Leadership and Change Management - Assignment Example

LЕАDЕRSНIР АND СНАNGЕ МАNАGЕМЕNТ Name: Lecturer: Course: Date: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This paper is about Leadership and change management in XYZ, which is an inevitable tool of expansion, and continuity in every organization. Kurt Lewis in his studies has explored the aspect of change management and how leaders of organization play a major role in implementing this aspect. This paper provides an analysis of change management, illustrating approaches of managing change, barriers to change management, as well as an illustration of how a Construction services’ Company, XYZ has managed to implement change throughout the organization. The introduction section introduces study topic in line with XYZ Company. First section introduces Kurt Lewis three-step model to change management in comparison to XYZ approach to change. Section two illustrates a force field analysis of XYZ step three of approach to change. This section provides an analysis of forces supporting change and those against change in XYZ. Last section analyses changes implemented by XYZ to determine what forces changed, why the change was needed, and how this was executed. Conclusion provides a summary of the whole paper including recommendations for XYZ. Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Question 1; XYZ’s approach to change management in comparison to Lewin’s three-step Model 4 Kurt Lewin three-step model to change management 4 Unfreezing 5 Transition 5 Freezing 5 Comparison – Lewin three-step model and XYZ’s approach to change management 6 Question 2; Force Field Analysis – XYZ (stage 1) 8 Forces against change 9 Forces supporting change 9 Question 3- Analyzing change in XYZ. 12 Changed Forces 12 Why change was needed 12 How changes were achieved 13 Conclusion 14 References 15 Introduction Change for XYZ just like any other company plays a major role. However, it has its own pros and cons depending on the industry a company operates, its staff and operations. Team building will require positive orientation and probity among members and the leaders together with the right personality. Progressiveness will also be required in team building to ensure business continuity and continuous achievement of team goals. Participation and involvement is one of the most efficient change approaches that organizations apply in change management. This paper discusses change management in relation to a construction services company, XYZ. The paper illustrates how this change has been implemented in the organization. Question 1; XYZ’s approach to change management in comparison to Lewin’s three-step Model Kurt Lewin three-step model to change management Lewis Kurt adopts a straightforward approach with three steps including Unfreeze, transition and freeze (Schein, 1995). Unfreezing Unfreezing basically means breaking the norm. This involves adjustment or total scraping of previous systems, procedures or policies that were a routine to the organization. This can be achieved by presenting new problems to the company and ensuring involvement in such a way that parties within the organization will be prompt to come up with new solutions, as they identify need for change. Transition After getting rid of organization procedures that maintain company’s status quo, introducing new procedures and policies is the next step. At this point, people’s mindsets are prepared to adopt change. This can be achieved through company structure, branding of company products, departmental procedures and development of new ideas or improving existing techniques. The management can bring in new preferred attitudes and organizational values. According to O’Brien (2008), resistance might arise at this point, as a result of leaders underrating the levels of reactions by their followers in case change is introduced in the organization. Other than underestimating rate of reaction, the response of management to people’s resistance may also encourage or elucidate the resistance. Singh (2010) notes that, when leaders implement one change after another, employees become exhausted and lament instead of appreciating any further change. This in turn affects their commitment towards organizational changes, and they become resistant towards any changes proposed by the leaders (Ford et al, 2002). Freezing Finally, reinforcement of introduced procedures needs to be done for change to be effective, otherwise, people within the organization will resolve to previous procedures. Freezing might involve implementation of effective activities. Leaders or the management of the organization are the major contributors to change management. Beaudan (2006) illustrates how leadership and leaders can influence change. He states that the mid cause adjustments provided by leaders can help the whole group to re-energize and adapt to change, which kills the change fatigue. Change stalls, and needs to be re-energized. Organizational change loses its energy at one given point without any warning. Leaders are therefore, expected to be in a position to identify the signs indicating chances of change fatigue so as to device ways of making adjustments. Comparison – Lewin three-step model and XYZ’s approach to change management Lewin’s approach to change management summarizes the change management process into three major stages. XYZ adopts a five-step approach. However, both approaches consider assessment of the organization to identify need for change. This is what the change management consultant refers to as audit of change readiness. The business environment is increasingly becoming dynamic and the capacity of an organization to change is the only way. According to Klarner (2007), understanding the company’s change capacity is vital to be in a better position to handle the determinants of its capacity and attain an improved adaptation level for its ultimate survival. Understanding organization change capacity and readiness to change gives, the management an upper hand in helping their staff to identify need for change. This approach worked out for XYZ. By identifying organization competitive position, the consultant was establishing current conditions of the organization. From the analysis, organization staff had also acknowledged that they needed change as a solution to the existing structure. In both approaches, leaders have ensured that the zeal to change among followers has been aroused and brought about a sense of ownership of change among them, within the organization. For this reason, there is self-belief among staff. According to the consultant, XYZ staffs are ready for procedures that will come with the change, as they are sure to handle it, no matter how hard it is. In Kaminski (2000) states that, leaders are obligated to manage change, and are therefore, expected to make change initiatives perceptible and not theoretical. It is up to the leadership to link strategic decisions they make with the actual implementation of the change decision within the organization. Since leaders are directors and pacesetters, they can change their followers’ attitudes to accepting change from an avoidance attitude. This can be achieved by adapting acceptance questions instead of avoidance questions. Action stage or transition in Kurt Lewin’s model incorporates evaluation and planning of workshops, communication and implementation, and team building in XYZ’s approach. Change management in an organizational context involves key players, the leaders who are responsible for the implementation of change, and those responsible in maintaining the culture of change in the organization through their functions. Evaluation conducted by management is a reinforcement tool that provides follow up and ensuring any gap is sealed so that change can be effective. With the evaluation, XYZ achieved refreezing process defined by Kurt Lewis. XYZ’s approach to change is more suitable given the nature of industry this company operates in, type of business and aspect of change that is to be implemented. However, there is no clear demarcation between some transition and refreezing procedures. Stage four tends to combine both steps. For XYZ and any other organization, effectiveness of change and successful implementation is of essence, regardless of how clear the procedures are separated. The face-to-face briefings also play a part in reinforcing implemented change. Since newsletters were already issued, people in all areas of the company were probably aware of change. Question 2; Force Field Analysis – XYZ (stage 1) A force field analysis in XYZ will help identify the forces, which support implementation of proposed change, and those forces, which discourage adoption of change. Leaders and decision makers are in a better position to communicate and justify their decisions using this tool. Forces for change Forces against change Forces against change Although organizations need change for continuity and survival, it also poses a risk to the organization operations. It is therefore, important for the organization leaders to identify the risks including change fatigue, and find ways of re-energizing their followers. According to Beaudan (2006), it is possible to maintain change culture within the organization and suppress change fatigue. Lack of teamwork is likely to cause change fatigue. Managing director and line managers must ensure that XYZ staff fully engages in teamwork. Some employees, especially those in regional subsidiaries believe that their skills are being under- utilized. In satisfaction is likely to develop into negative attitudes and cause change resistance that impedes the management from effective implementation of change. According to Ford et al (2002), change resistance is mostly caused by rebellion by parties within the same organization. The background conversations of change need to encourage change and minimize resistance to any changes implemented in the organization. When implementers of the change in the organization understand factors that affect success and change program, they will be able to minimize or avoid resistance to change. According to Beudan (2006), failure of the change plans to forestall resistance from within the organization result to failure in executing change. This includes other internal factors, which disrupt implementation of change in the organization. Forces supporting change Participation and involvement is one of the most efficient change management approaches that XYZ adopts. Since they support and respect the new managing director, getting them to participate in implementing these changes is less stressful. Under the consultants’ report of analysis, company staff are committed and involved in improving systems and organizational processes aimed at attaining an upper hand in competing with other organizations in the regions it operates. Although there is a weakness in teamwork and individual consultations, power and role-culture, XYZ Company motivates staff. According to the consultant’s analysis, people were positive. This was based on the changes that occurred within the three years, which were positive, significant and noticeable. Leadership involves setting and clarification of corporate objectives while establishing plan of how the goals are going to be attained, within specific time spans. The leadership concept of involvement ensures that all stakeholders are at par with the goals and plans of the organization. This is achieved through effective communication to individuals and teams, vertically and horizontally (Todnem, 2005). The autocratic model in XYZ involves formality and official power accorded by the law to respective management and heads. The managing director has authority over all employees. In this case, the employees follow what management instructs. Model of care involves the management concerns about dissatisfactions and insecurity caused by autocratic model to workers. Having faith and respect for the managing director is a positive factor for implementation of change since it shows support to the leader’s goals for the interest of the organization. This therefore, makes it easier for the manager to create initiatives that facilitate suitable working environment through security creating programs. Team building will require positive orientation and probity among members and with the leader, together with the right personality. Strong technical base is not enough to facilitate implementation of the XYZ new organizational structure. Progressiveness will also be required in team building to ensure business continuity and continuous achievement of team goals. Being a leader calls for more involvement of people in the organization activities. Harris and Crane (2002) states that, the leadership and organization governance should ensure that people are motivated and that their attitudes towards work are being led and influenced positively. Through employee involvement in leadership, the organizational culture is influenced. People within the organization can be identified with the authority imparted on them by the positions they hold within the organization. Willingness, self-belief and positivity expressed by XYZ staff were maintained by management together with consultant. Sommers and Ayers (2009) also state that although there cannot be a permanent solution for change fatigue, adding excitement, changing the mix of people, changing the speeds and reconsidering the expectations and goals will sustain change to ensure success by keeping change fatigue at lower levels. People are supposed to be reminded how important change is and allow other people to bring in new ideas by releasing others. Releasing some employees and replacing them with others is the idea of changing the mix of people to curb fatigue in a team. The team or organization can be motivated to continue embracing change by exiting them. This can be achieved through public declarations of change efforts in annual reports and board meetings, creation of a crisis. Question 3- Analyzing change in XYZ. Changed Forces In the case of XYZ Construction Service Company, forces against change were changed. Lack of entrepreneurial flair, teamwork and entrepreneurial flair were worked on. Structuring meant getting rid of previous internal alignment, and reconstructing the organization. This occurred in stage four of change implementation. Execution took XYZ three months as staffs were to be moved to different groups and reorganization of office space and occupation. Workshops ensured full participation of staff at all levels. Change management consultant staged first two workshops for senior management of the organization. Line managers and other fifteen to twenty staffs were also invited for the next workshops. Interviews at stage one to identify the need for change also ensures all employees participate in the process. Change processes therefore, ensured that all issues of employees are addressed regarding implementing proposed change. Structure of XYZ was the most significant change for the company. Office space and accommodation had to be reorganized and new managers created. Roles were redefined and units were created, such as the XYZ team-building workshop. With the structure changing, new solutions and procedures to curb challenges caused by previous system were also implemented. Why change was needed The new managing director employed in 1996 figured that dispute between organization functions, especially design and estimation functions would only be solved through restructuring. There was need to clearly redefine functions of the two units, including the administrator or staffs who execute such roles. Normally, change is also adapted by organizations for the purpose of competitiveness. These changes involve global and industrial changes of consumer interests that if an organization does not provide, then its competitors do. Another reason for change was eradication of the functional barrier caused by lack of teamwork. The management intended to adopt procedures, which will facilitate teamwork within XYZ. The whole concept of change in XYZ was the ability to transition this company’s procedures or people to a better future state in their free will. How changes were achieved Communication is part of involvement adopted by XYZ. Although this exercise was intense, the senior management did it. Since people are supposed to execute these changes, regional subsidiaries need to be aware of what procedures they are to undertake. Face-to-face visit by senior management contributed to teamwork and participation since people got a chance to question nature of implemented change. Debates noted by consultant during these sessions insinuates concerns and togetherness in a achieving a common goal. Some questions raised during debates had not been raised earlier Communication of change is an indication of effective change management. Quirke (1996) states that, subordinates are motivated when communication within the organization is effective. Efforts to enhance both vertical and horizontal communication on formal and informal bases are ongoing. All the elements of personal model aim at motivating followers and enhancing the communication element of the organization. Management practices together with motivation and communication lead to effective leadership, which is the main goal. Motivation of followers is a major trait that must be developed to get people to work under less supervision and work effectively. According to McHugh (2009), this includes putting in place motivating aspects of the employees, such as incentives, good working conditions and invention of new and better qualities. Another way in which change took place was through empowerment. Empowerment was vital in creating a facilitating environment for introducing change in an organization. In XYZ, this involved training of new managers so as they can be well equipped and learn their roles in the organization. Analysis of the different organization structures together with the consultant-equipped management and involved staff with entrepreneurial and management skills. According to Conger & Kanungo (1988), empowerment involves practices of the management. The management must employ empowerment as a relational concept to exercise appropriate power and control. Power building involves ability of leaders to bring together their followers to work towards attaining a common goal and not working alone. It is the networking ability of leaders. At stage four, change implementation committee in conjunction with consultant ensured that both managers and supervisors team-building workshop is developed by XYZ organization to avoid any hiccups in execution of roles. Delegation of work, by leaders cannot be avoided, and ensure involvement, which leads to effectiveness. Leadership in XYZ is about creation of synergies within and outside the organization so as followers can work together among themselves and together with the management of the organization. Conclusion XYZ’s approach to change does not differ so much from Lewin’s model however, it is broken down to five steps. There are factors within the organization that support introduction of a new organization structure while some factors are against. XYZ needed this change and its implementation was successful, however, change interfered with some operations like roles of staff. These factors are challenges that are likely to be faced during the social construction of change process and will determine its success or failure. Change implementation committee of XYZ must be well versed with the factors that influence change to develop strategies for minimizing or eradicating them. References Schein, E. H 1995, Kurt Lewin's Change Theory in the Field and in the Classroom: Notes toward a Model Of Managed Learning1. O’Brien, M.J 2008, 5 approaches to leading successful organizational change: How CFOs handle staff resistance to change is crucial. Healthcare financial management Singh, K 2010, Organizational behavior: text and cases. Chandigarh, Pearson. Klarner, P., Probst, G. and Soparnot, R 2007, From change to the Management of Organizational Change Capacity: a conceptual approach. Working paper. University of Geneve Kaminski, J 2000, Leadership and Change Management: Navigating the Turbulent Frontier. MSN. Beaudan, E 2006, Making change last: How to get beyond change fatigue. Ivey Business Journal Ford, J.D., Ford, L.W. and McNamara, R.T 2002, Resistance and the background conversations of change'. Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 105-121 Quirke, W 1996, ‘Communicating for change', in Communicating Corporate Change: A Practical Guide to Communication and Corporate Strategy, McGraw-Hill, Berkshire, UK, pp. 75-133 Conger, J.A. and Kanungo, R.N 1988, 'The empowerment process: Integrating theory and practice', Academy of Management Review, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 471-482 Harris, L. C and Crane, A 2002, The greening of Organizational culture: Management views on the depth, degree and diffusion of change. Journal of organizational change management. Vol. 15 Iss: 3, pp.214 – 234. Todnem, R 2005, Organizational Change Management: A Critical Review. Journal of change Management. Routledge. Harris, L. C & Crane, A 2002, The greening of Organizational culture: Management views on the depth, degree and diffusion of change. Journal of organizational change management. Vol. 15 Iss: 3, pp.214 – 234. Read More