Management and leadership

All organizations are bound to change, and the greatest way to deal with it is to prepare. In this course, let's talk about managing change and why it's paramount to success in the modern workplace.

Do you still  remember  Kodak?


In the early 1980s, Kodak dominated the camera and film market  and became the biggest company in the industry of photography.


However, from being an industry  giant, Kodak crumbled with the rise  of digital photography and filed for  bankruptcy in 2012.


Despite having the first digital camera in 1977, Kodak failed to recognize its growing market and focused mainly on selling films.


Many say Kodak's decline is not just  about  technology, but also about  Kodak's complacency and  resistance to change.


Kodak’s story of loss is one of the  examples of a business that failed to  embrace change and continuously build  on a culture of innovation.


And being prepared is our best way of dealing with it.


Change happens to all organizations.


Why should we embrace change?


Organizations that remain stuck in their ways can stagnate and stop growing.


Those who adapted to change, on the other hand, maintained a competitive edge and continue to remain relevant in their industry.


Why is it so important for us to manage change?


Without effective change  management, these transitions and  transformations will be rocky and  costly both in time and resources.


With the right direction, however, change management can transform our organization and achieve better, more successful outcomes.


Understanding Change

GETTING EVERYONE ON BOARD
CHANGE MANAGEMENT


Preparing for change
From the get-go, your goal is to help employees recognize and understand the need for change.


To do this, you need to raise awareness of the problems your organization is facing that act as catalysts for change.   


To avoid conflict and resistance, you need to get initial buy-in from members of your team that will help in putting the change into practice.


During the implementation process, what should you focus on?


For team members to remember why change is being pursued, the organization's goal must be reiterated throughout the implementation process.


Additionally, you should try to anticipate such roadblocks and take steps to avoid, get rid of, or lessen them if you find them.


Reviewing Progress and Analyzing Results


Analyze and evaluate your change initiative to determine if it was successful, unsuccessful, or yielded mixed results.


Doing so can provide you with insightful information and lessons that can be used for your next change initiatives.


Getting Everyone on Board

KOTTER'S 8-STEP CHANGE MODEL
CHANGE MANAGEMENT


The Kotter Change Model is developed by Harvard professor John P. Kotter who is an authority in leadership and change.
This model is a popular framework for successfully implementing organizational change.


According to Dr. Kotter, there are many barriers that can stop organizations from fully implementing a change.
He identified 8 critical steps for a systematic and strategic approach to leading change.


This is the spark!
For this step, the main objective is to excite people and ignite them to work towards the change.


Change is not an easy thing to achieve and you need good momentum from the start to sustain the passion and purpose of the people.


Select all the words that correctly fits the statement.


The vision should be...


There may be more than one correct answer.


Which among these can be barriers to organizational change?


Identify the possible barriers.
The guiding coalition should identify and anticipate the problems that the organization may encounter. Consulting experts and openly communicating with employees can expose these barriers.


Align the processes, policies, structure, etc.
The administrative aspects should align with the vision too. Organizational change is not only confined to a team or a process. This means that policies, teams, and adjacent processes should adjust accordingly.


** Train and empower the employees**
Changes are, more often than not, uncomfortable because they are new and unfamiliar ways of doing things. The best way to manage the shock is to equip them with the new skills that they need.


...the last 3 steps will be about sustaining the transformation.
STEP 6: Gain short-term wins
Break down the big vision into smaller short-term goals. Celebrate these small wins and acknowledge the people who contributed to it.
STEP 7: Sustain acceleration
Ensure that teams are working consistently and persistently towards the vision. Analyze your strategies so that you can continue what works and improve what's not working.
STEP 8: Institute the change
Change leaders need to make the change stick by reflecting the changes in the norms, values, culture and other structures of the organization.


Once the barriers are removed...


KNOWLEDGE CHECK


LEARN MORE
You can learn more about leading change in your organization using Kotter's model and the 4 core change principles by visiting https://www.kotterinc.com/.


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