Leadership and Change (Love) - Essay Example

Kotter (1996) proposes eight steps of management, which can be significantly essential in managing change. As Kotter demonstrates, the first step entails creating urgency. In this step, leaders develop urgency on why the organization needs change. Managers should identify probable threats and predict what might happen in the future. Therefore, this step focuses on identifying opportunities that can be exploited. Kotter argues that more than 75% of the organization’s management should buy into the new proposed change.

Dubrin (2008) notes that the second step involve forming a powerful coalition; leaders should convince employees the necessity for change. Therefore, a team or a coalition of influential people should be brought together to succeed in leading change. The third step comprises of creating a vision for change; a clear vision helps members of the organization understand why they should embrace change. Thus, developing values centered to change and strategy for achieving the vision is particularly crucial in this step.

The fourth to effective change management involves communicating the vision (Kotter, 1996). The vision should be communicated strongly and frequently. Based on this, the vision should be applied to all aspects of organizational operations from reviews on training to performance. The fifth step entails removing obstacles to achieve the proposed change. Thus, leaders should overcome people and structures, which resist change (Beerel, 2009). According to Kotter (1996 p 104), the sixth step involves creating short term wins; success motivates people.

When the change process starts, leaders should give the company an experience of victory. Leaders should not choose early targets that may be expensive. Targets have to justify the investments in all the projects undertaken. Therefore, it would be crucial to analyze the pros and cons of the targets. Building on the change is the seventh step; leaders should analyze what succeeded and what needs to be changed. Additionally, they should set goals and targets to attain in the future. Ideas should be kept fresh by involving new leaders and change agents for the coalition.

In this step, managers recognize the successes and failures, which they have made. This helps them make the necessary improvements in the organization. The eighth step entails anchoring the changes in corporate culture. Change has to become part of the organization’s core; it should be incorporated in all aspects. To Kotter, leaders should address progress and experiences of success. Thus, Leaders should place emphasis on change values and ideals in hiring and training staff. All members of the organization should take part so that no one feels left out in the change process.

Kotter notes that a people driven and people oriented approach can be good while implementing change. Careful planning and building proper foundation also improves the chances of success in management (Nanus, 1998). The Kilpatrick Model Kilpatrick has proposed five key principles of effective change management. First, the change program should gain support from key decision makers within the organization. Secondly, planning should be conducted before implementing the projects (Kilpatrick, 1998).

The third principle entails measurement; leaders state the objectives of the