Change involves the introduction of a new system, idea or activity. This may often include the introduction of a new methodology or strategy that may cause discomfort in an organization. Change is not instinctual, as at happens through a process. It occurs in clearly defined phases that involve planning for the change, executing it and acceptance of the new situation and circumstances in the organization (Bennis, 2003). This paper explores the idea of change in light of the phases involves and the challenge of unsuccessfully introducing change in an organization.
Communicating change in an organization essentially happens through three major steps. The first step is unmasking of the old culture in the organization. This stage is mainly referred to as the resistance stage as it involves fighting against the old culture in the organization (Langley et al, 2013). Many people resist the change; hence, the promoter of the change must convince them against the old culture and the importance of the new culture. After unmasking, the change is introduced and managed in the organization. Management of change in an organization involves sustaining the change and ensuring that people do not focus so much on the old culture. After the change has been embraced, there is the need of working towards sustaining the new culture. Paying attention to each of these steps is essential people may stick to the old culture and fail to embrace a change successfully if any of these steps fails.
My experience with change is both positive and negative. During my internship, I tried to introduce change to improve clients’ relations in the organization. However, I failed to attain my objectives as individuals failed to change. My proposal included advising the organization to start sponsoring employees for increased networking with the clients’ institutions. This would have sizably increase the client base and make it easy to win tenders and relationship sponsorships from the clients. The change was in line with the organization’s mission that aimed at developing advanced sales and marketing levels through interactions with clients. This change provided an extra avenue for the organization to interact with clients. In this way, the employees and management of the organization would interact with the clients not only as business partners, but also as people who shared cultures and business models.
It is apparent that change is dynamic, and people tend to resist it when introduced. However, strategic introduction and management of the change can enhance successful adoption of the proposed new idea. Particularly, when instituting a change in an organization, one should pay attention to the subsequent important steps that include unmasking, introduction, and sustaining the change.
References
Bennis, W. (2003). On becoming a leader. Cambridge, MA: Basic Books.
Langley, A., Smallman, C., Tsoukas, H., & Van De Ven, A. H. (2013). Process Studies of Change in Organization and Management: Unveiling Temporality, Activity, and Flow. Academy Of Management Journal, 56(1), 1-13.
