Change: A Constant in an Inconstant World

1. Change:A Constant in an Inconstant World

2. Objectives • Describe significant factors that are changing in today’s workplace. • Identify who usually recommends and implements organizational changes. • Explain several effective methods of planning and implementing change. • Understand common reasons for resistance to change and how to overcome that resistance.

3. Objectives • Describe the leader’s role in facilitating change including coaching and counseling techniques. • Discuss the need for Employee Assistance Programs in change processes.

4. Forces Changing the Workplace • The economy and globalization • Science and technological advancements • Transportation • Workforce diversity • Management styles and organization structures • Knowledge and technical skills required for work success

5. Who Changes Organizations? Most change is planned by: • Professional planners • Outside consultants • Special task forces • Top executives

6. Methods of Change • Unilateral method—Supervisors dictate the change; employees have little or no input. • Participative method—Employee groups are used in the decision-making process before the change, and then work with supervisors to implement. • Delegated method—Employees are given the responsibility and authority to diagnose, analyze, and implement the change.

7. Methods of Planning for Change • Strategic planning • Organizational development • Job redesign • Reengineering • Force field analysis

8. Strategic Planning Strategic Planning is… • Setting organizational goals. • Defining strategies and policies to achieve them. • Developing detailed plans to ensure that the strategies are implemented. • Taking into account the unique character of the organization.

9. The Strategic Planning Process • Consider external and internal interests and how they will be affected by a change. • Design a master strategy. • Clearly define goals, purposes, policies. • Set short-, mid-, and long-range plans. • Implement the change. • Review and evaluate each phase for maximum efficiency.

10. Organizational Development (OD) Organizational Development is • A planned change process for meeting organizational needs through a high degree of employee participation and management involvement. • A holistic approach involving the entire organization—people, structures, culture, policies, procedures, purpose.

11. Organizational Development Methods • Total Quality Management (TQM) • Involving employees in continuous quality improvement to keep the organization on the cutting edge • Benchmarking • Comparing the company’s practices to other divisions and outside competitors to streamline processes and improve practices • Change Agent • Diagnoses problems, provides feedback, develops strategies, makes recommendations

12. Actions of a Change Agent • Be open and honest about why the change is happening. • Encourage participation and solicit feelings. • Allow negative comments but not negative actions. • Explain benefits or change. • Involve others in initiation/implementation phases. • Acknowledge loss of the old method.

13. Redesign & Reengineering • Job Redesign • Job enrichment • Job enlargement • Job rotation • Reengineering • Takes redesign to the next level • The fundamental rethinking and redesign of processes for dramatic improvements in cost, quality, service, and speed

14. Force Field Analysis Force field analysis • Is a technique used to analyze the complexities of a change and identify the forces that must be altered. • Views any situation in which change is to be made as a dynamic balance of forces working in opposite directions. • Forces may include people, tasks, technology, or organizational structure.

15. Resistance to Change • Fear of the unknown • Fear of power loss • Fear of economic loss • Conflict of interest

16. Dealing with Change • Remember that change is inevitable and fear of change is normal. • Analyze the reasons for resisting change. • Search for positives. • Seek assistance if you have difficulty adjusting. • Learn how to learn to keep abilities fresh and desirable in the job market.

17. Steps in the Change Process • Conduct present state assessment. • Conduce future state assessment. • Generate alternatives. • Select one alternative. • Implement the change. • Evaluate the change. • Modify the change.

18. Facilitating Changes • Discuss the change. • Invite participation. • Be open and honest. • Accent the positives. • Do not downgrade past methods. • Follow up on the process. • Allow time for adjustments.

19. Stages in Acceptance of Change • Recognition—Recognize the need for the change. • Choice—Decide the change is beneficial and act to make it happen. • Plan—Think through the change process to develop a specific approach. • Support—Seek the understanding and assistance of others to help implement the plan.

20. Coaching • Coaching is a technique in which a skilled and experienced employee develops or trains a junior employee with lesser skills and abilities. • A coach • Helps identify career paths. • Helps define career goals and objectives. • Explains the organization’s culture and norms. • Shares expertise for skills development. • Gives immediate and ongoing feedback. • Mentoring is a popular form of coaching.

21. Counseling • Counseling is used to assist employees with personal or work-related problems affecting performance on the job. • Employee problems can result in • Unacceptable quality and quantity of work. • Absenteeism. • Low morale. • Costs to the company. • A counselor may be a supervisor or a trained professional capable of dealing with a wide variety or employee problems.

22. Types of Counseling • Directive—Counselor listens to the individual’s problem and advises what needs to be done. • Nondirective—Uses reflective listening and requires more participation from the individual. • Cooperative—A mutual problem-solving effort in which counselor and individual work together to explore and solve issues.

23. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) • Formal, confidential programs designed to aid employees with personal problems that affect job performance and/or disrupt their lives: • Substance abuse • Serious depression or overwhelming stress • Family tensions • Psychological problems • Financial troubles • Difficulty balancing work and personal life demands • Difficulty adjusting to foreign surroundings

24. Key Terms • Change agent • Benchmarking • Job redesign • Reengineering • Job enrichment • Job enlargement • Job rotation • Unilateral method • Participative method • Delegated method • Strategic planning • Organizational development • Total quality management

25. Key Terms • Directive counseling • Nondirective counseling • Cooperative counseling • Employee assistance program • Force field analysis • Coaching • Mentoring • Mentor • Counseling • Counselor