The process of change is more often than not bound to receive a backlash from those that it targets. This is especially the case for an organization given the integral role that people play in running them. It is inherent in human beings to resist any form of change while being in favor of the status quo often due to the fear of unknown. As a result, most organizations fail not only due to resistance from employees but also the failure to put in place adequate preparations as well as the lack of proper communication. At the same time, change that is not efficiently implemented often results in catastrophic failure. Consequently, organizations that manage to undertake their change processes efficiently are able to expand their bottom line with ease. Therefore, it is important that any manager seeking to guide change in their organization prepares adequately by creating a conducive environment for the employees to be able to accept the change.
In order to facilitate a smooth transition, several change models have been advanced. A model is critical as it offers a precise definition of the steps required for an organization to achieve both its short and long-term goals with respect to change. The Lewin’s three stage model of change is often referred to as the unfreeze-change-refreeze model. The analogy he uses is christened in the shape of an ice block.
In the unfreezing stage, the organization undertakes preparations that are necessary to condition the employees so as to accept the change. It entails the manager building a compelling case as to why the change is necessary and how it would improve the bottom line as opposed to status quo. The traditional organizational beliefs are challenged. It is at this stage that the fear of the unknown is at its peak (Little, 2014).
The unfreezing process is followed by the intended change. It is at this point that the fears of the employees are debunked. They begin to embrace change and even seek to be part of providing new solutions. Ultimately, it is at this stage that the turnover of staff occurs for those that fail to toe the line and embrace change. The change is then followed by the process of refreezing. At this point, the benefits of the proposed change are evident. The new culture henceforth becomes an integral part of the organization. In order to cement the pace of change, it is important to undertake recognition schemes since apart from motivating the employees they also reinforce the acceptance of the new culture (Kotter, 1996).
However, the change curve model is perhaps more important in assisting managers to modify the responsiveness of the individuals under them to change. This is because the model offers an account of the personal transition of an individual rather than a wholesale look at the organization. It acts as an important benchmark for managers to analyze how individuals react to any form of change and how they can subsequently be assisted to make the impending transition seamless (Little, 2014).
The first stage of the model presupposes that due to the inherent nature of man is to pursue the status quo; an introduction to change will more often than not result in denial. As a result, this is a critical stage where managers should go out of their way to ensure that they communicate effectively on the impending change while taking care not to overburden them with information. It is at this point that the manager should seek to deal with any issues that may arise.
The second stage of the change curve model includes the desire to sabotage the proposed change out of fear or anger. It is at this stage that the probable impact of the change begins to sink in. It is critical to ensure that the stage is managed effectively to prevent the organization from descending into chaos. Furthermore, a successful resistance to change may in the long-run affect the organization’s performance. Communication remains critical even at this stage. The management must, therefore, be seen to be taking action to address the objections raised.
The third stage is exploration. In this stage, the change begins to gain some measure of acceptance. The employees begin to interrogate the impact of the change. It is important for the management to create incentives and time to ensure that the employees do not take to adopting the new change while under undue pressure to the extent that they have to sacrifice their own time and effort with no commensurate reward. Exploration is then followed by rebuilding the fourth stage in the change curve model.
At this point, individuals at the organization have come to the realization that the introduced changes are there to stay. They, therefore, find new ways of working to ensure that the change is successful and also to ensure that they fit into the new system. To reinforce the attitude of rebuilding, the management should (at this stage) focus on rewarding success while taking note of the benefits and lessons thereoff. However, the refreezing stage has been criticized as ineffective in the modern era given that change rather than being an event is a continuous process.
John Kotter’s eight-step process is also another approach to managing change within an organization. The ultimate aim of this model is to shape change along the lines of a political campaign such that the employees become persuaded of the need to accept to new ideas from their leadership. It seeks to raise the urgency for change, which centers on building a reliable pool of employees that can be trusted to implement the change.
Once the team has been created, a vision for the change is formed, which is ultimately passed on to the rest of the employees through communication. The success of any change is credited to creating short term goals and persistence. The model focuses on the perpetuity and acceptance of change rather than the change itself (Kotter, 1996). According to this model, planning is crucial if the intended change is to be effective.
The planning requires the adoption of a methodology. One such methodology is prosci, which is built in steps that an organization has to complete while in the process of change. The methodology entails three phases. The first phase includes preparations for the change. Preparations entail determining the scope of the change as well as providing a situational awareness assessment of the organization.
The second phase involves managing the change. Specific plans are developed, which are then transferred to a particular project in which the change is sought. The third phase involves reinforcing the change. This is especially because institutional memory tends to be short lived and the allure to return to the status quo is often tempting. Consequently, the phase aims to create an action plan that would ensure sustainability of the change in the long-term.
An aggregation of the propositions of the models reveals some common aspects which are important for managers if they are to effectively prepare for change. Some of the crucial points include the value of communication, ownership of the change process and the need to employ training to ensure the perpetuity of the change. During the course of change, it is important for managers to ensure that they maintain regular communication before and after the change process.
That involves creating awareness about the need for change as well as arousing interest among the employees in the anticipated change (Little, 2014). It is important that managers create a conducive environment to ensure that there are proper feedback mechanisms through which the employers can express their concerns. This is especially in appreciation that some of the concerns that might be raised could be potentially harmful to the character and standing of the particular employee. As a result, it would be prudent to ensure that the feedback mechanism also incorporates an element of confidentiality.
Over and above communication, it is important for the manager to not only own the change but also impart a similar sense of ownership to the employees as it helps boost morale. Ownership involves mapping out the change process and as a result, a timeline of the expected input and output should be clearly defined.
In creating a sense of ownership, communication is still critical as it would enable the manager to include the organization’s top leadership as well as junior staff. In the process, the manager should identify key individuals that would then act as the drivers of the proposed change to the rest of the workers (Little, 2014). Explaining the rationale for changing the institution’s culture is also helpful in the ownership process as the worker will not perceive the new ideas as having been imposed on them.
As part of the ownership process, developing a team approach would come in handy. Therefore, the process requires the manager to be pro-active in engaging with the workers that are most likely to be affected by the change and also those that might tend to be problematic. As alluded to under the change methodology, the process of change manifests itself through phases. The implementation also takes place in phases.
A wholesale imposition of change to employers might result in extra pressure for the employees, a common cause of staff turnover. For that reason, it is necessary that managers first prepare the employees for the change. Once the change kicks in, it should be effectively managed by ensuring proper implementation of the laid down plans that include but not limited to continued communication and a structural manner in which to deal with resistance. Some of the means that managers may use in dealing with resistance include clear and consistent communication and providing strong support to the employees to enable them to navigate the new environment.
Ultimately, establishing behavioral training is important in helping cope with the change process. It is a realization that change usually tends to alter long-established traditions in the work place; therefore, it would be self-defeating to expect that new skills that may be mandated by the change can be acquired over a short period (DesJardine, 2014). The training should be accompanied by incentives. Both short and long-term wins must be celebrated. At this point, individual and group recognition is important in order to cement the change. However, it is not merely enough that change is implemented; its progress must be continually monitored to assess its benefits and lessons.
Challenges are abound in the process of effecting change. Some of the challenges stem from the lack of a clear rationale for the change. Managers also face the challenge of integration. In the modern era, the workplace requires seamless interaction if new ideas are to be created and acted upon. Consequently, there is a need for people from different backgrounds to align and integrate if the social and technical components of the change are to be successful. Achieving such integration is not always easy. However, perhaps the biggest challenge that managers face is resistance. As expected, forces in support of the status quo often appear stronger due to deep vested interests. Therefore, the biggest impediment to change is internal culture push backs that prevent an organization from moving forward.
A good example of an organization that successfully engaged in the change process is Sanofi Canada. In 2012, the company experienced the need to move to new corporate headquarters. The management resorted to taking advantage of the move to effect a cultural change in the company. The change involved shifting from a closed plan office to an open plan office with the intention of creating a conducive environment for teamwork and creativity, which had been lacking before.
Mark DesJardine had just joined the company as its chief executive. The company embarked on a process of developing a one-year long change management plan headed by a steering committee whose main objective was to involve the staff to be moved in the process. It was important so as to ensure there was no backlash. Some of the staff members were taken on an exploratory visit to the proposed office complex to gauge its effectiveness. Once the shift was complete, a formal survey was launched among the employees to determine the level of satisfaction with 85% of them being satisfied. Staff turnover had also reduced when compared to the period before the change (DesJardine, 2014).
In the end, change will always attract a push back. It is therefore important that a manager that is seeking to initiate change looks for approaches that fit his or her organization. However, the bottom line is that having an effective communication strategy and the ability to create a sense of ownership in the change process among the employees is fundamental for a successful transition.
References
DesJardine, M., 2014. Leading employees through major organizational change | Ivey Business
Kotter, J, P., 1996. Leading Change. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School
Little, J., 2014. Lean Change Management: Innovative Practices For Managing Organizational
Change. Newyork: Happy Melly Express.
