Management and Leading Change - Essay Example

Steps should be outlined and they should be followed appropriately to avoid any error that causes failure (Greiner 1967).
The change that the institution was involved in was the introduction of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) into the organization’s system of management. How this change was planned and implemented resembled the approaches to organizational change set out by Hughes, Ginnett, and Curphy in their book, Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience. The first step was the initiation and planning stage where the change was considered important as well as setting out various goals and identifying the necessary resources that will help in meeting the set-out goals.

The second stage was the momentum stage where the resources were directed together with the use of the experienced individuals in the organization who directed the change. The new values were developed together with the attitudes and conduct of various stakeholders through internalization. This stage also involved the education of the members of staff to integrate the new changes in the system, while other major changes involved the reshuffling of jobs and duties to enable the smooth running of the organization. The final stage in the change process entailed stabilizing the change through the change in the organization’s culture and norms.

The role that leadership played in the change effort is very important since the leaders of different calibers within the institution were able to create the conditions under which the organization was able to integrate change. The leaders were able to motivate the different people within the organization by visualizing, empowering, and energizing them. The leaders were able to deal with various complexities that arose in the process of bringing change. These leaders incorporated the help of other stakeholders in formulating policies and clear visions and through this commitment was obtained. Every stakeholder was involved through co-creation, delegation, and empowerment and the leaders were able to express their trust in the abilities of their employees and dealt with them with compassion and laid emphasis on the need for continued learning to improve the understanding of the new system thus creating efficiency (Hughes, Ginnett & Curphy, 2009).

The change process within the institution coincided with Kotter’s eight-step process for implementing change within an organization. The institution was able to ascertain a sense of urgency that required the initiation of change. The leaders realized that the introduction of ICT in the organization would improve the efficiency and the overall output thus there was urgency in implementing change thus this prompted the leaders to identify individuals with the right skills in the ICT sector to help in effecting the change needed. The leaders were able to develop the vision together with the strategy that would help the stakeholders in committing themselves to the achievement of the specified goal.

A new channel through which information would be passed to the right people was created and various barriers were eliminated through the empowerment process as well as rewarding people who contributed to the change. This strategy of rewarding people acted as the motivating factor and prompted people to work harder. As the rewarding of people took place more people were attracted to the change process and finally, the leaders were able to secure new approaches in the traditions of the organization by ensuring that changes were reinforced and creating new ways in which leadership development and subsequent successions were based (Kotter, 1996).

In conclusion, change is important in any institution since it helps in improving the efficiency and output of the organization. Leaders should take an active role in effecting change as well as motivating other stakeholders in the same course. Empowerment of the stakeholders is core to making them accept the change in the organization as well as involving them in the decision-making process. All the steps of change must be outlined appropriately to avoid errors that might occur in the process as these errors might make the process of change unsuccessful. Read More