The Benefits of Consulting a Change Specialist - Essay Example

RUNNING HEAD: RATIONALE FOR CHANGE Rationale for Change Name Institution Date Introduction An overview of Change Change can be defined as a transition from one state to another, with the objective of being different. Change can also be described as the only constant aspect in the lives of individuals and organizations (Jaap, 2004). Change should not be perceived as an occasional episode but rather a day to day activity that is adopted by organizations in their operations. Jaap (2004) argues that companies with structures that are rigid and do not adapt to change will be swept away, while those that have cultures that are change adoptive will thrive and survive. Change in organizations has two dimensions, the business and the people dimension. The business dimensions entail changing the business process, structures and systems. In order to attain meaningful change within an organization, change management is an essential strategy to adopt. Change management is a systematic and structures approach of attaining a sustained change in human behaviour within an organization. It is also essential to take note of the fact that some changes are reversible while others are not as a result, implementing and managing change involves a great deal of risk (Kotter, 1996). It is against this back drop that a change specialist comes in handy. The benefits of consulting/utilizing a change specialist Implementation change successfully within an organization requires the right kind of individual in order to effectively facilitate the change. A change consultant is normally a key executive whose values and strong and in very well conversant with the process of implementation change within an organization. One of the benefits of utilizing a change specialist is that the consultant is objective and immune to the internal politics that exists within the organization. An external change agent is normally not conversant with what goes on within the organization; as a result the likely chances of the consultant being influenced by internal political issues within the organization are minimal. In situations whereby an internal change agent is used for instance one of the managers, the manager may be less adaptable to major changes because of being conversant to the values, cultures and attitudes of the organizations which may be politically influenced, consequently implementing change may be rather difficult (Cameron& Green, 2004). A change specialist is also beneficial due to the fact that they bring information and best practices from other companies. Cameron& Green, (2004) highlight that; in order to effectively implement change within an organization, benchmarking is very important. Benchmarking can be defined as the process of identifying, understanding and adopting the best practices of other companies in order to improve a firms own performance. A change specialist has adequate knowledge concerning the best practice of other organizations in terms of change implementation. As a result through benchmarking the change agent can be able to facilitate adopting change in a cost manner .Furthermore the consultant will also assist the organization in catching up with the accelerating technological changes that occur across the industry or in the industry. Also through benchmarking then change consultant can enhance organizational learning. A consult is also helpful because they assist the organization to clearly define the problem. Cameron& Green, (2004) argue that it is essential for an organization to clearly define the problem that is to undergo change. By clearly defining the problem the organization will be able to create awareness concerning why change is urgently required in the organizations. In addition the change consultant assists the organization to define the causes of the problem and also diagnose the possible solutions for the problem. Change specialists are also good communicators and can act as a link between the employees of the organization and the management and the customers. Questions to consider when identifying the need for strategic change One of the questions to consider when identifying the need for strategic change is the aspect of urgency. It is essential for an organization to examine what causes urgency for initiating change in the organization. Identification of urgency is essential because it energizes the change program and triggers people to act by opening up their minds. Some of the causes for urgency within an organization include changing completion, changing business environment, changing technology and competition (Helms etal, 2008). Vision is another essential aspect to be considered. Vision can be described as a reflection of the future. A good vision should serve the change process by first of all clarifying the general direction of change, motivating people to act in the right direction. In addition a good vision of change should facilitate the coordination of people’s actions (Helms etal, 2008). Strategies for change may sometimes clash with the culture of the organization. And what happens in most cases is that the culture of the organization will win. Helms etal, (2008) argue that it is vital to put into consideration the culture of the organization when identifying the need for strategic change. The consideration of organizational culture is essential for preventing resistance to change and to ensuring that the change process is coherent with the culture of the organization. Strategic Objectives common to the any change program The term strategic objectives can be described as a working hypothesis concerning how change will produce the desired outcome. According to the McKinsey survey on change management (2006) some of the typical strategic objectives common to the change process include; Improving performance Changing the structure and the control system of the organization is viewed as an essential aspect of improving the performance of an organization. It is however essential to take note of the fact that most of the time managers tend to make changes in the structures and the control systems of the organization without changing and assumptions of the people in the organization. Leban and Stone, (2007) highlight that in the process of changing the structures and control systems of the organization, the management should also focus on changing the behaviour and attitudes of the people. What is essential is whether the process structures and systems confirm to the values, skills and thinking of the people in the organization. Turning Around a Crisis situation Organizations frequently face a variety of challenges especially with the changing business environments. These challenges may result to problems such as the reduction of the number of customers, reduced earning and high employee turnover. In order to turn around such crisis it is essential for the management to fully engage the employees in resolving the challenges facing the organization (Leban& Stone, 2007). Adopting to the Changing Environment Organizations are forced to change in order to align with the changing business environment. The objective of strategic change is therefore to ensure that the organization is heading towards the right direct which in most cases is guided by the business environment. In order to meet the objective of adapting to the changing business environment, there is need for continuous monitoring of the external and internal environment of the organization through an open learning system (Leban& Stone, 2007). The environment is also in most cases evaluated through the external environment. This is essentially due to the fact that the events of the external environment frequently interfere with the operations of the internal environment. Kotter (1996) highlights that; the objective of strategic change should be geared towards the management of the external environment. This can be undertaken through using environmental analysis tools such as the PESTEL analysis which can be used to give a clear direction of environmental factors that influence the performance of the organization. Adapting to the changing business environment can therefore be termed as an objective of initiating change using a proactive strategy. Cost reduction Cost reduction is another Strategic Objectives common to any change program. An organization may be operating under high costs which in most cases reduce its profitability level. As a result initiating change can be a useful strategy of cost reduction. Many organizations when faced with the drive to undertake cost reduction usually adopt strategies such reducing the number of staff, pushing suppliers to accept a certain amount of discount and slashing spending on certain items. Helms, (2008) propose that adopting cost reduction strategies should not reduce the value of the organization but rather they should add value. Therefore if the organization chooses to undertake cost reduction through strategies such as outsourcing, getting rid of underutilized resources and reducing non efficient Processes, it is essential for the strategies to add value to the organization. Steps in a risk management/cost benefit analysis for change Risk Management Identification of the biggest people associated risks that may face the change 1 2 3 Identification of the biggest risks that may face the project if the people side of change was not addressed 1 2 3 Outline the three biggest risks to the organization if the change fails: 1 2 3 Change management cost-benefit analysis Costs of change management Benefits of change management Resource(s) Allocated for the project team. If the change initiative is small in size, the project manager can direct the change. If large it is essential to develop supporting sub teams. However in both scenarios it is vital to have an individual who is dedicated to the change program to lead the team. Tools and methodology of Procurement to be utilized by change management resource(s) Procuring of source materials that will be utilized by the supervisors and managers in their coaching exercises Training costs and time for everyone involved - supervisors and managers , senior leaders and coaches of change Perspective 1: Three ROI factors (people side) - A faster adoption speed , higher final utilization and high proficiency Perspective 2: Cost avoidance Change management can be viewed as a tactic of cost avoidance as a result poor management of the cost can be perceived as costly Perspective 3: Risk mitigation – When the project is poorly managed , the project, the organization and people are exposed to risk Perspective 4: Realization of benefits insurance - Reflecting on how much of the project’s value eventually depends on employees doing their tasks differently Perspective 5: probability of meeting objectives - Research highlights that projects that are effectively managed have a higher probability of meet their objectives, staying on budget stay and on schedule and stay on budget Change Management Project Plan Stage 1; Assessment of Readiness The process entails the evaluation of the organizations readiness towards the change .This is undertaken by evaluating the organization’s history, culture, change assessment, sponsor assessments and employee assessment. Every assessment tool gives the project team a reflection of the opportunities and challenges that may occur during the change process. Stage 2; Communication and communication planning Managers frequently assume that if they communicate once and clearly to the employees about the incoming change, their work is done. However it is vital to repeat the message several times in order for it to sink. This is because the employee’s readiness will determine whether the change will be successful or not. Effective communication to the employees has the objective of creating awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcing the employees. Communication planning on the other hand entails the analyzing and addressing the needs of the supervisors, employees and executives involved in the change process. Stage 3; Coaching and manager training for change management Once supervisors and managers are on board, there is need to offer training for supervisors concerning the use of management tools with their employees.   Stage 4; Training and training development Training development and training is undertaken based on the behaviours, knowledge and skills necessary for implementing the change Stage 5; Sponsor activities and sponsor roadmaps This entails visible and active involvement by senior business leaders throughout the change process. Stage6; Resistance management Employees have a probability of resisting change, thus it is vital to manage resistance to change. Stage 7; Data collection, feedback analysis and corrective action Getting feedback from employees about the change is important. After getting the feedback it is analyzed and corrective action is taken. Based on the feedback obtained, implementation can then be effected. Stage 8; Celebrating and recognizing success. (Jaap, 2004) Project Timelines January February March April May June Stage 1&2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Stage 6 Stage 7 Stage 8 Stage 9 Stage 8; Evaluating the change Evaluating the failures and successes is also important. This is an element of the continuous improvement of change program in order for the organization to finally attain the desired change. Evaluation can be undertaken through a variety of strategies which include Measuring Achievements against objectives and aims engagement of Stakeholder impacts and Outcomes Learning The projects effectiveness Evaluating the Benefits of the project (Jaap ,2004). Conclusion From the above presentation, what is evident is that organizational change can effectively be undertaken through proper planning and involvement of all stakeholders. References Cameron, E and Green, M. (2004).Making sense of change management: a complete guide to the models, tools & techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers. Helms J, Mills, K and Dye, J. (2008). Understanding organizational change. Taylor & Francis. Jaap J. (2004). Dynamics of organizational change and learning. John Wiley and Sons. Kotter, J.P. (1996). Leading Change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Leban, B& Stone, R.(2007). Managing Organizational Change. John Wiley & Sons. Read More