Imlementing strategy - Coursework Example

However the government also exercises the use of central control measures and the exertion of control on workers who are reluctant to abide by the set policies. Leaders of public service organizations tend to underestimate change complexity and instead focus on tools, strategy and structure instead of relating to individual employees (Karp & Helgo, 2008). Such practices are seen as archaic, driving out talented personnel or causing them to underperform on the job. It is therefore important to understand the dynamics of change that takes place in an organization.

The diagram that follows is a graphical model of the process of change. It begins with (1) a vision and articulated goals, against which (2) the current model is assessed. Out of this assessment and mindful of the vision and goals, (3) the desired model is formulated and defined, for which (4) operational plans are designed. Finally, (5) the operational plans are implemented, and the result of this implementation is fed back and compared against the vision, and the cycle is repeated. At some point, the change adoption would be considered either completed or unfeasible, at which case routine management techniques take over again.

The process described is viewed from an organizational perspective; from the perspective of the human element, the transition process is not as straightforward. The second diagram below depicts the more complicated process of changing people’s minds and hearts to adapt to the change. The human subject is seen to go through a roller coaster of emotions that can end in either denial, disillusionment, hostility, or full acceptance and even advancement of the change measure. Because it refers to employees’ reactions, the transition process is encountered in the implementation of the change, and the simultaneous objects and agents of change are the organization’s staff. 3. Current literature on the process of managing strategic change.

The following are recent findings by researchers published in academic journals: 3.1 The main external drivers for change include customer requirements, demand from the stakeholders, regulatory demand, market competition and the shareholders; the internal drivers include the need to improve operational efficiency, the quality of service and processes (Oakland & Tanner, 2007). 3.2 Some reasons change efforts fail include four findings: first, too little effort is exerted by leaders into convincing employees of the merits of change; second, change is often seen as a single event when in truth it is an iterative process; third, leaders often conduct change with a top-down, rather than a bottom-up, approach; finally, organizations and leaders lack the flexibility to effect successful change (Manikandan, 2010). 3.3 Public service organizations, such as fire and rescue service units, operate in a complex environment that are constrained to respond to dynamic changes in society; furthermore, they are rich in people diversity, processes and culture, making change management extremely complex (Karp & Helgo, 2008). 3.4 Transformational change is anchored upon people skills, involving the articulation and internalization of a common shared vision by employees.

Creating a shared vision is the most positive way of unfreezing