Page 298 - Managing Change in Organizations

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The implementation exercise (checklists 1 and 2)
■ Stage 2: Identify the forces working for and against your desired changes. They
can be based on people, resources, time, external factors and corporate culture.
Draw a force field diagram.
■ Stage 3: Underline the forces that you believe to be most important. For each
force opposing change list the actions you could take to reduce the strength of
this force. For each supporting force list the actions you could take to exploit
or build on this force.
■ Stage 4: Agree on those actions which appear most likely to help solve the
problem of achieving change. Identify the resources you will need. Identify
how those resources can be obtained.
Again taking International Engineering as an example, designing and implement-
ing a new performance appraisal system will help to support moves to a more
commercially orientated culture, but it will take time. The first set of actions
required involves restructuring the organization to achieve a more effective input
of marketing, engineering and project engineering into the organization’s top
management. This can then be supported by a new appraisal system.

The implementation exercise (checklists 1 and 2)

This exercise comprises two checklists (Tables 15.1 and 15.2), which are designed
to help you think about aspects of the organization which might help or hinder
the implementation of change. Please complete the two checklists by focusing on
a significant organizational change in which you have been or are now involved.
In this exercise the two checklists deal with five and six areas respectively. For
each area there are potential problems dealt with by the checklist. Below are set
out these problems and some possible solutions.

Problems and solutions
Checklist 1: Readiness for change

Company ‘track record’ of changes (questions 1–3)
The potential problems are:
1 Have past changes met with resistance?
2 Were past changes poorly understood?
3 Are employees too cautious?
4 Did recently introduced changes have limited or little success?

The solutions are:
1 Keep everyone informed by making information available, explaining plans
clearly and allowing access to management for questions and clarification.
2 Ensure that change is solid realistically by making a practical case for it. Explain
change in terms which the employee will see as relevant and acceptable. Show
how change fits business needs and plans. Spend time and effort on presentations.

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