Discuss about the role of a leader in initiating change management process at workplace.
The purpose of this report is to provide a brief description about the role of a leader in initiating change management process at workplace. As it is said that change is the only constant present in the environment, in accordance to which it is important for the organizations to initiate the change management activities at workplace. Further, it is the role of leader in healthcare organization to appropriately initiate the process of change management in the organization and help the employees to make use of such change as well.
Further, the below mention report provides a detailed analysis of the role of a leader in workplace change management process. It further evaluates the role of the leader in initiating change, type of leadership style used by the leader, steps and theories to implement the change management process. The latter part of the report also examines the importance of workplace culture in supporting the change management process, strategic goals of the company, change theory and its implementation. The last part of the report explains the barriers in implementation of such change and recommendations as well. More details about the report are discussed below:
Capacity building or capacity development refers to the process with the help of which the individuals and the organization obtain, retain skills and improve knowledge and resources that are required by them to perform their job competently and to increase the working capacity as well. The main purpose of capacity building is to maintain the efficiency of the organization by using various available resources present with them. A leader of the healthcare organization plays a major role in initiating the process of change management in the organization. A leader is person who aims to implement the change for good at workplace, otherwise the employees would resist for change at workplace (Goetsch, & Davis, 2014).
In the current environment, every organization wants to be competitive in the target market; competence in the market can only be achieved by making innovative changes in the activities of healthcare organization. The adoption of technology in the clinical activities healthcare can sufficient help the employees to efficiently and increase the effectiveness of the healthcare organization. Further, the use of technology can increase the capacity for the organization as well. The technological innovation is just like a resource for the organization that can help them to sustain their activities in the target market and satisfy the customers to the maximum extent. So, taking technology as a change management project, it is important for the leader to help the employees to make use of such technology and increase the competence of the organization as well (Bolman, & Deal, 2017). As discussed above, the leader of the organization plays the most important role in helping the employees to use such technology and avoid escalations and mistakes as well. Further, the leader of a healthcare organization helps the employees in clarifying the vision and communicating the same effectively. As with the help of the leader only, the employees adjust in diverse environment using different tools and techniques so it is important for the leader to effectively communicate the little details of the plan with the employees and clearly state them vision of the organization as well. This will help the employees the resolve the confusions through communication and understand the objectives of the healthcare organization behind the change. Further, it is important of the leader to be accountable and transparent in the activities of the company (Cameron, & Green, 2015). During the process of change in the organization, it is the duty of the leader to be accountable for the work that they are doing along with the team. The leader needs to hold the responsibility of their team members also, then only they will support the process of change at workplace. Technology is such aspect that cannot be adopted easily in healthcare, thus the leader in the organization needs to engage himself in the activities of the company along with the employees so as to initiate change effectively. The leader of the organization should motivate to change and get people involved in the activities of the company. The commitment and engagement of the leader will motivate the subordinate to welcome the new technologies in their activities. The commitment of the leaders in change management process will ensure the employees to easily adopt such technology at workplace (Van der Voet, 2014).
Further, it should be noted that in order to successfully implement the change in the organization, it is important for the leader to use adequate leadership style in the business. The healthcare industry is very crucial industry that requires regular surveillance and innovation in the activities. So, the leader should make use of strategic leadership style along with transformational leadership (Schein, 2015). The strategic leadership refers to the leadership style that involves the leader to monitor the activities of the company and taking decisions strategically. A strategic leader is the head of the organization who aims to increase the capacity of the company and build a reputable image of the organization in the target market. The strategic leadership style of the leader helps the healthcare organization to decreases the number of mistakes from the employees and increases the capacity development of the organization. This type of leadership also satisfies the employees along with the patients (Sullivan, & Garland, 2013). Further, the transformational style of leadership is the best type of leadership that is associated with the process of change management at workplace. The transformational style leadership helps the leader to actively initiate changes in the organization and help the employees to adopt such changes for the better performance of the organization. The transformational leader will motivate the employees to work more than originally intended and even more than expected as well (Bolden, 2016). The transformational leader provides challenging circumstances to the employees and at the same time motivate them to achieve the goals in the environment. Such leaders initiate changes at workplaces and help the employees to adopt them as well. So, if a strategic leader will adopt transformational leadership style at workplace to initiate change management program then the employees will automatically motivate themselves to make use of technology and bring successfully outcomes as well. This type of leadership style can create effective changes and build capacity for the healthcare organization as well (Howitt, et. al., 2014).
Furthermore, relating the leadership style and the role of leader with the Kotter’s change management theory at workplace, it should be noted that with the implementation to this model the leader can effectively implement changes at workplace. The Kotter’s model of change management was developed by John P. Kotter who developed this model with a purpose to change the vision and mission statement of the organization strategically and transform the changes for the capacity development of the organization (Bratton, & Gold, 2017). This approach of Kotter includes eight steps; the initial stage talks about the process of creation of sense of surgery. The healthcare organization assumes that there are near to negligible or no change present in the internal as well as external environments of the organization, whereas contradicting to this statement the activities of a healthcare organization are not same at all; neither do the events repeat (Bos, & Brown, 2014). Resulting to which, change in the internal process of the organization is avoided due to inflexible state of mind. The second step includes the formation of a strong coalition of the employees to work with the resistances at workplace. This aspect requires strong leadership and visible support from the key people present at workplace. As a result of the second step, the management should create a plan to optimize the vision statement and plan strategies accordingly. Resulting to which, the management of the healthcare organization should create a plan in order to optimize the vision statement of the organization. This stage of the Kotter’s model should plan strategies to initiate change at workplace. The fourth step of this model states that the leader should communicate the vision statement to the employees of the organization (Bourne, 2016). The leader should also communicate other mandatory changes with the employees. In order to make people aware of the aspect that the organization is implementing changes at workplace, the leader should positively communicate to the employees; this will also decrease their battle with difficulties for a longer period of time (Hornstein, 2015).
The next step of this model deals with the process of encouraging and motivating the employees and stakeholders to recognize the need and importance of change and implement them accordingly in activities of healthcare at workplace. This step will increase the effectiveness of the organization. The sixth step will help the healthcare organization in resolving the barriers easily and maintaining co-operation in the activities of management. This stage also provides the benefit to the organization to become creative and problem solving management as well. This process will also enhance the satisfaction of employees by improving its technological use at workplace (Goetsch, & Davis, 2014).
Further, in order to carry on the process of change management effectively, the leader of the organization should provide short term rewards and benefits to the employees time to time on the basis of work performed by them with regards to the change. This process increases the motivation level of the employees to adopt changes at workplace. Lastly, in order to implement the process of change management at workplace, the healthcare organization should refine the process and amend changes accordingly. Under this stage of change management, the organization should focus on implementing further changes at workplace and fix these permanently as well. Under this phase, Kotter suggested that changes should be reinforced in such a way that it demonstrates a relationship between behavioral change and organizational success (Hill, Jones, & Schilling, 2014).
While talking about the Kotter’s model of change management theory, one aspect that was highlighted was the important of workplace culture in an organization. It is very important for an organization to initiate positive workplace culture so as to effectively initiate the change management activities. While understanding the aspects that make an organization a good place to work and bring effective outcomes, the work culture is the most important aspect that is considered by the management. The brand value of an organization is also based on the workplace culture of the healthcare organization. If there is presence of issues and dispute in the internal process of the organization the no person would come at to organization to treat themselves (Omotayo, 2015). The type of workplace in which the employees initiate their activities plays a very significant role in initiating change a workplace. The changes can automatically create its effectiveness if the workplace culture is positive towards these changes. Mostly, changes at workplace fail due to the problem of resistance. If the workplace culture is flexible enough to adopt these changes then the leader will not face difficulty in managing such changes (Paton, & McCalman, 2008). Thus, it should be noted that the environment of the workplace is one of the key aspect due to which change management activities succeed or fail in an organization. Work culture is an intangible ecosystem that makes some places great to work and other places toxic. Thus, it is important for the organization to circulate positive environment towards the change management program initiated by employees (Scott, Mannion, Davis, & Marshall, 2003).
The vision, mission, strategic goal are some of the key considerations that are focused while initiating the change management program at workplace. The healthcare organization should not take any change management program into action that would result in the failure of achievement of vision and mission statement of the organization. The vision, mission and strategic goals are the basic and foremost requirement on which the whole planning process is dependent. The leaders in the organization should also implement the change management program considering these aspects. Further, it should be noted that these three aspects helps the organization in the process of planning (Shafritz, Ott, & Jang, 2015). The leader at workplace creates plans that combine the change management objective with these vision and mission statements so that successful outcomes are received. Further, it should also be noted that the vision and mission statement gives direction to the activities of the company. It the change management program includes such objectives of the company then they will continue to move in the right direction and gain success as well. Further, all employees are also engaged in the activities of the company if the vision and mission are fulfilled with the change management program; the leaders would face less difficulty in initiating such changes with the cooperation of the employees at workplace (Cummings, & Worley, 2014).
Furthermore, talking about the analysis of the change management theory used by the company, it should be noted that the Kotter’s model of change management is a significant model that is used by leaders to successfully initiate the change management program at workplace. This type of model considers all the available factors and then only implements change in the organization. Further, it should be noted that in order to implement changes, the leaders needs to make use of this theory, under this process the leaders analyze the problem, create plans and implement them at workplace as well. Talking about its importance in the planning and implementation of any change it should be noted that the theory proactively takes actions and aims to positively implement changes at workplace (Westphal, 2005).
There are eight stages in the Kotter’s model; each stage involves its own significance that helps the leaders to implement change at workplace. This model is very important as it provides a roadmap to the leaders to initiate changes in the organization (Burke, 2017). With the help of this model the leaders identify the issues, communicate it with organization, create and implement vision at workplace, remove obstacles and create short term win that ultimately follows the implementation of change management program at workplace. So, it should be noted that this model of change management resolves all the problem and help the organization and building its capacity as well (Neves, & Schyns, 2018).
Furthermore, talking about the barrier to the process of change at workplace, it should be noted that the initial barrier that the leader might face is the resistance to change from the part of employees. All the employee at workplace do not have similar kind of nature resulting to which some employees might resist to the change management process initiated at workplace. It is the most difficult task to convince the employees if they do not trust on the activities of their leader (Halkias, Santora, Harkiolakis, & Thurman, 2017). The leaders should themselves communicate with the employees and contribute in activities of change management so as to make others trust that the change is implemented for the good. Communication will remove the conflicts arising at workplace due to initiation of change. Coming up to the facilitators in the process of change, it should be noted that as discussed above that the workplace culture is the biggest facilitator to the leader in initiating the change process (Holmes, 2017). Negative culture can act as a barrier for the company as well, however positive workplace environment and understanding team mates are the best facilitator in the change process. The approach of the employees towards the change is very important otherwise they will face difficulty in implementing change in themselves and at workplace as well (Goleman, 2017).
Conclusion
Thus, in the limelight of above mentioned events the facts that student be noted is that the essay has adequately explored the relationship between the leader and how they initiate the change management program at workplace. The essay explains the importance of change in an organization and how the leader can effectively motivate the employees to make use of such change. The healthcare organization as discussed above is one of the most crucial organization that requires regular monitoring and control on the activities. Thus, change in such organization can be negative but it is important for the leader to initiate change to sustainable activities of the organization in the market. Further, the essay also explained the Kotter’s model of change management and the importance of vision and mission statements in planning and implementing change. Thus, it should be concluded that effective leadership ensures visionary changes at workplace without even hampering the success of the organization.
References
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