The Role of Leadership in Change Management - Essay Example

The role of leadership in change management: effects on project managers al affiliation The role of leadership in change management: effects on project managers Organizational change is an inevitable process that every organization must go through in pursuit of success. Although the process of initiating and implementing change is perceived as stressful, such change is necessary in ensuring optimal performance and organizational growth. Organizational change can be caused by a wide array of factors such as competition, need for growth, advances in technology, and government regulations (Gilley, Gilley, & McMillan 2009, pp.79). In most cases, organizations effect change as a way of reacting to environmental changes or crisis situations. In other cases, however, it is the progressive leaders within an organization who initiate change. Regardless of whether the change is occasioned by internal or external factors, leadership plays a central role in initiating and managing organizational change. Leadership is a practice in which an individual directs and supervises the actions of others so as to oversee the implementation of a given mission or task. As such, quality leadership is very essential especially for an organization that is undergoing changes. According to Herold, et al (2008, pp. 347-348), in most cases, change within the organization calls for transformational leadership which ensures modifications in organizational culture and strategy. Bruhn (2004, p. 133) writes that in order for leaders of change to achieve the organizational goals being sought after by the change process, they need to consider the employees as the greatest assets within the organization. In relation to respecting and valuing the employees, leaders need to ensure that they maintain the organizational culture and if cultural change is a must, then it should be implemented slowly. Methodical implementation of cultural change is vital since it ensures that employees are given enough time to prepare for change. Change management is the process by which organizations are transitioned from the state they are in, towards a desired future state (Kerzner 2013, n.p). The transition is usually aimed at achieving certain goals through the implementation of particular strategies. Successful change management is achieved by ensuring that the employees are made aware of the planned changes and as such are prepared, motivated and actively involved in the process. It is, therefore, the role of the leader to ensure effective change management within the organization by protecting and working well with the employees. During organizational change, leaders are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that all the employees are conversant with the reasons as to why the changes are being implemented. As such, the leader is supposed to have excellent communication skills to allow them to deliver messages, solicit feedback, and motivate the employees to be engaged in the change process (Herold, et al, p. 348). The leaders should act as a bridge between the employees and the organization’s executive in such a manner that the feelings of either faction are understood by the other. In this capacity, the leader ensures that challenges such as conflicts are well addressed and that the flow of information in the organization is sustained. According to Gilley, Gilley, & McMillan (2009, p. 78) when leaders are unable to motivate, communicate clearly, and recognize the efforts of the other employees, then the change process is destined to fail. Chew, Cheng & Petrovic-Lazarevic (2006, p. 59) write that since change is largely perceived as a top-down process initiated by the management, most employees resist the change process. However, the leader should take it upon themselves to inform the employees of the need for change and their expected contributions to the process. It is the role of the leader to coach the employees in as far as participation in the process of change is concerned. Coaching involves creating working relationships with the employees by training, mentoring, counseling, and confronting them (Gilley, Gilley & McMillan 2009, pp.79). By creating such relationships, the leader ensures that the employees are motivated because they feel that they are part of the process and that their input really counts. The function of coaching is closely related to communication considering that in order to build these synergetic relationships, the leader has to be a good communicator. A smart leader needs to recognize that in order to successfully effect change within the organization, organizational culture based on trust is crucial. When the leader creates a good rapport with, and motivates the employees, the latter are bound to be very willing to play their part in ensuring the success of the planned changes. As such, leaders should increase employee motivation by rewarding those employees who show commitment to the process and work towards its implementation. Such rewards create the notion that when things get done, people are rewarded, thus further encouraging the employees to improve their efforts towards achieving the intended change (Kerzner, n.p). When leaders who are tasked with implementing change in an organization are unable to relate well with the other employees, then the probability failure of the change process is very high. Team work is as crucial to organizational success as quality leadership, especially when the organization is undergoing change. The leader ensures that the employees are working together towards the good of the company. As Todnem & Burnes (p. 59)write, when people are working together cooperatively they are bound to achieve much more than an individual would achieve when working on their own. The rationale behind the success of teamwork is that it brings together people with diverse personalities and capabilities thus allowing the generation of many ideas. The process of effecting change within an organization is long and complex as it does not only involve making adjustments, but also the ensuring that changes in one area of the organization are reciprocated and balanced in other areas. Change management, according to Griffith-Cooper & King (2007, p. 15) is concerned with ensuring that change is uniform across all spectrums. Change management requires the leader to consider how factors such as the cost, quality, and procurement will be effected in as far as implementing change is concerned. Accordingly, in most cases, the process of change management is usually the task of project managers as opposed to all leaders within an organization. Project managers are among the leaders who are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring smooth and successful change within an organization, considering that project management is all about change. As Griffith-Cooper & King (2007, p. 14) state, project managers are faced with the challenge of integrating the non-human aspects of change with the human dimensions of the change process. As such, project managers are not only expected to work towards controlling the tools and processes involved in the project but also manage the human resources. Griffith-Cooper & King (2007, p.15) refer to the control over tools and resources as change control while human resource management is termed as change leadership. In ensuring change leadership, Gomes, Yasin, & Lisboa (2008, p. 576) urge project manager to build a strong foundation in terms of relationships with the employees very early in the project cycle. In particular, Judge & Robbins (2013, p. 123) write that project managers should be most careful to establish a good rapport with the leaders who are just below the CEO. The rationale behind this view is that the said leaders may see the project manager as trying to undermine their authority and may, therefore, resist some changes deliberately. As such, it is crucial that the project manager communicates their role in the organization and makes the leaders understand that their contribution in terms of influencing the employees is paramount. During organizational change, project managers are often faced with challenges that derail the progress of change process. Among the most challenging issues, according to Kerzner (2013, n.p), is employee resistance in which case, the employees refuse to work with the leader in charge of implementing change. The project manager in this case needs to address the issues being raised by the employees by engaging them on a personal level. Another challenge that a project manager may encounter during change management is a breakdown in communication. Failure by the manager to relay information concerning the progress of the process consistently may lead to problems in implementation of the change. Kerzner (2013, n.p) writes that the solution here is for project managers to ensure that they communicate information from the executive to the employees and in turn give the executive the feedback provided by the employees. Consequently, the project manager becomes the bridge between the two factions of the organization. It is also a fact that if the employees are not well trained or do not receive training on a regular basis, then the implementation of change will not be successful (Crawford & Hassner-Nahmias 2009, p. 408). The project manager should, hence, make certain that employees are continually trained during the course of the process of change to ensure that the employees are able to deal with any emerging technicalities. In conclusion, it is evident that change management within an organization fails because project management was handled poorly. Essentially, project managers largely influence the outcome of projects, meaning that when project outcomes are great, it is because the project manager has good leadership skills. On the other hand, projects with dismal outcomes are reflective of the inability of the project manager to provide quality leadership. References Bruhn, J., 2004. Leaders Who Create Change And Those Who Manage It: How Leaders Limit Success. The Healthcare Manager, 23 (2), 132-140. Chew, M., Cheng, J., & Petroivc-Lazarevic., S., 2006. Manager’s Role in Implementing Organizational Change: Case of the Restaurant Industry in Melbourne, Journal of Global Business and Technology, 2 (1), 58-67. Crawford, l., & Hassner-Nahmias, A., 2009. Competencies for managing change, International journal of project management, 28 (4), 405-412. Gilley, A., Gilley, J., & McMillan, H., 2009. Organizational Change: Motivation, Communication, and Leadership Effectiveness, Performance Improvement Quarterly, 21 (4), 75-94. Gomes, C., Yasin, M., & Lisboa, J., 2008. Project Management in the Context of Organizational Change: The Case of the Portuguese Public Sector, International Journal of Public Sector Management, 21 (6), 573-585. Griffith-Cooper, B., & King, K., 2007. The Partnership between Project Management and Organizational Change: Integrating Change Management with Change Leadership, Performance Improvement, 46 (1), 14-20. Herold, D., Fedor, D., Liu, Y., & Caldwell, S., 2008. The Effects of Transformational and Change Leadership on Employees’ Commitment to a Change: A Multilevel Study, Journal of Applied Psychology, 93 (2), 346-357. Kerzner, H., 2013. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Robbins, S., & Judge, T., 2011. Essentials of Organizational Behavior. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Todnem, R., & Burnes, B., 2013.Organizational Change, Leadership and Ethics: Leading Organizations Towards Sustainability. Oxon: Routledge. Read More