Essay Question

Quote:
It is not the strongest who will survive but those who can
best manage (Charles Darwin)
Essay:
What can managers of todays organization do to best
manage change?
A few decades back the simple aim and goal of any large organization and its shareholder would
be stability for themselves and for the company as well. The senior executives in huge
organization would want profits a little more than expected and they would be satisfied with the
business (MindTools, 2015). The global market change has concentrated the thoughts of all
companies towards one factor which is, change in the organization. Professor Rosabeth Kanter of
Harvard Business School has stated that successful companies adopt a culture that keeps
changing from time to time. (Jones, 2004)
The purpose of this essay is to highlight all the steps and actions a manager must take in order to
best manage the change process within an organization. The research findings are that the
manager needs to transform both the individuals and the organization in the change process.
Multiple techniques are discussed that a manager must adopt for a successful change process.
Some techniques need to be applied to the employees for which prior planning and analysis is
conducted. Top management also needs to go through the change process and be a role model for
their employees.
There was a time back when the main focus of the advisors and senior executives of the
company would be to create a successful business and strategic plan. But to be successful in
todays time the senior management also have to understand the change management techniques

(Kirke, 2013). Change in the culture of the company, behavior of the people and business style is
essential for being successful. Managers need to put together collective efforts of all the
employees who are involved in the planning and execution of the change. (Prosci, 2014)
Change in an organization has these main characteristics: scalability, magnitude, realistic,
duration and strategy. Managers need to decide the scale of change whether it will affect the
whole organization or only some portion. The magnitude of change is also an important factor as
complete change in the structure may not be easily adaptable. The duration of the change is to be
clearly determined as to whether the change will last for a shorter time period or for years to
come. All these changes will result in success only if they are adopted at the individual level by
every employee. (Jones, 2004)
It is the tasks of the senior managers to analyze how the change will transform the individuals
and the organization and how will they react to the change. Managers need to lead their team in a
manner that the workers are able to work as a team altogether. The change must not affect the
unique identity and values of the organization. Managers need to develop an environment of
loyalty and best performance can be achieved through this relationship. Managers who ignore the
human aspect of change often wonder why their best structured plan failed. (Kirke, 2013)
There is no single rule for change management but there are multiple techniques that may be
adapted in various scenarios. Some guidelines and principles are suggested for a successful
change management which focuses on the change on individual and organization level. The first
and the foremost is the change in the human aspect. Managers must understand the human issues
as the job style changes and latest skills are introduced the employees my resist to change and
might be uncertain about the results also. (ACAS, 2015)
The managers need to deal with the reaction of the employees, the speed with which the change
is adopted and the risks associated with the result of the change. The approach to change
management should be planned early and then implemented gradually as the change is adopted
in the organization. For this purpose the senior managers must collect appropriate data about the
employees and organizations strategies and history. Planning and analysis on the redesigning of
the systems and processes of the organization needs to done by top management. Timely and
well paced implementation of the new design and structure of the change is also very important.

Managers must ensure that all the branches are well integrated and well informed about the
change. The change in the design and decision making must all be realistic, along with being in
line with the companys core values and strategic direction. (Prosci, 2014)
Top management have to embrace the change process first at the top level to be role models to
adopt the change to support the employees, give them the strength to move on and show them the
right direction. Leaders embracing the change will motivate the others to take the challenge and
accomplish it (Graetz, 2010). The whole organization should be at same frequency and have
similar behaviors. Senior executives, who are aligned with their employees and work together in
the changing direction, meet success. Executives know the culture of the organization and
behavior of the people and can better understand how and where the change must be introduced.
(Chew, 2006)
As the top management defines the strategy of new design and its implementation it is important
to involve all different layers of the organization. Change should be communicated to the
managers at all levels and layers down the organization so that the change is cascaded throughout
the company. The managers of all the branches must be aligned with the change behavior and
vision of the company. The managers must also be motivated to make changes and also be well
equipped to execute a specific task. (Chapman, 2016) (Gill, 2002)
Workers in a company might have confusion and ambiguities as to why the change is needed and
to what extents will the change occur. They might also be afraid whether theyd be able to make
change in themselves and if the company will head in the right direction with the change. All
these questions are relevant and the employees will look up to the top management for the
answers. Keeping these queries in mind the top leadership must develop an official case. The
case must answer few important questions. (Thomson, 2014)
Firstly the leadership must convince it employees with facts that there is a need for change.
Secondly, show them the faith the top leadership has in its employees to get to the desired change
model and demonstrate companys prosperous future. Lastly, present a guide map as to how to
go about the change and what procedure would be followed. The message from the top
management must be communicated well down the organization (Scott, 2015). Often the leaders
make this common mistake by assuming that the change message has been issued to all and the

employees can also see the new success direction as the top managers can do. But in reality it is
not the case. It requires multiple ways of communication through various channels. Managers
must also be prepared for the unexpected in the change process because no change goes exactly
according to plan. Managers can then make necessary alterations. (Jones, 2004)
Change process is both at individual and institutional level. Managers must be honest and
truthful in their words and actions as the individuals in the organization listen and see what is
going around them and react accordingly. Tangible and intangible rewards must be given to
employees for embracing the change process (Thornton, 2009). Managers should assess the
culture of the organization at different levels and understand the behavior of its people.
Removing the people who are a hurdle in the process of change will emphasize the commitment
of the organization. Managers must be wary of the people of the organization and ensure that the
change is not imposed on them but it involves the whole organization.
Word Count: 1273

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