Planned Management Changes and Sequential Processes - Essay Example

PLANNED MANAGEMENT CHANGES AND SEQUENTIAL PROCESSES Change as a planned, sequential process Shifting opportunities and changes in the 21st century has resulted in rapid societal changes in the work places. This is due to rapid innovation and technological changes in these organizations. Managerial and organizational changes have been instituted to suit customer needs. The economy today presents dramatic uncertainty and challenging opportunities; the economy is performance and knowledge driven. In the present context participation, team work, empowerment and self-management are key themes. Due to the above identified challenges new leadership style is required in order to provide guidance to business in these turbulent situations. It is the role of managers in business entities to deal with these challenges (Pavlak, 2004, p.9). A manager is an individual who oversees and coordinates other peoples work in order to achieve the objectives of the organization. The managers responsibility is to help other people to do their work and not self accomplishment. Managerial functions range from: planning which entails definition of goals, and establishment of strategies for these goals achievement as well as development of integrated plans and activities co-ordination, organization which entails arrangement and structuring of organizations work so as to achieve the organizations goals, provision of leadership through working through and with people in order to achieve the organizations goals and controlling which entails comparing, correcting and monitoring work performance (Bamford, & Forrester, 2003, p.546). Scholars such as Kotter have come up with n-step model on management, Kotter’s 8 –step model focuses on intentional, large scale and strategic changes. The model entails several steps which vary with accordance to the used model; and a belief that to achieving changes in the organization requires a planed and coordinated approach. This model includes: urgency need establishment, ensuring the existence of a powerful group to implement the change, vision development, communication of the vision, staff empowerment, and ensuring existence of short term gains, gains consolidation, as well as embedding achieved changes in the organizations culture. The N-step management model seeks to address a number of issues comprising of: steps sequence, number, resourcing, involvement, and multiple step management, revisiting distinct steps, and evaluating the need of different steps in management (Irgens, 2009, p.168). Changing management approach as resulted in various replacement of other approaches such as contingency and process approach. For instance, contingent approach is less common because it requires greater decisions and analysis by managers while changing management is prescriptive in nature hence more appealing to a manager. Secondly, contingency approach mainly focuses on styles of leadership rather than distinct actions. Finally, contingent style raises the question of the contingent aspect in changing management. On the other hand, processual approach views changes as a continuous changing process that differently unfolds depending on context and time. Changing outcome is considered to occur due to interplay of different complex interests groups, politics and goals. The approach alerts the manger to the changing influential range in as specific way with the aim of confronting them so as to achieve certain outcomes. The approach is frequently used in understanding retrospective changes and in the provision of detailed analysis (Carlson and Chan, 2011, p.287). Strengths and the limitations of these N-step models Changing management report is significantly important in modern companies that strive to improve its performances. Many management models have been use d by various companies resulting in profit making. Kotter’s changing 8 steps management model has the following strengths: the model focuses on employees buy –in as the main success focus, the model also has clearly defined steps that provides the process with guidance and easy to understand. When all steps are communicated well the model results in success. The model also fits well in classical hierarchical cultures. Kotters model is applicable for top-down processes that are changing. These are projects designed and developed at the highest level of management. For example, in the preparation of troops for the asymmetrical form, the U. S government applied this model. This model assumes manageability and predictability of changing processes (Neils and Boer, 2007, p.1097) Limitations All models are not suitable to all companies or projects. Changing management models faces numerous challenges that range from wrong assumptions can be drawn from the models linearity; it is difficult to change the course of action once it as begun, some models, for example the 8 step model by Kotter is distinctively top-down model that limits co-creation room or different participatory forms. The models may result to frustration among employees if the stages of individual needs and grief are not well articulated (Neils and Boer, 2007, p.1098) Response to situations when change needs to be managed after organizational crises Disaster anticipation by an organization makes it to plan ahead and equip itself better in avoiding and the eventual management of potential catastrophic situations. The organization has to prepare itself both responsively and perspective so as to effectively manage a crisis. Development of comprehensive plan on crisis management can prevent an organization from collapsing. The process of preventing organizations from collapsing through effective management of crisis is also vital in the overall improvement of the business performance. In the process of developing a crisis management process the first step involves brainstorming the organizations, Strengths, Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats also referred to as SWOT analysis (Carlson and Chan, 2011, p.290). SWOT analysis presents the organization with an opportunity to determine which crisis poses a serious danger or is plausible. SWOT analysis is best done with groups of key volunteers, supporters and employees of the organization. Threats and weaknesses should be given special attention. The organization should examine the threats and weaknesses in order to identify those that are likely to confront the organization. Crisis plausible list should be assembled and this will lead to brainstorming what might happen to the organization if a crisis occurs. The management process also entails cost determination in terms of assets, money, reputation, or staff, volunteers and clients wellbeing. This crises effects and how it can be mitigated. This should be done in the development of a plan to respond to a crisis (Hutchinson, 2006, p.237). Bibliography Bamford, D. R. and Forrester, P. L., 2003. Managing Planned and Emergent Change within an Operations Management Environment. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 23 (5/6), p. 546. Carlson, C. and Chan, A., 2011. Attitude toward Wealth Management Services. The International Journal of Bank Marketing, 29 (4), pp. 272-292. Hutchinson, M., Vickers, M.H., Jackson, D. and Wilkes, L., 2006. Like Wolves in a Pack: Predatory Alliances of Bullies in Nursing. Journal of Management and Organization,. 12(3), pp.235-250. Irgens, E. J., 2009. Institutional Bridging: Change Projects as Creators and Carriers of Knowledge. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 7(2), pp.162-171. Niels, G. R. and Boer, H. K., 2007. Conceptualizing Operations Strategy Processes. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 27(10), pp. 1093-1114. Pavlak, A., 2004. Project Troubleshooting: Tiger Teams for Reactive Risk Management. . Project Management Journal, 35(4), pp.5-14. Read More