Introduction
The world has become highly dynamic. Therefore, organization face the constant need to change to adapt to both changes in the external and internal environment. Organizations devote a lot of resources to spearhead change. However, the majority of change initiatives are often unsuccessful. Ken Blanchard, in his book ‘Who Killed Change’ creatively explores the subject of organizational change using symbolism. The main character of the book, Agent Mike McNally, plays the role of a detective investigating a murder of change (Blanchard, 2009). Through the eyes of the detective, the author provides insights of various aspects that inhibit change. All the other thirteen characters in the book represent employees in an organization. The agent separately interviews all the thirteen characters, and each interview gives insight on various aspects of organizational change that the author is discussing. This paper seeks to view the different aspects of change in organizations based on the book.
Key Lessons
The first chapter discusses culture. Culture is the beliefs, predominant attitudes or behavioral patterns in an organization (Blanchard, 2009). The change initiative should reflect the values and culture of the organization for it to be successful. The second chapter discusses commitment. The motivation and zeal of employees to pursue the change initiatives is essential for their success. Organizations should communicate the need for change and the changes introduced so that staff not only appreciate it but also feel part of it. The third chapter discusses sponsorship. Change requires a commitment of resources based on an assessment for it to be successful. The resources are in terms of human capital, financial resources, and finances. The fourth chapter discuses change leadership team. Change requires that the organization should have a team who spearheads the change and communicates. The fifth chapter discusses communication. Change requires that every person understands the need for it, how it will be implemented, their role and how it will affect them. It is only possible with proper communication structures. The sixth chapter discusses urgency. The urgent need for change needs to be explained to employees. The seventh chapter discusses vision. Management needs to paint not only a clear picture but one that is compelling to convince all the employees of the need for change for it to be supported. The eight chapter discusses a plan. A plan allows the organization to prioritize and focus on the most pressing aspects. Besides, it enables it to project possible hiccups and identify solutions before they arise. The ninth chapter discusses the budget. Change should be analyzed regarding ROI. Change should only be pursued if there is a positive financial return since it requires resource commitment. The tenth chapter discusses trainer. Employees need to be trained in their new roles and given new skills that match the change initiated. The eleventh chapter discusses incentives. Invectives create motivation to pursue the change initiatives. The twelfth chapter discusses performance management. Performance management allows the organization to measure track progress in the pursuit of the new goals (Blanchard, 2009). The feedback allows for timely corrective actions in case of deviation. The thirteenth chapter discusses accountability. It ensures that everyone executes their role as planned.
Conclusion
All the thirteen aspects are essential is ensuring successful change initiatives. Most of the aspects are interrelated and cannot be pursued in isolation. For instance, vision determines the goals that are used as a yardstick for performance measurement. Similarly, communication is necessary for almost all the aspects that have been discussed. Therefore, the success of a project is a joint function of all the thirteen elements.
References
Blanchard, K. (2009). Who Killed Change? New York: Harper Collins.
