ETHIOPIAN ROAD ADMINSTRATION

CHANGE MANAGEMENT TRAINING

MODULE

Developed by: Ethiopian Management

Institute

May, 2023
Research
Addis Ababa

Consultancy Training
 Change Management Training Manual

Ser. Contents Page

No
BACK GROUND OF THE TRAINING.............................................................................1
Rational of the training........................................................................................................1
1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................2
1.1 Purpose of the Training:........................................................................................2
1.2 General objective of the training...........................................................................3
1.2.1 Specific objectives of the Training.............................................................3
1.2.2 An Overview of the Training......................................................................3
LIST of Modules..........................................................................................................4
PART ONE (PROFICIENCY LEVEL ONE).....................................................................5
CHANGE MANAGEMENT OFFICIER............................................................................5
1. Concept of Change Management.................................................................................5
1.1 ∆ Definition...........................................................................................................6
1.2 Benefits of Change Management..........................................................................6
1.3 Basic Principles of Successful Change Management...........................................7
1.4 Purpose of Change................................................................................................8
2. Factors that cause change............................................................................................9
3. Types of Change........................................................................................................12
4. Elements of change management..............................................................................15
5. Change Impact & Readiness......................................................................................16
6. Training......................................................................................................................17
7. Organizational Design...............................................................................................17
PART TWO (PROFICIENCY LEVEL TWO).................................................................19
SENIOR CHANGE MANAGEMENT OFFICE..............................................................19
1. Basic steps in change management............................................................................19
1.1 Eight Essential Steps for an Effective Change Management Process................20
1.2 Identify what will be improved...........................................................................20
1.3 Present a Solid Business Case to Stakeholders...................................................21
1.4 Plan for the Change.............................................................................................21
1.5 Provide Resources and Use Data for Evaluation................................................21
1.6 Communication...................................................................................................21
1.7 Monitor and Manage Resistance, Dependencies, and Budgeting Risks.............22
1.8 Celebrate Success................................................................................................22

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1.9 Review, Revise and Continuously Improve........................................................22

2. Kotter's 8-Step Change Model...................................................................................22
3. Eight Steps for starting a bottom-up revolution........................................................27
4. Who is Change Agent?..............................................................................................29
5. Setting appropriate direction to change.....................................................................34
 Communication during change process.....................................................................38
5.1 What is Change Management Communication..................................................38
5.2 The importance of internal communication during change management...........38
5.3 Change Management and Communication Follow Similar Processes...............39
5.4 Creating a Change Communication Plan............................................................40
5.5 In Conclusion......................................................................................................46
6. Resistance To Change And Gaining Support............................................................47
6.1 Reasons for resistance.........................................................................................47
6.2 Managing Resistance to Change.........................................................................48
6.3 Methods for dealing with resistance to change...................................................51
6.4 Understanding Individual Dynamics..................................................................52
6.5 Accelerating Change and Gaining Support.........................................................54
7. Managing cultural change..........................................................................................56
7.1 What Is Cultural Change in an Organization?..............................................56
7.2 What Motivates a Shift in Organizations?.....................................................57
8. Managing the stress caused by change......................................................................58
8.1 Effects of Organizational Change......................................................................59
8.2 Challenges to Work Relationships During Transition......................................60
8.3 How organizations can better manage organizational change to reduce stress
61
9. Change Performance Management............................................................................63
9.1 Choosing the Right Metrics for Organization Change Assessment....................63
9.2 Measuring Organization Change: the Big Picture..............................................63
PART THREE (PROFICIENCY LEVEL THREE)..........................................................65
LEAD CHANGE MANAGEMENT OFFICER................................................................65
1. Effective Leadership for Change...............................................................................65
1.1 Importance..........................................................................................................66
1.2 Leadership and Vision........................................................................................67
1.3 Understanding the ‘followers’ – Understanding the Human Dimension of
Change...........................................................................................................................67

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2. Changing Culture and Leadership.............................................................................69

3. Communication during Change.................................................................................70
4. Sustaining Organizational Change............................................................................72
4.1 Introduction.........................................................................................................72
4.2 Change Management as a Strategic Issue...........................................................72
4.3 Why is it Important?...........................................................................................73
4.4 Critical Success Factors......................................................................................73
4.5 Components of a Change Management Strategy................................................74
4.6 Organizational Change – Managing the Human Side.........................................75
4.7 Key Elements of Successful Organizational Change..........................................76
4.8 A Learning Organization....................................................................................77

 REFERENCES......................................................................................................79

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BACK GROUND OF THE TRAINING

The environment in which most organizations operate today is continuously changing,
and the rate of change is accelerating. Looking back only ten or fifteen years, one can see
tremendous change: this means that change is all around us and is occurring more and
more rapidly. It demands the attention of every citizen, employee, executives, every
organization and each country that wants to survive.

Every organization must change not only to survive, but also to retain its relevance in a
world of intense competition, constant scientific progress, and rapid communication. But
in order for change to bring a benefit and advance an organization to a higher level of
service and operation, that change must be driven by knowledge.

Organizations need to be flexible and innovative in the ways in which they deal with the
unfamiliar situations they often find themselves in. We are in a time of great change. The
reality of yesterday proves wrong today, and nobody really knows what will be the truth
tomorrow. The steadily increasing complexity of the world is asking too much of us.
How can we - as individuals, as well as organizations, prepare ourselves for an uncertain
future?

Through creating our own future, Change management means empowering organizations
and individuals for taking over their responsibility for their own future. It is about
creating the future and making responsible to answer the demand of stakeholders so that
every organization survives in this uncertain and flexible world.

Rational of the training

The training creates capacity for organizations to adapt with changes. It also contributes
for the people who take training in creating unstable mind and an attitude of everlasting
change aspiration. As one of its responsibility, the Institute has made extra effort to
contribute to the country growth and transformation by facilitating changes in the
organization through constant intervention in the civil service reform process. In lieu of
this, change management training program is one of the programs that assisted lot
organizations to respond to the dynamic and insatiable needs of their customers and other
stakeholders.

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1. INTRODUCTION
An organization must pass through various stages of change management so as to reach
the required levels of change. For effective management of change one has to have clear
understanding of what change management model mean. Different scholars use different
names to describe models such as John Kotter (1995) eight step model; Kurt Lewin
(1951) 3 steps model i.e. unfreezing, changing and refreezing; Nadler and Tushman
(1989) model i.e. energizing, envisioning and enabling; and the conversation model to
change can be mentioned for a change process. Even though different writers use
different name to describe the change process/change models, all of them have common
characteristics. They all explain that:-.

 The organization must be awakened to the new reality and must be disengaged from
the past, recognize the old ways of doing things is no longer acceptable.

 Next the organization creates and embraces a new vision of the future uniting behind
the steps necessary to achieve that vision

 New attitudes, practices and policies are put in place to change the corporation (these
must be refrozen or solidified).

Because of its simplicity and easiness for implementation the model from John Kotter
and the conversation model of transformational leadership are used for this training
manual: John Kotter is Professor at Harvard Business School and world-renowned
change expert, he introduced his eight-step change process in his 1995 book, "Leading
Change."

1.1 Purpose of the Training:

The Purpose of this Competency based Training Manual has been developed to serve as a
guide for Trainers of organizational and institutional Staff. In Particular this manual aims
at equipping organizational workers, practitioners, Professionals, any levels of Managers
and Leaders, with relevant Knowledge and skills for effective participation in
organizational change.
 Module Title: Change Management Training Material
 Job Title: Change Management Trainer
 Nominal Duration: 48hrs
 Module Description:
The aim of this Manual is to give initiatives designed for beneficiaries in the hopes of
change Management and Leadership sustainable and successful improvement.
Competency is the ability to perform activities within an occupation to prescribed

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standards. It is a wide concept which embodies the ability to transfer knowledge and
skills in new situations within the specific occupational area.

 Target Users of the Training Manual

The users of this manual will include staff in Governmental and Non-Governmental
organizations involved in change Management Development.
 Training Sessions
The training sessions comprise of 3 substantial modules in organizational development.
Some of the substantial sessions may be divided into sub-sessions for effective coverage
and in-depth consideration.

1.2 General objective of the training

The general objective of this training is to provide participants with relevant knowledge
and skills that will enhance their capacity to manage and lead change in their respective
organization.

1.2.1 Specific objectives of the Training

 To equip trainers and trainees with Concepts of Change Management to plan

and manage training sessions with various target groups.
 To provide relevant Basic steps of knowledge to the users for training of
employees in change management development.
 To provide illustrations of change management skills on various
organizational developmental effectiveness.

1.2.2 An Overview of the Training

In these training manual trainees will be provided with the Concepts of Change
Management Skills to plan and manage training sessions with various target groups.
Providing the Basic steps of knowledge is to the users for training of employees in
Change Management.
The training manual is also equipped with different working group discussion issues and
Exercises and Cases which are used to support the learning process for achieving the
learning outcomes at each session of the manual.
It is easily organized to help the trainees’ through the pages and draw their interest in
using it. The trainees are also supplied with additional reading materials which are
indicated at the reference page for further reading.

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Introducing symbols / icons

Usage of symbols or icons in the training manuals development is very important for
participants to flexibly be aware of what to do and when they are going to do it. Use the
following icons and indicate their meanings.

Icon/Symbol* What it Refers to? Description

ⓘ Important notes Important notes for the participants to keep in mind

 Handouts Important documents, for the participant, which might be in

the form of case study, checklists, concepts / models, action
plan sheets, etc.
 Exercises / Activities Group or individual exercises / activities which might be done
in the class or outdoor or at the work place

Definitions Definition of key words in each topic will be provided as part

∆ of the basic concepts

 Examples Examples relevant to the topic are provided

 Summary Important learning points from each topic

 References Sources of information used in the training material and

further readings that can be helpful for the learner during or
after the training.
* The icons / symbols are all of font size 26, Bold & times new Roman type taken from MS word
symbols.

LIST of Modules
Module-1. Concepts of Change Management

Module-2. Basic steps in change management

Module-3. Effective Leadership for Change

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PART ONE (PROFICIENCY LEVEL ONE)

MODULE IN JOB LEVEL :
CHANGE MANAGEMENT OFFICIER
1. Concept of Change Management
Duration: 12 hrs.

This Part of Module will address the following unit of competencies:

1. Plan change in structured manner

2. Cope up mechanisms with resistance to change

3. Strategic thinking
4. How to Deal with covert resistance
5. Changing behavior /bring the desired behavior

Training Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

 Define what a change is

 Describe the importance of change and appreciate its nature
 Explain key elements of change management
 Describe types of change and their
 Evaluate change models
 Describe what are the steps in change management
 Describe how to handle stresses caused by change

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this module, the learner able to know:
 Describe the meaning of change
 Identify the type of change and characteristics associated with it
 Understand the process of change
 Evaluate change models
 Describe the importance of change and appreciate its nature
 Assess the effect of change on people and on organizations

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MODULE CONTENTS

1. Definition of change
2. Factors that cause change
3. Type of change
-Transformational Change
-Transactional Change
-Transitional Change
- Incremental Change
4. Elements of change management
Change management models

1.1 ∆ Definition
Once again change is a natural and constant event that affects everything that lives in this
world. Taking this fact in to account, no organization or people can skip or avoid change
but they can adapt to the changing environment, if they act proactively. On the other hand
change is the fundamental concern of this world to bring growth and development to this
world; no change implies neither growth nor development. Those who proactively create
their future have only a choice of change in this fast moving and shifting world.
Hyperlink

Change management is a process of overseeing and facilitating change at any level where
it occurs. It is up to management teams to decide exactly how this change will be
addressed, develop the process and how to best execute and apply.

The BNET Business Dictionary defines change management as “the coordination of a

structured period of transition from situation A to situation B in order to achieve lasting
change within an organization.” Similarly, the Change Management Learning Center
defines change management as “the process, tools, and techniques to manage the people-
side of business change to achieve the required business outcome, and to realize that
business change effectively within the social infrastructure of the workplace.”

1.2 Benefits of Change Management

Change management is not a reactive response if change happens; it is preparation for

when change happens. Change management allows you to assess your situation and why
change is needed, align your efforts and resources, and manage the change itself.

By coordinating and structuring change as a process to be managed, you have a far better
chance of seeing results from your efforts. Change management should lead your

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employees, teams, departments and organization toward thriving and benefiting from
change, rather than reacting and merely surviving it—or even worse, seeing no results
from the change efforts.

1.3 Basic Principles of Successful Change Management

Change management principle can be different depending on the organization and

applied in different ways based on the department versus organizational levels, rolling
out change management in a “proper way” tends to follow a few basic principles.

1. Create a Climate for Change

For any organization facing the prospect of change, the first step is to create a climate
receptive to change. Change can intimidate, or even frustrate, and it is vital for
management to decrease resistance by communicating the importance of the change,
guiding the teams where change occurs and providing a clear vision to jump-start the
transition process. Communication and transparency on the “why” and “how” behind
change are crucial for gaining employee trust and buy-in for change. This helps
employees be owners and implementers of the change.

2. Engage and Enable Change

Once the climate is favorable for change, the next step is to engage and enable the
organization to enact change. When change is required, it is important to allocate
responsibility. Does this change require a specific individual or a team for
implementation? Is it an to be enacted at multiple levels? If so, who will be responsible
for coordinating these different levels? Having each of these questions answered can help
guide the change process and reduce ambiguities on responsibility. For this reason, it is
important to keep communication open, transparent and clear. Also, creating short-term
wins can help to keep morale and enthusiasm at high levels.

3. Implement and Sustain Change

With the organization engaged and individuals and teams enabled and motivated, it is
time to implement and sustain the change. At this point, it is important to keep focused
and maintain the pressure to achieve the desired outcome. While this step may seem
rudimentary, it is nonetheless the case that some managers can lose focus and “ease up”
during the process. If the target goal shifts during the change process, do not hesitate to
adjust accordingly, shifting responsibilities or procedures to keep the drive and focus
sustained.

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Once the change is implemented and the project has been completed, it is time to solidify
the new status-quo and transition the organization from a state of flux to a state of
permanence in order to sustain the change.

4. Review and Reflect on Change

With the general principles in place, one final step in the change management process is a
review. Despite the best efforts of management personnel to communicate effectively and
properly assign responsibilities, change is a dynamic process. After completing a period
of transition, it is important to review the aspects of your process that did, or did not,
work effectively, then learn from the results.

Reflecting on the outcomes prepares you for next time. When your organization faces
change in the future, it can be a benefit to have documented cases of previous procedures
that were most beneficial to your organization. With a change management team that has
already pinpointed any previous missteps and learned from mistakes, any new changes
that arise can be approached with confidence, rather than fear or dread, as positive
opportunities for the organization.

1.4 Purpose of Change

In connection with change management the most striking question arises as: why is
change necessary or important to organizations? Stated simply, organizations must
change because their environments change. They must continually change and adapt.
Organizations are now experiencing major environmental upheavals. These upheavals are
triggering a complex multiplicity of overlapping concurrent initiatives, which in turn are
radically altering existing structures, cultures and technologies (Doyle, 2002).

Organizations that do not adapt to change in a timely way are unlikely to survive. To
survive and thrive, they must develop new products or services, expand into new markets,
reorganize their structures, introduce new technology, and change working methods and
practices. Put most simply, change is unstoppable, and no organization can avoid it.
Organizations that cannot manage their own changes will cease to exist. Unless they
adapt to accelerating and increasingly complex changes, survival, even for the most
successful organizations, cannot be taken for granted.

In general change is needed for the following purposes

 To meet changing customer needs

 To meet changing market conditions

 To respond to internal pressures

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 To take advantage of new opportunities

 To respond to competitive pressure.

Based on their diligent review of different scholarly works, Gray and Smelter pointed out
that most companies or divisions of major corporations are in favor of undertaking
moderate organizational changes at least once a year.

2. Factors that cause change

Change is constant, and change is inevitable. Change happens in every organization, and
every organization is required to adapt to that change to maintain its position in the
market. There are various factors which cause a change in the organization.

Effective business management requires having an awareness of the factors which can
cause a change in the organization. Knowing the factors which cause change helps a
manager to take decisions accordingly, which helps the organization grow and reduces
the chances of loss.

In this article, you will learn about the different factors which cause changes in an
organization.

2.1 Internal Factors Affecting Organization

Internal factors are those which are originated from an organization itself. These are
predictable factors because these lies within organization.

Leadership and management has clear understanding and quickly analyze that what are
internal factors and how can organization respond to these and embark on journey of
making change.

Following are some of the key internal factors which affect organizational change.

Vision
Some organizations are vision focused. Such organizations continuously make changes to
achieve its vision. These organizations also have tendency to revisit and redefine vision.
And this is key force behind accepting and executing changes.

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Values
Organizations core values are also driver of change. For instance, values like gender
balance, cultural and ethnic diversity etc are some powerful principles that often lead to
big changes in organizational strategies and processes.

Organizational Culture
Organizational culture has a powerful impact on the future of the organization. Vibrant,
dynamic and leadership encourages creativity, and then it is likely that organization
accepts and implements change.

Core Expertise
Core expertise of an organization also dictates change. If organization is strong in one
technical area, it will create innovate solutions and disrupt the existing methods and
culture of the entire industry.

Leadership
Sometimes change in leadership is the reason behind organizational change. Every new
leadership brings new vision; new strategies and new working culture to his/her
organization. So new leadership is a strong internal factor which affects change.

Performance
This is perhaps the most important factor which drives change. Good Leaders makes
strategic shift in their approach to business when performance of an organization is not
satisfactory. Then, drastic changes are made in role and responsibilities of different
players within organization to perform better in industry.

Employees
Confidence of an organization to make change depends on attitude and skills of its
employees. If employees approve and accept change and their skills are also in line with
intended change then there is more chances that organization will be successful in
managing change.

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2.2 External Factors Affecting Organization

Organizations function in a large environment. This environment around organizations
includes customers, government, policy and laws, social norms, economy, technology,
competitors etc.

All of these exist mainly outside of an organization which has no control over these.
Besides control, Leadership and managers even has less understanding and knowledge
about external changes. So these external factors also drive organizational change.

The external factors of organizational change are difficult to manage because these are
unpredictable than the internal factors.

Following are some of the key external factors affect organizational change:

New Opportunities

Economic growth brings new business opportunities. And organizations expand when
they seize new opportunities in the market. For this to happen organization make changes
in their strategies, acquire new expertise and take new staff on board.

Competition

Competition is getting tougher every day. Organizations innovate new marketing tool and
strategies and disrupt the entire trend of market. It is such a compelling factor that every
player of the industry has to respond and develop it own strategy to survive and thrive in
market.

New Technology

Technology is also a powerful factor which shapes changes. In this digital world,
organizations need to upgrade technologies in order to remain competitive in the market.
For instance, it is absolutely necessary nowadays for every organization to have its
presence on online marketing platforms which was not the case ten years ago.

Government Regulation

Government laws and regulation such as trade policies, taxation, industry specific
regulation, labor laws greatly affect the way of doing business. Organizations need to
stay vigilant in connection to government policies and adapt to changes.

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Politics and Economy

Internal and external politics and economy also affect business. One single event can
damage country’s economy. Organizations need to closely follow and analyze political
events and economy and make changes as situations demand.

Social Change

The social changes refer to change in norms, change in level of education, urbanization,
migration etc. These social changes are also powerful external factors which affect the
environment which push organizational change to make change.

3. Types of Change
Different writers use different terminology to express the types of change. However,
despite the difference in terms used by different writers of change types of change can be
categorized in to four types depending on the magnitude and the time frame of the change
process.

The following table can show us the different terminologies used to describe types of
change.

Terminologies used to explain types of change (Walton, 1999; Stace and Dunphy, 1994;
Sadler, 1995, Lovell, 1994)

Walton Stace and Dunphy Sadler Lovell

Transformational Charismatic Transformation Transformational Paradigm shift

Transactional Quick fix Task focused transition Change by Exception.

Transitional Tinkering Turnarounds Pendulum Change

Incremental Incremental Evolution Developmental Transition Incremental Change.

For the purpose of this training we consider and describe the category of Walton:

a) Transformational change: - is a type of change, which results in entirely new

behavior sets on the part of organizational members and those outside the
organization. Usually seen as necessary either in response to a sever crisis in the
organizations affairs or a fundamental change in purpose and strategy.

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Transformational change challenges embedded behavioral norms, often is related to

strategic change. This change is also referred to as second order or morphogenetic
change. Morphogenetic change will permeate and alter the intangible as well as the
tangible elements of the organization by penetrating so deeply into the genetic code
that all future generations acquire and reflect these changes.

b) Transactional change: - Refers to modifications in and redesign of the systems,

procedures, processes tasks and activities that takes place between individuals and
groups both within and outside the organization. This kind of change usually handled
by setting up a project to manage its implementation. It will often have little impact
on the way the remainder of the organization works.

The movement causes a temporary discontinuity to the system but the business carries
on and eventually settles down to business as usual once the move has been
completed. It has a distinct beginning and end where success can be relatively
measured (Lovell, 1994:

c) Transitional change: - refers to the process of moving from one state to another
of getting from here to there. Like shifting from one way to another way of doing
tings.

d) Incremental change: - This change implies that one does not change overnight.
What happens here is a step-by-step movement towards the end. It underlines the
notion that good changes take time. This kind of change consists of an ongoing
process of moderate but linked steps (Walton, 1999).

Incremental change occurs in an evolutionary way, often without the participants

realizing that it has happened. In the picture, for example, people only occasionally
notice that the trees have grown. The magnitude and time frame of each type of
change is different.

The following diagram shows the magnitude and time frame of the four types of
change.

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Magnitude of change

Transitional Transformational
Change
Change

Transactional Incremental
Change
Change

Exercise 2: understanding
Timeframe
different types of changes.
Purpose: the participants could identify types of changes from their practical
point of view and able to differentiate clearly among them.
From your organization perspective which type of organizational change
happened in the last five years? How would you say like that?
In the future which type of change your organization shall undertake to

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4. Elements of change management

4.1 Leadership Alignment

Organizations fail to achieve lasting success with change management because of internal
politics. Even though these organizations need change urgently, internal politics can’t
allow them to reach a consensus on various leadership levels. They lose momentum in
the change process, and competitors overtake them.

But the organizations want all the leaders on the same page regarding the changes and
what they’ll mean for the organization. These leaders will lead the rest of the
organization by example and present a united front. So consider these tips for aligning
leadership in change management:

 Define your mission in the change process – which aligns with the
organization’s overall strategy and goals?

 Create a clear picture of success (vision), both financially and operationally –

the leaders should have a clear end goal in mind.

 Define the core resources and relationships to accomplish business goals and
achieve sustainable success. The leaders should know their roles in the change
process.

 Define success criteria and monitoring system – the leaders should know how
to track the success/failure of the change processes.

4.2 Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder engagement involves all the activities for engaging, supporting, and updating
stakeholders in the organizational change management process. Each stakeholder will
have different activities. For example, an influencer against the change will need
resistance management activities.

Because you don’t want an opinion overload when creating the change plan, identify the
stakeholders that impact the project’s success.

Tips for engaging stakeholders:

 Communicate with the stakeholders regularly – have detailed communication

plans from the onset for check-ins, updates, and feedback.

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 Ensure all stakeholders understand the change’s benefits from their

perspective and the details of the change initiative (who does what, how, when, etc.).

 Gather stakeholder feedback throughout the project – their challenges,

concerns, etc.

 Use a stakeholder support committee in complex projects that involve many

stakeholders

 Involve stakeholders in pilot projects of the changes, gather feedback (using

surveys), and improve as needed

4.3 Communication

Communicating clearly and consistently keeps everyone focused on moving

forward and clarifies their role in making that happen. It also shows employees
that management understands their needs and values their opinions. Try the
following steps:

 The project team should have a communication roadmap to keep everyone

informed throughout

 Address rumors early

 Use the communication channels appropriate for each stakeholder

 Avoid hiding behind bureaucracy and “no comment” answers

Finally, employees and customers assume that change is unimportant when

business leaders do not talk the talk.

5. Change Impact & Readiness

Change impact assesses how the project will impact business processes and the
people as they transition to the future state. Change readiness gauges the
organization’s confidence using subjective and objective data.

Change readiness assesses the organization’s resources and the people from
multiple viewpoints to determine the root causes of resistance. There’s no ideal
readiness state. Rather, the goal is to identify how far or close the organization is
to the desired future state. Then initiate actions to fill in the gaps and grow
confidence.

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Change readiness considers:

 Cultural readiness — how aligned are cultural norms to the proposed

organizational culture?

 Commitment readiness — how much are the leaders committed to

completing and sustaining the change initiative?

 Capacity readiness — how much can the organization support the work
processes, skills and abilities, knowledge, and resources needed to implement
and sustain the change?

6. Training
Training increases employee buy-in and decreases resistance to new policies or
procedures. It also educates employees to correctly perform their jobs, making them
better equipped to handle changes in workflow and environment. Besides training
employees to use the new systems, we also introduce the leaders to lead the change
processes.

7. Organizational Design
Organizational design is about the roles and responsibilities in the future state
organization. Start at what the ideal organizational structure would look like to
achieve the project’s goals. Then look at the current people. Who would fit into
what role? Who no longer fits into the organization’s vision? Are there roles that
we need to outsource or hire? And what will the reporting structure look like?

Once you have a future state organization chart, evaluate it and improve as needed.
Then once it’s ready, start communicating and implement it.

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 Exercise 7: Identifying driving and restraining forces

Purpose: participants could able to identify the driving and constraining forces
that affect the change process in ERA

From your past practice in change management please identify the driving and
constraining forces that had effect on the change process. What ere their effect?

What mechanisms you were following to minimize the restraining forces effect.
What were remaining to facilitate the change?

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PART TWO (PROFICIENCY LEVEL TWO)

SENIOR CHANGE MANAGEMENT OFFICE
1. Basic steps in change management
Duration: 18 hrs

This Part of Module will address the following unit of competencies:

1. Evaluate change models

2. Understand what are the steps in change management

3. How to apply best change model

4. managing organizational culture

5. change organizational culture

Training Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

 Assess the effect of change on people

 Analyze sources of resistance to change
 Create change agenda
 Develop change communication strategy
 Describe cultural change

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this module, the learner able to know:

 Describe effective ways of communication during a change process

 Analyze the nature of global and national changes in organizations

 Assess their organizational culture

 Identify ways/tools to transform organizational culture

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MODULE CONTENTS

1. Basic steps in change management

2. Who are Change agents

3. Setting appropriate direction to change

4. Communication during change process

5. Managing resistance to change

6. Managing cultural change

7. Managing the stress caused by change

8. Change Performance Management

1.1 Eight Essential Steps for an Effective Change Management

Process

Change management processes should include the following steps: First, identify
opportunities for improvement and secure approval from stakeholders. Then, make a plan
and evaluate your processes. Communicate the changes, monitor progress, and continue
to assess any risks.

All organizations constantly experience change, whether caused by new technology

implementations, process updates, compliance initiatives, reorganization, or customer
service improvements. But, this isn’t necessarily negative — in fact, change is often
necessary for growth and profitability. A consistent change management process will aid
in minimizing the negative impact of change on your organization and staff. Eight
essential steps to an effective change management process below.

1.2 Identify what will be improved

Since most change occurs to improve a process, a product, or an outcome, it is critical to

identify the focus and to clarify goals. This also involves identifying the resources and
individuals that will facilitate the process and lead the endeavor. Most change systems
acknowledge that knowing what to improve creates a solid foundation for clarity, ease,
and successful implementation.

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1.3 Present a Solid Business Case to Stakeholders

There are several layers of stakeholders that include upper management who both direct
and finance the endeavor, champions of the process, and those who are directly charged
with instituting the new normal. All have different expectations and experiences and
there must be a high level of "buy-in" from across the spectrum. The process of on
boarding the different constituents varies with each change framework, but all provide
plans that call for the time, patience, and communication.

1.4 Plan for the Change

This is the "roadmap" that identifies the beginning, the route to be taken, and the
destination. You will also integrate resources to be leveraged, the scope or objective, and
costs into the plan. A critical element of planning is providing a multi-step process rather
than sudden, unplanned "sweeping" changes. This involves outlining the project with
clear steps with measurable targets, incentives, measurements, and analysis. For example,
a well-planned and controlled will dramatically reduce the impact of IT infrastructure
changes on the business. There is also a universal caution to practice patience throughout
this process and avoid shortcuts.

1.5 Provide Resources and Use Data for Evaluation

As part of the planning process, resource identification and funding are crucial elements.
These can include infrastructure, equipment, and software systems. Also consider the
tools needed for re-education, retraining, and rethinking priorities and practices. Many
models identify data gathering and analysis as an underutilized element. The clarity of
clear reporting on progress allows for better communication, proper and timely
distribution of incentives, and measuring successes and milestones.

1.6 Communication

This is the "golden thread" that runs through the entire practice of change management.
Identifying, planning, on boarding, and executing a good change management plan is
dependent on good communication. There are psychological and sociological realities
inherent in group cultures. Those already involved have established skill sets, knowledge,
and experiences. But they also have pecking orders, territory, and corporate customs that
need to be addressed. Providing clear and open lines of communication throughout the
process is a critical element in all change modalities. The methods advocate transparency
and two-way communication structures that provide avenues to vent frustrations applaud
what is working, and seamlessly change what doesn't work.

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1.7 Monitor and Manage Resistance, Dependencies, and Budgeting

Risks

Resistance is a very normal part of change management, but it can threaten the success of
a project. Most resistance occurs due to a fear of the unknown. It also occurs because
there is a fair amount of risk associated with change – the risk of impacting dependencies,
return on investment risks, and risks associated with allocating budget to something new.
Anticipating and preparing for resistance by arming leadership with tools to manage it
will aid in a smooth change lifecycle.

1.8 Celebrate Success

Recognizing milestone achievements is an essential part of any project. When managing

a change through its lifecycle, it’s important to recognize the success of teams and
individuals involved. This will help in the adoption of both your change management
process as well as adoption of the change itself.

1.9 Review, Revise and Continuously Improve

As much as change is difficult and even painful, it is also an ongoing process. Even
change management strategies are commonly adjusted throughout a project. Like
communication, this should be woven through all steps to identify and remove
roadblocks. And, like the need for resources and data, this process is only as good as the
commitment to measurement and analysis.

2. Kotter's 8-Step Change Model

"Change is the only constant."
– Heraclitus, Greek philosopher

There are many theories about how to "do" change. Many originate with leadership and
change management guru, John Kotter. A professor at Harvard Business School and
world-renowned change expert, Kotter introduced his eight-step change process in his
1995 book, "Leading Change." We look at his eight steps for leading change below.

Step 1: Create Urgency

For change to happen, it helps if the whole organization really wants it. Develop a sense
of urgency around the need for change. This may help you spark the initial motivation to
get things moving.

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This isn't simply a matter of showing people poor sales statistics or talking about
increased competition. Open an honest and convincing dialogue about what's happening
in the marketplace and with your competition. If many people start talking about the
change you propose, the urgency can build and feed on itself.

What you can do:

 Identify potential threats, and develop scenarios showing what could happen in
the future.

 Examine opportunities that should be, or could be, exploited.

 Start honest discussions, and give dynamic and convincing reasons to get people
talking and thinking.

 Request support from customers, outside stakeholders and industry people to

strengthen your argument.

Note:
Kotter suggests that for change to be successful, 75 percent of a Organization’s
management needs to "buy into" the change. In other words, you have to really work hard
on Step 1, and spend significant time and energy building urgency, before moving onto
the next steps. Don't panic and jump in too fast because you don't want to risk further
short-term losses – if you act without proper preparation, you could be in for a very
bumpy ride.

Step 2: Form a Powerful Coalition

Convince people that change is necessary. This often takes strong leadership and visible
support from key people within your organization. Managing change isn't enough – you
have to lead it.

You can find effective change leaders throughout your organization – they don't
necessarily follow the traditional organization hierarchy. To lead change, you need to
bring together a coalition, or team, of influential people whose power comes from a
variety of sources, including job title, status, expertise, and political importance.

Once formed, your "change coalition" needs to work as a team, continuing to build
urgency and momentum around the need for change.

What you can do:

 Identify the true leaders in your organization.

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 Ask for an emotional commitment from these key people.

 Work on team building within your change coalition.

 Check your team for weak areas, and ensure that you have a good mix of
people from different departments and different levels within your Organization.

Step 3: Create a Vision for Change

When you first start thinking about change, there will probably be many great ideas and
solutions floating around. Link these concepts to an overall vision that people can grasp
easily and remember.

A clear vision can help everyone understand why you're asking them to do something.
When people see for themselves what you're trying to achieve, then the directives they're
given tend to make more sense.

What you can do:

 Determine the values that are central to the change.

 Develop a short summary (one or two sentences) that captures what you
"see" as the future of your organization.

 Create a strategy to execute that vision.

 Ensure that your change coalition can describe the vision in five minutes
or less.

 Practice your "vision speech" often.

Step 4: Communicate the Vision

What you do with your vision after you create it will determine your success. Your
message will probably have strong competition from other day-to-day communications
within the organization, so you need to communicate it frequently and powerfully, and
embed it within everything that you do.

Don't just call special meetings to communicate your vision. Instead, talk about it every
chance you get. Use the vision daily to make decisions and solve problems. When you
keep it fresh on everyone's minds, they'll remember it and respond to it.

It's also important to "walk the talk." What you do is far more important – and believable
– than what you say. Demonstrate the kind of behavior that you want from others.

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What you can do:

 Talk often about your change vision.

 Openly and honestly address peoples' concerns and anxieties.

 Apply your vision to all aspects of operations – from training to

performance reviews. Tie everything back to the vision.

 Lead by example.

Step 5: Remove Obstacles

If you follow these steps and reach this point in the change process, you've been talking
about your vision and building buy-in from all levels of the organization. Hopefully, your
staff wants to get busy and achieve the benefits that you've been promoting.

But is anyone resisting the change? And are there processes or structures that are getting
in its way?

Put in place the structure for change, and continually check for barriers to it. Removing
obstacles can empower the people you need to execute your vision, and it can help the
change move forward.

What you can do:

 Identify, or hire, change leaders whose main roles are to deliver the
change.

 Look at your organizational structure, job descriptions, and performance

and compensation systems to ensure they're in line with your vision.

 Recognize and reward people for making change happen.

 Identify people who are resisting the change, and help them see what's
needed.

 Take action to quickly remove barriers (human or otherwise).

Step 6: Create Short-term Wins

Nothing motivates more than success. Give your organazation a taste of victory early in
the change process. Within a short time frame (this could be a month or a year, depending

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on the type of change), you'll want to have results that your staff can see. Without this,
critics and negative thinkers might hurt your progress.

Create short-term targets – not just one long-term goal. You want each smaller target to
be achievable, with little room for failure. Your change team may have to work very hard
to come up with these targets, but each "win" that you produce can further motivate the
entire staff.

What you can do:

 Look for sure-fire projects that you can implement without help from any
strong critics of the change.

 Don't choose early targets that are expensive. You want to be able to
justify the investment in each project.

 Thoroughly analyze the potential pros and cons of your targets. If you
don't succeed with an early goal, it can hurt your entire change initiative.

 Reward the people who help you meet the targets.

Step 7: Build on the Change

Kotter argues that many change projects fail because victory is declared too early. Real
change runs deep. Quick wins are only the beginning of what needs to be done to achieve
long-term change.

Launching one new product using a new system is great. But if you can launch 10
products, that means the new system is working. To reach that 10th success, you need to
keep looking for improvements.

Each success provides an opportunity to build on what went right and identify what you
can improve.

What you can do:

 After every win, analyze what went right and what needs improving.

 Set goals to continue building on the momentum you've achieved.

 Learn about kaizen, the idea of continuous improvement.

 Keep ideas fresh by bringing in new change agents and leaders for your
change coalition.

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Step 8: Anchor the Changes in Corporate Culture

Finally, to make any change stick, it should become part of the core of your organization.
Your corporate culture often determines what gets done, so the values behind your vision
must show in day-to-day work.

Make continuous efforts to ensure that the change is seen in every aspect of your
organization. This will help give that change a solid place in your organization's culture.

It's also important that your organization’s leaders continue to support the change. This
includes existing staff and new leaders who are brought in. If you lose the support of
these people, you might end up back where you started.

What you can do:

 Talk about progress every chance you get. Tell success stories about the
change process, and repeat other stories that you hear.

 Include the change ideals and values when hiring and training new staff.

 Publicly recognize key members of your original change coalition, and

make sure the rest of the staff – new and old – remembers their contributions.

 Create plans to replace key leaders of change as they move on. This will
help ensure that their legacy is not lost or forgotten.

3. Eight Steps for starting a bottom-up revolution

In a learning organization change initiatives come from any person that may be inside or
outside to the organization. When someone speaks typically change to Ethiopian case,
bottom-up type of change management approach seldom in practice. Whereas, many
problems and change initiatives emanates from those who directly engaged in actual
work and from those who directly received and use the product or service. As a result it is
advisable for organizations, to manage to change adaptively, have to consider change
initiatives that arise from any directions; the concern of the leader is how to manage to
change rather than considering change as top management responsibility only.

However, such process of change basically requires a mind shift in both organization
leaders and employees who have positions to either accept or decline proposed change

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initiatives. A learning organization is the one which continuously work on improving its
processes, products/services, strategies, structures, etc to go along with the change in the
environment – not only to survive rather to perform excellent in the competition and
exceeding constituents expectations. In this regard, Gary Hamel put eight steps to manage
change that originate from bottom (Courtesy: Leading the Revolution by Gary Hamel
and excerpts from the interview published in managementfirst.com)

Step1

Build a point of view (POV). Understand what is changing in the world and what
opportunities these changes make possible. Create a POV that is credible, coherent,
compelling and commercial. Start your journey with a sense of destiny. Don't be afraid to
dream big.

Step 2

Write a manifesto. Infect others with your ideas by demonstrating the inevitability of the
cause, speaking to timeless human needs and aspirations, drawing clear implications for
action and eliciting support. Think of your manifesto as a virus. It must build a case for
your intellectual authority and it must capture people's imagination.

Step 3

Create a coalition. Transform individual authority into collective authority by seducing,

cajoling and convincing others to get things done. Build strength from below, as many
new opportunities don't fit neatly into any of the existing organizational boxes.

Step 4

Pick your targets and pick your moments. Know and understand who in your
organization can say "yes" and make it stick. Every event is an opportunity to advance
your POV, but pick your moment carefully. Plus, always have an elevator speech ready.

Step 5

Co-opt and neutralize. Win-win propositions are vital to your campaign. Make people
see you as a catalyst for change.

Step 6

Find a translator. Find someone who shares your view of the future and who can better
communicate to the influential people. This gives the audience a better/different view of
the project.

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Step 7

Win small; win early; win often. Start small! Organizing efforts are worth nothing if
you can't demonstrate that your ideas actually work. Ask yourself, "What will constitute
an early win?"

Step 8

Isolate; infiltrate; integrate. Take action! Turn your experiment into a reality. Your
experiment must take root throughout the organization and send out runners that will
transform the landscape.

 Exercise 8: Reflection exercise:

Purpose: participants able to clearly identify the importance of bottom up change

initiation.

Do your organization involve in bottom up change management process. Why? How?

4. Who is Change Agent?

In every situation in which a change is desired, some person or group must be designated
as the catalyst for change. That person or group is called the change agent. The change
agent is the one who is responsible for taking a leadership role in managing the process of
change. The individual, group, or organization that is the target of the change attempt is
called the client systems. Change can be managed by individuals, groups /teams or
consultants

4.1 Who are Change Agents?

Individuals

Change can be managed by one responsible individual in an organization (Buchanan and

Buddy, 1992:118-121). This person has to insure co-operation, effectiveness
implementation and successful hand over up on completion. Individual change agents can
be a member of management, chief executive or anyone else in the organization.

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However this person has to be someone who has power, skill and knowledge of what is
going on in the organization as well as what is expected of the change process.

Teams/Groups

Using teams as change agents is another issue related to change management. A team led
by a person/facilitator usually from the middle management to undertake the change
process is accepted by many organizations (White, 1993:132). The members of the team
are usually managers from different areas. The role of the facilitator here is as an advisor
and acts as a ‘sounding view’ for new ideas. Or it can be done by assigning a ‘sponsor’
who leads the change team or ’implementation team’. Here the ‘sponsor’ usually a fairly
high-level person will have responsibilities as champion, diplomat, problem solver,
project manager and integrator (1993:129). Furthermore, a team approach expands the
availability of resource, time and energy.

Who should be members of these teams? Doyle suggests (2002:4) ‘real change leaders’
who do not fit in to a neat set of job categories at organizational level. Some are line
managers, some are staff department heads, some are special assignment team leaders
and some are mavericks and champions.

Another important issue regarding groups is, do these groups have to be existed ones or
newly organized ones. Depending on the situation the organization is in; it can use
existing teams or ad hoc ones.

External consultants

(Robert, 2000) suggested Change management programs can be subcontracted to outside

consultants Often this happens where a level of expertise has been sought from outside
the organization. But, usually these kinds of experts are not experts in that particular
organization’s line of business. This is a danger with employing consultants of all types,
shapes and sizes. Another problem here is related to continuity as presented in the
preceding discussion change is a continuous process, meaning there will be change
whenever there is a need for it, but if we subcontract the process to an outsider the
continuity of the process will be in question.

There is also another danger of using outside consultants as change agents in an

organization. McCalman and Paton discussed the expert client relationship in association
with the popular view of consultants, which is associated with patient-doctor relationship
(1992:146). This type of relationship has a number of problems when applied in
organizations. It may depend on individual willingness to open up to the doctor; the
patient is not totally involved in the diagnostic process and therefore left out of the

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solution. As the patient may unable to understand the proposed solution or the
mechanisms of achieving it, this can also happen to organizations.

It is sometimes argued (but usually by consultants) that external consultants bring an

objective view to the organization and that he or she can avoid becoming enmeshed in
arguments about content by focusing on process. It is also fairly common for
organizations to use such consultants as scapegoats when things do not work out as
planned, then avoiding the need to allocate blame internally.

4.2 Characteristics of Successful Change Agents.

The change agent must possess certain (distinguished) qualities or characteristics which
identify him/ her to be more effective than others. According to Shashkin and Morris
(1984:392), the effective change agent is "an extrovert, has considerable interpersonal
skills, is creative and takes risks, and is good in organizing activities."

These change agents must be able to deal with limitations and constraints imposed by
unique organizational change contexts. Some of the expertise needed from change agents
includes;

 Change agents have to be a behavior model, they must constantly set an

example because staff will do as they do, not as they say (Brownell, 2000:2),

 They have to have very good communication skills, and they have to be
always visible in the change process.

Robbins and Finley (1998:104) also suggested that high performing people have to be
selected for their skills and qualities to manage in those operational roles critical to the
change process. Why is this kind of people needed? These are the people who can create
the path in which other people can follow to bring them out of the wilderness and into the
Promised Land. Perhaps, managers has to give due attention to choose change agents
depending on the power of personality, commitment, integrity, and consideration that can
provide great leverage to even a shaky idea.

The way the change agent manages the process of change is indicated by certain factors
and characteristics which have been identified by Havelock and Shacking as cited in
Chandan (1987:152). The main characteristics of change agents are: -

a) Self responsible and self challenging

b) Comfortable with discomfort

c) Continual learner

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d) Willing to take risks and make mistakes

e) Team builder

f) Good model for respect and relationship

Besides, Buchanan and Boddy (1992) have considered skills required by management (or
change agent). They argue that in planning and managing change managers need to have
competence (or draw upon the competence of others) in three areas:

i. Technical Competence with respect to the substance of the changes to be

implemented. So, for example if the change involves the introduction of a new
computerized management information system, then competence in the analysis of
such systems is important.

ii. Planning and monitoring techniques, such as linear programming and critical
path analysis, Program Evaluation and Review Techniques, and Meta Precedence
Method are important for an effective sequencing of change processes. Monitoring
progress should enable plans to be rescheduled and updated as appropriate.

iii. Process Competence, which includes a range of communication, team building,

influencing and negotiating skills.

The extent to which each of these three areas needs to be emphasized will vary with the
change situation. Frequently technical skills and planning and monitoring techniques are
prioritized to the detriment of process concerns.

Performance Gaps. It is the difference between the status quo and the desired new
standard of performance or desired organizational state. The change agents think in terms
of performance gaps.

Levels and Targets of Change. Change agents must identify the level at which their
efforts will be directed. Efforts can be made to change individuals, groups, and entire
organizations. Each represents a different level, or unit of change. Besides, change agents
focus on targets to alter in attempting to close performance gaps and reach desired
objectives.

These targets of change include people, technology, jobs and workflow, organizational
structure and processes, culture, and management. The following examples illustrate how
managers can change some of these targets.

Target Example

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Individual  Fire a person and replace him or her with someone new

 Change knowledge, skill, attitude, or behavior

Technology  Replace existing technology with a more modern machine or way

of doing work

Structure  Change from a functional structure to a product division structure

 Add a new department or division, or consolidate the existing

ones

Processes  Change the pay system from hourly wages to salaries

Culture  Implement a program to encourage valuing quality and service

Management  Encourage participation in the diagnosis and solution of problems

by people at lower levels to replace a top-down approach.

Systems Approach. Since various elements of an organization are all part of an

interdependent system, a change in any single target often leads to changes in the others.
For example, when companies introduced computers to improve productivity, a series of
changes followed. First, people had to learn new skills because of the new technology.
Often, a new data processing department was introduced into the structure. People
throughout the organization had to learn a new vocabulary, and the way information was
processed began to change. Over time, jobs were altered. For instance, the need for
middle managers decreased in some companies as computers facilitated the organization
and flow of information.

Not all change is as pervasive as the introduction of computer technology, but it is

common for changes to ripple throughout and entire organization. Managers sometimes
make a "simple" change without considering the systems implications. This often leads to
unintended consequences.

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Content and process. Two key concepts in managing change are content and process.
Content is the aspect of change, and process is the how dimension of change. For
example, assume a manager is concerned about decreasing productivity among the
clerical staff. She thinks the cause might be excessive talking among staff members. In
order to discourage talking among the clerical staff, she may decide to move their desks
farther apart or place partitions between them. This is a content change.

How this manager introduces and implements the change is the process. For example, she
may decide to announce the change by memo or in a staff meeting, or she might have the
desks moved during the night so that the clerks find out about the change when they
come to work the next day. Each of these three approaches to process might lead to
different results, some quite unintended-including more serious morale problems within
the organization.

Managers would like to have rules for deciding which action is right and which is wrong.
They should critically assess the alternatives and select the one that benefits the
organization most.

5. Setting appropriate direction to change

Change management is a crucial aspect of organizational success. When Organizations
provide a clear path toward transformation, it allows you to drive meaningful change
within your ranks.

In other words: the change management strategy and direction needs to evolve in
response to external drivers. Here, we’ll go over the components of an effective change
management framework.

A. Run a Change Impact Analysis

Start with performing a change impact assessment. This strategy aims to influence the
various factors used to support the proposed change and should accomplish the following
objectives:

 Determining the extent of the change by comparing the current state to the desired
outcome.

 Estimating the impact of making this change. Then, define requirements for
supporting the transition.

 Ranking requirements according to priority and impact and priority ratings.

 Making decisions based on the specified requirements.

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B. Make the Case to Stakeholders

Transforming organizational culture requires leadership from the top. Fundamental

changes to existing processes may require a significant upfront investment both in terms
of time and money.

Initially, you’ll need to present your case to executive decision makers—using data that
can demonstrate the potential impact updating the change management strategy can have
on the bottom line.

C. Build a Team of Sponsors

According to the organization, leadership participation is the number one contributor to a

successful change management plan. Sponsorship should align with the size and scope of
the proposed change, organization size and structure, and level of impact on workflows
and employee responsibilities.

This group can be used to communicate directly with employees and create a sense of
transparency during the transition.

D. Create a Communication Plan

Regardless of methodology, change management plans live and die by good

communication.

Effective change requires clear, consistent messaging, access to information and

supporting resources. It also requires two-way communication structures for sharing
feedback regarding what is or isn’t working.

Your communication plans should empower employee-decision making, put new

strategies into context, and explain the impact of the change on all aspects of the job. This
process helps by supporting employees and their ability to navigate change/shifting
cultural norms—big driver for aligning your people around the big transformation.

E. Involve the Team Early and Often

Once secured the go-ahead from the top, you’ll need to get the team onboard. Chances
are, this will be your biggest challenge, as change tends to scare people.

 Combat these negative feelings by involving people early on.

 Be upfront about how change will impact the organization, as well as individual
roles.

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 Start implementing small process changes/collect feedback/adjust strategy.

Effective change management processes rely on supporting activities and tools—usually

developed and managed by the change management “coalition” or the stakeholders
involved in a particular project/process/department.

F. Reduce Cultural Tension

According to Gartner 80% of employees experience cultural tension while navigating

change in the workplace, citing competing priorities as a source of tension.

Factors like seniority, experience, corporate norms, hierarchies, and a lack of

organizational alignment also need to be addressed. In turn, this means that your change
management strategy needs to reflect the culture you want, not the status quo. Otherwise,
the organization continues on the same problems.

G. Identify the Activities & Tools that Support the Change

Management Strategy

Next, identify the resources you need to support the change. That might include any of
the following, depending on what kind of change you have planned:

 Investing in new infrastructure, employee retraining, and/or new software.

 Identifying new practices and processes.

 Defining a business case, milestones, and metrics.

 Developing training materials and documenting processes.

 Creating an implementation roadmap, resistance management plan, or process

improvement strategy.

 Implementing new tools to facilitate the process.

 Creating a process for measuring success.

 Gathering data and selecting reporting tools/methods.

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H. Develop an Official Resistance Management Plan

Resistance is normal—people tend to dread change—whether that’s out of a fear of the

unknown, loss of control, or new risks that could undermine the success of the project, or
worse, your entire organization.

Arm the origination with the tools and tactics for combating the resist change. Managers
can plan ahead to avoid human resistance.

 Develop proactive strategies that identify areas where you’re likely to encounter
objections and use them as a tool for generating early support.

 Work on reactive tactics for dealing with resistance as it happens

 And finally, it’s important to recognize and celebrate the success—of both the
teams and individuals—involved in the process. This helps improve adoption
rates of both the change management process and the change itself.

I. Focus on Generating Early “Quick-Wins”

Targeting “low-hanging fruit” is often a fast, cost-effective way to create a positive

organization impact. It’s also an essential step for securing buy-in from resistant
employees.

As employees start to see the first signs of positive change (change that they helped make
happen), it starts to build a sense of hope among the ranks.

Long-term, these small wins play a critical role in driving lasting improvements to the
development process—and by extension, the quality of products and services.
Additionally, it is also a major factor in preventing and fighting burnout.

Make sure to be transparent about processes and provide data that demonstrates the
impact of the new strategy and grounds claims in a tangible reality. Essentially, these
initial “quick wins” help demonstrate that, yes, there’s a valid reason for making
everyone embrace new ways of doing work—and that their efforts really do make a
difference.

J. Change management frameworks should always be changing

The organization change management strategy should feel like the agile development
process—iterative, collaborative, and ever-evolving. Make sure there’s visibility into all
steps of the change management process, as well as goals and metrics, to help measure

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progress and identify and remove roadblocks. Everyone from the C-suite to the front
lines, in-house or outsourced, should be able to see what’s going on at any given moment
and can pivot as needed.

Ensure the organization strategy offers enough flexibility so that it can be adjusted as
teams work through the project and find better ways to do things. It’s important to note
that you may need to adapt agile principles/values to fit new situations.

 Communication during change process

5.1What is Change Management Communication

Change management communication is an essential component of building awareness

and support for organizational change. It helps stakeholders understand what is changing
and why, and how it will specifically affect them. It delivers timely information and
materials to support key milestones, ensures stakeholders receive consistent information
about what is important to them, and provides a mechanism to share feedback and ask
questions.

Whether you are changing technology, business practices, leadership or a combination of

things, change management communication is essential to helping people move from
where they are today to the desired “future state.”

5.2 The importance of internal communication during change

management

Whether you’re having an organizational restructure, or requiring your workforce to

move to a new location, to ensure the change is a success, you need to have effective
communication in your change management processes to get buy-in from your
employees.

Unfortunately, a whopping 70% of organizational change initiatives fail, according to

research by McKinsey.

And most of the common contributing factors that lead to change management failure can
be attributed to ineffective communication.

A Robert Half survey of senior managers found that 65% believed communication was
the most important thing for leading their teams through change.

Failure brings significant risks for businesses. If you don’t utilize internal communication
during change management, the consequences could include:

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 Wasted money and other resources

 Productivity inefficiencies

 Losing market share to your competitors

 Failure to meet new legislative regulations or requirements

 Reputational damage.

Change management communication is the information you deliver to your stakeholders

to understand why a change is being made and how it will affect them. The essentials
include:

 Communicating what the change will mean for the organization and why it is
necessary

 Outlining the goals of the change

 Outlining how employees’ roles will be affected

 Providing a timeline of when the change will take place

 Providing help and assistance for employees

 Providing a way for employees to communicate with management and ask

questions or give feedback.

Best practice in change management and communication is delivering messages in a

timely manner that is clear and easy to understand, consistent and relevant to the
audience.

5.3 Change Management and Communication Follow Similar Processes

The industry organization defines a multi-phase process that professional change

managers use to strategize, plan for and execute organizational change. It identifies the
impacts across the organization, focuses on how changes will affect employees, and
outlines a consistent set of strategies and plans needed to help the organization achieve its
goals. The approach is informative as you think about documenting the key information
you’ll need and creating your communication plan to support a change.

1. Evaluate change impact and organizational readiness – Thoroughly examine

what is changing, how it differs from where the organization is today, who will be

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affected by the change, the desired future state and the plan to achieve it. This
assessment step includes:

a. Clearly define the change and vision for the future – What is changing and
when, where will changes take place and why, who needs to change and what
do we want the future to look like?

b. Assess all the factors related to the change – What risks, goals, culture, and
other changes are happening, and what other internal and external factors
could influence them?

c. Analyze all the stakeholders affected – Who is accountable, how are different
groups and roles affected, who is being impacted the most, and who might be
resistant to the change?

d. Consider how the organization operates – Once a clear vision of the future is
developed, how is it different from the way the organization operates today
and what risks are there in moving to the future state?

2. Formulate the change management strategy – This includes approaches for

resources, communications, sponsorship, stakeholder engagement, learning and
development, measurement and sustainability for the change.

3. Develop a detailed change management plan – Spell out action steps and
timeline to accomplish the strategy.

4. Execute the change management plan – Monitor the implementation, measure

outcomes and adjust ongoing activities as needed to continue reinforcing
adoption.

5. Complete the change management effort – Evaluate outcomes against

objectives, design and conduct a lessons-learned evaluation, and gain approval to
close the project once successful.

5.4 Creating a Change Communication Plan

Like the process outlined in the Standard for Change Management, creating a change
management communication plan starts with a deep understanding of the organization,
stakeholders and change impacts. The goal is to support the business objective by helping
stakeholders understand the change, how they will need to adapt their day-to-day
responsibilities and what is expected of them.

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By ensuring a consistent flow of information, engaging stakeholders and continually

managing feedback, change communication helps people feel more comfortable as they
move to the future state and adopt new ways of working.

The communications planning process involves the following steps similar to the change
management process described above:

Step 1: Assess the Situation, People, Channels and Needs

If you are working with change management partners, they are likely responsible for a
stakeholder analysis, which summarizes the levels and types of impacts on different roles
and functions. If a stakeholder analysis is not available, you should work with the change
sponsor or subject matter expert in each function to uncover the critical information
needed for communications planning.

As you assess the situation, people, channels and needs to prepare for developing a
change communications plan, be sure to:

 Know your employee audience and who will be most affected – To be able to
plan appropriate and customized communication, you need details of the changes
happening to each audience and when.

 Understand what’s changing and why and document the case for change –
The “what” and “why” of the change are key components of your messaging to all
audiences.

 Define the vision for the future and how it aligns with the business plan– The
organization has a reason for making the change and the vision explains this in
terms employees will understand. Try the tool below, “Paint a Picture of the
Future,” to help guide your vision.

 Identify the “pain points” that the change plan addresses – The difference between
how people operate today vs. the “future state” should be reflected in your
messaging to help people understand what to expect and areas that will change the
most.

 Identify communications channels needed to reach the audiences – Keep in mind

that any touch points stakeholders may have with their leaders or the organization,
including face-to-face huddles and operational meetings, can be used to deliver
and reinforce key messages.

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Step 2: Create the Change Communications Plan

Most change communication is designed to drive employee awareness and engagement

that results in behavior change and new ways of working. Any internal communication
plan can build awareness of what is happening and promote its benefits. Change
communications plans must do that and more – they must help people see where they fit
and provide answers to their deepest concerns, such as:

Behavior change happens one person at a time and the more your communication can
connect on a personal level, the more effective it will be. This doesn’t mean you’re
communications team should offer therapy or coaching to every employee! However, you
will be most successful with an approach focused on individual needs as well as
overarching general communications. Consider:

 What do front-line employees need to know as they experience and deal with the
expectations of change?
 What will help their leaders answer their questions and connect team members to
their roles in attaining the ultimate goal?
 What framework can you use to ensure your communications and messages can
adapt to audience needs as transformation moves forward and continues to evolve
along the way?

At the end of the day, your plan should support the behavior change with communication
that gives stakeholders the information they need when they need it, and equips leaders to
guide their team members through the process. The change communication plan includes
the following key sections:

 Objectives based on the business goals (what success looks like) – Like any
communications effort, change communication plans should align closely with the
business objectives for the change. These objectives can be explained in a story or
graphic to help everyone connect with the vision for success.

 Desired behaviors for employees – These may vary by role or function, and
should be observable (ideally measurable, e.g., use of a new tool or software) to
demonstrate adoption of the change.

Discussion with your change sponsor on what you want each impacted group to as a
result of the change. This insight can be included in your communications plan to help
guide your messages and communication strategies.

 Key messages – Your organization need Core message explaining the

overarching change and vision, as well as audience-specific messages to support

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key milestones. For example, customized messages for field engineers would be
timed to the rollout of a new process, to explain training plans, rollout timing and
expectations of their role in consulting with the field.

 Communication strategies and tactics – This section summarizes the key

activities The organization will implement to support the change for all categories
of stakeholders. It might be organized by target audience.

 Editorial calendar – An overview of your plan for delivering relevant

information to stakeholders at key points in the change effort. It summarizes the
message themes and the channels used to deliver them, aligning timing with key
milestones in the program.

Step 3: Prepare Key People for Their Critical Influencer Role

All leaders – from front-line supervisors to middle managers and senior executives –
serve as role models and champions for new behaviors and change. For any change to be
successful, leaders from every stakeholder group must be active and visible in leading
their teams and reinforcing progress. Best practice research confirms that employees want
to hear from leaders during change:

 They want to hear about business reasons for the change, risks and competitive
information from senior leaders who are responsible for the change.

 They want to hear about the personal impacts of the change and what it means to
them from their immediate supervisors.

In addition, employees often turn to influential peers because of strong relationships,

experience, skills and commitment. These influencers can be recruited as “change
agents” (or part of a “change network”), trained as communicators, equipped with
information and asked to share feedback that they hear from their coworkers.

Step 4: Execute the Communications Plan

When you receive input and approval on your change communications plan and
messages, it’s time to take action. Be sure to brief key communication contacts (such as
internal communications editors, intranet managers and video resources) about your plans
so they are ready to provide support when needed. Also give a heads up to anyone who
will be tapped to deliver messages to employees, so they know their role, what’s coming
and when.

Because change programs must evolve to address needs that emerge during the process,
expect to evolve your plans and adapt your materials to the changing needs of the

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projects and stakeholders. Your efforts are more likely to be successful if you follow a
few guiding principles:

 Be consistent and purposeful about messaging – Ensure everyone receives

the and understands the importance of using them. Be consistent and also use the
same core messages in internal communications materials, graphics and intranet
content.

 Keep leaders at the forefront – Employees are closely watching their leaders
and looking for guidance and direction as changes progress. It and it is up to the
communication team to provide leaders with the latest information and tools – and
ensure they understand their important role – to keep employees informed.

 Communicate often with a focus on what employees want to know – Be

sensitive to the concerns of front-line employees and what they need to know to
deal with uncertainty and changing circumstances. Provide updates when
available and be clear about what is in progress. Address myths or rumors with
facts and share information in channels most likely to reach them (including
providing updates that leaders can share with their teams).

 Listen carefully and respond consistently – Monitor feedback channels and ask
employees what they’re thinking to uncover questions and concerns to address in
communication. Set a standard for responding to employee questions or feedback
within 48 hours, even if it’s just to let them know their input was received and
you are working on finding an answer. Guidance and talking points for handling
feedback should be provided to leaders and change agents as well.

 Celebrate work done in the previous system and highlight successes – While it
is good to communicate about the “future state,” it’s also important to
acknowledge the achievements of the past. This can help employee feel their
efforts are appreciated here and now. As changes roll out and successes are
identified, be sure to highlight people who are adopting new ways of working and
the positive outcomes they are achieving. Ask change agents and leaders to be on
the lookout and bring you success stories you can share.

 Plan for recognition and ongoing engagement – Work with different functions
as needed to align on ways to recognize and reinforce progress and adoption of
change. The communications team can provide visibility through internal
communications channels, for example, but recognition programs and
engagement surveys may be owned by human resources or another team. a\

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 Remember that it takes time and consistent reinforcement to achieve lasting

change – Your communications and recognition activity should continue long
after the rollout. Reinforcing key concepts and successes in internal
communication, and ensuring leaders are equipped with updated messages and
leader tools, you’ll help employees see ways the change is taking hold and know
their efforts are successful.

Step 5: Evaluate What Should Be Stopped, Started and Continued

After a project launch or at key milestones, gather input from leaders, change agents and
your cross-functional team of advisers to understand what communication is working
well and what could be done to better meet employee needs. Ask the tough questions and
probe to understand how employees are feeling, what challenges they are facing and what
they are worried about.

You can uncover important information in day-to-day conversations, input meetings,

follow-up surveys or stakeholder interviews. Consider using these tips to help you listen
for what’s not being and ask questions to ensure understanding so you can formulate
ways to revise your approach to better meet employee needs.

In addition to anecdotal feedback and insights from people on the front lines, some of the
things you can use to evaluate your efforts include:

 Communication matrix – What tools are employees using most (e.g., intranet
pages or software tools), which activities are most popular? What is the most used
feedback loop?

 How are employees handling the change? – Use a pulse survey of

approximately five questions to consistently poll employees on their knowledge,
acceptance and adoption of the change. Compare your results across employee
groups and locations to identify topics of concern and adjust communications
accordingly.

 What is getting in the way – Watch for trends in questions asked, information
requested or comments made and probe with leaders and change agents to
understand issues people are facing. Share information with project leaders
to prompt possible adjustments to address issues and communicate updates as
appropriate.

 Lessons learned – Many change efforts are done in the spirit of continuous
improvement and learning, and your communications plans should be no

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exception. Learn from your evaluation and adjust your messages, tools and
communication cadence to respond to stakeholder needs.

5.5 In Conclusion

Change management communication is essential to building awareness and support for

organizational change. Built on key information about what is changing and why, and
who is most impacted, it helps stakeholders understand what to expect, what is expected
of them and how what to expect and what they need to do to help the organization be
successful. There are five key elements to planning change communication:

1. Assess the Situation, People, Channels and Needs to understand what is

changing and why, for whom, and document the case for change and the channels
for reaching stakeholders with information they need to know.

2. Create the Change Communications Plan to help achieve the business goals
based on what you want people to know, feel and do when inspired by
communication. This will include messages, communications strategies and
tactics to inform stakeholders, an editorial calendar that aligns content with key
milestones of the change, and feedback opportunities to help adjust to employees.

3. Prepare Key People for their Critical Influencer Role so front-line supervisors
managers, leaders and influential peers at all levels know what is changing and
have what they need to bring others along. Preparation includes tools and training
on what is changing and why, guidance on handling employee questions, and
expectations they share feedback and are accountable for forwarding questions
and responding to inquiries in a timely manner as appropriate.

4. Execute the Communications Plan in a consistent and purposeful way, ensuring

leaders are visible champions of the change, responding to employee questions
and providing information in a timely fashion. Celebrate successes, recognize
progress and reinforce consistently to help employees see their efforts matter.

5. Evaluate What Should Be Stopped, Started or Continued by purposefully

gathering feedback from employees, consistently engaging with leaders and
change agents to identify their needs, and responding to their input with
adjustments and communication as needed. In the spirit of continuous
improvement, regularly examine lessons learned and reinforce how you are
responding to support the needs of employees.

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6. Resistance To Change And Gaining Support

Experience sharing 13: resistance to change

Purpose: participants able to understand resistance is part of life and
natural experience in the change process.
From your personal life experience, what type of change occurred and
you declined to take it that could bring fundamental advantages to your
health, financial position, relationship or other areas?
What were the reasons not to adapt you to the change?

6.1Reasons for resistance

Change is neither always accepted nor always rejected. Some people desire change and
welcome new experiences as a break from monotony. On the other hand, there are a good
number of people who resist change for various reasons than one. Management may
recognize the need for change, but most employees may resist the process.

No matter what the resistance might arise, the change must occur continually in order to
adjust to dynamic forces that are continuously at play. The society will become stagnant
if no changes took place.

The reasons for resistance to change must be studied carefully and thoroughly. Therefore,
it is important to understand why people often resist change. Researchers (Chandan,
1937; Bateman and Zeithmal, 1993; Holt, 18993; Nutley and Osborne, 1994), have been
endeavoured to identify the reasons why individuals resist change in the first place. They
stipulated four main reasons for resistance to change:

a) Parochial self-interest

 Threat to core skills and competence

 Threat to status

 Threat to power base

b) Misunderstanding and lack of trust

 Lack of information

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 Misinformation

 Historical factors (poor timing)

 Low trust of organizational climate

 Poor relationships (quarrelsomeness).

c) Contradictory assessments.

 No perceived benefits

 An assessment that the proposed change is wrong/ill thought-out

 Strong peer-group norms, which may shape such contradictory assessments.

d) Low tolerance of change

 Fear of the unknown

 Fear of failure

 Fear of looking stupid

 Reluctance to experiment

 Custom-bound (inertia-unwillingness to disturb status quo)

 Reluctance to let go.

A variety of reasons thus exist for resistance to change. The change itself or the methods
of implementation may be opposed. But if managed correctly, the opposition can be
minimized or completely eliminated.

6.2 Managing Resistance to Change

If the change is to be implemented successfully it needs full acceptance and cooperation

from employees. But how can managers get employees cooperation to cooperate?
Specifically, how can they manage their employees' resistance to change?

A diligent review of different research results shows that there are several effective
approaches to managing employees' resistance. More specifically, Kotter and Schlesinger
(1979:110) have put forward six valuable ways of overcoming resistance to change.
These techniques are discussed as follows..

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Education and Communication: - Management should educate employees about

upcoming changes before they occur. It should communicate not only the nature of the
change but its logic. This process (Bateman and Zeithmal, 1993:636), can include one-
on-one discussions, presentations to groups (variety of conferences), brochures, or reports
and memos.

Participation and Involvement: - If management involves those who might resist

change with the design and implementation of the change, resistance may be prevented.
Considerable research (Gray and Smeltzer, 1989) has demonstrated that, in general, when
employees participate in the decision to change, they are committed to implementing it.
Therefore, employees should also be involved in the change's design and implementation.
When feasible, management should use their advice. Often it will be useful, and it may
lead to consideration of important issues previously overlooked by management.

Facilitation and Support: - Management should make the change as easy as possiblefor
employees and be supportive of their efforts. This could be achieved through providing
training in new skills, or giving employee’s time off after a demanding period of change,
or simply listening and providing emotional support.

Negotiation and Agreement: - When necessary, management can offer concrete

incentives for cooperation with the change. Rewards such as bonuses, wages and salaries,
recognition, job assignments, and perks can be examined and perhaps restructured to
reinforce the direction of change (Bateman and Zeithmal, 1993). For example, an
employee may receive additional wages for accepting a new work procedure. This is
particularly helpful when it is obvious that a person has something to lose as a result of
the change.

Manipulation and Co-optation: - This process involves making covert attempts to

influence others. It can be done through the selective use of information and the
conscious structuring of events. One common form of manipulation is co-optation. Co-
optation involves giving an informal leader (a resisting individual) a desirable role in the
design or implementation of a potential change. For instance, management might invite a
union leader to be a member of an executive committee or ask a key member of an
outside organization to join the organization’s board of directors. As a person becomes
involved in the change, he or she may become less resistant to the actions of the co-
opting group or organization.

Explicit and Implicit Coercion: - Some managers apply punishment to those who resist
change. With this approach, managers use force to make people comply with their
wishes. For instance, a boss may force employees to go along with a change by
threatening them with dismissal, with being passed over for promotion, with unattractive

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job assignment, or through other negative suggestions. Each approach to overcoming

resistance has advantages and disadvantages, and each is useful in different situations.

The table below summarizes the advantages, disadvantages, and appropriate

circumstances for these approaches to managing resistance to change. As the table
implies, managers should not use just one or two general approaches, regardless of the
circumstances. Effective change managers are familiar with the various approaches and
know how to apply them according to the situation.

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6.3 Methods for dealing with resistance to change

Commonly Used in
Approach Advantages Disadvantages.
Situations

Education and Where there is a lack of Once persuaded, people Can be very time-
Communication information or inaccurate will often help, with the consuming if many
information and analysis implementation of the people are
change. involved.

Participation Where the initiators don't People who participate will Can be very time-
and have all the information be committed to consuming.
they need to design the implementing change, and
involvement
change and where others any relevant information
have considerable power to they have will be
resist. integrated into the change
plan.

Facilitation and Where people are resisting No other approach works Can be time
support because of adjustment well with adjustment consuming and
problems. problems expensive.

Negotiation and Where someone or some Sometimes it is a relatively Can be too

agreement group will clearly lose out easy way to avoid major expensive, time
in a change, and where that resistance consuming and in
group has considerable many cases it
power to resist. tantalizes others to
negotiate for more

Manipulation Where other tactics will not It can be a relatively quick Can lead to future
and co-option work, or are too expensive. and inexpensive solution to problems if people
resistance problems feel manipulated.

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Explicit and Where speed is essential It is speedy, and can Can be risky if it
Implicit and the change initiators overcome any kind of leaves people mad
possess considerable power. resistance at the initiators.
Coercion

Source: Edmund R. Gray and Larry R. Smeltzer. MANAGEMENT: The

competitive Edge, 1989: 622.

6.4 Understanding Individual Dynamics

The individual dynamics are important since they address how people feel at different
stages of the process and how these feelings might be managed. Most authorities who
have considered individual elements have been influenced by killer-Ross (1969) stages
of:

Denial: Psychologically protecting oneself from the reality of loss by stating to

one self "it hasn't really happened”

Anger: asking "why has this happen to me” (us)"how could the person have done
this to me”

Depression: waves of anguish and depression occur when as the reality of loss to
take hold.

Bargaining: struggling with one to restore the lost state or object

Acceptance: taking on board the reality of the loss and moving forward in
response to traumatic personal loss.

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A five-stage sequence that individuals need to work through as part of resistance,

adjustment and assimilation process (Weiss 1996)

Individual Change Adjustment

Denial Adjustment
Assimilation

Ignoring

Attending
No intention to change
unaware of need for change
denial of need
demoralized about ability to change Planning
cons of change out weight pros

Executing
intention of change sometimes
aware of need for change
not ready to act now
pros and cons about equal Embeddin
reached decision point change or not g

intention to act soon

drawing up action plans
investing resources in preparation

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6.5 Accelerating Change and Gaining Support

Accelerating Change

Research evidence (See, for example, Nutley and Osborne, 1994; Armstrong, 1990)
suggests that there are a number of additional factors which facilitate the pace of the
change process by gaining the commitment of people towards it.

Michael Armstrong (1990:159-60) says that there are seven basic functions that are
required to accelerate the pace of change. They are as follows:

i. Agree firm objectives, i.e. an "agenda of change".

ii. Specify success criteria and methods of measuring performance as well as

progress towards achieving the objectives (both short and long term).

iii. Provide an environment of support in which recognition of achievements to

date will reinforce confidence to do more.

iv. Deliver visionary leadership, which encourages people to be bold and

innovative, and harnesses the ideas as well as talents of employees in the
search for better ways of doing things.

v. Ensure the full collaboration and partnership of all resources in the

organization.

vi. Generate a widespread attitude amongst all employees that encourages

commitment to change and innovation by:

 Conducting personal briefings on the proposed changes, which allow all

employees.

 Conducting workshops in which groups get together to discuss, analyze

and interpret the proposed changes.

vii. Arrange appropriate exit door (routes) for those who lose out in
organizational changes. Exit routes should aim to treat losers in a dignified
manner.

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In addition, the literature on managing change abounds with lists of recommendations

on how best to address the issues of change management process. One such list is
provided by Schein (1985) that recommends:

 Present a non-threatening image

 Present arguments in terms of client interests

 Diffuse opposition and bring out conflict

 Align with powerful others

 Bargain and make trade-off

 Begin as an experiment

 Begin small.

 Exercise 14: learning group on change management

Purpose: Participants being able to understand continuous development is possible through
continuous learning process
Each group takes a topic of leadership, communication, learning organization, and human
resource development in the change context. Then each group result is rotated to the other
three groups turn by turn to get additional knowledge.

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7. Managing cultural change

7.1 What Is Cultural Change in an Organization?

An organization’s culture, or the beliefs and behaviors that influence how people act
within that organization, is now believed to play a major role in a organization’s success
or failure. As such, more and more businesses are paying attention to the impact of their
culture. This provides a unique leadership opportunity for HR professionals to determine
how to implement cultural change in an organization. Organizational culture is something
that is felt more than measured. In essence, an organization’s culture is the shared
perception of “how things are done.” This perception may or may not match stated
policy, values, or mandates. Good HR departments have a pulse on how employees are
feeling, and can therefore be on the front line for managing and influencing culture.

However, as businesses that struggle with their culture will tell you, organizational
cultural management can be challenging. And it can be especially difficult when there’s
the need for a change. In part, this is because an organization’s culture encompasses
several components that intertwine and impact each other: values, goals, roles, processes,
communications practices, and attitudes.

Changing a culture is a large-scale undertaking that takes careful strategy and planning. It
holds the unique requirement of both starting at the top and also being an organization-
wide process. But first, you must determine when a cultural change is necessary. Then
you can decide how to influence culture change.

Managing organizational culture change can be a difficult challenge of leadership. This is

because the culture of an organization consists of an interlocking set of goals, values,
processes, roles, assumptions, attitudes, and communication practices.

These elements integrate as a mutual system of reinforcement and combine for the
prevention of any attempt to change that system. This is the main reason why changes of
single fix such as knowledge management or the introduction of teams may seem to make
some progress for a certain period of time. However, the organizational culture
eventually takes over and the change in the organization is drawn back into the already
existing culture in the organization.

Managing organizational culture change is a huge undertaking and this requires all tools
of organization for changing people’s minds to be properly utilized in the process.
However, the way these organizational tools are deployed has a very critical effect on the
success.

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7.2 What Motivates a Shift in Organizations?

Many different circumstances can prompt organizations to recognize the need for a
culture change in the workplace.

Perhaps your organization has recently undergone significant growth, had changes in
leadership, or wondered why many of your good employees are pursuing careers
elsewhere. These signs (and others) indicate that it may be time to overhaul your
orgazational culture. According to the experts consulted, here are some of the most
common reasons companies need to make a culture change in the workplace.

7.2.1 Employees

One motivation for culture change in the workplace is having problem employees.

Most employees can be relied on, but dealing with rebellious employees or employees
that improperly take advantage of organizational policies may require clarification of
regulations and a cultural shift.

Allowing a few troublesome employees to keep their bad habits may seem harmless in
the beginning, but their attitude can quickly rub off on other employees and encourage
poor behavior all around.

The right culture can be a remedy.

Culture is contagious” and an orgazational culture that fosters a proactive, optimistic,

problem-solving attitude will rub off on employees and create a positive environment.

7.2.2 Growth

As organization Grow they often see the need to make cultural changes in the workplace.
For example, flexible work schedules might work for smaller companies, but as they
grow, more structure and procedures may be needed to help ensure reliable staffing. Also,
when companies grow, there’s usually less visibility of the General Director, which
reduces the General director’s direct impact on the culture of the origination.

Organization growth can also lead to the development of subcultures and more
opportunities for toxic culture to fester unnoticed among a small number of troublesome
employees. More regulations may also apply to your growing organization, and your
governance model may need to change to support the growth. However, there are
positives as well, as a growing organization brings in new people with different
perspectives that can help your organization. New leaders may also recognize a toxic
work culture and launch a critical culture change in the workplace.

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7.2.3 Performance

Many organizations look to hire high performers and overlook the fact that they might
already have a willing and ready workforce right in their own office.

Before searching for outside talent, take a look at your organizational culture and
determine whether it encourages your employees’ growth, innovation, and enthusiasm for
their work. General organizations, believes that changing your culture can help you find
ways to better train your staff and give them the “tools they need… to continually grow
in the organization.

7.2.4 Crisis

Sometimes the motivation for creating a culture change in the workplace isn’t a positive
one.

Major problems with customer complaints, employees, management, etc., can result in
legal issues, organizations losses, and more. Times like these may cause owners and HR
professionals alike to consider whether a change in organizations culture is in order to
avoid these problems in the future.

Whatever the organization motivation is for making a culture change in the workplace,
creating a good organizational culture has a including:

o Increased job satisfaction

o Less stress

o Better performance

o Employee retention

o And more.

Establishing a strong, successful organizational culture is vital to the long-term success of

any organization.

8. Managing the stress caused by change

Stress from change is a natural part of life. Unfortunately, without appropriate stress
management, it can affect our physical, mental, and emotional health. Therefore,
understanding how change leads to stress, as well as how to manage that stress is an
important part of leading a healthier, happier life.

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8.1 Effects of Organizational Change

Before, during and after an organizational change, you and your colleagues might
experience or more of these effects:

 Anxiety connected with the loss of:

o Sense of security

o Sense of competence

o Relationships

o Sense of direction and control

o Territory

o Job

 Anger, sense of betrayal

 Helplessness, vulnerability

 Uncertainty and ambiguity

 Lowered concentration skills

 Active rumor mill

 Survivor guilt

 Desire to punish the organization

 Heavier workloads

 Low morale

 Decreased productivity; burnout

 Increased stress-related symptoms (muscle tension, headaches, intestinal distress,

depression, insomnia, exhaustion, prone to illness, etc.

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8.2 Challenges to Work Relationships During Transition

 More time needed to discuss the process of change and our reactions to it; less
time to do it

 Less time available for informal relationship building

 Free time often spent talking about the changes

 Increased frequency of saying goodbye and forming new relationships

 Increase in time spent on training and orienting self or others when workload is
already high

 Development of new reporting relationships

 Increase in rumors, gossip, complaining

 Increased frequency of interactions that feel tense or hostile; people less patient,
not as diplomatic or polite

 Misunderstandings are more frequent: it is difficult to speak clearly and to hear

accurately if emotional intensity is raised, or if people feel rushed

 Increased paranoia, resentment and mistrust of supervisors, managers, and the

institution

 Disruption in the sense of belonging to a team

 Increased competitiveness due to job insecurity:

o Holding information back from others

o Gathering up responsibilities

o Increase in territorial behavior

o Not cooperating, not speaking

o Tattling, sabotage, self-marketing

o Mistrust

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8.3 How organizations can better manage organizational change to reduce stress

Given the continued acceleration of organizational change, it will be useful for managers
to consider taking the following steps when change is planned:

Anticipate that change may be stressful for some employees. Some organizations have
made employees redundant, sold off divisions or introduced information technologies
baffling to many. Knowing that employees may be stressed by the processes or the
outcomes of change (or both), senior leadership teams should put plans in place to
address stress.

Communicate consistently during the process, acknowledging that the change may be
challenging to some employees. A flurry of communication at the beginning often peters
out later on; employees are left in a vacuum, rumors spread, cynicism and turnover grow,
loyalty and productivity drop. Sincere communication is also a message to employees
that the organization cares about their well-being.

Conduct a stress audit with the input of external experts. This does not have to be
related to organizational change, but soon after a major change is announced, a survey
will provide valuable information on staff well-being.

Develop and/or publicize programs of stress management. These include employee

assistance programs (EAP), extra paid leave and training courses in resilience and dealing
with change.

Organizational change affects employees differently. While some will welcome it,
others will become apprehensive and stressed at the mere mention of change. They will
fear how the reorganization efforts will challenge their standing and how they will fit
into your business's new structure. As a small business owner, you can help employees
manage their stress by offering special programs, conducting informational meetings
and allowing them to feel empowered during the process of change.

Keep Employees Informed

Leadership expert and author, states on his website that you should make an effort to
keep your employees informed about upcoming changes to avoid their emotional upset
or stress. If you don't reveal changes in advance, employees will begin to focus on the
"what-ifs" instead of their job-related responsibilities. Then, your small business
productivity will suffer. When you inform employees of upcoming changes, explain
why they are happening, so employees won't make incorrect and stress-inducing
assumptions.

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Ask for Support

Rather than deliver an announcement of change to employees and leave it at that, ask
for your employees' support. If you approach the changes as a team, less stress will
arise. For example, say "While these changes are inevitable, I would like to know if you
will support them. As valued employees, we can work together to make this business
better than ever." Channel employees' energy toward accepting the change and working
together as a team to adjust. It will empower them.

Require Training and Cross-Training

As organizational roles change, so do training requirements. Give training to employees

so they are well-equipped to handle new roles. If you lose a percentage of your staff,
cross-training is helpful. Employees can learn to do jobs that were previously held by
others. Note that implementing cross-training during a time of change may increase
stress, because some staff members may feel as if their jobs are threatened. Wait to
implement cross-training as things stabilize.

Sponsor a Wellness Program

Regular daily exercise can help employees reduce stress. Purchase pedometers for
employees. Hand them out and ask them to accept a wellness challenge. Explain that
the goal is for employees to walk 10,000 steps per day. Have employees document their
progress and share their successes with each other at the end of each week. Avoid
having sit-down meetings with individual employees. Instead, walk and talk to
encourage activity. Sponsor a organizations walk or marathon that employees can
participate in for prizes such as paid time off.

Offer Career Opportunities

As a result of organizational change, new career opportunities may arise. Give

employees a copy of each position's requirements and encourage them to apply. If
employees focus on career goals and eventual stability in a new position, they may
experience less stress.

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9. Change Performance Management

9.1Choosing the Right Metrics for Organization Change Assessment

No matter how clear the goals or how well-thought-out the organization design work is, it
can be very hard to measure success. Many things can happen in the course of an
organization transformation that can affect the outcome. Often, these events are beyond
the direct control of the organization design team. For example, if a big transformation
coincides with an economic downturn, it can depress results even if the new design is
actually working well. Knowing which metrics to focus on when measuring organization
change can help you to zero in on what is or is not working.

Consider the following approaches for a more accurate evaluation of change efforts:

1. Start with a baseline. Be sure you are clear on your primary reason for change,
as well as your starting point. It’s a good idea to take baseline measurements
before implementing organization change, so that you can measure results
accurately.

2. Monitor business outcomes. A successful organization redesign should initiate

or improve business results. Tracking specific metrics such as market share,
market penetration, and money saved, customer satisfaction, etc. will help to
clarify whether or not desired results are being achieved. Monitoring over time is
best, because long-term patterns are less susceptible to outside influence and more
likely to reflect actual effectiveness.

3. Get internal feedback. If your organization change efforts involve delivery of

internal services be sure to solicit feedback from internal clients. Positive
feedback usually is an indicator that the change transformation is going
successfully.

9.2Measuring Organization Change: the Big Picture

Given all the intervening variables at play, trying to measure change transformation by
isolating specific metrics is usually ineffective. Instead, focus on overall results for a
more relevant picture of how well your organization has changed.

Asking questions around the following four points can help you assess the big picture
more accurately:

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1. What changes did you make? How aligned were these changes with your
organization’s strategic goals? Did the design make sense for the organization and
for the market? Did it fit well with the culture of your organization?

2. How well did you implement? Did the changes called for by the design actually
get put into place in your organization? Measuring and tracking implementation is
essential, because if the organization design changes aren’t actually being made,
it’s impossible to know whether or not the design is effective.

3. What behavior changes resulted from your organization design

implementation efforts? Performance changes will only happen as a result of
behavior changes. If behaviors aren’t changing, you may need to go back and
examine both the organization design blueprint and implementation efforts—
including deployment and communication around the change.

4. How has organization outcomes changed? The final proof of whether or not
your change transformation efforts have been successful will always be seen in
terms of business outcome. Measure overall changes in productivity, sales,
customer satisfaction, and other areas to help determine actual market value
realized by the change.

Success is never guaranteed when attempting organization change. Unforeseen things can
happen to derail even the best planned and executed design. But knowing what to track
and why when measuring organization change will help you to better understand how the
change process is unfolding in your organization and bring potential problems to light so
that they can be addressed and corrected sooner rather than later. In this way, your
organization will be better equipped to navigate change successfully despite intervening
factors.

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PART THREE (PROFICIENCY LEVEL THREE)

JOB LEVEL :
LEAD CHANGE MANAGEMENT OFFICER
1. Effective Leadership for Change
Duration: 18hrs

This Part of Module will address the following unit of competencies:

1. Change organizational culture

2. Meaning of change evaluation

3. How to lead a change

4. Importance of change evaluation

Training Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

 Evaluate change models

 Describe what are the steps in change management
 Analyze sources of resistance to change
 Create change agenda
 Develop change communication strategy
 Describe cultural change
 Evaluate the organizational degree of change
 Describe global impact related to change

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this module, the learner able to know:

 Describe effective ways of communication during a change process

 Analyze the nature of global and national changes in organizations
 Identify ways/tools to transform organizational culture
 Describe the role of leadership in developing and instilling new culture
 How to Evaluate Change.

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MODULE CONTENTS

1. Setting appropriate direction to change

2. Role of management and leadership

3. Managing resistance to change

4. Communication during change process

5. Managing cultural change

6. Managing the stress caused by change

1.1 Importance

Leadership is a key to managing organizations in periods of change and crisis and is thus
important to all working within organizations. As Burns (1978), in his seminal work, put
it the other side of the coin of ‘leadership’ is ‘followership.’ So the central question in
leadership is how do leaders establish the conditions under which people will follow?

Many writers are in a firm agreement with the principle that leadership occurs when one
attempts to influence the behavior of an individual or group. They go on to state that
there are three general skills (or competences), that could be stated as (Carnall, 1995:
184):

a) Diagnosing. Being able to understand the situation as it is now and knowing what
can reasonably be expected in the future. The gap between the two – sometimes
known as the ‘performance gap’ – is the problem to be solved. This is what the
effective leader will attempt to change. Diagnosing is a cognitive skill.

b) Adapting. This implies adapting one’s behavior and other resources in ways that
help to close the ‘performance gap,’ a behavior skill.

c) Communicating. Even when one knows what needs to be done and is able to
adapt oneself to meet the changes, this will fail unless one can communicate all
this to others in ways that they can grasp and accept -- a communication skill. By
way of oversimplification the following matters can be taken as a very crucial
aspect of leadership with respect to change management.

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1.2 Leadership and Vision

Writers often mention that possessing a clear vision by leaders is the most important
condition to convince people to follow. Successful leaders are capable of articulating a
clear vision of the future; and capable of engaging supports to that vision, work with the
values and ideology of the organizations.

The need for explicit strategy is clear enough (Carnall, 1995:186): it allows for co-
ordination of activity; it provides direction to people; it can boost morale and sustain
self-esteem; it can provide a shield against anxiety in a period of change. Explicit
strategy also fosters better planning. Rather than simply reacting, people can plan change.
Thus explicit strategy allows people to plan, create change and then learn from the
experience.

In view of many writers along with explicit strategy or vision, charisma or personality
features are very important that have to be possessed by a leader. It may be dangerous for
organizations to become overexposed to, or too dependent upon charismatic leaders.
Nevertheless, it is indisputable that individuals respond very often to personality.

1.3 Understanding the ‘followers’ – Understanding the Human Dimension of

Change

From the sketchy analysis presented above it seems that effective leader uses skills,
knowledge, charisma and much else besides. Nonetheless to carry through or achieve the
desired change the ‘followers’ need both an ability to do so and a willingness to go
along. The latter is often underestimated in change management. In managing change
coercion can be used as a means of forcing people to change. Nevertheless, its
effectiveness is highly doubted.

People are not a machine. They are creatures with rationality, free will and ability to
think. Yet so often, probably without realizing, leaders treat them as machines, which can
be turned on and turned off at will. As Lovell (1994: 58) accurately put it, “this one-
dimensional view can also affect our images of our superiors, causing us to spend an
inordinate amount of time pandering to our perception of their needs, at the expense of
what they really need and of time which could be devoted to our staff.”

In the process of understanding the ‘followers’, as related to change, a leader should at

least do two things: know how people react to change and rebuild self-esteem of the
followers.

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a) Know different ways people react to change. Following Lovell (1994) with
respect to their reactions to change, we can feature four groups of followers.

i. Explorers: These people are with high willingness to change and high
ability to change.

ii. Pioneers. These followers have high willingness to change but they lack
ability to change. Despite their limitation in ability to cope up with change
they are loyal to change in any way they can.

iii. Settlers. These are kind of persons with high ability to change but low
willingness to change. In typical organizational setting, the settlers form the
majority. Hence the leader should convince settlers so that change will gain
pace and become norm.

iv. Outlaws. This group consists of people with low ability to change and low
willingness to change. These people have neither ability nor the will to
change. They are loyal to the status quo mainly because of their inherent
inability to bring about change.

b) Rebuild the self-esteem of the followers. Whatever its extent might be significant
organizational changes create a decline in self-esteem for many those who are
directly affected. This decline has an impact on performance. Hence the driving
force for rebuilding performance subsequent to a major change will be the
rebuilding of self-esteem.

Individuals have four main categories of need if they are to rebuild their self-esteem
amidst a program of organizational change:

 Intelligible information. People need to understand the new system if they are
to understand their own part in it. Information must be shared if people are to judge
the impact of changes upon themselves and upon 'their jobs'. People can only make
mature judgments if they have the relevant information. Does this mean that openness
and sharing information is a good thing, and the more the better? This is a debate-
evoking question. Some will say that this is in an exact harmony with transparency.
But others will rise challenging question: what if the manager passes on information
that he does not have it to share? Then the question of confidentiality is often raised.
Thus this makes it clear that sharing information is not without problems. Secrecy
may be indispensable to individuals, to groups and to organizations. But the question
is one of balance.

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 Develop new skills. Changes may trigger new skills and thus entail training
and tryout new system via on the job training or formal education.

 Support to help them to deal with problems. The victims of change need
different supports to cope up with the changes. The supports required might vary
from case to case. It may involve counseling and advising, coaching and mentoring,
redeployment, safety nets scheme, short-term loans, networking for strategic alliances
and twining; and provision of markets.

 Empathy. Empathy is a key issue. It is the ability to see how other people
construct reality or more specifically how they perceive the inner and outer worlds.
We constantly guess what people think and feel. We assume that what is going on in
somebody else's mind is somewhat identical to our own psychic process.

2. Changing Culture and Leadership

When executives change their leadership culture, they are rewarded with significant,
sustainable outcomes, including:

• An accelerating ability to implement emerging, successive business strategies,

• Greater speed and flexibility, allowing the organization to move faster in response
to change and challenge,

• New, stronger core organizational capabilities,

• Achievement of bottom-line results,

• Improved ability to create shared direction, alignment and commitment

throughout the organization,

• Growth of not only individual capabilities, but waves of individuals all growing
capabilities in a leadership collective,

• The development of talent and culture while implementing the business strategy,

• Genuine organizational innovation for not only products, but also the
organizational systems required to sustain innovation,

• Effective cross-boundary work and the collaboration required for dealing with
complexity and change,

• Increased engagement within the top leadership team that links through leadership
down into employees throughout the organization,
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• A re-humanized workplace, balancing technical and operational expertise with

beliefs and experience, and

• Leadership and organizational transformation.

3. Communication during Change

One of the important requirements of a successful leadership is an effective
communication. The ability to communicate is a powerful element that all change-makers
should possess, particularly the ability to be open and honest about feelings and attitudes.

Communication during serious organizational changes is a very crucial task. It requires

intelligently developed communication strategy. There are some positive actions that can
be taken, when developing a communication strategy during changes (Lovell, 1994: 89-
92).

a) Purposeful communication. By purposeful communication we are underscoring

clarity about the purpose of communication. Purpose of communication is not simply
giving information or keeping people up to date. While communicating the leader
should pose the following two questions:

- Why do they need the information?

- What are they going to do with it?

Without being unequivocal about the answers of these questions it will be difficult for the
leader or the communicator to be clear what information or how much information
should be presented. Failing to answer these questions may lead to communication
overload and lack of clarity.

b) Communication is a two way process. Thus stimulate and hunt for feedback. In
the words of Kanter (1992): Too often 'communication' translates into a unilateral
directive. Effective communication requires the sender and the receiver actively
involved in the communication. This involvement can take multitudes of forms, one
possibility is where the recipient is involved in simply feeding back what has been
heard and understood; another spectrum is where a complete dialogue takes place
with both parties' views being explored, listened to, appreciated and understood. The
latter is the one sought during changes.

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c) Use more than one communication structure.

People pick up information in a variety of different ways or from a variety of different

sources, for instance from the formal structure, expert groups, status or peer groups and
social groups.

Nonetheless, following Pugh (1978), managers should use informal feedback apart from
formal sources to get feedback and enhance participation. Managers should not rely on
one or two structures; they should employ a number of different structures. This does not
mean they should ignore the formal methods of communication, but they should not be
over-reliant on them.

d) Shorten the lines of communication

Efforts have to be made to keep the linkages in the communication as few as possible.
The point is that the greater the number of people in the chain the greater the chance of
distortion. The manager should make him accessible to the lower level employees. He
has to practice what Kantor termed 'walking the halls,' going out to see and meet staff at
all levels. This style of communication or management helps managers to get their
messages across and give them access to information and opinions, which they would not
receive through the normal lines of communication.

As Jack Welch of General Electric (from Kanter 1992, as cited in Lovell, 1994: 92)
succinctly stated:

Real communication takes countless hours of eyeball to eyeball; back and forth …It means
more listening than talking… It is human beings coming to see and accept things through a
constant interactive process aimed at consensus.

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4. Sustaining Organizational Change

4.1Introduction

Organizations need to keep the momentum of change if they want to make survive in this
dynamic, turbulent and flexible world. Many organizations initiate change but they
do not continue with program for many reasons. In this section we go through in
detail about change management in which it is more about managing change
during implementation stage.

4.2Change Management as a Strategic Issue

‘Change management’ is a strategic activity aimed at getting the best outcomes from the
change process. Making the connection between ‘strategy’ and ‘change management’
Mitchell (2002), in a review of effective strategy-making and change management for
high-performing organizations, describes strategy as “making choices about which
customers to focus on, which products to offer, and which activities to perform”, and
describes it as “a dynamic and ongoing activity”. Strategic management is about
identifying, choosing and implementing activities that will enhance the long term
performance of an organization.

‘Change management’ is about managing the changes that are part of or a consequence of
that strategy in such a way “to suit the particular organization’s context and the type of
change required” (p. 6). Change management is a sub-set of strategy making. The process
for change management and the actions that are part of a change management strategy are
unique and specific to a particular organization. Each organization has unique
requirements – their circumstance and resources differ, clientele and relationships are
unique, cultures differ, and their aims, objectives and very ambitions may be different. It
is about exploring choices and choosing pathways

Although change management strategies and considerations are unique there are many
resources that an organization can tap into to facilitate planning and the management of
change – case studies, theoretical planning models, examples of existing plans and
documents (not to copy necessarily, but to be inspired by, or to adapt), and other practical
tools. A selection of these is provided in this training manual.

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4.3Why is it Important?

Managing change is an essential activity at all levels within in order to effectively

integrate that change within everyday practice and maximize the benefits and outcomes.
For a flexible learning regime is to be implemented successfully a change management
philosophy and framework for action stems from, and needs to connect with, the overall
strategic planning process.

Learning Framework projects and various governing policies have been established as
part of a strategy to implement the plans and visions for flexible learning for nationally.
A principal objective is to increase uptake and support the provision of flexible learning
and delivery. Within institutions, programs and strategies likewise need to be part of a
strategic process to implement articulated visions and objectives of that organization.

Quite simply… If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere
else.

Specific reasons why organizations manage change are to:

 maximize the opportunities presented by the proposed change,

 identify and overcome impediments,

 minimize disruption to programs and services,

 ensure staff are engaged with the change process to achieve the best possible
outcomes,

 maintain harmony and good relations within the organization and externally, and

 Prepare, and support employees, to ensure effective change and to, and achieve
strategic goals and vision.

4.4Critical Success Factors

Some factors common to successful change management activities include:

 Commitment at the top and across the broad spectrum of an organization (with
representations on working committees)

 Consultative and open processes,

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 Strategic visioning and strategies that aim to [re]align and integrate services to
provide effective and needed services seamlessly for customers and citizens, and

 “Creative leadership is required to shape the necessary vision through

consultation, dialogue and expert advice, and to ‘sell’ the vision, and the
operational process for its implementation, to teaching and support staff across the
Institute

4.5Components of a Change Management Strategy

Based on his research Horton (1999, p. 14) found that the change management strategies
required for effective investment in and management of flexible delivery driven by the
interplay between five major impact areas:

 strategic thinking and business planning for change,

 risk assessment and management of systems and technologies,

 understanding/managing human capital and organizational capability,

 reorienting the processes role and relationship; and

 Building collaborative values and strategies teamwork/partnerships.

Aspects might cover the coming together of these parts:

 operational planning,

 market and demand analysis,

 stakeholder analysis,

 capability assessment,

 IT strategic planning,

 skills identification,

 career development activities,

 resource allocation models,

 human Resource Management (HRM), and

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 Monitoring and evaluation.

4.6Organizational Change – Managing the Human Side

In fact, only 25% of respondents to a recent poll conducted by Right Management

agreed that their workforce effectively responds to change. In contrast, 31%
reported their workforce was not able to adapt to change, putting productivity and
engagement at serious risk. Forty-four percent reported that their workforce was
coping with change, but that morale was suffering. But this lack of planning and
preparedness has an unfortunate result: Change management strategies tend to
fail, undermining an organization’s ability to achieve the goals the change
initiative was designed to produce.

Deborah Schroeder -Saulnier, 2009

(The following excerpt adopted from American Productivity and Quality Centre,
1997)

Today’s organizations are facing both internal and external pressures that make change
inevitable. External factors include:

 New work force demographics,

 Changing expectations about quality,

 Customer satisfaction,

 New technologies, and

 Etc

Internally, financial constraints, the requirements to do more with less, cross functional
teams, and empowered workers all affect organizations.

No matter how this change comes from, balancing is necessary between the demands and
expectations among the stakeholders – including, customers, employees, management,
and owners. Without balance, an organization risks an anxious work force that may yield
diminishing productivity. How an organization decides to motivate, communicate and
integrate change into the workforce will determine the magnitude of its success.

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4.7Key Elements of Successful Organizational Change

a Committed and active participation of leadership – because change is

always resisted, it needs a champion. And the more powerful and viable the
champion, the more likely the change will be successful. The leader of the
organization – most often the executive leader, is perhaps the most effective
communicator of the importance of change to the workforce. In fact, all best practice
organizations indicated that their executives plan and mange organizational change,
thus serving as change agents.

Of course, large organizations do not have just one leader; leaders are found in a
variety of functions and levels, ranging from the executive to team levels. Since
leaders must understand their roles in managing and motivating change, education
and development of these leaders become essential. All best practice organizations
indicated that formal education and training is an important element of the education
program designed to change their cultures.

a. Culture change – to make organizational change effective, lasting, and

ultimately transformational, a fundamental culture change is necessary. Culture
change facilitates other change by making the workforce more comfortable with and
receptive to organizational change. The culture change helps to transform the
organization and make change a constant presence rather than a looming threat. A
successful program to change an organization culture includes at least these elements:

 Formal education and training,

 Formal and informal communications,

 Change the corporate infrastructures, and

 Financial incentives.

b. Energetic involvement of an empowered and educated workforce –

organizational change cannot be effective and sustainable without the active
participation and commitment of the organizations workforce. First, employees must
be granted greater authority and responsibility. Second, workers must be educated.
Third, frequently and regularly survey employees’ attitude and behavior and then
widely distribute the results to the workforce.

c. Effective communication and measurement – communication serves

many purposes in an organization undergoing change. First, it is the way to deliver
the vision and strategy to those who must implement them. Second, it is the means to

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developing understanding, by the workforce and management, of the organization

progress towards change and the work remains to be done. Third, through its many
paths, communication enables not only leaders to send important messages to the
workforce but also workers to offer help and ask for assistance.

d. Aligning performance management and human resource systems with

the goals and objectives of the change – a majority of best practice organizations
indicated that their performance and human resource systems have changed
significantly as part of the organizational change in performance planning,
performance appraisal, education and training and compensation.

In conclusion, change can be threatening to individuals and organizations. It

challenges the usually comfortable status quo and often raises the possibility of job
loss or at least change in job quality and status. To overcome the natural inertia this
reality produces, significant organizational change often requires an obvious crises
before the workforce can be mobilized to embrace change. Therefore, successful
change requires instilling a sense of urgency and importance in the work force
without the help of a crisis. The most important role of the leader is to successfully
convey to the workforce the importance of change. A successful leader will motivate
the workforce by describing the organization’s future, how achieving that vision will
ensure a prosperous future, what change is necessary to realize that future, and how
active support and participation by thee workforce will benefit workers and
strengthen and grow the organization.

4.8A Learning Organization

Maintaining a change momentum in the organization is the last resort of organizational

change management activity that everyone turns to build his/her capability in a continual
learning process. Peter Senge’s (1990) book The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of
the Learning Organization offers an inspiring look at how organizations can focus on
growth and renewal, overcome threats from the external environment, and develop the
capacities of individuals within the organization.

He argues that changes in our “mindset” are needed to truly develop a learning
organization. In the earlier discussion on change, we noted that a change in one area of
the world affects others. Senge recognizes this phenomenon and emphasizes the concept
of systems thinking, which he calls the “fifth discipline.” This is a holistic way of
viewing organizations, as well as individuals, and provides a perspective useful in
planning and change efforts. Senge writes:

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The tools and ideas presented...are for destroying the illusion that the world is created of
separate, unrelated forces. When we give up this illusion - we can then build “learning
organizations,” organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create
the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured,
where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to
learn together.

One of the disciplines that characterize the learning organization is team learning. Senge
discusses how unaligned teams produce a great amount of wasted energy. While
individuals within the team may work diligently, the team effort is low. He writes: By
contrast, when a team becomes more aligned, a commonality of direction emerges, and
individuals’ energies harmonize. There is less wasted energy.... There is commonality of
purpose, a shared vision, and an understanding of how to complement one another’s’
efforts....

Individuals do not sacrifice their personal interests to the larger team vision; rather the
shared vision becomes an extension of their personal visions. (p. 235). Again, this
congruence of personal and organizational vision can only occur when visions have been
developed by both the organization and the individual. A shared vision is a necessity in
this type of context. Neither the organization nor the individual can shirk responsibility in
developing a vision.

Senge notes that team learning is dispersed throughout an organization through the
actions of team members. Each member of a team will also be a member of other teams;
his or her behavior can therefore encourage team learning in other areas as well. In
general Senge, noted that the last way of sustaining a change in the organization comes
through making every individual, team and organization a learner.

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 REFERENCES
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 American Productivity and Quality Centre, (1999), Organoational Change –

Managing the Humnan Side,

 Australian Flexible Learning Framework, (2003), Approaches to Change

Management for Flexible Learning.

 Brownell, E.O. (2000), Managing change Successfully, Limra’s Market Facts,

Sep/oct 2000 pp.9-10

 Buchanan, D., and D. Buddy (1992). The Expertise of the Change Agent: Public
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 Carnall, C. (1995). Managing Change in Orgnaizations. New York: Prentice Hall.

 Cheryl Yaeger, (2006) Change Management - Trends in Governance Structures,

BenchMark Consulting International BenchMark Consulting International, N.A., Inc.

 Clarke, L. (1994), The Essence of Change, Prentice Hall, London

 Kotter, J.P., (1996), Leading Change, Harvard Business School, London.

 Kristi M. Branch, ( 2002), Change Management.

 Lovell, R. (1994). Managing Change in the New Public Sector. London: Longman in
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 Coffey, R.E., C.W. Cook, and P.L. Hunsaker (1994). Management and
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 Crnall, C. (1995). Managing Change in Orgnaizations, New York,Prentice Hall.

 Eric Flamholtz and Yvonne Randle (2008). Leading Strategic Change:Bridging

theory and practice,UK, Cambridge University Press.

 Kotter, J.P., (1996). Leading Change. Harvard Business School, London

 EMI, Different Change management training matreials

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