Management of Change - Essay Example

Change Management – Reflective Report Name Class Unit Introduction During the semester, I have been able to acquaint myself with change management. My personal perspective on change management has changed as I progressed through the semester by learning new concepts on change management. At the beginning of the semester, I perceived change to be enforced in an organisation. According to the several theories on change management, I came to perceive change as based on personal and individual experience. For the change to be implemented successfully, change agents have to be concerned about individuals involved. Change must be implemented slowly in steps for it to be fully successful (Burke, 2002). The way in which the staffs feel about the change plays an important role in determining its success. As the semester has progressed, I have been able to change my personal views on change. The topic of change management is vital in an organisation due to fact that organisations are in an environment which is uncertain and changing. Managers are expected to be ready for the changes that are necessary for the organisation. As I have studied change in an organisation, I have been able to learn a lot on how to implement change and the need for mutual respect between those implementing change and those directing it. There are different means in which change can be effected positively in an organisation. Change must be planned, controlled and finally evaluated. During the beginning of the semester, I was introduced into change management. I was guided on how to plan for change effectively. The first step in managing change was carrying out organisational diagnosis. This helps one to have a good understanding of the organisation issues that needs to be addressed by change. I have been able to learn and appreciate the need for planning change in an organisation (Green, 2007). At this point, one is able to determine the required change and also come up with the needed strategies that can help in implementing it. Change must have some challenges to those affected (Lewin, 2011). The needs of all members involved in implementing the change must be met. This implies that the manager is supposed to be aware of the staff needs and how to meet them before implementing change. From the group case study, I learned that as organisations grow pressure for change increases. For example, a new company may have less pressure for change than an existing organisation (Anderson & Ackerman, 2001). The group case study on les concierges shows how the rapid growth of an organisation led to changes. The organisation made several transformations in a period of five years. The organisation undertook large scale organisational changes due to its rapid development. The organisation character of the performance was changed in a great way. The leader has the critical role of managing change (Beerel, 2009). I learned that as a leader, one have to ensure that change is implemented to the last step. A leader is supposed to manage opinions and thoughts from all involved in implementing change. They have to keep track of all participants in the process of change. Change should be planned and carried out incrementally with all involved actively participating in it. As the leaders plan for change, they expect it to help in enhancing organisation effectiveness. The organisation caries out change with an aim to achieve action oriented goals. As we progressed with the semester, I learned the need for change readiness. An organisation is able to benefit from change if all those involved are collectively motivated and have the capability to carry out the change. There must be an existence of belief that change is needed. This means that if the staffs do not see the need for change, it becomes hard to implement it. The change is also supposed to be appropriate such that it can address the existing discrepancy and also have efficacy (Murthy, 2007). For change to be successful in an organisation, it has to be reinforced. For example, change can fail after being started due to lack of proper reinforcement. This is seen in instances where change is implemented but fails to deliver any results as it fades out after some time. I was able to appreciate the functions that can be put in place to ensure that the process of change takes place effectively. These are processes which ensure that there is continuity and in some instances are known as leadership functions. I was able to appreciate that support and reinforcement are the key components in successful change (Smith & Graetz, 2006). Change also occurs in instances where the organisation wants to move from old to new patterns. For example, a company may need to change their old operations and replace them with advanced ones due to changes in technology. An example is the group case study in which the company had to change from old to the new CRM database. This is a technological change that the company had to undertake. The organisation gave me a clear insight on the way in which change should be carried out. The employees have to share a common vision and see the need for moving from one system to the other. The organisation is thus supposed to make sure that they communicate the need for change in the organisation. This is a step that helps in preparing those involved and making sure that their ideas are aligned and integrated into change. I was able to learn the communication is always needed in the process of change. The importance of communication during change cannot be underrated. Use of wrong communication process during change can lead to failure of change taking place (Oztel & Hinz, 2001). As I progressed in change management, I learnt that change must have a clear vision. The managers must have a vision for the desired future. Through a clear vision, it is possible to determine what the leaders are doing. I was able to look at instances where lack of vision can lead to the origination failure and decline. Having the wrong vision can also lead to problems in a firm. A wrong vision pushes the organisation away from its core business values. I thus learned that the vision in place should be consistent with values of an organisation. A very important aspect I was able to learn during the course is the characteristics of effective vision. Effective vision should be imaginable, focused, desirable, flexible, feasible and communicable. A leader is supposed to develop the vision by working in close collaboration with others. This implies that the leader should understand the hopes and needs of others while coming up with a vision (Anderson & Ackerman, 2001). One of the important aspects that I learned about change in group case study is how successful change agents operate. I learned that they start by gaining insight into the organisation culture and power. For the change agents to be successful, they have to take the responsibility in resolving difficult challenges and have compelling reasons for change. They are supposed to ensure there is accountability over time. Overcoming resistance to change is a very important when implementing. This is why implementing change requires change agent. They are the champions for the change in an organisation. They are the main drive for change in an organisation and are not easily deterred from change. I learned that it is through change agents that it becomes possible to implement change (Murthy, 2007). When carrying out change in an organisation, resistance is evident. Change managers are faced with resistance as they deal with change in organisations. When there is resistance to change in an organisation, the management is supposed to understand that not everyone involved is on board (Green, 2007). The management is supposed to have skills which can resolve this. I was able to appreciate that for change to succeed, the organisation should first work in ensuring that all involved accepts it. It is important to note that it is normal for people to resist change in an organisation. I learned that showing resistance to change in an organisation should not always be taken as a sign of failure. In some cases, efficient functioning of change may rely on staff showing some degree of resistance. This occurs in instances where the employees resist defending their best working practices. If the employees have a feeling that they have control over change, there are high chances that it will work effectively. A very important part in change is educating those involved in change. The staffs are supposed to be taught in order to be aware of the logic for change. In order to be successful in educating on change, one is supposed to build trust in the organisation. I learned that communicating often and effectively is needed for one to make changes in an organisation. Communication should be made often due to the fact that the stress that accompanies change may hinder the message being delivered on time (Murthy, 2007). As one implement change in an organisation, it is important to know that change will be supported by those who feel to be part of it. This makes them hard to oppose it if they feel they are part of it. I was able to realise the importance of the opinion leaders in the organisation and their importance in persuading the staff. The opinion leaders can be turned into agents if the change proposed will be long lasting and critical (Oztel & Hinz, 2001). Change should be engineered in an appropriate way. This implies that change should be carried out in a way that allows the staff to make the transition to their new roles. The actions should be mostly focused on the changing the system than trying to change the employee. By changing the system, a point is reached where staff is encouraged to do their best (Schilling & Steensma, 2001). I learned that I am supposed to show the staff how to perform better in their new roles. The management should avoid pressuring the employees into their new roles since they may become intimidated. By stressing the staff, a change agent may lead to some of them concealing their resistance and reduce their enthusiasm (Murthy, 2007). One way to motivate staff towards change is by learning what they value (Murthy, 2007). The main issue is to enable the staff to reach the goal but the means of getting there is of less concern. I was able to see the need for those involved being given small wins through their progress. Once an employee is congratulated in their achievements as they progress, they are able to see their achievement and become more committed. When carrying out change, enforcement plays minimal role (Beerel, 2009). The options for enforcement are limited. This is due to fact that acts such as threats and coercing may only work for a limited time. A good example of change management that I looked at is IBM CEO when he wanted the company to start manufacturing personal computers. He spent most of the time ensuring that he communicated to the staff before implementing the change. He had to justify to focus groups within the company before making the change. This meant that there was less resistance by the employees. The end result was that the employees were very willing to adopt the changes (Oztel & Hinz, 2001). Evaluation is the last part in implementing change that is very vital. This is a step that helps one to determine whether change has been successfully implemented. Through evaluation, one is able to determine whether they are supposed to make improvements or not. This process involves asking questions that can determine whether the change was successful. I learned that this process should be carried out by all those who were involved in the process. Through this lesson, I learned that in most cases, change programmes fail to be properly evaluated. If all the staffs are involved in evaluations, it shows that they are committed to the organisations vision. I believe that having a strong model when implementing change is very critical. The management should also involve data based decision making in the process. This avoids shortfalls that are experienced when making changes. Change in most cases is not simple or straight forward and must conform to a certain formula. I was able to appreciate that the main aim of change management is to help those involved move through the process at a good pace. The employees are also able to benefit from effective change management (Kezar, 2000). As I looked at changes in several organisations, I was able to identify that there is need to consider organisation culture when implementing change. The change agents are supposed to ensure that they match their strategy with culture (Green, 2007). The change agents are supposed to be aware that they can work with the organisation culture and avoid struggle against it. As I look into the aspects of managing change, I realise that I need to be more concerned in building the individual capacity of those carrying out the change. Through ensuring that individuals in the team are well versed with change, I will have created a capable team which can carry out changes in the fast changing world. A good example is the adoption of technology. I once worked in a company that needed to adopt new technology. The management was keen on ensuring that they succeed in changing the way of working by introducing new technology. The main problem occurred due to the fact that the individuals to be involved were not well versed with change. The organisation had failed in building their capacity and hence they were less willing and had the low capability. At the end, the technology could not be implemented. I realised that people who are to be involved in change needs to be supported in order to ensure they are capable and committed. Training and support are of importance when coming up with team for change (Anderson & Ackerman, 2001). My current perspective on managing change has changed, I fully believe in ensuring that all individuals involved are well educated on change as its success will depend on them (Anderson & Ackerman, 2001). This is a fact that I learned on change management during the semester. At the end of the semester, I am able to appreciate the need to plan, manage, reinforce and evaluate change. The change agent is supposed to effect change in the best way possible that is meaningful. References Anderson, D & Ackerman-Anderson, L. S 2001, Beyond change management: Advanced strategies for today's transformational leaders. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer. Beerel, A. C 2009, Leadership and change management. Los Angeles: SAGE. Burke, W 2002, Organizational Change: Theory and Practice, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Green, M 2007, Change management masterclass: A step by step guide to successful change management. London: Kogan Page. Kezar, A 2000, Understanding and Facilitating Change in Higher Education in the 21st Century, Washington DC, Jossey-Bass. Lewin, D 2011, Change management, London, Henry Stewart Talks. Murthy, C. S 2007, Change management, Mumbai, India, Himalaya Pub. House Pvt. Ltd. Oztel, H & Hinz, O 2001, ‘Changing organizations with metaphors’, The Learning Organization, Vol.8, no.4, pp. 153-158. Schilling, M.A & Steensma, H 2001, ‘The use of modular organizational forms: an industry- level analysis’, Academy of Management Journal, Vol.44, no.6, pp. 1149-1168. Smith, A & Graetz, F 2006, ‘Organizing dualities and strategizing for change’, Strategic Change, Vol.15, no.1, pp. 231–239. Read More