- Enablers of Change
- Drivers of Change
- Obstacles to Change
Constancy and Continuity -
Meaning that change should be perceived to be a catalyst and in the context of it being an obstacle is the organisational ability to handle it smoothly and effectively.
Commitment
Communication
Coordination
Commitment, Communication, Coordination -
The ability of organisations to generate commitment and constantly communicate effectively with all employees and stakeholders at large and the coordination of tasks and responsibilities for handling change and smoothing the negative impact of change will enable the momentum to be retained and the acceleration of the path for driving organisational success in the long term.
Capacity and Capability -
Change should mean freshness in terms of ideas and innovative thinking. This is the best way to package the effect of new change and this is the only reason why it should be welcome in the first place. Any negative impact from change on organisational capability and the availability of core competencies should be thought of very carefully.
Customer Centric Culture -
The whole purpose of introducing change is for organisations to rethink customer focus and therefore developing a culture that is propelled forward by the passion to serve customers and retain them in the long term. If change is meant to produce the adverse effects vis-a-vis customers then it should be considered very carefully.
Change Management Process
Purpose is to Seek Acceptance And Embracement of Change.
- Present
- Transition Period
- Future
Classic Reactive Change Approach
In traditional terms the change management process is all geared towards creating a new vision and trying to develop its path towards success by mobilising the energies of people and generating their commitment towards achieving the new vision. As Figure 3 illustrates the traditional approach to change management is mainly concerned with managing morale and the negative impacts by using the psychology of resistance to change and using, for instance, communication as a means for creating acceptance and driving commitment towards the achievement of a new vision that paves the way for a successful future. This approach does however mean that a lot of energy could be deployed in assessing the negative implications of change and trying to deal with resistance and the unacceptability of the new ideas that an organisation might need for securing its future. An alternative to this is to use a proactive approach to managing change by for instance, using communication as an integrated process for helping generate commitment for vision for change and driving it. Positive communication means that the journey needs to be described as an exciting one and meaningful to the organisation and impactful for its future and relevant to the people concerned. Furthermore by putting people in the driving seat and helping them guide and support the vision for the future and providing ample opportunities for their development in terms of knowledge, skills and competencies and making those a process across the whole organisation for capacity building this will further ensure that the negative implications of introducing new ideas and new change will be kept to a minimum.
Purpose is to Empower, Engage, Enable, Enhance, Enrich
- Present
- Transition Period
- Future
Proactive Change Approach
The process depicted in Figure 4 is therefore based on integrating the drivers for change with the enablers of change and looking at finally the positive impactors of change through generating buy in and top management commitment creating local ownership and positive engagement and wider participation using best practice transfer, mentorship and support at all levels in a continuous way and enabling the drivability of change through knowledge products, solutions, processes and procedures. Furthermore it is to allow innovative thinking to be pervasive through the injections of ideas, innovative thinking and world class practices. In this way no time is wasted dealing with the negative outcomes from announcing a change programme. Involvement right at the beginning in creating the vision in the first instance does enable top management to mobilise the energies of all of their staff for building the future together. By making sure that a change focuses on the positive outcomes and on adding rather than taking away this will mean that it becomes a habit and it will become welcome and it will become part and parcel of building sustainable competitiveness in a modern business context through refreshing, renewing, innovating and succeeding.
This report provides an opportunity for learning about a change as a concept, change management as a process and total change management as a new philosophy which should be in abundance in all organisations competing in a modern business context. The richness in terms of ideas, case lets and knowledge tools and solutions will enable managers and leaders in handling change more effectively and building the capability for integrating it as part and parcel of building and implementing visions for the future of their organisations.