which discusses why firms fail. The second one is ¡§the eight-stage process¡¨ that deals with methods of performing changes. Lastly, ¡§implications for the twenty-first century¡¨ is discussed as the conclusion. The eight stages of process are as followed: (1) Establishing a sense of urgency. (2) Creating the guiding coalition. (3) Developing a vision and a strategy. (4) Communicating the change of vision. (5) Empowering employees for broad-based action. (6) Generating short-term wins. (7) Consolidating gains and producing more changes. (8) Anchoring new approaches in the culture.
Podmoroff (n.d.) describes “When you manage change effectively, you can move your organization into the new "business as usual" state swiftly, and you'll find that other people are quick to accept change”. Change management is frequently directed by a powerful change management model; this provides people with a foundation that can be used to comprehend the process and what is expected of them (Connelly, n.d.). Kurt Lewin’s theory...
Organizations are preserved by change and constant renewal; otherwise, they will stagnate and die (Marquis & Huston, 2015). Leading change can be one of the most challenging tasks for a leader. Many times attempts at change fail because the person trying to implement the change was ill prepared to deal with resistance and used an unstructured
Change as defined by Thompson (2010) is “a process through which people and organizations move as they gradually come to understand and become skilled and competent in the use of new ways.” Change is not a process that happens in just one day. It is something that takes time to build and strengthen amongst an organization. The people involved in the process of change need to have the same goals and have the same clear ideas; this so they can be in the same mindset and be able to work together towards success. Communication is crucial during the process of change to facilitate the work for the people involved in the organization.
In today’s ever changing world people must adapt to change. If an organization wants to be successful or remain successful they must embrace change. This book helps us identify why people succeed and or fail at large scale change. A lot of companies have a problem with integrating change, The Heart of Change, outlines ways a company can integrate change. The text book Ivanceich’s Organizational Behavior and Kotter and Cohen’s The Heart of Change outlines how change can be a good thing within an organization. The Heart of Change introduces its readers to eight steps the authors feel are important in introducing a large scale organizational change. Today’s organizations have to deal with leadership change, change in the economy,
Nowadays, organizational change has a serious implication for the survival of an organization (Furst & Cable, 2008). Change is critical, necessary, and has becomes a key factor to win the game.
The change process within any organization can prove to be difficult and very stressful, not only for the employees but also for the management team. Hayes (2014), highlights seven core activities that must take place in order for change to be effective: recognizing the need for change, diagnosing the change and formulating a future state, planning the desired change, implementing the strategies, sustaining the implemented change, managing all those involved and learning from the change. Individually, these steps are comprised of key actions and decisions that must be properly addressed in order to move on to the next step. This paper is going to examine how change managers manage the implementation of change and strategies used
However, Lewin’s central model centres on unfreezing, effecting change and then refreezing, starting from the status quo, then moving things and then continuing with the new status quo (Green, 2007). Kotter’s change model focuses on establishing urgency, guiding coalition, developing strategy, communication, empowerment, short-term wins, consolidation of gains to produce and anchor new changes (Sabri et al, 2007). Kotter does not engage with the complexity of organisational systems and potential clashing, he sees change being systematic, architectural, political and doesn’t engage strongly with the less deterministic metaphors in the latter steps (Smith et al, 2015). However, Kotter does highlight the importance of communicating the vision and keeping the communication high throughout the process although this starts with a burst of energy and in later stages its followed by delegation and distance (Cameron and green, 2009). Lewin’s change model focuses on people with the collaboration, contribution creating a force field approach to change including the power holders socially, culturally and behaviourally to drive change (Smith et al, 2015). However, Lewin’s approach ignores the metaphor of groups of people only willing to change if there is a need to do so, the model is more of a planning tool rather than an organisational development process (Cameron and green,
Graetz, F., & Smith, A. C. T. (June 2010). Managing organizational change: A philosophies of change approach. Journal of Change Management 10(2), 135–154.
Changing situations throughout the world affect all organizations in business today. Therefore, most organizations acknowledge the need to experience change and transformation in order to survive. The key challenges companies face are due to the advancements in technology, the social environment caused by globalization, the pace of competition, and the demands regarding customer expectations. It is difficult to overcome the obstacles involved with change despite all the articles, books, and publications devoted to the topic. People are naturally resistant to fundamental changes and often intimidated by the process; the old traditional patterns and methods are no longer effective.
The transformation of a company requires hundreds, sometimes thousands of employees to adopt a new view of its future, a future they must regard as essential. Change management involves managing the process of achieving this future state. Change can be viewed from two vantage points, that of the people making the changes and that of the people experiencing the changes. In the top-down, or strategic viewpoint associated with management, the focus is on technical issues such as the investment required, the processes for implementing the change, how soon the change can be realized, and the outcome. In the bottom-up viewpoint of the employee, the focus is on what the change means to the ...
In order for organizational change management to succeed in a highly competitive marketplace, it is important for organization to frequently figure out the need for introducing changes. Since organizational change management is more focused on the people side of management, one can decide how the goals will influence the person in reaching their greatest potential within an organization. So there are techniques that can be applied by simply making a chart, such as focusing on the possibilities of: 1) Directing one’s attention 2) Regulating one’s effort 3) Increasing one’s persistence 4) Encouraging the development of goal-attainment strategies or action plans. Using an approach like this might increase task performance making goal expectations more realistic.
Robbins et al. (2011, p. 186), states ‘Change is an organizational reality and affects every part of a manager’s job’. Today’s wave of change primarily created by economic condition so change is now such a constant feature of organization life (Goodman, E. 2011, p.243). Organizations need to be changed at one point or another in structure, technology or people. These changes are defined as organizational change (Robbins et al. 2011, p.18). Organizational change is important because changes can increase effectiveness and efficiency, the innovation of products, services as well as dealing with changes in external and internal forces (Goodman, E. 2011, p.243). However, ‘the bottom line is that organizational change is difficult because management systems are design and people are rewarded for stability’ (Lawler, E.E. & Worley, C.G. 2006, p.11).
...owers to accept the change and followers work in accordance of organizational goals. As the goals met they feel proud and more satisfied.