Change is the new “cool” for businesses, but it is crucial for businesses in the technology sector to embrace the element of change more than any other business. Various change models have been developed that help companies move through their change process smoothly. However, every company might prefer a different model based on its individual circumstances. Three of the models that will be discussed in this paper are; Lewin model, Kotter’s eight steps, and the five steps of action research.
The Lewin model deals with three major stages of; unfreezing, changing, and refreezing. The idea of unfreezing aims to illustrate that people need to let go off strongly held beliefs and values. In other words, people need to have a clear mind similar to a clean slate and then in the changing stage people are expected to absorb the new methodology and course of action. It is at the refreezing stage that the change becomes strongly embedded within the employees mindsets and becomes a critical part of their work culture and practices.
Kotter’s eight steps include; creation of urgency, formation of a powerful coalition, creation for a change vision, communication of vision, removal of obstacles, creation of short-term wins, building on change, and anchoring change in the corporate culture. These eight steps can be considered a more extensive version of the Lewin model, but Kotter’s ideology of change is more of an on-going process rather than a one-time process.
Action research typically talks about what will be the course taken to attain a particular result. The five steps of this process are; problem identification, development of action plan, data collection, data analysis, a future action plan. These five steps if followed may be one way to achieve the expected change.
For companies in the technological sector, things work slightly differently than any other industry. Change is expected to occur on a regular basis, and only those organizations that are able to keep up with these changes are able to flourish in the market. For instance; Google and Apple have been able to keep up with the fast pace change of the industry and are thus undoubtedly the market leaders. Microsoft, on the other hand, has been slow in keeping up with these changes because of which it now lags behind and there is a lot of work left for Satya Nadella in order to bring the company at par with its competitors. Keeping into view the industry trends and Microsoft’s current position the Kotter’s model will be most suitable for the company.
The Kotter’s model has been selected as most suitable because it will instill within the employees the immediate need for change and the consequences of not changing will also be explained. After the acquisition of Nokia, the number of employed individuals had increased at Microsoft and Nadella was considering job cuts (Ovide, 2014). If people resist to change they would know they would be let go; hence, the need to change might be taken more generously. Microsoft has stuck with its PC technology for a long time now, and this has not worked to their benefit given the changing trends of the industry. The Kotter’s model can be used to transmit this industry vision within the company and Nadella can achieve what he is aiming to achieve. I believe that the Kotter’s model incorporates the element of building the notion of change within itself and this is extremely important in order to ensure that people are ready for this element of change in the future as well.
In order for Nadella to bring about the wanted change as suggested earlier the Kotter model will be a suitable option. In the first step Nadella can create urgency for the proposed change to be implemented at the earliest. This can be done if Nadella is able to show that if this change doesn’t happen where the company can end up. The opportunities in other areas of expertise can also be elucidated to help give the employees a clearer vision of what is required of them. Moreover, a culture where discussion is encouraged should be promoted to make sure ideas are generated and employees feel involved. In the second step, Nadella with the help of management need to identify groups that will be responsible for initiating change. These groups should be influential because they will be able to convince their peers to embrace the change and accept the new ways of working with a new set of thinking. Adding on, employees are more willing to accept what their colleagues tell them as compared to their supervisors.
The vision for change or, in other words, the third step of Kotter’s model expects the leadership of the organization to be able to visualize where they want to see the company. Nadella can set out a benchmark so that employees know where the organization is headed. This change vision will not be easy to incorporate because of which Kotter brings in the fourth stage where all queries and concerns will be answered. The supervisors should be so well-versed with the changed vision that they are able to satisfy all employee concerns, and this will make employees more open to accepting change.
The fifth stage is very crucial and involves the management to identify what the obstacles are in making change possible. People who are specifically resistant to change should be dealt with individually by their supervisors or managers. Moreover, people who are receptive to change and willing to accept it positively should be appreciated openly and set as an example for others to follow. Small-scale projects that can be implemented on this changed ideology should be encouraged so that people can see the positive results the change will bring about. It is here in the sixth step that any major flaws about the changed ideology can be dealt with and addressed before implementing it on the entire organization. Any improvements to the plan can also be made at this stage.
In the seventh stage, Nadella can disclose the positives of the change that has been implemented. Future goals can be set based on the achievements of this victory and similar to the previous stage if goals are not met adequately then reasons can be deciphered for future corrections. Lastly, these changes need to be embedded in the corporate culture so that people get used to the element of change. Being in the tech industry, it is essential for employees to be open to change, and Nadella needs to incorporate in the company’s culture to ensure future expeditions are not as tough.
Reference
OVIDE, S. (2014, July 10). Microsoft CEO Nadella Hints at Organizational Changes. Retrieved June 30, 2015, from http://www.wsj.com/articles/microsoft-ceo-nadella-hints-at-organizational-changes-1405003356
