Change Planning (Research Paper Sample)

Change Planning
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Change Planning
Introduction
Since the only constant change is change itself, planning change is critical to an organization. Although research indicates that less than a third of the planned change succeeds, managers spend millions of dollars trying to transform their organizations each year (Rodgers, 2008). Citing Burnes (2004), Barnard and Stoll (2010) stated "against a background of rapid technological development, a growing knowledge workforce and the shifting of accepted work practices, change is becoming an ever-present feature of organizational life" (p.1). According to Spiro (2011), a change might be a vibrant and positive force for creating and implementing new strategies, arousing creativity, managing diversity, and growth. Interestingly, change is either random or deliberate. Random change is spontaneous and unplanned while deliberate change is intentional (Spiro, 2011). For the sake of this paper, change is assumed to be intentional. In this regard, an organization and its leadership engage in deliberate processes of bringing meaningful reforms. The leadership must be at its best to ensure that the planned change succeeds. Although many organizations would like to achieve change, more than 70% of them do not attain the desired outcomes (Barnard & Stoll, 2010). In response to this problem, there is an increasing body of literature aimed at coming up with the best concepts and processes of managing and leading change and factors that guide its success. Although many plans to change exist, this paper adopts Kotter’s Eight-Step Plan. Hence, the discussion will be a conscious analysis of the Kotter’s Eight-Step Plan.
Kotter's 8-Step Change Model
When planned change fails, the competitive nature and viability of a business is affected, people’s energy gets drained, and the credibility of managers becomes questionable (Rodgers, 2008). Consequently, an excellent method of planning change is needed to ensure that its implementation succeeds. "Planning is a key component of any change management strategy and developing a plan demonstrates commitment and enables others to see how one intends to manage the change" (Kerridge, 2012, p. 23). For a long time, planning change has failed because leaders lacked the knowledge to convert concepts into actions and derive sustainable results from them. Kotter’s model is fashioned in a way that fills this need. Kotter’s Eight-Step Plan is an excellent choice because it involves all people in an organization, regardless of their position. These steps also predict behaviors and discourage or prevent mistakes that could derail progress and suggests corrective measures.
Step One: Creating Urgency
Change can only come when the whole organization wants it. If only a section of the organization understands the vision, then, the planned changes are a pipe dream. Hence, leaders must initiate and promote a sense of urgency around the proposed changes. Kotter (2012) puts it clearly that change can only be successful if 75% of a company’s management buys into it. The change campaign must be directed at every member of the company, from the top leadership to the subordinates. The good thing about this form of drive is that initial motivation is sparked, and things start moving. Kotter (2012) reiterated that this step is not just about revealing poor performance statistics to employees, but a convincing dialogue on the future direction that the company ought to take. The dialogue must be honest and open about what’s happening in the marketplace and the position of the competitors. For instance, a leader can map out potential threats and come up with scenarios on what could occur in the future (Kotter, 2012). Lunenburg (2010), added that, in some instances, those in authority can examine opportunities that could be exploited in the future and communicate them to all participants. To effectively manage change, leaders must explain to workers what the planned changes are, the motives behind the alterations and their impact on the organization. Furthermore, the role of everyone within the organization in planning and implementing this change must be explained clearly. The more detailed the change process is, the more supportive the employees will become and the less the resistance to change. If a considerable number of workers start talking about a leader’s proposed change, then the urgency builds up, and the motivation kick-starts things. This step is imperative because it prepares leaders for the other steps.
Step Two: Forming a Powerful Coalition
Forming a powerful coalition is indispensable to change planning. It’s not just enough to plan and manage change; one needs to lead it (Kotter, 2012). To lead, one must have a strong team to back him. The visible support from key persons within an organization is what Potter (2012) calls a coalition. Additionally, change planners must leaders at various levels of the organization. These leaders should form a team or coalition of people with influential powers from some sources. For instance, some may be defined by job titles, others by status or expertise while some may be of some political importance (Kotter, 2012). Get anybody that is of value to the planned change on board and ensure that there is the right mix of expertise. Once formed, the coalition needs to work in unison in building momentum around the change. "The gap between the rhetoric of change and the outcomes achieved is primarily due to the failure of established approaches to take account of the hidden, messy and informal dynamics of everyday organizational life" (Rodgers, 2008, p.22). To increase his chances of leading change, a manager need to interact directly with all underlying dynamics within an organization. Hence, once perceived changes are announced, people, within an organization, must collectively talk about them. This interaction gives useful stakeholders a chance to share their perception, interpretation and evaluate the planned changes. Employees harbor experiences that can profits change planning and its implementation. Besides, since they are closer to the course of action than the management, it’s important they comprehend the reasons for the change and participate in its planning and management (Lotich, 2014).
Step Three: Creating a Vision for Change
Kotter (2012) reiterated that when a person begins to think about change, there are a couple of great ideas and solutions in his mind. It’s important to merge these concepts into a single vision that people can understand and easily remember. When a vision is clear, employees understand why the manager is telling them to do certain things and not others. Similarly, when people comprehend what their leader is trying to do, then, his directives begins to make sense to them. According to Lunenburg (2010), a leader can do this in several ways. Firstly, he must settle on values that are vital to the change. Secondly, he must have a summary that captures the outcomes of the planned change. Thirdly, it’s paramount for him to develop a strategy to execute his vision and ensure that subordinates can explain the idea easily. Finally, he must have a ‘vision speech’ and practice it often. Lotich (2014) calls this vision ‘case for change.’ Lotich (2014) reminded us that no one wants his organization to change for the sake of it. There must be a movement towards something great. This case for change or vision arises from different reasons. "It can from data collected on defect rates, customer comment cards or business goals as a result of a strategic planning session or budget pressures" (Lotich, 2014, para. 13).
Step Four: Communicating the Vision
Kotter (2012) stated that the success of change planning depends on what a manager does with his vision after creating it. New visions receive competition from day to day activities and other communications within an organization. As such, Kotter (2012) urged vision holders to community them frequently and loudly. Leaders should not wait for meetings to restate their visions but should communicate them whenever they get an opportunity. When kept fresh in all people’s minds, it easier to remember and respond to the visions (Kotter, 2012). The greatness hindrance to change is the fear of the unknown. People resist change because they are unsure of what awaits them once the planned changes are implemented. When people lack answers to their anxiety, they feel that they have lost some control. Moreover, if the management fails to involve them in the planning of change, they feel hopeless. Hence,leaders are obliged to manage change in a manner that reduces the undesirable impact on the workforce. For instance, the workforce is less motivated or feels unwanted if the proposed change involves outsourcing some of the works they have been hired to do. Therefore, presenting the vision, in the best way possible, is a way of silencing conflicting interests.
Step Five: Planning on the Removal of Obstacles
Obstacles must be mapped out during change planning. Lotich (2014) said that these barriers can be within the workforce or departments or can be in the form of inadequate training, lack of equipment and unfulfilled supply needs. These are the unforeseen obstacles that must be considered change planning. It’s worth noting that all forms of change, even positive change, are stressful. It’s very difficult to disrupt the status quo. Hence, opposition, resistance, and unexpected outcomes are commonplace in a change process (Franz, n.d.). Stakeholders and participants may sometimes feel unprepared and uncertain, may oppose disruption of their existing influence or some may feel unmotivated a...