Change Management is One of the Toughest Tasks
Managing Change is Unavoidable in this Age of Technology Progress
Sep 12, 2009
The change process involves changing the ways things are done presently, with which employees have become comfortable with. Any proposal to change these ways will typically create a great deal of discomfort and resistance. This is one of the toughest challengers change managers have to tackle.
The Change Strategy
Change is inevitable to retain business competitiveness in an environment of increasing competition and fast technology changes. It is the top management's responsibility to monitor trends in the environment and detect the need and kinds of changes early.
In addition to changes called for by major environmental changes, it is almost always possible to change existing practices and achieve cost reductions. Such cost reductions become critical when competition increases. The changes can be dramatic when new technology has made it possible to achieve the same results in very different ways and at much lower costs.
Existing ways of doing things have become familiar to employees and they know what to expect. When changes are proposed, employees typically tend to resist them primarily because they don't know what to expect in the changed scenario. There will also be the problem of acquiring new skills if existing skills are inadequate.
The typical way resistance to change is tackled is by involving affected people in deciding to change. An effective approach is:
- Make the employees feel that existing situation cannot continue. Explain why change has become necessary. Make employees feel dissatisfied with what they will get if things continue as they are.
- Present the prospects if things are changed. Create a vision of the future possibilities if the company can adapt to the changing environment. If employees feel that there is a realistic possibility of achieving great results by making the changes, they will accept these more willingly.
- Indicate some specific changes and actions that will take place immediately and show how these will start the process of reaching the vision. Immediate and specific actions have great tactical value. It will also clearly show how changes are likely to be made and what impact they can have.
The above is only the start, the essential step to prepare people for change. The change itself must:
- Be analyzed and planned in advance in full detail, showing how the organization will reach the desired state from the current situation
- Communicated as indicated above in a strategic manner so that acceptance of affected people is gained
- Implemented along project management lines in a systematic manner through a prioritized sequence of steps
- Followed through and reinforced till the new ways are institutionalized and become normal ways of doing things
Change Leadership
Managing change is one task that calls for strong leaders. Such leaders will:
- Explain why the proposed changes have become critical
- Illustrate the alternatives that are available in the current situation
- Show how the proposed changes help the organization move towards its mission
- Discuss the impact the changes will have on the organization and employees
While the process of involving affected people in approving the changes is ideal, it is not always possible. For example, mergers and acquisitions are not discussed in advance except among the top managers. In such a situation, robust communications from strong change leaders become even more critical.
The Change Management Process
Despite all the researches and models, change is still a difficult and far from smooth process. Numerous theories and models have been developed, stressing different aspects. Human psychology is such that constant change is something that creates stress.
Communication management is another major problem. The same communication can come across quite differently to different individuals with different sets of beliefs. It needs superb communicators to overcome this problem and communicate their message in a way that all people will understand.
As a consequence, change management theories have strayed into such esoteric areas such as Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Gestalt psychology. For managers, the practical approach is to use the Gleicher's Formula for Change:
- Create dissatisfaction with current situation
- Explain what is achievable by making proposed changes, in convincing and enthusiasm-generating detail, and
- Show what is involved by indicating some immediate actions that will start the process
Change management is inevitable as the business environment, including technological possibilities and competition, are constantly changing. Managing changes involve asking people to act in ways different from those they have become accustomed to. This is a difficult challenge as people tend to fear and resist change. Several structured approaches have been developed to tackle the challenge.
 |
