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Chapter 15 ■ A strategy for organizational effectiveness
Table 15.2 (Continued)

Where I need Where my Where my Action plans
to improve my performance performance to improve
performance is moderately is good performance
good
25 Giving feedback (ii)
26 Identifying areas for improvement
(iii)
27 Building on success and keeping
motivation high
28 Building team spirit (iv)
29 Improving the use of resources
30 Allowing enough time for change (v)

Conclusion

Throughout this book we have discussed management skills for managing
change in two contexts: first, we have looked at the context of a significant
change being introduced within an organization; second, we have looked at the
changing demands of the organization of the future. There is much in common
between the skill sets needed in each context.
The future organization seems likely to require adaptive behaviour, will have
fewer levels of management and therefore fewer managers, and flexible and more
open boundaries. It will be customer-focused and knowledge-based; value-added
will be a key determinant of performance, and learning will be a measure of
longer-term effectiveness. Facilitating and team-building skills seem appropriate
both to the new organizations and to change in organizations. In addition, how-
ever, the new organization demands more interfacing skills, negotiation skills
and networking skills. All are needed within the organization when change is

needed. Multi-organizational changes demand them. The future organization
may make these skills a particular priority.
In this book we have examined management issues such as the need for ‘pro-
ductive reasoning’, the need to bring ‘human scale’ to organizational leadership
and change and to the characteristics of successful innovators. Central to this
treatment is the thought that being an effective manager of change is not about
being ‘nice’ to people. While many of the skills needed are in the domain of so-
called ‘soft’ management skills they are difficult to acquire and to deliver in prac-
tice. Ultimately, being ‘nice’ is a recipe for being ineffective.

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