Page 241 - Managing Change in Organizations

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13 Managing major changes

Introduction

So far we have examined how to assess organizational performance and how to
design organizations that are structured and managed effectively. We have con-
sidered individual, group and organizational issues and problems, and also ways
and means of responding to these issues/problems. Various skills have been
examined. In this chapter we consider how to manage the process of changing
an organization. Here we will find that this demands that we consider the impact
of changes on the people affected by them in order to understand how people
(managers and employees at all levels!) cope with changes. Moreover, it will be
clear that major changes create highly complex ‘managing’ problems, particu-
larly if the people involved are to learn from the process. Achieving change is one
thing – learning from the process of change is an entirely different thing. Yet only
if we do so can we sustain effective performance for the long term.
Analysed simply, we could divide the concern over the management of major
changes into two main questions: ‘What changes should we implement?’ and
‘How may we implement them successfully?’ To develop answers to these ques-
tions requires specific skills: to diagnose the need for change; to audit perform-

ance; to develop a vision of improvement; to describe or define new strategy.
Achieving change also requires the skill to get things done, to achieve action. It
is often disturbing and disruptive. By definition, change upsets the ‘status quo’.
Leadership is central because to achieve effective organizational change requires
us to elevate analysis over consensus. Easy options are in short supply. The con-
sensus view may reflect the lowest common denominator, the view that no one
will oppose. It may not be an appropriate view for the future. Implementing
major organizational change demands the combination of action and analysis
into a new managerial synthesis.
In this and the next two chapters I propose to discuss this new managerial
synthesis necessary for effective change. I propose to develop two main themes
as follows:

1 What are the managerial skills required for effective organizational change?
We will examine a number of key managerial skills.

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