Change Management vs Project Management - Essay Example

Abhudhay Dev www.academia-research.com Order 162036 3 April, 2007 Change Management- Its interrelation with Project Management IndexIntroduction to change management Introduction to project management Similarities between change management and project management Difference between change management and project management Introduction to change management : - The term change management refers to the changes that happen in an individual or group or any organization from current to the future stage. From change we mean the change in the behavior of any individual. From the business point of view change refers to change in strategy or change in new technology and if we talk about change in society is the change in policy or new legislation. Anyone one of this change requires the change in other factor that is they are interrelated. A new change always brings success if it is in new technology, improved behavior or any other good change. Change in an organization or group needs its members participation. Change management is all about managing change and making the change beneficial for everyone. The main field of changes are psychological, business and engineering. Thus with the study of change in organization it is also necessary to have knowledge about change in individual. Individual Change management : - Kurt Lewin proposed a model in which he described change in three stages. The first stage is of Unfreezing. This stage proposes the change which raze the general thinking of an individual. The second stage is the period of disarray in which how should we replace the current set up also comes into mind. The third stage is refreezing in which all changes are set and comfort level returns back to the original position. This was the last stage which refers that change also provides comfort in work and behavior. The other change model is presented by Kubler Ross. This model describes two stages one is personal and second is emotional. There is formula for change that is that a beneficial change occurs when organizational satisfaction is not good or future immediate change and these changes must have greater effect than the resistance of company to occur change. There are some points that results in successful change: - 1) Awareness :- The people should be aware of change that why it is needed and up to which level. 2) Desire :- It is a person's own desire to have change and to participate in it with enthusiasm and a new vision, 3) Knowledge :- How the change should be done and when, knowledge of these things is of utmost importance. The knowledge of these things helps in a beneficial change. 4) Ability :- Change is not so easy process, to implement change is a very tough job. How to implement new technology and new skills so as to gain maximum output. This ability should be there in a manager. Organizational Change Management :- To manage the change in technology and process and individual behavior on an organizational level is called organizational change management. To manage these terms with an individual behavior gives change in organization. Changes should be handled with great care. The management of these changes should be such that they do not cause any negative impact on the organization. All possible views are considered before making nay change. Types of changes in organization :- 1) Operational change :- These changes effect the ongoing operations of the organization. 2) Strategic change :- These are the changes related to the strategy of the business. 3) Cultural change :- These changes effect the working environment and change the organizational philosophy. 4) Political change :- These changes is due to some political change in job position that may vary. The recent model on which present business is divided into two types of changes :- 1) Micro changes 2) Mega changes 1) Micro changes :- Micro changes means the changes in the degree of organization. All the modifications, improvements, enhancements comes under this category. 2) Mega changes :- Mega changes is the change in kind. Implementing a new system, revision of existing system comes under this category. Project Management :- To manage the resources in such a way that they provide maximum output within required time and cost and complete the project is basically Project Management. A project is an effort to create a product that makes beneficial change or add some value to that change. The management of project is temporary and the management of process is permanent. To manage these two factors efficiently is called project management. Efficient project management requires to managing of requirement of project within provided constraints. To meet the objectives that includes money, space, people, resources is another major task of a project manager. Optimum use of resources and input should be obtained in output. Thus a project manager requires technical skills to handle the project. Project Manager :- Managing any project within provided objectives and meet the required constraints is the basic job of a project manager. A project manager makes well balance among each part of the project and minimize the chances of failure. He makes mutual interaction among the parties handling the project. Keeping in mind various important points like cost consideration, resources available and managing them requires basic knowledge of the project. To deal with client and understanding his requirements and successfully manage that project so as to obtain the desired product is very complex. An efficient manager has the skills to mange this complex task and make it easier to the team members. A project manager should have knowledge of all the fields and to successfully manage the project from starting to end. There are mainly three things that a project manager should be aware of :- 1) Time 2) Scope 3) Cost 1) Time :- Before starting the project the whole task is divided and provide certain fixed time for each part so as to minimize the working the working time. This is only factor that is estimated and has more value than any other constraint. 2) Scope :- Scope refers to the quality of the final project. The time and the other input resources provide a base for the quality of output product. 3) Cost :- Cost gives the basic idea of the level of project. It includes basic considerations like labor rate, material cost, equipments and profit. To manage these all factors should be done efficiently so as to keep well balance among the parties. Some duties of project manager are planning of objectives, analysis of objectives, estimating resources and time and cost of the project, calculating risk factor, organizing the task, dividing task into parts and assigning them to various groups, marking the progress, analyzing the output related to input given, defining the future aspects of the product, managing quality of the product and many more. A project manager should have some skills and those are leadership, should work in a team, should have good knowledge of current affairs and changes. Managing a project is done in stages. The first stage is initiation of project, the second stage is planning and designing of project and the third stage is ending and maintenance of project. This stage basically categorizes the nature of project that whether it is big, small or medium. If the project is initialized properly it will be proceeded in successful way but if initiation of the project is improper it is likely that it will create some problems in the future that may increase the risk factor. To study the kind of project and analyze it is the basic initial step towards the starting of project. After proper initiation of project the second stage is well planning and designing of project. First the big project is divided into small parts and then assign it to certain group of people. Then the sample product is made and tested and proved to meet the objectives. It is observed that the sample product meets the objectives within the cost and designed according to the needs of customer or not. The third stage is the ending and maintenance of project. The ending part of project includes the administrative work that is its registration and archiving of files. All the documentary work included in the ending stage. This stage also includes the maintenance of project. To update the software, correction of errors and other problems of user in future. Similarity between change management and project management : - 1) Whenever any project is assigned to any company, the company design some strategy to accomplish the project. Similarly the change is managed according to the project. 2) The manager when efficiently manages the change is beneficial for the organization. Similarly the project when handled a beneficial change must be done. 3) A project manager should be equally good with both field project handling and change management. 4) The change in any organization should be done with great care so that it gives advantageous output. In project management risk factor is taken into consideration. 5) A manager should manage the change in such a way that not even a individual may get deviated similarly a project manager should balance all the parties. 6) Change in new technology affects the organization and save time. New technology in project management helps to complete the project before the estimated time. 7) In both the management the behavior of individual in a group is of utmost importance. 8) Time management , resource management, energy management is considered in both fields of organization. Difference between project management and change management :- 1) Change management is considered to the whole organization while project management is related to only those who are related to a particular project not to the whole organization. 2) Improper handling of project may cause failure of project but if change in any organization is not handled properly it causes loss to the organization and may even cause collapse of the organization. 3) Change management includes the political change also but political change does not affect the project management. 4) Technological change may sometime feel the old members very difficult to manage it while technological change in a project is always beneficial. 5) Change in each field is considered before managing it but in project management the task is divided into parts and results are taken as a whole. 6) The main aim of project management is to attain the objective within constraints while the change management aim is to stabilize the change in an organization. Duty of a project manager :- A project manager should also have some knowledge of handling the change. This change may be technological, resource or money related. If he can efficiently manage the change then he can have better planning and estimate the future trend of the final product. A manager needs these basic qualities to manage change. If a project manger have knowledge about change management he can well design the project in such a way that changes may not affect much on its production in any way. How to make the optimum use of change in completing the project easily and within estimated time is the major concern of project manager. Change in the behavior of individual so that no conflict is generated among the group members is also a point of consideration for a project manager. A manager should have the knowledge of taking maximum output from an individual and to use his skills properly. The project undertaken has how much degree of change appear in future should be within the knowledge of manager. He should be well known of each part of organization and plan the strategy according to the change. Minimizing the risk and maximizing the stability are the duties of manager. The environment of workplace should be such that it should not be uncomfortable to any individual. An individual will give his maximum efficiency only when his working environment is according to his comfort. It should also be under the knowledge of manager that how this change affects the process, behavior and work style of any individual. When the change is needed and where should be known by him so as to make the change beneficial to individual as well as to the organization. The change in any process should not be very long so that it causes the depreciation in its final cost but should be such that profit can be obtained out of it. Changes in any process is done by observing the reason and estimating the future effect of it. Reference:- 1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change_Management 2) http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgiartid=61464 3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management 4) http://jobfunctions.bnet.com/whitepaper.aspxdocid=267579 5) http://www.innovation.cc/discussion-papers/change-management.htm Read More