It is studied that resistance to change may impact on the performance and productivity of the firm. Thus, the company needs to make unique and effective policies and strategies to overcome the resistance to change at the workplace. Various strategies and motivators can be used to prevent and reduce resistance to change in the organization. Support and empathy for people responses is one of the biggest and well known strategies that can be used by managers while functioning. They need to maintain open and strong communication with workers about the various managerial changes (Self and Schraeder, 2009).
Managers need to ensure the participation and involvement of wide range of people in the company and also protect the rights and worth of external stakeholders. If the employees do not believe they have the essential skills and potential to perform tasks and duties then necessary training and development coaching need to be provided to them for boosting their confidence and trust. Along with this, resistance to change can be prevented by rendering adequate and dynamic resources to the workers for conducting business successfully. Change management is unique and effective for every company because it leads high success and growth (Choi and Ruona, 2011).
The other significance strategy that can be used by leaders is SHEER formula. SHEER formula includes surface, honor, explore, explain and recheck. By using this formula, the top management can listen and resolve the concerns and issues of the workers. Along with this, a support system can be built and enhanced by leaders or managers to accept the changes and decrease resistance at the workplace. New competencies and skills also play a major role in initiating the changes while functioning. Therefore, skills, potential and new competencies could be developed to implement managerial changes within the organization (Kotter, 2012).
It is recommended that top management needs to focus on the employee engagement and commitment to minimize the resistance within the organization. Motivated and engaged employees have higher employee’s satisfaction that leads to enthusiasm in their responsibilities as it also increases productivity of the firm. Collecting feedback and reviews can also help in understanding and analyzing the issues, barriers and challenges that are being entertained by the employees while working. The top management should include employees in decision making and planning process to determine their higher involvement. An audit can be done to identify and analyze the issues and conflicts that are rising at the workplace (Anderson and Anderson, 2010).
It is noted that leaders must increase awareness among the workers regarding resistance to change. For increasing awareness, the managers need to use social media channels when implementing new managerial changes at the workplace. SMART goals, roles and responsibilities must be defined by the leaders in order to decrease the resistance to change. Emotional intelligence and self assessment programs can be helped to accept organizational changes in an effective way. The managers need to explain the benefits and role of change management with employees to minimize negative impacts of resistance to change. All these strategies and motivators can be used by the managers to avert the resistance to change.
Role of leader or change agent
It has been examined that change agent or leader plays a major role in managing change effectively. The leader or change agent plays operational, collaborative and advisory role to initiative the managerial changes efficiently. The leader provides rights and significant guidance to the followers for accepting the changes successfully. It will further help the company to achieve desired objectives and goals. They use their own knowledge and experience to identify and analyze the causes of resistance to change. Change agent or leader maintains direct and open communication with employees at the workplace. Therefore, they play a operational role in the organization while functioning (Cameron and Green, 2015).
Change agent or leader sets SMART objectives, roles and responsibilities to grow and survive the business effectively. Change agent or leader works as a organizational development practitioners because they make policies and strategies to overcome the resistance in the workplace. Leader gains support for the activities and engages people to participate. Change agent or leader manage conflicts and issues by helping different parties see the circumstances from the other’s point of view and by setting common objectives and goals. Furthermore, change agent relies on their knowledge and expertise to develop their authority at the workplace (Bolman and Deal, 2017).
Change agent or leader also finds right and appropriate way to hold people accountable and make sure that suitable punishments or rewards are managed as necessary. As a facilitator, leader or change agent designs tools, methods, forms, systems and procedures to enable people to succeed as they go through change. Therefore, change agent plays creative role in the organization for managing the organizational changes. Change agent motivates the workers accept wide range of change and further provides training to them so that they can easily accept the various changes. New and advanced technology is used by the leaders and change agents to handle the various managerial changes (Stagl, 2011).
Change agent focuses on the morale, loyalty and motivation of the workers in order to encourage them for performing roles and responsibilities in an effective way. They also focus on the culture and values of the firm to adapt the changes. A strong relationship is maintained by leader with employees to listen and understand their queries and concerns within the organization. It has been analyzed that change agent is continuously involved in the change management process. Leaders lead the followers to initiate the change process with aiming to attain desired mission and vision (Stagl, 2011).
Change agents promote and improve the behavioral skills of the employees to smoothen the managerial change process. They also use problem solving skills and knowledge in order to manage the problems and barriers related to change. Aside this, they educate and train the workers for initiating and adapting the managerial change. Change agent and leader also sustain the company to maintain their competitive position. They use diagnose skills and potential to diagnose the issues. In this way, various roles are played by the leaders and change agents play a primary role in flourishing the business and overcoming the resistance to change (Tanuja, 2018).
How might senior management team assess change management strategies
It is the responsibility of senior management to assess the change management strategies within the organization. There are various ways through which the senior management team may assess whether change management strategies have been initiated successfully or not. One of the significant ways to assess the change management strategies is taking feedback from the workers regarding the managerial changes (Varkey and Antonio, 2010). Along with this, the company can use 360 degree appraisal system to inspire the employees for initiating the changes at the workplace. Aside this, balance scorecard tool is also used by the senior management team to evaluate and measure the change management strategies within the organization.
Kotter’s 8 step model of change is used by senior management to evaluate the change management strategies while executing the managerial changes. Kotter’s 8 step model of change include the following:
Maximize and enhance urgency: This can be done by using various ways include recognizing the potential threats that help in resolving resistance to change, investigating the opportunities that can be tapped through dynamic and effective communication.
Forming powerful guiding coalitions: This step is used to evaluate and identify effective change leaders in the organization for attaining long term objectives and mission.
Developing a vision and strategy: It can be achieved by identifying the core values, explaining the core values and strategies in the organization.
Communicating the vision: This can be done by senior management to handle the issues and challenges of workers with integrity and honestly.
Removing obstacles: By eliminating the obstacles and barriers, the senior management team can ensure that the company’s process and structure are in place and aligned with the overall organizational mission and vision.
Generating short term wins: The short term wins help in evaluating and analyzing the causes of resistance to change in the organization.
Consolidating gains: Constant improvement can be done by evaluating the growth and success of individual and groups as well.
Anchoring the managerial change in the corporate culture: This step helps in ensuring that the managerial change becomes a significant part in the company’s culture and it helps in overcoming the managerial changes within the organization (Managementstudyguide, 2018).
This model is an easy way to implement the various organizational and managerial changes in the firm. In addition, one-on-one seminars and sessions are used by senior management team to assess and appraise the various changes in the organization (Armenakis and Harris, 2009).
An audit is also done by the top management to review whether change management strategies have been initiated effectively or not. Monitoring and assessment are also conducted to judge and evaluate the effectiveness and success of managerial changes at the workplace. Assessment and monitoring also help in analyzing whether the organization has met its targets and goals or not. In addition, change agent or leader is appointed by the senior management team to review and analyze the performance and productivity of the employees. Change management activities are tracked and training tests are taken by the senior management team to judge the success and progress of change management strategies (Brisson-Banks, 2010).
References
Anderson, D. and Anderson, L.A., 2010. Beyond change management: How to achieve breakthrough results through conscious change leadership (Vol. 36). John Wiley & Sons.
Armenakis, A.A. and Harris, S.G., 2009. Reflections: Our journey in organizational change research and practice. Journal of Change Management, 9(2), pp.127-142.
Bolman, L.G. and Deal, T.E., 2017. Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership. John Wiley & Sons.
Brisson-Banks, C.V., 2010. Managing change and transitions: a comparison of different models and their commonalities. Library Management, 31(4/5), pp.241-252.
Cameron, E. and Green, M., 2015. Making sense of change management: A complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers.
Choi, M. and Ruona, W.E., 2011. Individual readiness for organizational change and its implications for human resource and organization development. Human Resource Development Review, 10(1), pp.46-73.
Kotter, J.P., 2012. Leading change. Harvard business press.
Managementstudyguide.2018. Kotter’s 8 step model of change (Online). Available from https://www.managementstudyguide.com/kotters-8-step-model-of-change.htm [Accessed as on 4th December 2018].
Self, D.R. and Schraeder, M., 2009. Enhancing the success of organizational change: Matching readiness strategies with sources of resistance. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 30(2), pp.167-182.
Stagl.H.2011. Seven roles of a change agent (Online). Available from https://www.enclaria.com/2011/01/06/seven-roles-of-a-change-agent/ [Accessed as on 4th December 2018].
Tanuja.A.2018. Change agent: Meaning and role organization (Online). Available from https://www.businessmanagementideas.com/notes/management-notes/organisational-change/change-agent-meaning-and-role-organisation/5299 [Accessed as on 4th December 2018].
Varkey, P. and Antonio, K., 2010. Change management for effective quality improvement: a primer. American Journal of Medical Quality, 25(4), pp.268-273.
Essay Writing Service Features
Our Experience
No matter how complex your assignment is, we can find the right professional for your specific task. Contact Essay is an essay writing company that hires only the smartest minds to help you with your projects. Our expertise allows us to provide students with high-quality academic writing, editing & proofreading services.
Free Features
Free revision policy
$10Free bibliography & reference
$8Free title page
$8Free formatting
$8How Our Essay Writing Service Works
First, you will need to complete an order form. It's not difficult but, in case there is anything you find not to be clear, you may always call us so that we can guide you through it. On the order form, you will need to include some basic information concerning your order: subject, topic, number of pages, etc. We also encourage our clients to upload any relevant information or sources that will help.
Complete the order form
Once we have all the information and instructions that we need, we select the most suitable writer for your assignment. While everything seems to be clear, the writer, who has complete knowledge of the subject, may need clarification from you. It is at that point that you would receive a call or email from us.
Writer’s assignment
As soon as the writer has finished, it will be delivered both to the website and to your email address so that you will not miss it. If your deadline is close at hand, we will place a call to you to make sure that you receive the paper on time.
Completing the order and download