Change Management Approach

Change Management Approach

The process of change requires all the participants and everyone else who will be involved in the changes to be well prepared. The proposed project will be beneficial to the organization because it will enhance efficiency in the operations department. The project is meant to reduce excesses and save resources. Change that has been thought out well is beneficial to organizations. Change creates the opportunities for the business to modify the way it used to perform tasks (Harigopal, 2006). For instance, the business can decide to move from using an automated system to a digital one. This in turn increases efficiency and lessens the time taken to perform tasks. Change enables the business to get rid of complex procedures that lengthened the time taken to perform tasks. It enables the business to move from a restrictive environment to a more open environment, which benefits both the management and the employees. Change reduces the roles and duties, and enhances accountability. It improves the relationship between the management, employees, clients and other stakeholders.

The employees have been adequately prepared and I do not foresee any problems when the changes are implemented. They were actively involved in the project and they came up with some of the ideas. They will feel appreciated and valued when they see that their concerns were addressed and their ideas were implemented. If the change issues are not addressed adequately, there is a possibility that many employees in the organization will oppose the proposed changes. This is because they will not be sure of how these changes are going to affect them. Without the full support from the employees, the project is bound to fail. The project will be affected if the employees do not fully understand what they are supposed to do. They might use the wrong processes and this will affect work negatively. It might end up adding on the amount of work to be done instead of reducing it. There is also the possibility that employees will lose their motivation especially if they learn that the changes will affect their positions. The company runs the risk of losing good employees if they perceive that the changes will bring them at a lower status (Cook, et al., 2004).

I believe that change should be an all-inclusive process right from the beginning. All employees should be informed of the intended changes so that they can raise their concerns and any objections they might have about the changes. The management sends a clear message to the employees that it cares about them and it values their opinion. This creates and enhances trust in the organization. Including the employees gives the management a chance to acquire more information. They might point out the areas of weaknesses, which were oblivious to the management. This improves the system by reducing the chances of error. It also makes the process of implementation stress-free. When the employees are included, in this process they will be aware of their roles and any changes in their assignments. Disregarding their opinion and not including them may create role conflict since some of the processes will be eliminated once the project is implemented. I believe that people should be ready for any unplanned and unforeseen limitations. They should have an alternative solution, if the proposed changes fail to start or if they are not implemented successfully.

Change management activities take considerable time and this will delay the implementation of the project. It will require all the stakeholders to be aware of the problem and this might include training. Employees will have to be trained if they do not have the adequate skills and knowledge needed for the project. Although the process will be delayed, the activities will greatly improve my project plan. This is because after all the participants have received the training needed, there will be minimal chances for error and this will ease the implementation phase.

References

Cook, S., Macaulay, S., & Coldicott, H. (2004). Change management excellence: Using the four intelligences for successful organizational change. United Kingdom: Kogan Page Publishers

Harigopal, K. (2006). Management of organizational change: Leveraging transformation. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE