Implementing Change in an Organization
Abstract
There is much information which different people convey about the best methods and changes which can improve the management of an organization. There are various steps which an organization needs to implement so that they ensure that they quickly achieve the changes. The changes should have an impact which is positive and sustainable. This paper will explain some reasons why management change is important in an organization.it will also highlight the plans which Hewitt Associates should incorporate so as to bring the necessary changes. The paper will also analyze the measure which Hewitt needs to continue with its normal business operation. It is imperative for the company to know how to assign those changes regarding top-down arrangements and management process. The structures prompt the application of Hewitt’s consulting group and outsourcing. Utilizing Kotter’s eight-step approach can help Hewitt Associates successfully implement the changes. The company will also understand various perspectives on the strategies of change.
Key Words: Change, Kotter’s 8-step approach, organization, corporation, implementation, strategy
Implementing Change in an Organization
Introduction
Change is a continuous process in different organizations. There are many factors which can influence an organization to have various changes (Alvesson, & Sveningsson, 2015). Managers have the sole responsibility of preparing the company and also its employees to cope well with the changes. Ever company irrespective of the field in which it is operating in should work towards adopting new principles and guidelines in a proper way of managing the changes (Harigopal, 2006). This paper endeavors to highlight an organization, diagnosing its need for change and using the Kotter’s 8 –Step Approach it will present a clear plan for transforming the company. The paper will address the following subtopics, the company’s overview, and diagnosis of the company, Kotter’s 8-step Approach and finally the conclusion. The company that the paper will focus on is Hewitt Associates.
There have been rapid changes in the business environments, especially in the organizational functions. Numerous organizations in the past years have undergone changes in the environments under which they operate but despite this changes they are still stable. The changes that these organizations face have had an influence on the business’s operation and activities (Harigopal, 2006).The competitive forces which are as a result of globalization, irregular technological changes, and deregulation have had an impact on many organizations thus making them have a reflection on different strategies of drastic changes as a way of surviving and growing. The most significant change which firms need to address is their operating environment.
Hewitt Associates have come up with specific measures which seek to give new solutions to different companies for seventy years. The organizations that they are offering the help are striving to find a resolution to their challenging maintenance for the compensation of their employees. Across the globe, Hewitt Associates has approximately twenty-three thousand employees, and the firm operates in thirty countries. According to the Hewitt Associates LLC (2010), the head office of the corporation is in Lincolnshire Illinois, and it is commonly known as the Northern Conurbations of Chicago. The firm is happy of structuring very practical expansive values to the potential customers. The corporation organizes a collection of talents of various associates so that they can easily accommodate the business environment requirement of their customers and they offer solid quality reasons for exemplary operations. The principles under which it operates include honesty and integrity for the successful interaction between the clients and the staff.
The organization offers an excellent environment to its employees so that they can easily carry out their duties and deliver quality results. It also focuses on first prioritizing their clients above everything. Hewitt Associates encourages the aspect of teamwork among its workers. The organization has had a blend of the entrance of their local and international organizational principles so as to adapt easily to their customers and workers as it is a fortune 500 organization. It focuses on the value of maintaining the highest rank in the marketplace’s sector for health transformation reimbursement packages for its clients, executives, and the superannuation reform.
The key section in Hewitt Associates is the Human Resource consulting because it has a significant role in ensuring that the customer-company relationship is stable is a basis of reliability. They ensure that all the data that the clients receive for their operational standards on their day to day basis is precise. The company ensures that it adheres to all the set rules so that it can guarantee a proper structuring of their Human resource consulting principles which have a basis of the client’s safety (Hewitt Associates LLC, 2010). The structure of the corporation consists of two different HR resolutions. The two join forces on the needs of the client so that they can be a successful entity in the market’s segment. For example, Hewitt has an implementation of the HR consulting sections and the HR outsourcing.
Diagnosis
There are various reasons for implementing changes at Hewitt Associates. Employees of Hewitt Associates have a feeling that they are made to work long hours, but they do not manage to accomplish everything within those hours. The face numerous workload and a lot of stress during the working days. The employees believe that there is a workload on their side, and there have been various reports on low morale. A huge number of employees are experiencing psychological and physical problems which are increasing absenteeism from work and in return, there is a reduction in the productivity (Hewitt Associates LLC, 2010).
Hewitt Associates are facing different problems because many employees have a plan for quitting from working in the corporation. The company may experience a high turnover in the extra costs of hiring and training new workers (Hewitt Associates LLC, 2010).There has been an exemplary growth in the company’s sales, but the performance regarding its profits is low. Despite the fact that the sales department has a record of the increase in sales, there lacks an indication of the gains in the profits. The scenario of the increase in sales, but a flat in the profits can increase the workload among the sales employees. The company is losing a lot of finances, but it does not have an idea about the underlying problem so that they can make the necessary rectifications.
There is a lack of understanding among Hewitt’s employees on the issues which pertain to the direction of the organization. There is a raising concern from the employees about the identity of the company. The workers blame the upper management for not disclosing the company’s the company’s vital information. There is a breakdown in the company’s communication system. Employees are likely to be very anxious when there is a lack of adequate information on the company. The employee’s responses portray anxiety which is resulting from the tactics which the management is implementing in the name of creating change. The company has come up with new ideas which could make their business operations to move slowly with many billion dollar clienteles at its disposal. They will execute the changes to the whole company that is, from the HR consulting, HR outsourcing and the client support. There is also an implementation of changes in the Business Technology and the Executive Management teams (Hewitt Associates LLC, 2010).
The main problem which has an association with this change has a significant impact on the domestic associates as well as the international business. External factors like the press and clients have made Hewitt to change strategies in its operations. The organization uses change management and human resource organization strategies. The strategies enable the company to enhance the transformational impacts as they will integrate it to the firm. After introducing the tactical modifications, the corporate can gather the workers and inform them on whether the changes that they plan to implement will directly affect them. The employees have sufficient information about Hewitt Association’s need for change and the time that they will apply these changes. Hewitt Association has given its employees assurance that they will get weekly updates, and they will also ensure that the employees are free to give their response.
The necessity for transformation within the company can become the foundation of an effective and efficient governance to easily pursue the targets. Hewitt Company will employ fresh managers who will have a role in implementing the changes in a remarkable way once they initiate the project. The new manager will have a role of being in charge of Hewitt’s Business Intelligence Processing Group. The manager will supervise specific changes which the company plans to implement within a given period. The organization’s management will examine OPM, which is the problematic issue, and they will do it after restricting the business Intelligence Processing Group. The strategy will assist the firm in receiving feedback from different departments without having any complications. The leader that they will appoint has confidence in making supreme application of “the ten ideologies that a commendable leader possesses” that has a root from the firm (Hewitt Associates LLC, 2010).
Kotter’s 8-Step Approach
Hewitt Associate’s administration has a plan to initiating plan about various organizational change. These changes directly affect a particular group of people who are getting difficulties in adapting to those changes. The company has a plan of breaking down communications in the firm, something that will make the employees witness different outcomes. John Kotter is the proponent of the theory of change in an organization, and it has an emphasis on leadership and change management. Kotter developed the eight steps which can propel the business towards achieving the greatest outcomes starting with modifications in the administration (Lawrence, Dyck, & Mauws, 2006). In Hewitt Associates’ scenario, the application of this ideal can have a significant help to the enterprise in averting the opposition that the clients and employees can portray. It can also have an opportunity of implementing fruitful changes.
Formation of Urgency
It is a paramount method in this theory. If an organization has a want of implementing any modification, other organizations should be aware of what that company wants and needs to achieve. For example, in the case of Hewitt Associations, the creation of urgency will assist the management in letting vital information get to the associates and employees. The information that they distribute will concern the current situation in the company.
Formation of guiding coalition which is powerful
Change in any place, usually starts with one or two individuals, and then it goes further to involve many parties. Those people should, in turn, believe that the change that they plan to execute is relevant. The employees of Hewitt Association poses different skills and reputations. By bringing the employees together, the organizations will be able to achieve more ideas from their different sense of urgencies. The company should always involve the person who initiates the change in the organization (Stamm, 2012).Hewitt Associations can practice this approach by meeting with its employees so that they can discuss things that can necessitate the process of change. The meeting can resolve various issues such as sacking employees.
Create Vision
For any change to be successful, it has to depend on communicating prospects to the employees, customers, and the stakeholders. Vision can help the firm in elucidating proper direction which they need to follow (Chapman, 2002). The company has to focus on its mission and vision as the first approach. Implementing the mission statement will make the customers embrace new ideas. The company’s mission statement is “Keep Clients First by examining every business decision to test how to enhance and protect their relationship with the clients” (Hewitt Associates LLC, 2010). The firm should modify its strategy, value statement, vision, and mission which aims at encouraging the staffs.
Authorizing others to be part of the vision
The organization should put aside the obstacle which is likely to hinder their progress. It needs to change systems and structures which have the potential of undermining the current vision. Hewitt will encourage risk taking and non-traditional activities, actions, and ideas (Harigopal, 2006).
Communicate the Vision
Using appropriate means to convey messages about the new vision and strategies is key. Teaching new behaviors can at as a guiding coalition. It can apply to a group which is at a point of trailing to transformation. In addition, it is substantial in situations whereby individuals or crowds possess the power of counterattacking several changes (Stamm, 2012).The approach can be applicable when Hewitt employees find the change unnecessary.
Planning and creation from short-term wins
For any plan for a change, it is effective to have a strategy for improvement in performance terms. The firm will adapt to the changes without any difficulties if they create improvements and reward its employees according to their performance. In reference to Hewitt, those employees that enthusiastically participate in giving opportunities for faultless transformation should receive morale as asserted by Stamm (2012).
Institutionalizing novel tactics
This step defines insufficient info with a combination of the firm’s analysis about what employees of a certain organization receive (Chapman, 2002). Development is essential in ensuring that they acquire the means through development and succession. The behaviors that employees have a link to organizational success.
Consolidate Improvements
The step entails changes which are expensive to run and that require complex skills. Hewitt needs to promote employees who have exemplary performance, and also they should hire more employees. The company will refresh the transformation procedure with fresh developments, agents of change, and themes (Stamm, 2012).
Conclusion
The paper has given an elaboration of different organizational changes which should take place in Hewitt Associates. There is an explanation about the reasons for implementing the change in Hewitt so as to ensure that there is a smooth operation which can reduce the company’s stressful working conditions. Organizational change is very significant because there has been the tendency of rapid deployment. By making the changes, the company will be able to define its target markets, which can result in successful ways of getting results which are better. The corporate needs to integrate Kotter’s methodology as it offers a noble setting for the transformation in Hewitt Associate’s management process.
References
Alvesson, M., & Sveningsson, S. (2015). Changing organizational culture: Cultural change work in progress. Routledge.
Chapman, J. A. (2002). A framework for transformational change in organizations. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 23(1), 16-25.
Harigopal, K. (2006). Management of organizational change: Leveraging transformation. SAGE.
Hewitt Associates LLC. (2010). About Hewitt. Retrieved July 7th, 2016, from Hewitt
Associates:http://www.hewittassociates.com/Intl/NA/enUS/AboutHewitt/WhoWeAe
Lawrence, T.B., Dyck, B., & Mauws, M.K. (2006). The underlying structure of continuous change. MIT Sloan Management Review, 47(4), 59-66.
Stamm, P. (2012). Change Management: The Analysis of Kotter’s eight steps. Munchen: Verlag
