Change Management 100 Success Secrets
The Complete Guide to Process, Tools, Software and Training in Organizational Ch...
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Change Management 100 Success Secrets
The Complete Guide to Process, Tools, Software and Training in Organizational Change Management Gerard Blokdijk
Change Management 100 Success Secrets Copyright © 2008 by Gerard Blokdijk Notice of rights All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Notice of Liability The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of he book, neither the author nor the publisher shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the products described in it.
Trademarks Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a trademark claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark. All other product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book.
Change Management 100 Success Secrets Gerard Blokdijk
There has never been a Change Management manual like this. 100 Success Secrets is not about the ins and outs of Change Management. Instead, it answers the top 100 questions that we are asked and those we come across in forums, our consultancy and education programs. It tells you exactly how to deal with those questions, with tips that have never before been offered in print. This book is also not about Change Management’s best practice and standards details. Instead it introduces everything you want to know to be successful with Change Management.
Table of Contents Changes to Management as Art .................................................... 12 Appreciate change management through the use of cartoons ... 13 Using a Change Management Certificate Template .................... 14 An Example of a Change Management Model ............................ 16 Techniques for Creating Your Own Change Management Plan 18 Strengthening the Change Management as implemented .......... 19 Why the Change Management Process is very Important .......... 20 he Benefits of Having Change Management Software in Your Business ........................................................................................... 22 What Makes a Change Management Team? ................................ 24 Timeframe Trial on the use of Change Management Software .. 25 Change Management: Why Your Company Needs It ................. 27 Kotter’s Change Model of Management ....................................... 29 The Academy for Change Management ....................................... 31 The Certificate for Change Management ...................................... 32 The Risks a Change Management Consultant Faces From His Own Clients..................................................................................... 34 A Broader Look at the Definition of Change Management ........ 36 The Change Management of ITIL.................................................. 38 The Model for Change Management ............................................ 39 The Roots of Change Management Theory .................................. 41 The Need for a Change Management Tool................................... 43
When Belief Statements Become Effective Change Management Tools ................................................................................................ 45 The Effective Way to Conduct Change Management Training . 46 The role of Computer Change Management in Human Behavior Change Management. .................................................................... 48 Conclusions for Change Management ......................................... 50 Change Management Conclusions are Important for the Success of a Change Management Program .............................................. 51 Defining Change Management for Newbies ............................... 52 Stages in Change Management Implementation......................... 54 The Proper Management of Change............................................. 56 The Factors that Come Into Play in Stakeholder Management Change ............................................................................................ 58 The Models for Management Change .......................................... 60 What is Change Management? ..................................................... 61 OCM: Organizational Change Management .............................. 62 What is Organizational Change Management and What Can it Do for Your Business?.................................................................... 64 Organizational Change, Leadership and Management .............. 66 The Training for Organizational Development and Change Management ................................................................................... 68 The Right Way to Implement Process Change Management ..... 69 The Template of Certificate in Change Management ................. 71 An Explanation of What Change Management is ....................... 72
The Change Management Workplace........................................... 74 Environmental Case Study Change Management Elements ...... 76 Can I Produce a Template for a Certificate in Change Management Myself? ..................................................................... 78 Eight Steps to Successful Change Management and Organization .......................................................................................................... 80 Change Management Conclusion – The Three P’s to a Successful Transition......................................................................................... 82 The Grief Cycle – The Change Management Grief Resistance Tool .................................................................................................. 84 Impact of Change Management to Small or Large Firms ........... 86 Handle Change Management through Presentations ................. 87 The Change Management Process in Software Quality Assurance .......................................................................................................... 88 Change Management Standard – A Step-by-Step Guide to Successful Change Process Implementations ............................... 90 Change Management Strategies to Ensure Business Success ..... 92 Tips on How to Apply Change in Management .......................... 94 The Skills in Change Management................................................ 95 Easily Search Change Management Articles ................................ 96 The Importance of Receiving a Change Management Award Certificate ........................................................................................ 98 Change Management Books That Can Help You in Your Business ......................................................................................... 100
Pictures of Change Management .................................................101 The Importance of the Change Management Process in Software Testing ............................................................................................102 The Parts to a Great Change Management Project Plan ............104 Important Tips on Handling Change Management Projects ....106 The Speaker for Change Management ........................................108 Basic Theories of Change Management ......................................109 Nutritional Time Frames and Trial Periods in Change Management ..................................................................................111 The Role of Human Resource Management in Change .............112 Collins’ Model – Linking Leadership with Change Management ........................................................................................................113 Field Titles Change in Content Management .............................114 Definition of Change Management Presented Using the ADKAR Model .............................................................................................116 Choosing the Model of Change Management in your Organization ..................................................................................118 Documenting Change Management............................................120 Enhancing Productivity by Change Management – Keeping Motivation Alive in the Workplace .............................................121 Huse Change Model Management: The Basic Principles ..........122 The Importance of Change Management in Organizations ......123 What is the ITIL Change Management Scheme? ........................124 The Journal for Organizational Change Management ...............125
Large or Small Firms Experienced Change Management ......... 127 Change Management of Large Businesses versus Small Businesses ...................................................................................... 129 The Book of Making Sense about Change Management ........... 130 Technology Change Management: Keeping IT Up To Date .... 131 GE: Organizational Change Management .................................. 133 The Basics of Management: People, Performance, Change ...... 135 The Meaning of Management Change........................................ 136 Microsoft Organizational Change Management ........................ 137 Models of Change Management – Devising Standards for Business Success ........................................................................... 138 Keyword: CHANGE – Objectives of Change Management Training ......................................................................................... 140 Organizational Change Management Program – Providing Solutions for Transition ................................................................ 141 Tips on Carrying Out Organizational Development Change Management.................................................................................. 143 PowerPoint Presentation of Change Management – Getting a Glimpse of Change Management Concepts ............................... 145 Project Management Software Issues – Change Requests from Customers...................................................................................... 147 What Does the Job of Project Analyst Process Improvement Change Management Entail? ....................................................... 148
Software Change Management – Keeping up with the New Demands of the Target Market ....................................................150 PowerPoint Presentations of Software for Change Management ........................................................................................................152 Dynamism – Strategic Approach for Change Management......154 How to Conduct a Study of Change Management Inventories Questionnaires...............................................................................156 What Organizational Activities Fall Under Supply Chain Management? ................................................................................158 Theories of Change Management – Brilliant Mind’s Perspective of the Change Process ...................................................................160 What Are the Theories of Change Management? ......................162 Learn about the Three Types of Change Management ..............164 What is a Planned Change in Educational Management? .........165 How Do I Identify What is Planned Change in Educational Management? ................................................................................167 The Human Factor – Writing Conclusion Examples for Change Management ..................................................................................169
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Changes to Management as Art In every aspect of life and business, change prevails. Change is necessary in order to perform better than the normal conduct. In business organizations, the need for change is not only to improve its delivery of services to its clients, but in managing the organization. Change should be aimed toward improving the existing system and should be done continuously. Change in Management increases as technology rapidly grows and innovations continuously evolve. Organizational systems and processes proliferate, which enables every firm to make things faster, and easier access to knowing the needs of its clients. At same time, allowing for increased expectations of what the employees can do, as well as expectations for the organization. Change is thought of as easy, but it’s not. Changes to management cannot be done over time, it is an art. It requires skills for someone to implement change. Changed in management may be seen as a drastic move, but some see it positively as a means of improving the organization’s state. There are members within the firm who are resistance to change. When there is a slow down in the ability of the organization to serve or invest in a new initiative, the need for change must occur and should be done immediately. The art of change management is a broad process, and one that requires professional expertise to introduce. It is not a soft skill, as it requires subjective outcomes of seeing the quantifiable results of change, in satisfying customers, and fast delivery of the action or service. Make room for change, as change will not be thought of if there is no need for it.
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Appreciate change management through the use of cartoons How people take information depends on their mood, personality, upbringing and thinking style. It doesn’t mean that communication can only be through written or spoken means. There are different ways to receive messages. While most people do better with written word and others by verbal communication, some relate best to pictures, graphics or cartoons. Business organizations should be able to address change management in different ways, as personalities differ. Pictures or graphics speaks for themselves. Most often, it is easier and faster to grasp visuals, rather than reading articles. The use of one or two sentences to support a graphic is enough to explain what it means. People in the organization need to be convinced, especially if change management is being proposed. One way of better understanding messages, or communicating them, is through graphics. They can be presented during meetings, training seminars, and can even be part of posters found on the firm’s bulletin boards. The change management cartoon makes it comfortable for leaders to disseminate information, at the initial stage, to those who resist change. A person resistive to change gradually gets to understand the change, if viewed from time to time, gets the meaning of the message, and later becomes comfortable with it. The change management cartoon is an aid to help management communicate its strategy in a way that is entertaining and fun, and with pictures that speak for themselves. With the change management cartoon, management has an easy way of disseminating information, and without pushing people to read it. They simply look at change management cartoons, and re-think.
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Using a Change Management Certificate Template As an organization opts for change management, participation of all its members should be encouraged. A business aware of the need for change should support it, and from time to time monitor how change management is being carried out to insure that it is carried out as planned. A change that does not produce good results should be given a second look, and studied to see how it can be handled better. Individuals who are resistant to change should be talked to, so that a better appreciation of the need for change management is explained. When things go wrong, management should always have a hand at resolving the situation, and better still, find an alternative to further improve the change. Change management should be monitored, so as to assess its effects. The cause and effect of the change management should be communicated to all necessary staff. All changes pertaining to change management should be covered with a formal request, and all results should likewise be supported. This is also called change management certificate. The certificate bears a template that makes things easier for those in charge of managing the change. The word template represents a page layout pre-designed in electronic or paper media that is ready to be filled out each time a change management certification or request is made. The change management certificate template can also be changed or edited, should a new feature be determined to be necessary.
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The change management certificate template aids the business organization in finding out what, who, when, why and how change management takes place. Actions are communicated, as well as results, whether good or bad. With the change management certificate template, a faster response to the need is addressed.
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An Example of a Change Management Model Change is inevitable. All organizations change in small ways continuously. When dealing with big changes, organizational change management is important. There are several change management models being utilized and modified today. While they may have different approaches, depending on the situation they confront, their objective is always for the company to successfully implement the change process in a smooth and efficient way. The Lewin’s Change Management Model is still used today. Conceptualized by psychologist Kurt Lewin in the 1950s, it emphasizes three stages of change: unfreezing, modification, then refreezing. He explains that people do not usually accept change as a part of the work process, and would continually stay in their comfortzone. In overcoming this status quo, the organization must motivate the people for change to occur. Modification involves a transition from the current state to the desired state. This is the second stage in Lewin’s Model. The transition may be a little uncomfortable for most employees, but with proper motivation and good leadership, the firm will still be able to implement the change. The modification period is very critical because it involves a lot of training, skills transfer, and the most sensitive of all, personnel re-alignments and even reduction. The third stage, refreezing comes when the workforce has already embedded the change in their system--until another unfreezing happens. While Lewin’s Change Management Model may be an effective and simple way of implementing change, some criticize it for
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not properly processing the after-effects of the change on the employees’ morale (like the fear of having another change coming). There really is no perfect approach for change. Integrating other change management models with Lewin’s is better than just using one model alone. You may also want to study Kotter’s Eight Step Change Model, Beer’s Model, McKiney’s 7-s Model, and Shaw’s Model.
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Techniques for Creating Your Own Change Management Plan Change management is a very essential process in any business. Change Management plans, evaluate and implement the necessary changes needed in an organization. This process helps your company find and innovate new techniques and procedures to improve the service you provide. In this way, you will be able to satisfy your customers. With the help of a Change Management Plan, you can guarantee sufficient control over the changes. There are programs to create a Change Management Plan available from most software companies. They can produce a project plan to help in the company’s change management planning. In creating a plan, designation of responsibilities is very important. Development Manager is in charge of updating and maintaining the Change Management Plan. Here is how to organize the plan: Stakeholder Analysis: holds various stakeholders who are willing to implement change in the business. Identifying and training them is important. Organizing approach and principles: it is essential that principles and approach are made to effectively execute the strategies in change management. Plan, apply and schedule the events: planning and applying the strategies are very important, this will verify the success of your techniques. Scheduling the events, such as training and seminars will help you in developing an organized Change Management. This plan provides a framework in managing and organizing communication and systems in a firm. The Change Management Plan recognizes the main stakeholders that are involved in the project. It also outlines the change management plan and techniques. This plan also discusses strategies and incidents to fulfill the objectives of your organization.
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Strengthening the Change Management as implemented In every change, there is an end result. Businesses do not just create change for the heck of making one. They feel that change is necessary, and that it will yield better results than what results they are currently getting. Management always expects to get better opportunities, and at the same time maintain the quality of its performance to its clients and employees. At the end of the journey is the achievement of one's goal. Businesses, upon reaching the conclusion of implementing change, should carefully assess and monitor the results of the change from time to time. If needed, it’s best to update it. A change request is needed to communicate the results of the change, whether good or bad. Span of control on the change should also be established; and there should be a gauge on when change management needs to be strengthened. The change management process conclusion, being the final phase in the strategic implementation of change, should require a thorough evaluation and readjustment of focus on the measurement of results and planning for the future. Along with careful controls to remain on the "critical path,” there should be assurances that changes are carried out along the line as planned. At the conclusion stage, the change leader may get several viewpoints from others, and it is the change leader’s task to anticipate actions and reactions. The change leader should understand that individuals change viewpoints when new information is obtained and evaluated. The change management process conclusion is not the end, but merely that which ignites the start of new change.
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Why the Change Management Process is very Important The Change Management Process is a procedure of planning, assessing and implementing changes to a system. The main goals in the process are: maintaining and supporting the process of changes, and allowing the traceability of changes. It is a very important process, giving you huge benefits by developing your system; and as a result, satisfying the needs of your customers. The Change Management Process can help you handle all the change requests in your project. By going through this process, you can easily monitor and manage the quantity of change. The key steps for handling change are included in this process. Through this process, you can identify and recognize the requirements of change in your project. You can organize the process of passing change requests. The Change Management Process can also establish the feasibility of the requested changes. It is also through this process that permission for change is officially granted before it even happens. It’s also possible to create a schedule to review the impact of the changes. It’s important to go thorough the Change Management Process, for it will give you a template in managing change in your projects. It fully explains every step of the change procedure. It also identifies the responsibilities of the people included in change management. Not only that, it illuminates the approval process and reviews changes in a project. Change Management is the central function of Project Management. This is very important in achieving success for the project. Change always affects your capability to deliver projects, and
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increases your expenses and operation timeframes. For you to effectively control projects, you can use the Change Management Process to successfully execute your plans. This will give you a tool to help you deal with change easily.
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he Benefits of Having Change Management Software in Your Business Change management is a significant process in any business. With the fast changing developments in technology, it is very important for firms to find creative ways to improve their service. If you are seriously considering Change Management in your company, there is software that’s readily available to help you in establishing the procedures for change management. Automating software in change management is a very convenient process for your system. Change management software is designed to make procedures easier and cleaner. This software helps you to reduce intensive labor hours. What are the key benefits of Change Management Software? One of the key benefits of this software is its capacity to control all change activity. This will result in reduced loss of quality. It gives you the capability to monitor and approve change requests. It can calculate and analyze the risks in relation to the change request. Change management software can give you access to other important key process information on organized and applied changes. It has the power to customize your company’s change request forms to fit the current change management procedures. A suitable workflow can be provided by Change Management Software. It can control and manage each step in restoration, just in case implementation of change fails.
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These days, successful organizations deal with different changes every day. Applying these changes is not that easy. They will be valuable to your company if their impact can be appropriately assessed, applied and controlled. Change Management gives you a practical, integrated and automated method to implement change. This can actually reduce the risks in your business and also promote an organized and strategic plan for change.
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What Makes a Change Management Team? The responsibility of managing change should be management’s concern and not that of the employees. It is the employees’ responsibility to do their best to cope with the change. Management has the responsibility of explaining to its employees why change is being made, and also the responsibility to facilitate and enable change. In view of these issues, management should come up with a team to handle the change and make it work. Technical expertise is also a vital factor in the selection of a change management team. The team is expected to have a “step back” attitude and not be judgmental. The team is also expected to help people learn to understand the reasons, aims, and ways of positively interacting with employees' own situations and capabilities. As businesses impose new things, there will always be difficulties encountered by people. It’s best that people at work participate and have an open, early, full communication at the start. One way of achieving a collective understanding of the change management approaches, policies, methods, systems, and ideas is by conducting workshops. The change management team should conduct a staff survey to address problems, and fix them quickly. An anonymous survey comment should be published, as well as the findings. The change management team should do its best to make change achievable. The success of change management depends on how well the team performs. For your people to trust the change within the organization, the change management team should likewise have the credibility and integrity to be trusted.
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Timeframe Trial on the use of Change Management Software Change management used to be designed over numerous hours spent at work, and sitting down at meetings. Nowadays, change management can be done using software. For a company that wishes to implement change management, they may avail themselves of the trial period. The change management software is made available based on the timeframe, as agreed upon by the software provider and the client. The use of change management software is believed to have the following benefits: The change activity is orchestrated and controlled. With these, instances of quality loss as a result of uncoordinated changes are minimized. The change requests from any location can be monitored and approved at any point in time and place. The ability to compute the risk related to the change request by the use of a risk assessment module. Provide for the accessibility to important key process information (KPI) with regard to plan and changes for implementation and their ramifications. Allows the customization of change request forms to meet the needs of users, as well as making things simple in terms of processes and understanding terminologies. Provide documentation and control of the workflow as a step by step guide in the event that the original state prior to change requests requires restoration. With the timeframe given for a business to try the software, companies are given the chance to better appreciate the need for the software. The change management software is ideal for busi-
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nesses that look forward to automating or establishing their change management procedures and processes.
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Change Management: Why Your Company Needs It Change management can be defined as a control mechanism in an area of practice. It takes the task of handling change. It actually refers to creating changes in an organized and systematic matter. Change management intends to efficiently apply the new techniques and processes in your company. Common change management refers to the aspect of information technology systems development projects. In a company, there are different kinds of tasks. A normal delivery process is one of the jobs that needs to be done in a business. But there is also what we call change activities, which focus more on the needed changes in your organization. Although change can happen without shifting jobs, products and changing places; change can happen first inside your mind. That is why it is very critical for organizations to understand this aspect. Without knowing and understanding, change is destined to create serious problems. Change is inevitable. You can’t disregard and ignore it in your company. Even though you cannot avoid resistance to the changes, you have to let people understand the purpose of change in your firm. Ways to Manage Change. There are different ways how to manage change inside and outside your influence. Here are some tips on how to manage change projects: Analyze and identify the change. You have to investigate and understand the necessary changes needed in your company. Stakeholders management is one of the main reasons for failed change. Stakeholders are those who show interest in change, or those who intend to undergo change. They need to be dealt with properly. Build a plan. Planning and organizing a bulletproof plan is very important.
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Apply these changes in your company. Organizing change and utilizing the techniques to monitor the outcome is needed to know if the change is appropriate.
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Kotter’s Change Model of Management An organization will always go through various changes in its lifetime. After all, adaptation is one of the key factors in an organization’s survival. There are several well accepted change models of management. All of them have been scientifically proven to be effective in the management of change. Kotter’s Eight Step Change Model of Management explains that there are eight essential steps in an organization’s change management. They are as follows: 1. Initiate Urgency: Organizations need to establish a sense of urgency within the employees to effectively implement change. They should be able to explain properly why this is important and urgent for the company’s survival. 2. Change Team: This team should involve respected members of the company and department leaders impacted by the change. They should be able to influence teamwork in the organization. 3. Establish Vision: An organization with a clear vision on how and where it wants to be in the future will be able to direct its employees in achieving its goals. 4. Communicate Vision: The vision must be communicated properly, and employees must be able to understand it thoroughly, and comply with the company’s vision of the future. 5. Empower Others: Employees who feel that they are empowered by the firm to achieve the vision will be more motivated to cooperate with the transition. This creates a sense of responsibility for the employee.
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6. Easy Goals: By creating short-term goals and rewarding employees for achieving it, the company will achieve the bigger vision in a step-by-step approach. 7. More Goals: After achieving their short-term goals, new ones should immediately follow in order for the firm to be able to achieve the bigger goal. 8. Embrace Culture: The final step in this change model of management is to permanently institutionalize the new approaches by embedding them in the company’s culture and leadership succession.
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The Academy for Change Management The purpose of an academy offering courses in Change Management is to position an organization or business to have a competitive advantage, and to develop sustainable success by continually developing changes in the firm. The academy must be designed to challenge, develop and inspire the management team of any stage. The courses offered in Change Management must enable the student to have knowledge on how to manage change effectively. He must also be trained by the academy to oppose the resistance of the employees, and to motivate them. The academy for Change Management is expected to produce managers that have the most advanced skills is management. People who are interested in enrolling in the academy must look for one that offers different benefits upon completion of the course. The students must be able to identify the activities that need to be done for each phase of the change. They must be able to build rapport easily with everyone they interact with; and learn to have an understanding of the effective methods of communication. They must also be motivated by the academy to be their very best, and must be able to manage their state. The concepts proposed by the future manager must be made to add values to the activities within the organization. In looking for the right academy to enroll in, try to consider the factors stated above, because the choice of academy will tell what kind of manager the person will become in the near future.
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The Certificate for Change Management Change is constant and inevitable in any organization. When people take a Change Management training program, it is necessary to award them for their achievement. A person who successfully finished and passed the course may be regarded as an effective agent of Change Management. He’s learned how to influence change in an organization, both in his and other people’s actions. The certificate given to him is an acknowledgement that he took a program that provides him knowledge about Change Management, an understanding of the changes within an organization, and the skills he must learn to facilitate the development and implementation of the changes successfully. People awarded the Change Management certificate must have the following abilities: x Able to plan for the Change Management implementation. x Evaluate and prioritize the cost, the benefits, the impact, and the risks of the changes that are proposed. x Have the ability to organize the Request For Change or RFC. x Prepare for the meetings of the Change Advisory Board. x Agree and justify the proposed change models and standard changes. The building, testing, and implementation of the change must also be supervised. x Be able to handle any back out for changes that failed.
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x
Be aware of the tools that support the implementation of Change Management, and determine how to make improvements.
The certificate for change Management is only awarded to those people who are determined, and posses the qualities of a competitive Change Manager.
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The Risks a Change Management Consultant Faces From His Own Clients You usually associate clients as being necessary for your change management consultancy business to prosper – after all, no consultancy can survive if there are no clients. But, did you know that a change management consultant can suffer harm from the clients themselves? Here is how a client (and his representatives or subordinates) can sabotage the efforts of a change management consultant to initiate and establish an effective change management program in the client’s organization: First, all seems to be proceeding normally – the change management consultant is hired, he identifies the causes of problems that crop up when the changes are being initiated, and proposes a program that will resolve this situation so that the changes can be properly carried out (and hopefully the change management consultant can then move on to his next client.) However, the client (or his subordinates) surprisingly will not react positively to the progress that the change management consultant is making. On the contrary, they may seem offended, and perhaps be even downright hostile, after the consultant has proposed his solution. What happened between hiring the change management consultant, and when the consultant came up with an effective solution?
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What the change management consultant may not have expected is that the client and his managers, and other subordinates may have realized that either: x they could have thought up the solution proposed by themselves; and/or x they feel that the consultant places them in a bad light as members of management by coming up with a solution to the problems. Whichever holds true, the poor change management consultant is placed in an uncomfortable situation. To resolve this, the consultant may opt to leave after proposing his solution, so the client and his people can implement it themselves, which thus puts these members of management in a good light again, since they seem like the heroes in the situation, to the unwary.
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A Broader Look at the Definition of Change Management We know that Change Management, by its very name, involves management of changes. They occur within an organizational setting, meaning changes do not occur in a vacuum. There are certain elements that come into play when a Change Management process is introduced into a firm. These are called Functions, Goals, Resources, Environment, and Principles. Functions refers to the purpose of the project, or what products or services are expected to be produced by the company, should the project be successful. Any project has to serve a specific purpose (function) or else it’s meaningless. Goals refers to the specific change(s) that the project aims to put into play, or set in place. It differs from function in that a function would be the reason the project exists, while a goal would be the objective that the project aims to accomplish. Resources are defined as the scalability and capacity of the project. Will it succeed as it is currently designed? Or are there other elements that have to be tweaked first before the project can accomplish its goals and fulfill its function? Environment refers to the elements in the surroundings of the firm, or perhaps the components of the organization itself, which may be influenced by the project outcome. Since the change management project does not exist in a vacuum, the environment may in turn also affect the project.
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Principles is concerned with function in a way, since it tries to foresee whether the functions will be affected in any way. You can say a basic principle of a change management project is that it should not hamper the function(s) in any manner, or else we can say the principle of the project has been violated somehow.
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The Change Management of ITIL The main objective of the Change Management of ITIL is to make sure that the standard methods and processes are used for the efficiency and on-time handling of the changes implemented to reduce the impact of the problems related to the change done to the quality of the service of the organization. The plan for the set up and the ongoing strategy for Change Management in a particular organization helps support the entire IT service management infrastructure. The Change Management also support or limit the success of the other processes of ITIL. To make sure that the supply of the IT services are efficient, it is important that the change is managed, monitored, and controlled in a systematic way. This will help reduce undue disturbances to the IT services that are delivered to the customer. The Request For Changes or RFC can be developed to correct any fault in the IT infrastructure that was identified in the process of managing problems. Change Management has the full responsibility for managing, monitoring and controlling the way that the change is planned, initiated, assessed, scheduled and implemented. The scope of Change Management includes but is not limited to the components of the information technology infrastructure like the software, hardware, and the documentation. Another scope of Change Management is the IT services or the Service Level Agreements (SLA), and lastly, the organizations of the IT service including the organizational structures and its procedures. The Change Management within the organization must be ITIL compliant and must also help to support different and complex options of the organization’s workflow. This is to achieve its goal to improve the everyday operations of the organization.
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The Model for Change Management Change management aims at bringing better results that those currently experienced. In change management, one realizes that there are better ways of performing effectively, and at the same time cope with client's expectations. To implement change, come up with a model. There are various change management models, the most commonly used is ADKAR. It’s for individual change management, and was developed by Prosci with input from 1000 organizations from 59 countries. It describes the building blocks necessary for individual change to be successful, and it includes: Awareness – the business organization identifies exactly why there is a need to change. Management should have a clear and valid reason for coming up with a change program, and be able to identity how, when and where the change is to occur. x Desire – the enthusiasm of supporting and participating in the change. This is also called harnessing support. Identifying the stakeholders for the change and knowing if senior management supports the change. x Knowledge – the information necessary to know how to implement change. To find out whether the change plan is sufficiently scoped and resources are adequate. x Ability – the skills needed to implement the new skills and behaviors. Ensuring that focus is given on both soft and technical skills. x Reinforcement – the capacity to sustain change. The performance and success results should be reported. There is a need for a communication plan to be de-
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veloped so that everybody is informed and aware of what is going on. Change management model is a tool to carry out change within an organization. Guided by the model, there is no reason for change management to be ineffective.
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The Roots of Change Management Theory Change Management Theory has its roots in different fields; namely, engineering, business and psychology. That is why change management is applied in different ways in different disciplines. If we talk about Individual Change Management, that refers to changing the behavior of an individual (such as to stop smoking or drinking.) Change Management in business pertains to changing technology and/or a business process. When applied on a societal level, Change Management refers to creating new laws or government policies to initiate societal changes. Regardless of how Change Management is to be applied or where, Change Management Theory operates on five key principles: x
The first is that people display different reactions to change, since each person is a unique individual.
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Second, all people have basic needs that they aim to satisfy, regardless of who they are or what their occupation is.
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Third, for every change initiated, the person or entity will have to lose something for the change to be successful.
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Fourth, people have different expectations about change management efforts, so all such programs have to be realistic.
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x
And finally, that there will always be fear of change, and proper change management involves facing those fears in appropriate ways.
When all five principles are applied well by the person or organization that undertakes change management, then the odds that change management will be successful go up significantly. This doesn’t mean failure will never occur, but rather that the odds of failure will go down by a great degree.
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The Need for a Change Management Tool Change management will not succeed if it comes from the idea of one and is not supported by all. It involves careful planning and implementation. The people affected by the change should be consulted and involved. Change made by forced or pressure to an individual may cause problems. Change management should be realistic, attainable and measurable. When businesses are run by network computers and services on demand require delivery through data systems, high levels of availability are necessary to quickly address the change in order to increase profitability and maintain their edge in the industry. Tools to help IT managers and administrators are in the marketplace to simplify the change management process. The change management tools include downloadable planning templates, readiness assessments, and guidelines for executive sponsorship on proposing change management, as well as how to manage resistance when change is implemented. Tools such as change management certification templates are available, and include training plans, communication plans, sponsor roadmaps, coaching plans and resistance management plans. These tools aim to provide guides to assess and implement change management strategy. The change management tools seek to help business organization to achieve the following: 1. The ability to manage change in individuals and not just the business. Change must not be imposed on people. The reason(s) for change should be clearly explained. 2. The ability to develop a change management strategy. 3. To formulate a communication plan.
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4. To actively manage those people who resist change. 5. Tools guide and assist, simplifying the change management process, and save time and money.
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When Belief Statements Become Effective Change Management Tools A change management tool is a method by which the behavior of people within an organization can be adjusted so that the desired change is achieved. One good tool is belief statements. Belief statements can be effective change management tools when certain conditions are met. First, the people should actually believe that these belief statements are good for them. This will have a corresponding effect on their attitude. If you have the right attitude, you can accomplish much. Second, if you know of any attitudes existing within the minds of people in the target organization that may hamper the efficacy of the proposed changes, they and you must take steps to adjust them. But the first step must always be undertaken by the people – in the same way that no one can be hypnotized against his will, no person will believe a belief statement if his attitude runs to the contrary, unless that person changes his attitude first. You have probably heard of born-again Christians conducting Bible study groups to which they invite skeptics. The skeptics have an attitude that effectively says: “I do not believe that the Bible has the answers to my problems.” The born-again Christian has the attitude that says: “I think it does and can solve your problems.” So Bible study is change management that aims to uncover the roots contributing to the attitude of the skeptic that prevents them from accepting Biblical beliefs. A skeptic who has changed his mind (or rather, his attitude) about Biblical beliefs will then adopt a belief statement that says: “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” But it all has to start within the mind and heart of the skeptic first.
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The Effective Way to Conduct Change Management Training When change management is conducted in an organization, it’s important that all members of the firm be trained in the change management program. Otherwise, the change management solution proposed won’t be effective since the firm’s members will be disorganized, and may even work in counter-productive ways. The people who will initiate change management must be aware of who they will be training, and that means knowing how they really feel about the proposed changes. Any hostility to the program may result in failure to a certain degree. The decision-makers must set change management objectives for specific employee groups that are apt for their capabilities. The changes proposed must not run counter to the welfare of the organization’s members, and the organization itself. The language used to describe the proposed changes, and the expected effects should be as simple, precise and clear as possible to eliminate sources of confusion and misapplication of the program. There should have been a thorough study done on any internal and external factors that may affect the outcome of the change management training in any way. No program exists within a vacuum, so doubtless there will be at least one factor that can skew the program’s results somehow. The program should adhere to a clear mission or vision that can be communicated properly at all levels of the organization. After the training is completed, suspend all celebrations until it’s proven that the program is truly effective. It helps to have a
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positive mindset, but expect glitches to be inherent in your program that need further effort to iron out later on.
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The role of Computer Change Management in Human Behavior Change Management. Computer Change Management pertains to managing change in computer systems – it may be better known as IT change management. Human behavior change management is the more popular form of change management, which many people know when change management is mentioned. Both computer change management and human behavior change management are important programs to undertake, but nowhere are both deemed of equal importance more than in companies that are Information Technology service providers. In IT companies, CEOs and managers are becoming more and more aware that it is not enough to iron out software and hardware glitches. It is also important to find out how the attitudes of their IT personnel can affect how they serve their employer and the clients. Nowadays, it is no longer sufficient to simply hire technically qualified people, then put them to work on refining computers and computer systems. It is equally important to find out about the backgrounds of their people; what they think about their work, their superiors, and their co-workers; and how satisfied they are with their choice of occupation. This new mindset of management came about in the wake of new findings about employee behavior as to when they are satisfied and not satisfied with the progress they make at work. People are not machines that run indefinitely once plugged into an electrical
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outlet. Meaning, it is not enough to simply pay them good wages sometimes. One IT-dependent organization that recognizes this is the Landbank of the Philippines. Its Technology Department staff do not just have technical expertise that makes them qualified to be IT technical personnel. They are now required to undergo teambuilding activities as well (both in and out of the workplace), so that all IT staff learn how to work with one another as people. One wellreceived team-building activity is organizing each department into bowling teams that participate in friendly matches against each other.
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Conclusions for Change Management Fostering change in any organization is possible because the activities associated with Change Management enables every firm to ensure practices are used for the efficiency of handling change. Change Management is a very important process. It depends on the accuracy of the configuration data to make sure that the impact of the changes is known and visible. There is a very close relationship between Change Management, Release Management, and Configuration Management. Change Management is a discipline under the Information Technology Service Management. Its objective is to make sure that standardized methods and processes are applied for the efficiency of taking over the changes for controlled IT infrastructures. This is done to lessen the number of impacts of all the related problems upon the delivery of service. The changes regarding the Information Technology infrastructure may develop reactively in relation to the incidents or problems, and the requirements imposed externally to the organization like legislative changes, or from looking for efficiency and effectiveness. Change Management is also a way to enable the initiatives of a business for the improvement of the project and its services. It ensures that the standardized methods, procedures and processes are used mainly for all the changes. Change Management also maintains the appropriate balance between the need for change and possible losses from the impact of the change. It’s an ITIL process that helps in the development of other processes, or limits the success of the process if proper management is not done.
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Change Management Conclusions are Important for the Success of a Change Management Program There are many conclusions in the field of change management nowadays that can be applied in general ways to practically all organizations. One very important conclusion is that change management is deemed effective if it produces changes in the behavior of its target audience. For example, if the program is supposed to change the attitude of employees toward their work so that they like coming to work, success is proven if productivity goes up. But if employee absenteeism goes up instead, then something went wrong in the change management program – either the design was wrong in the first place, or the way it was implemented was faulty. Another conclusion we can make about change management is that true results are only reaped over a reasonable amount of time. For instance, if the program planners expect results to show up within a month from implementation, that may be too soon for results. But if the planners wait a year, and then look for results, that may be more reasonable. A last and very fundamental conclusion that can apply to any organization is that no one likes to be coerced into adopting changes. Thus, hard-sell methods for initiating a change management program in an organization may not work very well. The organization members (particularly employees) may believe they are being pressured to adopt changes that they truly do not believe in, and would like to resist instead.
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Defining Change Management for Newbies Change Management is a term used to describe the whole process of monitoring changes that are initiated while a product or service is developed by an organization. The goal of change management is to prevent errors from occurring during the development process, as well as to limit the possible impact of these changes on the organizational processes that already exist. Changes during product or service development can be subdivided into either authorized or unauthorized changes. The first category pertains to those changes that decision makers within the organization initiate themselves, which means they are prepared for the impact of such changes later on. The second category refers to changes that members of the organization are not prepared to encounter, and whose possible impact on organizational processes may not be anticipated well enough. When change management is undertaken properly, the impact of any unforeseen changes can be absorbed and mitigated, so the organization does not suffer massive losses (financial or otherwise). Change management also allows authorized changes to work without interfering with pre-existing organizational processes, and vice versa. Change control procedures is used to describe the steps set in place before, during, and after changes are initiated. Changes, in and of themselves, can be small (those involved in a group project), or of a massive magnitude (as when the organization as a whole shifts core competencies, or focuses on a new line of work).
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For change management to be successful, particularly during establishment of defined change control procedures, the decision makers must communicate their plans to all members of the organization, and even external audiences, so that everyone is prepared for what is to come.
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Stages in Change Management Implementation Change Management is often times not a welcome thing in an organization. Some take it positively, and others do not. It becomes necessary if the organization feels that there is a slow down, or current activities hamper the effective performance of the organization. There are three stages in how to implement a change management plan. They are as follows: "Unfreezing" involves getting rid of inertia and taking to pieces the current "mindset.” At this stage, ignore the defense mechanism. Business organizations should be able to define the change in management strategy. It’s in this stage that the change management team should be created. As a result of unfreezing, it is expected that the team develop a change management model to propose. "Managing Change" is the period of confusion and transition. Some are resistance to change. The business organization should develop a change management plan at this stage and take action to implement the plans. “Refreezing” is the stage where a new mindset is crystallizing and the comfort levels of the employees returns to previous levels. At this stage, the change management team should be able to collect and analyze feedback to better address reactions immediately. They should be able to diagnose gaps and be capable of handling resistance. It is also at this stage that the business organization
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should be able to implement corrective actions and give credit to successes. Implementing change management requires skills, and success is only achieved if participation from members of the business organization takes place. The model described above is also known as the Lewin Theory, developed by Kurt Lewin.
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The Proper Management of Change Change will always be constant, whether you are an individual or an organization. It doesn’t matter whether it is a minor change or a major one, what’s important is the proper management of change so that there’s less resistance and more involvement. There are many approaches to the management of change. Although there’s no perfect approach, it’s still very important that effective change management be planned and specific programs be designed to address employee concerns and fears. Many companies now offer an integration of different change management models in their programs in order make the transition easier. All change managers know that the transition period is the most critical and sensitive part of the management of change. This is where new ideas, technologies and processes are introduced to the individual for the first time. If this introduction is not planned and managed well, employee morale and productivity can suffer. The importance of managing the transition period is crucial because it’s where employees will ask questions on where they will be upon completion of the project, or whether they will be replaced or retrenched, or will they be able to adapt to it successfully. Reaching out to and motivating employees in order to address their fears and concerns will help the company in the proper planning and management of change. Communication is important because this is where the company can explain in detail the urgency of change in the organization. A good management of change means a good management of transition. The organization’s goal of changing the current state
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to the future desired state can only be realized if all employees are motivated to move in the company’s direction.
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The Factors that Come Into Play in Stakeholder Management Change Stakeholder management is a field of thought or discipline, wherein the fate of stakeholders is managed or handled so that (when change is initiated) the status of stakeholders remains stable. Stakeholder management change thus pertains to any change in the continuous process of managing the fate of stakeholders. All organizations have stakeholders, regardless of the size of the organization or the number of members that make it up. When you say someone is a stakeholder, it means that person has interests (financial or otherwise) in the organization. When stakeholder management change is initiated that person is affected. One of the organizations it’s easiest to identify stakeholders in would be a business. The stakeholders in a common business would be the investors and/or shareholders who put up the capital to start the business. They can also be the clients or customers who buy or patronize the goods and/or services of the business; the employees who produce the goods and/or manage the service being offered. Then there are the suppliers who also benefit from doing business with the company; the government agencies that rely on the business to provide taxes to keep the government running. Finally, they can also be surrounding communities, which are affected by the business; and even business rivals. Stakeholder management change occurs when the organization changes the activities it uses to manage the fate of each stakeholder group. For example: employees offer a new product to clients or customers. In this case, stakeholder management change has affected employees, the clients/customers, and even business
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rivals. If the product becomes in-demand among customers, there is another change wrought in the case of the investors and shareholders who find their initial investment profitable after all.
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The Models for Management Change The model for managing change in any aspect is based on the research done in the implementation of the organization, and also the use of information technologies that is open– ended. The model is based on major assumptions that make it different from the traditional models of change. The first assumption is that the changes, together with the implementations of the technology make an ongoing process and not an event that has an endpoint. This would be where the organization can presume that it will return to a steady state after. The second assumption is that the different organizational and technological changes made during the process can’t be anticipated ahead of the estimated time. Those assumptions recognize three types of change for the model: the anticipated change, the emergent change and the opportunity–based change. The first are changes planned ahead of time, and they occur in the way intended. Emergent changes come spontaneously from local innovations, and are not intended or anticipated from the start. The opportunity–based changes aren’t intended ahead of time, but are intentionally and purposefully introduced during the change process as a response to any unexpected event, opportunity, or breakdown. The anticipated and opportunity–based changes engage in purposeful actions, compared to emergent changes that develop spontaneously through the years out of the practices of the people with the technology. While there is no sequence by which the occurrence of change is defined, the development of the latest technologies often gives an organization change initially anticipated, together with the installation of new software/hardware.
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What is Change Management? When things go wrong and you want them corrected, you must think of ways of dealing with the issue so as to avoid recurrence. Such solution may entail change in the existing system or process that is being implemented in a business environment. Change Management is a management approach to change individuals, teams, organizations, and societies from the existing set-up to a desired set-up in the future. Change management may involve change in a new business process and/or adoption of new technology. To have successful change management is to have the cooperation of the people involved. It aims to provide a framework on how to manage people when change is implemented. It is believed that to be effective is to combine a change in organization management tools with individual change management tools. Change management is seen by some as a threat to the position they presently enjoy. Thus, often there is resistance to change management being implemented in an organization. In as much as employees are the most important asset in a business organization, the impact of the change on them should be considered by management. Change management should be able to look into the behavior patterns, work processes, technological requirements, and motivation of its people. A business organization must be able to assess what its employees’ reactions to change are, and then create ideas to change the program. The goal is to modify the new process and thus enable workers to accept it. Change Management, if implemented, should be disseminated throughout the organization, carefully monitored to ensure effectiveness, and adjusted as necessary.
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OCM: Organizational Change Management In any organization, change is always constant. And it should always happen if you want your company to succeed in the business world. This change can be in the work process, manpower, directives, technology, or policies. Today, organizational change management (OCM) is of vital importance in keeping your company ahead of competitors by preparing employees and key people for adapting to any changes in the workflow and work environment. But, these changes can only be implemented if employees are willing to accept it. Change does not only mean implementation. It also means involvement. The most important and critical part in the organizational change management is the transition period. This is the period when companies let go of the current state and start to introduce new processes, technologies and even new people for the first time. If there is no proper involvement of the workforce, everything will inevitably fail. Among the biggest challenges companies face today in implementing desired changes are employee fears (whether real or imagined), and sometimes outright resistance. In severe cases, resistance can lead to sabotage. Without the proper organizational change management, these fears and resistance can lead to unnecessary stresses and pressures that can then lead to less productivity and low morale of the workforce. Fortunately, there are now companies that specialize in OCM. Although these companies offer different approaches in their OCM procedures, their goal is always to work with the organization in preparing the employees for the changes, equip them with the knowledge, skills, tools and methods to deal with the new environ-
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ment. This way, everyone is involved and has a sense of ownership in the organization. Change is always constant. Going from the present to the future will always be challenging. But, with proper organizational change management, the realization of all business goals is easier.
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What is Organizational Change Management and What Can it Do for Your Business? To have a competitive and successful company, you have to organize and prepare your staff for changes in procedures and work environment. This is a serious process of planning, training, and motivating employees to learn the new challenges connected with systems and technology changes. Organizational Change Management (OCM) should meet the needs of your staff, and the people who decide the success of this application. Of course, OCM should also have the ability to agree with your business objectives. Industries today recognize constant change in their organization. But, some companies don’t know how to solve and implement change. Heads of organizations can determine the advantages of change. They can identify the importance and long-term advantages. Most of them see it as a way to win over their competitors. But, others need training in OCM in order to help and aid their employees, and understand the value of change. Some organizations use comprehensive solutions in OCM. This includes visioning, which can recognize the main elements you want in the future of your business. Change management techniques can also help you cut the costs of setting up your staff to initiate changes in your company. And lastly, Organizational Impact Analysis can recognize what you need and want to change. This can also evaluate the impact as changes take place. OCM can help you maintain and establish change in your system. It can minimize any business trouble, and can speed up the process of change and get a quick investment return. Creating and
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developing Organizational Change Management techniques that go well with your business needs. This can also give you an appropriate strategy and tools to organize change, and discover new innovative ways to do business.
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Organizational Change, Leadership and Management The concept of organizational change is about the wide change in an organization, and not regarding small changes like hiring new people, modification of a program etc. Wide change in an organization includes changes in the mission of the company, operations due to restructuring, new technologies, major collaborations, mergers, new programs, re-engineering and many more. Experts often refer to organizational change as organizational transformation. This term gives a basic definition to a radical reorientation in the operation of an organization. When an organization decides to change its strategy for achievement, modifies a major section or practice, and/or plans to change the nature of its operation, these occurrences are significant organization changes. For the development of organizations, it is proper that they undergo changes in the different stages of development. The topic of organizational change has become popular in communications about leadership and management. Leaders and managers continually make an effort to have significant and successful change. Some people are very good, but some still struggle and fail at the effort. Leadership concept is related to making sure of the effectiveness in any organization, and managing changes. Leading has always been a very human activity. Many people make statements about strong leadership, but do not really understand the “deal” about it.
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Leadership is not one of the general functions of a manager. Management refers to the activities done by a group of people who plans, organize, lead and coordinate resources. These functions recur throughout the organization and are integrated. The success of change in an organization depends on the kind of leadership and management the person in charge does.
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The Training for Organizational Development and Change Management The development of every organization, particularly on how changes are managed, influences the success of the business. The activities in the organizational development occur in the interactions of the people systems, like the groups that are either formal or informal, the culture of the work and its climate, and the design of the organization to improve its effectiveness using different behavioral science applications. Change Management tests the different organizations to succeed in times where a great change is implemented. The organization is trained to successfully plan, communication between the people within the organization and the affected parties of the change, implementation of the change, build the involvement and the commitment of the employees, and the measurement of the system in the period of the change. The center of Change Management is found here. The training in Change Management for the development of the organization has never been more critical, since most organizations are now focusing on the system’s structures and processes that have an effect on the people, and the performance of the particular organization. Organizations that seek greatness ask for the assistance of organization development practitioners that train mainly to become certified in their chosen field. Training to become a certified OD practitioner is in demand since they sharpen their skills to the great challenge of measuring the results of the change done for the development of the organization. Training includes programs that help provide precision on the connection of the high-performing structures of the organization, and setting the direction of the organization on the right path for its accountability and productivity.
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The Right Way to Implement Process Change Management Process change management simply refers to the capacity of a firm to handle changes in the existing and to-be-implemented organizational processes. The shorter name for process change management is process management – both refer to the same function. The problem though, with many organizations, is that they resort to massive or ambitious ways to manage changes in an organizational process. These overkill efforts may not be effective because problems that occurred in the past may re-occur after completion of the ambitious methods. The decision makers may resort to overkill because they have overestimated the causes of the problems in the first place. For example, if the problem of low employee morale has caused productivity to go down, the decision makers might address the problem by penalizing employees if their productivity goes down a certain level. Does this work? It might, but in many cases it does not because the cause of low employee morale has not been addressed. A better process change management measure would be for the organization to host employee relation sessions where facilitators would try to uncover the real reason for low employee morale. Perhaps the employees dislike a certain policy that has been set in place and find that it derails their efforts to motivate themselves to increase productivity. Maybe they can even point to a particular person (like a terror supervisor) who has caused their morale to go down in the first place. Applying the carrot instead of
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the stick (meaning, motivating employees to work more effectively and efficiently by helping create an environment open to hearing their grievances would be a much better solution to boost employee productivity, than simply penalizing anyone whose productivity goes down).
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The Template of Certificate in Change Management The achievement of the people who attend any training course must be acknowledged. It is very simple to print a training certificate on a quality paper. The templates of certificates are presented to the successful trainees at the end of every training course or program. Framing the certificate, if desired, adds a classy touch. The template for a Change Management certificate is like any other certificate. The border allows good space for the various headings and text sections, and the logo of the organization where the person trained is also included. For this article, it is specifically the logo of the training organization that conducts a course in Change Management. The template also includes the main heading where the phrase “Certificate of Achievement” is used. It must state the name of the Change Management training course. An example is, “Introduction to Change Management”. The text requires a wellknown font and font size, especially for the heading and the training course title. After the title, the duration of the training course is next. This includes the number of days, for example a phrase like, “A Four Day Course”. It’s appropriate to state the venue where the training course was held. The next part is the description of the certificate. This is where the phrase, “This is to certify that…” is seen. After the dotted line is a space where the name of the trainee is written. To finish the template, include the signatures of the people awarding the certificate, and the date.
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An Explanation of What Change Management is What is change management? It is a scientific, systematic and structured approach to dealing with change, so that there is a smooth and efficient transfer from the current state to the future desired state. Since it encompasses a broad field including psychology, engineering and business, there are two sub-categories for change management: Individual and Organizational. Individual Change Management is based on the behavioral models. ICMs will tackle and attempt to disassemble the existing comfort-zones of individuals in order to effect a change. This involves a lot of motivation, and good leadership skills because people will tend to be uncomfortable with changes. The emotional factor of the individuals affected by the change should be taken into consideration, so as to increase their morale and make them accept the change without resistance. Properly present a good explanation on the need for change, as well as the reason for it, so the individual will support and become involved in the implementation of the change. With proper training and skills transfer, he will be able to implement the changes based on expected results, and his role and responsibilities will be clearer. We have to remember that the less resistance, the more effective the change will be. Organizational Change Management is a structured process of implementing change at an organizational level. A good organizational change management plan integrates individual change management so that it will effectively and efficiently modify the existing state of the organization to the future state without much resistance from employees.
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Three aspects are vital in both the individual and organizational change management: adaptation, controlling and implementation.
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The Change Management Workplace In a modern workplace, change is always expected. Changes occur depending on the system used by a particular organization. There are technology changes, changes in the procedures, and the changes in the market. The economy, which gets wider and wider through the years, has its own challenges, unique for every employer. Some countries posses a comprehensive and complicated system of laws related to industry. Managing changes in a workplace can be a very difficult task without any understanding and knowledge of the interrelationship between the legal requirements of the collective agreements, and the contracts of employment that are applicable. The legal requirement for change in the workplace is only a part of the picture. Knowledge in the broader relations of the industry, including the roles of the different unions connected to the change, is essential to the success of implementing change. A comprehensive change management strategy is very important for all businesses considering changes in the workplace. The success of the strategy depends on the following factors: The objective of the organization for the change. An audit of all the legal obligations of the employer to the parties affected by the change, including an analysis on how the change will be implemented, and the strategy for communicating all the information needed by the affected party regarding the change procedure. The planning of the appropriate legal change management before the implementation of the change. The tools necessary in change management in a workplace must measure the satisfaction of the employees. It is the employee’s
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prerogative to know how to deal with any issue within the organization where they work.
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Environmental Case Study Change Management Elements We all know that climate change is already upon us, and we need to deal with it, if we are to survive the next 100 years of this millennium. Thus, environmental case study change management elements must take into account the factors of: Production of greenhouse gases; and Reduction of such emissions; since the global scientific community already acknowledges that greenhouse gases directly contribute to climate change. Of particular importance is the role of cities regarding greenhouse gases emissions. One reason is that urban dwellers usually own their own vehicles, which directly emit harmful greenhouse gases. Other sources of are construction sites, such as when towering skyscrapers and residential apartments are built. Furthermore, it is a fact that urban dwellers tend to use more energy for their various activities, which necessitates more production of electricity by power plants. These in turn release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This means city dwellers have a bigger carbon footprint (the measure of how much carbon dioxide they are responsible for emitting) than people who reside in rural areas. Another factor to take into account is how well reforestation efforts can help reduce the impact of the heavy carbon footprint of urban dwellers.
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Proving substantially that reforestation helps minimize the impact of greenhouse gases emissions from cities would be very helpful; and thus such efforts could play a strong role in slowing and perhaps even reversing climate change. Climate change needs to be reversed; otherwise, the human race will not survive its aftermath.
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Can I Produce a Template for a Certificate in Change Management Myself? Actually, anyone who has adequate knowledge of a personal computer, and its word processing program can easily follow a template and create change management training certificates that are customized for the program of their organization. The change management template simply shows you how the finished certificate will look. The first factor is the size and type of fonts to be used. Select fonts that look good when used together, and create a classy appearance that will jive well with the other elements of the certificate. It is usually advisable to center all the content, since this is how the best certificates look. You should then create very nicelooking borders (straight lines generally look much better than more complicated swirly ones). Maintain adequate spacing between the content and the borders. If you can have someone create or scan a picture of the organizational logo for integration into the layout, that would be really good. If you have a color printer, then perhaps color the logo as well. Yet, black and white also looks good anyway. It is very important to show what the certificate is for in the main heading. For example, if this is a Certificate for Completion of ITIL Training, then indicate that in the main heading with generally a larger font than that used for the rest of the content. You may choose to make that main heading bold or italicized as well.
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Never forget to include the date when the training was completed, as well as the signatures of the people who are bestowing this certificate on the recipient. Later, a dry seal can be embossed on the certificate to make it look really official.
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Eight Steps to Successful Change Management and Organization Change management will definitely create a huge impact on the organization. To achieve positive results, everyone should join hand-in-hand in ensuring that the new processes remain intact, while focusing on improving the system further. There have been many change management principles formulated in the past, but only a few were applied by various organizations. One of these is the John Paul Kotter’s eight steps to successful change. John Paul Kotter is a Harvard Business School professor, who is widely regarded as the one of the world's most brilliant authors on leadership and change. His works include “The Leading Change” (published in 1995) and “The Heart of Change” (published in 2002), both made a mark on how organizations can actually manage and implement changes. Kotter’s eight steps to change model is summarized as follows: x Increase urgency by inspiring people to move and make achievable objectives. x Build a guiding team with the right emotional commitment and skill sets. x Establish the right vision for the team to drive work efficiency. x Involve as many people as possible, and communicate the essentials to appeal and respond to people’s needs. x Empower action by focusing on giving constructive feedback and support while recognizing good work behaviors and achievements. x Set goals that are easy to achieve, and finish the current phase before starting a new one.
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x x
Encourage determination by relaying up to date information on the ongoing progress of the project. Reinforce the value of successful change by recruiting, developing and promoting new leaders.
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Change Management Conclusion – The Three P’s to a Successful Transition Drawing conclusions because of change management is not an easy task. There are many things to take into consideration when striving to draw conclusions regarding what transpired during the change process. There are three Ps to take into account. These are the people, policies and processes. They determine how change management can directly influence the organization. (a)
(b)
People: It’s a given that this is the most important aspect of the change process. It’s because people working on a certain project are considered the front liners, making decisions and plans to ensure success in every phase of the change process. Though it’s hard at times to unlearn old behaviors and techniques, it is still a must to embrace changes in the organization. This way, they can focus more on what can be contributed, rather than resisting team efforts on what needs to be done. Policies: If we are talking about changes in an organization, this means that there are certain policies that need to be revisited to determine if these still apply to the new goals and objectives of the company. Though policies are governed by company rules and regulations, there are still some exceptions that should be taken into consideration to decide if these hinder the change process from successful implementation.
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(c)
Processes: As mentioned, old habits are hard to break and so are old processes. But then again, with the introduction of advance tools and equipment, it’s easy to carry out new processes. Though there are some previous processes that should be kept, change is still inevitable, as finding simpler and/or better means of doing work is still a top priority.
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The Grief Cycle – The Change Management Grief Resistance Tool Change management is the identification of techniques or approaches needed for a smooth transition from an existing state to a desired one. Use careful planning for changes within an organization to anticipate potential disruptions or threats, such as resistance from people who are not yet ready for changes to take effect. This is why assessing change readiness is very important to develop ways to successfully introduce, and in the long run, implement the new process. The role of change management is very critical to identify the impacts that changes will most likely have on individual’s behaviors, and work ethics that eventually will greatly affect the business operations. By studying the Grief Cycle you can understand an individual’s grief resistance to change. It’s a tool developed by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, MD, a Swiss-born psychiatrist and author of the book, “On Death and Dying.” Most companies have adapted the stages of the Grief Cycle and these are as follows (in sequential order): x Shock – a sense of being paralyzed, distant, and removed from one's feelings of grief. x Denial - difficulty in accepting the reality of change. x Anger – developing ill feelings toward the people responsible for the change, usually management. x Bargaining – trying to get the best out of the situation. x Depression - acceptance of the losses that may come in the way when changes are realized.
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x
Acceptance – coming to terms with change versus losses, facing the reality and moving on to a new commitment.
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Impact of Change Management to Small or Large Firms Where change management takes place, large or small firms experience a degree of impact when the change is undertaken. They may be variations as how the impact is felt, but just as it is, change needs to take place toward better results in the future. The larger the firm, the broader an area change management is responsibility for. One of the reasons why change management takes place in an organization is to improve the quality of service, thus reducing cost and yielding higher revenues. Large firms have greater resources than small ones. As change management takes place, large firms have advantage in terms of continuity of change management plans and strategies, support from executives, and the task of delineating functions among affected groups within the change management. In terms of saving time and money, the amount of each incurred varies depending on the size of the firm. This also goes for handling people's reactions to change; they may entail a need to set up of strategies for the people to appreciate and understand the changes. It’s easier to deal with people in small firms, as people in large firms have the tendency to create groups that more often than not oppose management’s plans. In small firms, holding a one on one talk can explain everything to its members. Change Management in large firms and small firms has to be carried out as planned. There might be differences as to the impact of change due to size, but it still remains that change management is a move toward improvement and success.
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Handle Change Management through Presentations A company that believes change management should take place may find it difficult to introduce the concept to people within the firm. It’s a known fact that the instant reaction of people when change is talked about is resistance. It may come as a shock to them, if informed at a wrong time and place. The objective may be good, but if handled wrongly, it may become a disaster. One way of introducing change management is through video presentations. It’s one strategy for introducing change into the organization. The presentation could start with a video about a workplace and show the implication of the existing problem. The people in your organization may not be aware of the problem, but with the presentation, they may begin to realize that such a simple situation has become a problem, and needs to be addressed. Now the organization begins to draw the people's attention. This strategy gets people to hold off on their resistance to change, and try to understand the situation. It’s also from this strategy that the organization obtains support from all levels. The change management presentation is an effective way of communicating the current conditions, and introducing a new set up for better results. It lets people understand how to accept the realities of necessary change. Alternatives may be encourage to boots morale for those who may be affected by change management. The business organization should care for its people, thus there is a need for proper handling and planning of change management. One strategy for letting people know and understand change management is through video presentations.
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The Change Management Process in Software Quality Assurance Meeting (or even exceeding) customer’s needs is the ultimate goal of any business. This is why processes keep on innovating until establishing a close to perfect system. This concept also applies to systems engineering wherein many change management process improvements are proposed to further develop software applications. An essential part of this process is quality assurance wherein careful testing and evaluation of software applications determine if they meet the demands of the users and/or customers. Constant feedback from users and/or customers is also encouraged at all times, enabling the identification of additional features that may be incorporated with the current system, as well as provision of solutions or fixes to possible system problems or glitches. There are many activities associated with the change management process, they are: x Identification of potential change in the system Changes may happen if a new functionality needs to be integrated, a system problem has been encountered or a change request proposal comes in from users. x Analysis of change request - The change committee should brainstorm to determine if the change request is indeed feasible and cost effective. x Evaluation of change - The committee decides if the change will be implemented after carefully evaluating it. x Plan change - Identifying the effects of the change to other areas of the business and creating a plan on
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x x
how it will be implemented are included on this phase. Change implementation - Execution and release of change. Review and close change - The final stage of the change implementation, wherein a review is made by the business owner or project manager for final approval.
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Change Management Standard – A Step-by-Step Guide to Successful Change Process Implementations The change process does not happen overnight. It is a result of a series of consultations, rigorous planning and careful identification of the different policies and processes that need to be modified to develop a certain business strategy. There are many ways to implement a change process. However, a certain change management standard should be followed in order to ensure successful implementations. Here is a step-by-step guide for change management standard implementation that can happen within an organization: Configuration: During this stage, there are many activities involved. These are: (a) Pre-implementation planning with the customer. (b) Coming up with the design for multi-track change process, such as enabling workflows and life cycles. (c) Modification of existing templates previously used to comply with the new process. (d) Additional attributes to Problem Reporting, Change Requests and Change Notice. (e) Solution testing. Deployment in production environment. Adoption: (a) Building communication overviews and designing training plans.
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(b) Personalized training materials such as PowerPoint presentations and visual aids to enhance learning capabilities. (c) Role based mentoring. Training: (a) Introduction of new process to colleagues and stakeholders.
(b) New process mentoring. Actual Roll Out
This is a change management standard, but it does not apply to all organizations. The change implementation process depends on how many changes were introduced, and how many people and processes were impacted. When these are identified, then it is time to develop strategies on where the implementation process starts. Proper guidance from leaders is therefore necessary during these times.
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Change Management Strategies to Ensure Business Success To meet the demands of the growing market, companies have to find ways to do business better. Competition is very stiff, as companies tend to be more accepting of changes that will eventually make them stand out above the rest. During these times, business development planning is needed to establish achievable goals and formulate different strategies. Change management strategies are carefully thought of to achieve business growth and development that may lead to the following: x Sales development – Increase in sales as a result of the development of new business strategies and initiatives. x New product development – Introduction of new products as a result of constant feedback from customers. x New market development – Use of improved marketing techniques to reach a wider spectrum of potential clients. x Business reorganization and process development– Focus on how to develop different cost effective approaches to make sound decisions for business development. x Resource management – Careful distribution of resources needed to make things happen. x People management – Selection of the right people to handle the work needed to implement business changes.
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x x
Strategic partnerships – Acquiring partnerships with other companies that share the same vision and goals. International development – Developing new standards that will drive international recognitions and ties.
These are just some of the ways in which business development process can take place. If change management was implemented properly, then nothing will go wrong. Building a strong foundation, and keeping the goals in place will definitely ensure business success.
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Tips on How to Apply Change in Management Before you can start any change in management, you have know what you want to change in your organization, and why you need to apply those changes. You also need to plan how you can change it, and achieving these changes. Identifying who is affected and preparing on how they react to it is very important. Realizing how much change you can achieve, and what areas of change you need help with are the two aspects you need to consider. You don’t need to promote change as if you are in a hurry to apply it; that’s not a very good strategy for successfully instigating change. Instead, you need to manage and understand carefully how people can adjust and cope with the changes in the situation. Any change in an organization can be troubling and needs support, especially from the managers. You have to check with those people affected by the changes in management to see if they agree with them, or at least realize the importance of these changes. This a chance to decide on how you can create changes, and be involved in their development and application. If you think it’s essential to obtain the necessary change in management, you have to explore the reasons why they’re needed right away. Managing change needs considerate planning and responsive execution. You need to involve and consult people affected by these changes. But, if you push and force these changes on people, then conflicts arise. Change in management should be practical and attainable. You have to realize that these things are very significant in managing change, even in dealing with your personal problems.
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The Skills in Change Management Over the years, discussions regarding the usefulness of training to develop skills specifically in the change management area have been done. Most often in those discussions, customers challenge the values that can be learned from this type of training. They claim that the measure of the impact of the training is only superficial, therefore acquiring soft skills only, or those skills that only relate to appearance. The training change management process includes both soft and hard skills of equal intensity. Hard skills are those that can produce visible results in just a small time span. Hard skills are well defined, and typically involve a person gaining expertise over a particular task. While soft Skills are those that need interactions with other people; people who have soft skills, especially when it comes to managing change, are prone to trials, and possess objectives not in synch with the goals of the organization. Getting soft skills imposes burden on management. Soft skills do not fit a world where time is very important and management demands effortless solutions to solving problems. An example of a manager with soft skills is one that resists changing the way the change is implemented, even if the project has already failed. He finds it easy to put the blame on those people who didn’t want the planned change to be implemented in the first place. Soft Skills are difficult to possess, while hard skills are very easy. Managers are judged by how well or poorly they apply their skills in the application of their chosen career.
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Easily Search Change Management Articles Change management has become more complicated and more sensitive as organizations grow. It involves not only the business organization, but also psychology, engineering and behavioral science. If your organization is thinking of initiating change management proceedings, then reading and studying some articles on the subject will help you get started. You can easily get tons of information on change management articles on the web by going to your favorite search engine. There are millions of articles out there—resources waiting to be discovered. They all have valuable information to share. The State of Virginia actually offers online articles that are quite valuable. Aside from offering classes and lessons on change management, they have hundreds of articles on this subject. There are also consultancy websites that specialize in change management. Do a tour of their sites and you’ll not only find more information about their firm, you’ll also get free change management articles that are very informative. They may offer tips on how to initiate change management, how to integrate it into your company or how to make your people be ready for the change. All of these articles will help you determining whether your company is ready for change. These online learning resource centers will be your library of information on change management articles, and can even improve your leadership and management skills. Other sites offer links to published books that may be of interest to you. They often have summaries and sample pages for review.
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So, if you’re looking for some change management articles, thank the heavens that online articles are readily accessible anytime, anywhere.
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The Importance of Receiving a Change Management Award Certificate We all know that it’s important for decision makers of an organization be able to design, communicate and implement change management efforts properly, so that the organization prospers from the changes. The good part is that, if the organization does really well in this endeavor, it may be recognized for its efforts with a change management award certificate. It shows that the other members of the same industry or occupation recognize that the organization (or award recipient) has shown remarkable progress in initiating changes in its processes; remarkable enough for others in the same industry to follow its example. To be honored by your peers is actually a double-edged sword, so to speak. On the one hand, it does bring glory to your organization, since it was selected above all others in the same industry or occupation for the award. On the other hand, it puts a certain degree of pressure on the organization to sustain its efforts to be at the top of its game and be an industry leader, as befits one in the position of being an award certificate recipient. Is it possible for one organization to consistently be recognized by the same award-giving body year after year? That is where the pressure comes from. An organization may choose to raise its game to a certain level, then stay at that level without further improvements. If the organization does not make further changes, others within the same industry may have a faster learning curve and even use the lessons learned from the award recipient so that they can become industry leaders.
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All organizations have to fight against obsolescence, they have to prevent themselves from becoming outdated in their field. Even nonprofit organizations have to stay up to date on ways to change positively, so that they remain relevant to their field.
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Change Management Books That Can Help You in Your Business As they say, the only constant in this world is change. And without it, you can’t develop new ways to improve methods, systems, and management in your business. It is important for companies to plan, deal, manage and anticipate change. There are different change management books that can help you with your various needs in managing and improving your business. Here’s a list of the top books that will aid you in change management: The Unshackled Organization: Facing the Challenge of Unpredictability Through Spontaneous Reorganization - by Jeffrey Goldstein. The author is a consultant and management professor who studies the new ways change occurs. This book is suggested by practitioners in Organization Development. Leading Change - author: John P. Kotter – this book talks about the different strategies for change that are often unsuccessful because the changes don’t really modify the behavior. In this book, he identifies the general errors in the implementation of change. Force For Change: How Leadership Differs from Management: by John P. Kotter - this is another book written by Kotter that talks about the different issues about change. It also deals with how change management is associated with the distinction between the management and leadership. Beyond Certainty: The Changing Worlds of Organizations, by Charles Handy - the author was described as one of the U.K.’s most important management thinkers. He’s also the author of the best selling book, “The Age of Paradox and The Age of Unreason.” These are just some of the best books that you can purchase online. These books can help you in aiding your business in improving service to clients and your employees.
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Pictures of Change Management The culture of every organization is a result of the beliefs, values, behaviors, and attitudes imparted by the employees. The culture of any people can be seen through their languages, symbols, legends, stories, and practices in their daily work. To emphasize the values and the culture the organization desires, they can use motivational and inspirational pictures, posters, and prints that will remind the people of the most significant and respected features they want to impart to them. Success, which is the goal of every business or organization, can be found from people, processes of the work, investors, and customers. Motivational pictures can remind the people daily of this important fact. Pictures about teamwork in change management will remind the employees of how essential the cooperation of every staff member is when it comes to managing and implementing change. Providing the big picture regarding where the organization is heading is also an important factor in creating commitment from the employees, and the ownership of the organization. In change management, dedication, loyalty, and responsibility will ensure the tasks are accomplished. Inspirational pictures can help create an environment for the people to be committed to all the goals of the organization. A picture of leadership can help convince every member of the organization that they’re leaders in their own way, which can help reaffirm the goals of the organization for change. Select pictures that call attention to the people of the effectiveness of change to the organization, and also change to the people behind every organization.
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The Importance of the Change Management Process in Software Testing The difficulties that lie in software testing come from the fact that different people have different perceptions of what good quality software is. End users may think that quality software is simply software that can work for them when they need it. Software developers have a deeper definition of quality software – it means software that meets the standards of usability, precision, functionality, dependability, scalability and performance. To satisfactorily carry out the change management process in software testing, the software development team should gain a holistic view of the entire software testing process, as well as the ability to zero in on each stage of testing that the software has to undergo. This rule is applicable to the testing of all types of software solutions – whether they are meant to be used by small-scale organizations or large enterprises. To find out if the change management process your software development team has set in place is the right one, certain questions have to be adequately answered. First, are the right tests being used to uncover the vital requirements demanded of the software? Second, can these tests be used effectively on particular software configurations based on different platforms? Other questions to ask could be: Can complicated, multiconfiguration test conditions be experienced through virtualization? What tests should be conducted first? When do these tests become obsolete or outdated, and when should new tests be set in place to replace the obsolete tests? How does one define a software defect? How can a software defect be solved or changed? What progress is the testing team making in the software testing process?
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And of course, the final question should always be: Is this program ready to be released to our end users?
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The Parts to a Great Change Management Project Plan Change management seems to be a fashionable term being bandied about by people in different industries. However, the term is so broadly used over a range of occupations that it seems hard to pin down what features to expect from a great change management project plan. The good thing is that there are commonalities between all types of change management project plans that we can identify and define. First, any change management project plan has to factor in the limitation of a budget. Unless the organization and its stakeholders have unlimited financial resources, all organizations have to be realistic and stay within budget. Otherwise, the changes become impractical to implement. Second, the decision makers have to be aware of what organizational processes currently exist, and what changes are to be implemented; as well as how the existing organizational processes stand to be affected after the program has been completed. This is very important so that the organization members are prepared to incorporate changes into their usual activities. Third, the change management project plan should list who are the stakeholders who stand to be affected by the project. This also means tagging certain people or groups as change agents who have crucial roles to play in the change management effort. Fourth, the planners should determine the parameters to measure the change management project as to effectiveness and efficiency. This helps to narrow down what changes should be carried out, and which are superfluous activities.
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This list is not comprehensive. However, understanding the tips here will go a long way toward creating a great change management project plan.
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Important Tips on Handling Change Management Projects Change management communication is an important part of the process in change management. If you don’t know how to effectively communicate with your employees and your clients it’s impossible to achieve change. In creating change management projects, you have to keep in mind that you have to involve people to achieve the desired change. In creating your own projects, you have to be careful in doing mindset change and changing attitudes because it leans toward forcing people to change radically. It also suggests that the people you’re working with have the wrong mentality or mindset. If your employees aren’t achieving their goals and targets in their jobs, then the company has the wrong implementations; and should not blame the people. The change in the system, policies, transfers and others should be explained to people so that they can participate in validating and improving the changes. The company will naturally feel some resistance whenever change management projects are initiated, and your patience and tolerance will definitely be needed in these situations. This is a natural tendency of employees because they’ve already made their existing work a comfort-zone of sorts. But, in order for the company to move from its current state to the desired future state, change management projects will have to be implemented regardless of the strong feelings by employees. While there may be people who welcome change wholeheartedly, they may not be the right ones for the company. The ones who are more dependable in terms of skills and knowledge tend to be the ones who are more rattled with change management
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projects. The key here is to always be mindful of the employees’ strengths, feelings and weaknesses. A good leader who practices management by leadership will eventually lead the company to success.
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The Speaker for Change Management Change Management has been a popular topic for many professionals around the world. A Change Management speaker is one who provides researches about change management, knowledgeable training; and offers keynotes on Change Management through presentations and workshops for any event or conference. In looking for the right Change Management speaker, look for someone that provides presentations that are customized, and one that has been a featured speaker for Human Resource events and conferences associated in the industry. A good change management group includes instructors and executive presenters from large organizations. The instructors must offer examples and share values from their past experiences from managing big organizational change to ENRICH and solidify the key concepts of the program. The methodology and the materials provided by the change management speakers must be research-based, with lessons studied from multiple researches, with its end users coming from different organizations and countries. For the involvement of the audience, the speaker must also provide interactive sessions that prioritize experiential learning. The audience must have a hands-on understanding of the best practices for Change Management. The models and the processes involved must also be holistic and enable fast understanding of an organization. The tools provided must be easy to use. In looking for the right and best change management speakers, be wise and try to look for speakers that possess the qualities mentioned above. Look for someone that will provide you with all the things that you need to know about the organization where you belong.
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Basic Theories of Change Management There are several theories of change management that are beneficial to organizations. It’s a desirable skill, and an essential process of organizing and improving your organization. However, few companies need to reconstruct new corporate structures and processes. This is a brilliant idea, having abundant opportunities to improve and develop the systems in your organization. Theories of managing change: You need people to substitute the economy. That means, you have to use the concept that your employees are your customers who trust and lean on your outstanding service and management. Companies today apply this theory and method. Other theories include dispersing power to increase it, support creative dispute, and build independent teams. These are just some of the alternative management tools that have been developed by clever micro-electronic companies. These came from Geoffrey James, which he wrote in a book that investigates the environment controlled by Microsoft and other technology giants in the world, such as Compaq and Dell. James argues that extraordinary industries today have created “need” as the root of discovering new ways of managing companies, and these methods are based on the finest people in the business. He claims that the old idea of business as an instrument, a money making machine, has vanished. Now, it’s basically a community wherein managers communicate properly with their staff, make opportunities and activities for group interaction, and create a “fun environment” in the workplace. Treating staff as equals instead of children is the concept of this theory. This also means that it’s equally important to hire motivated people. This includes putting an end to separating the workers and the boss in any socializing activity, and other perks
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in the workplace. These theories give companies a great advantage to develop their methods and further improve their services. Innovating new ways is very essential in keeping your clients and your employees both happy.
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Nutritional Time Frames and Trial Periods in Change Management The health of company employees greatly affects its success. This fact has been increasingly understood, especially to the change management agents. There has always been an intensive corporate effort in keeping all the employees within an organization healthy and productive. This effort goes beyond health services that include programs for the prevention of any diseases that might affect the employee. Promotion of health programs is a very important component in the efforts of prevention. The current study about the long-term impacts of the health of an organization, and other wellness programs has brought new proofs about the cost savings to organizations associated with promoting health interventions. The vital element in this effort is to attract the participation of all employees, and change the attitude of managers at risk by making clear the benefits they can get. The study presented evidence attending and completing the trial period of the program has implications of economic savings for large organizations and employers. Change Management requires health considerations for all the stresses accompanied in the work of the change agents. Nutritional programs that the company conducts can focus on areas like the use of tobacco, activity or nature of the work, stress management, and preventive health practices. The goal of this kind of program is to promote health culture and productivity, and to give economic benefits to the organization through the reduction of its health care expenditures. Employees and change agents are encouraged to attend this kind of program for a given trial period.
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The Role of Human Resource Management in Change The function of the Human Resource Management (HRM) includes different activities, and its main duty is to decide what staffing needs the organization has, and the choice of using independent contractors or hire employees to work on the needs, accepting and training the best employees, making sure that they perform well. HRM also deals with the issue of performance of the personnel, and ensuring that practices in management conform to the company’s regulations. Their duty is also to manage the organization's approach regarding the benefits and compensations for the employees, the records of the personnel and the employee policies. There has been a long-standing argument about the related functions of Human Resource Management. Should it be organized for large organization? The Human Resource Department in today's businesses and organization plays a major role in staffing, training, and managing people in order for the organization to perform to its peak capability in a fulfilling manner. Human Resource Management for change processes has served EXECUTIVES AGENDAS very well, but was viewed as a block by some organizations. The HR professional, needed by the line managers, is a partner, an employee sponsor, and a change mentor. To guarantee the ability to contribute, and the viability of an organization, an HR manager for change must think of himself as a strategic partner. That role is to contribute to the achievement and development of the change in an organization's business plan and its objectives.
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Collins’ Model – Linking Leadership with Change Management When changes in the organization are talked about and considered, there should be a leader who will carefully evaluate all the pros and cons, and guide the people in achieving what needs to be done. In a goal-driven change process, there are certain qualities that a leader should possess to transform from being good to great, as cited by Jim Collins on one of his bestselling books. These five levels of leadership are the following: A keen understanding of “Zeitgeist”. “Zeitgeist” is a German word that means “spirit of the times”. A great leader is knowledgeable as a result of exposure to geo-political, organizational and industrial contexts. They should have an acute understanding of all the issues surrounding his or her environment and act in such a way that it will be of value to many. Create a purpose. Leaders should have a sense of direction by finding out ways to effectively motivate his or her colleagues. One would be by communicating the company’s mission so they can pattern their values and behaviors with it. Defining stakeholders. Identifying and understanding stakeholders will result in a clear manifestation of support for their core objectives, and outline these in the change process. Developing and executing tactics. Inviting the stakeholders in the change process will empower and engage them in reaching a consensual agreement. Guiding the process to fruition. Strong leadership is necessary to focus on the objectives, provide support to subordinates and drive excellent results. Full-time commitment is necessary for him/her to work hard in completing what is expected to move the business forward.
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Field Titles Change in Content Management With technological advances, sharing information via the internet or intranet has never been easier. You can now share information securely or via online posts available to the public. This is because content management has been implemented in most web sites, and programmed today by automating menial tasks (like cities, field titles, status, etc.). Another big advantage of content management is the easy change of field titles and other information. It’s easy to update resumes for jobseekers, 201 files for employees, school records for students, among others via content management systems. Aside from changing field titles, status, location, etc., content management can also automatically convert any information submitted and saved into its system into any form of document. It is then ready to be reviewed and printed by authorized people. Scanned documents and images can also be integrated into the system for easier sharing. The goal of content management is the sharing of information. Therefore, in an effective content management system, authorized individuals and organizations should be able to easily access, edit, search and retrieve documents, forms and other information. Editing, updating, revising and correcting information should not be complicated, and it should be easy to change titles, location, and other pertinent information. Templates, help wizards, and other forms of easy to follow instructions should be available. Securing data is also one of the major features of content management, and unauthorized individuals can’t change any
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information in the fields. Therefore, fields entered and stored in the system are protected and secured.
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Definition of Change Management Presented Using the ADKAR Model Change is something that is expected to happen over time. It can either be positive or negative, depending on how a person sees it or acts upon it. This is why change management has been introduced. Change management is designed to make a structured approach to changes for an individual and his or her environment, and to ensure that the transition from current to new will yield desired results. From an individual’s standpoint, change is characterized by transformations happening on a particular person. These can be physical, mental, spiritual or emotional changes. Imposing changes on a certain individual isn’t easy. It’s always a matter of willingness of the person concerned as to how he or she should adapt to the imposed changes. He/she should unlearn old habits to develop a mindset that can accept changes. The ADKAR model is a representation of the five building blocks for changes to be realized successfully by an individual. These are the following: Awareness of why change is necessary. Desire to support and take part in the change. Knowledge of how to change. Ability to employ behavioral changes. Reinforcement to sustain changes. From a business perspective, organizational changes can be exemplified by alterations in structure, processes or policies. These changes do not happen overnight. It is a continuous journey, and a series of checks and balances until new sets of practices are formu-
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lated. But then again, changes require commitment and participation of all persons concerned to deliver a swift transition.
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Choosing the Model of Change Management in your Organization As business grows, organizations are faced with challenges, and change needs to be undertaken to keep pace with the competitive market. To handle change management depends on how leaders want change to be implemented. The following are the different models of change: 1. Lewin's model. This is a three-stage process of unfreezing, changing and re-freezing. a. Unfreezing is where a level of dissatisfaction is created with the present set up, and conditions for change are establish. b. Changing is where organizing and mobilizing of resources are required to implement change. c. Re-freezing is where the new ways are brought to the organization for implementation. 2. Beer's model. This prescribes a six-step process to effect change management. Focus is on task alignment wherein employees' roles, responsibilities and relationships are viewed as key in bringing enforcement to the changed ways of thinking, attitudes and behaving. The stages are: a. Commitment to mobilization of change by means of joint diagnosis. b. Development of shared vision as to organizing. c. Draw consensus, competence and commitment to the shared vision. d. Inform everyone of the change. e. Establish formal policies to institutionalize change. f. Monitor and adjust change, if necessary. 3. Shaw's model. This tends to see change as complex and evolutionary. In this model, the environment of an organization does not have equilibrium. Thus, the need to change is inherent in the system and emerges when the system tries to adapt to the
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environment. The change mechanism in the organization is likely to be messy. The different models of change management aim to help leaders in assessing the type of change needed to ultimately achieve success.
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Documenting Change Management As change management takes place in an organization, it should be clear that things, as planned, may not work out well. There will be some point in time that a shift in procedure to implement change will arise. Just like in life, we learn from mistakes, and from the mistakes we move on. We try to recall the mistakes and never commit same ones in the future. Same in business organizations, you undertake change to provide better results. However, in business, things happen fast, and it becomes hard to keep pace with what is going on, based on day-to-day operations. When change management is ongoing, there is a need to document the activities where change takes place. Software that aids a business organization in performing the best practices in change management is available in the market today. It aims to document activities where change management takes place. A change management best practice document or form is a pre-configured, multi-page form that enables a business organization to collect and track data where change control process is undertaken. The software likewise handles the submission, evaluation, approval/ rejection, implementation, verification, and close of a project. The system allows the business organization to keep connected with its departments as it documents change activities and when change control processes are performed based on the best practices. Change management best practice documentation is one way of improving product quality and safety, and at the same time ensure that compliance imposed by regulating bodies is met.
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Enhancing Productivity by Change Management – Keeping Motivation Alive in the Workplace What is your motivation in this complicated game called LIFE? Some may say family and loved ones because they are their sources of inspiration in carrying out day-to-day activities. There may be challenges and hardships at times, but then again, having a proper mindset will help a lot in facing stress and other work related loads. Others may say money and high compensation. Setting quality standards to your own imperfections will truly make a mark in your organization. However, there are times that change in the way we do work is presented at hand. This could be change in leadership, change in company policies, or change in processes to meet the demands of the business. What will you do? This is where constant motivation comes in, and remembering your true drive and purpose will lead you in the right direction. Upper management carefully plans changes in the organization; evaluating each pro and con, not only for the business to move forward, but they take into account people’s work behaviors. It’s always a matter of having the right perspective. The way we see things dictate how we adapt to certain changes in our environment. Though changes are inevitable, we have to develop a keen vision on what we can contribute, thus enhancing productivity. We have to take things positively to find our inner motivation in doing our dayto-day workload. It is truly amazing how a single step can lead to a big leap in the organization. Having this in mind, everything will definitely fall into place.
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Huse Change Model Management: The Basic Principles For any type of business to survive these days, it must have the ability to adapt to change. It doesn’t matter if change is being made at the corporate structure level, or if changes are made to the existing business procedures. At the end of the day, what matters most is the way a company responds to change. They do that by implementing change management options to flawlessly make the transition from one state to another. There are several models, illustrated by business experts, to help companies transition from one level to the next. One is called the Cummings and Huse eight-phase model of planned change. It shares the same principle as the other models, which is that 'planned change indicates that a business organization can exist in different states, at varying times – and planned movement can therefore occur from one state to another'. Basically, this change management model just goes to show that change can be handled efficiently by having a deeper understanding of the organization's current state, and planning on exactly what to do to transition from one phase to another. Changes can occur in the organizational level, or they can also involve business processes. At the end of the day, you need to keep in mind that it’s crucial to have a set of steps or phases to follow before any changes within the organization can take place. This is so there will be less downtime, the operations can smoothly transcend from one phase to another, and the service delivered is not affected at all.
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The Importance of Change Management in Organizations It is indeed true that change management plays a very important role in any organization. With a great demand for new technologies and innovations, the public is getting smarter as to what brands to purchase. They now go for quality goods and services. Truly, competition is getting stiffer, so small companies need to think of ways to keep up with the changing trends to survive in the market jungle. So, how can one company gain leverage in such a fast changing environment? The answer is to change as well. Change can be implemented in an organization as a result of both internal and external factors. Internal factors refer to the current structure and processes of the organization. Is the current structure still feasible? Are the existing processes lean toward business growth? If not, then change has to happen. This may also refer to the current initiatives that internal employees thought of to introduce new products to the market. External factors, on the other hand, are brought about by the demands of the customers or changes made in different organizations that were proven successful. A competitive product from some other manufacturer is an example of external triggers. It is a good thing to note that changes made in the organization should yield positive results as a consequence of joint efforts and great teamwork. The involvement of all the people concerned is very crucial in change management, that everyone should be committed to meet certain goals. The roles and responsibilities of each individual should be realized to help the organization and its processes become stable.
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What is the ITIL Change Management Scheme? ITIL stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library, and it is a well-established set of techniques, principles and concepts for better IT management. Originating in the United Kingdom, ITIL is becoming more and more popular because the process framework is extremely advantageous for IT companies around the world. When it comes to change management, ITIL has also developed a procedure to efficiently handle any type of changes within an IT organization. Basically, the goal of ITIL change management is to ensure that any change implemented within an organization is handled efficiently and systematically. As a result, there is minimal or no interruption to the business workflow, and less downtime of the service delivered to the customer. Just like other change management systems, ITIL implements a request for change as the initial step, once the need for change in a particular business procedure has been determined. To make the transition, there are several workflow options implemented. First, there is the recursive method wherein part of the procedure is reassigned. There is also the concurrent and multi-branching option where a series of tasks are performed all at the same time. There is also an option to automatically close unused paths or workflows, and finally, tasks and approvals can be co-dependent so that they can be completed prior to the implementation of change. By following these ITIL options for change management, you can rest assured that there will be minimal or no impact to your daily operations as the necessary changes are implemented in your business procedures.
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The Journal for Organizational Change Management The rate of change in the world today is faster than ever. Financial limitations, latest developments in technology, expanding of the market, mergers and restructuring, new philosophies, and legislation in the government are all putting pressure on organizations and businesses to stay dynamic and change. And yet, the change process is not so easy, and the success of its implementation relies considerably on all the managers involved. A journal for Change Management is unique since it sets the agenda for the management and development in the organizational change by evaluating new approaches and theories of research. The objective of the journal is to give optional philosophies for organizational change and development to accomplish the goal of the journal. It encourages the search for philosophies that include critical theories, post structuralism and postmodernism, as they are applied to change and development. It also encourages the qualitative evaluation of change, change practices, and discourse. The publication of the papers for the journal must offer a very detailed analysis and discussion regarding the philosophies and practices that contribute to the success of the organizational change, thus making a promising future for the organization and particular societies of tomorrow. The coverage of the journal for Change Management includes the adoption of strategic planning to the need for a change. It also covers research about leadership, and the responsibilities for the implementation of the change to follow through; and lastly, the psychology of the proposed change and all its effects in the workforce. The benefit of the journal is that it offers many valuable
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materials for the specific organization that is committed to the choice for a change.
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Large or Small Firms Experienced Change Management Change management occurs in large and small firms. A slow down in the business organization performance is a hint that something is not right. Whether in a large or small firm, one way or the other the effect of the problem will surely be felt. It may be minimal to large firms, but a big deal with small ones. When change management is implemented, the impact may also differ to a certain degree, but nevertheless change still needs to be dealt with and managed well. For firms that require delivery of products and services, continuity management should always be made available. Businesses, whether large or small, need to have ready solutions to interruptions; otherwise the needs of clients won’t be met. The continuity in the production performance leads to the attainment of large and small firms' objective of satisfying customers and at the same time achieving profits to the firm. Large firms may be capable of handling interruptions due to advanced technologies; unlike small firms where they manage to get by with simple machines due to limited resources. At this level, small firms need to be creative. Regardless of the size of the firm, whether large or small, they need to address the effects of the change management immediately. Here are some tips that firms should keep in mind during change management implementation: Identify the function, process or procedure. Identify the risk that may be relevant. Rate risks as to the probability of occurrence and impacts. Document or record activities should they recur. Train staff to respond to the risk.
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Review periodically the plan, and test the response as well as the recovery procedures.
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Change Management of Large Businesses versus Small Businesses There are several similarities between large businesses on the one hand, and small businesses on the other. Many of the concepts that have been created and developed for large companies are applicable to small enterprises. On the other hand, large companies can also benefit from using the forgotten strategies of small companies, and vice versa. This is especially proven when dealing with change in a particular organization. Choosing to set up a specific project to guide a change is the most appropriate option for large businesses, whereas the smaller businesses will choose to manage some changes by the use of the line organization. Both types of organization, big and small can learn from each other through this area. Smaller businesses, typically organized in a lesser manner in the aspect of professionalism, may get something good from developing projects to manage the different types of ALTERATIONS. As for large businesses, the first choice for developing a project could be reevaluated in favor of managing various changes through line management. One of the aspects that influence this kind of choice is "attention.” The start of every project will definitely emphasize the change and will prioritize the commitment for the change benefits from this kind of attention. Another element that can support the choice of the project over the line management is "expertise.” If change is planned and organized, different types of expertise’s not existing in the particular part of the line organization are very much needed. Expertise is more understanding and skills of Change Management that can be solved by the change agent. Small businesses can obviously benefit from the lessons learned by large ones, and also, large companies can benefit from managing small businesses.
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The Book of Making Sense about Change Management “Making sense of Change Management” is a book about doing change an easier way. It’s suited for anyone who wants to really understand why changes happen, how they happen, and the things that need to be done to welcome changes rather than dreading them. The book offer insights into the several frameworks, models, and methods of approaching change, and can help the reader in the application of the correct approach for every unique situation. Contents include topics about individual changes, changes in a team, organizational change, leading change, mergers and acquisitions, structural change, IT-based process change, cultural change, and how to best implement change. The book is inspired by the story of a guy who wants to do things by himself, instead of asking for help from others. His job is to manage change. He does it so well by himself, until his new boss talks to him and tells him he can't do a particular job mechanically. The job is about growing a new culture and is also about the people around him. If a person is part of a team, he has to be involved in the team; and that started the concept of the book. The book is for professionals and subjects alike. It identifies and gives explanations of all the current models for change, and it also offers practical ideas on how to manage changes. It’s the kind of book that can liven up things from only its title. “Making Sense of Change Management” offers toolkits to make sense of change. However, the contents of the book are not a “one size fits all” type of guide for all kinds of change, whatever the circumstances are.
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Technology Change Management: Keeping IT Up To Date With Information Technology changing the way people and organizations make and do business, the management of IT hardware has become a problem. Many companies don’t know the proper management of change with technology. We all know that change is one of the most significant components of any project and can be a very risky and sensitive issue in any company. Technology is just one of the many changes management will implement in a project; and resistance to change is a common reaction of people directly or indirectly affected. The development of a plan to manage that resistance is essential in any management change dealing with technology. While the process of implementing the change of technology is often well planned, a disciplined approach to managing change with technology is often lacking in many organizational changes. For effective technology change management, a manager with significant knowledge and strong leadership capabilities to initiate and implement the change has to be hired. One of his major responsibilities is to make the employees understand that while the project may be extremely vague at the start, the ambiguity will clear up once it starts rolling. The company has to have clearly defined objectives for the technology change at the project’s onset, and there has to be a commitment from every member of the organization. That way there’s a constant stream of communication from the top level, down to the workforce and back. Management change with technology requires a delicate balance between minimizing or completely eliminating risk, and the
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exercise of managing assets effectively. Technology change management assures that the organization’s technology will always remain secure and their productivity at its most efficient by doing more with less.
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GE: Organizational Change Management General Electric is one of the biggest companies in the world today, but this didn’t happen overnight. During the 1980s, GE’s market capitalization was about $12 billion. By the end of the 20th Century, they had increased it by over $500 billion. This was due to some radical organizational and management changes initiated by GE through its CEO Mr. Jack Welch. The management of their organizational change was also handled by Welch, which earned him the title “Manager of the Century” by Fortune Magazine. The 1980s brought about many organizational changes in GE to make it more globally competitive. In order to do this, several unprofitable companies were closed, many underperforming managers were asked to leave, inventories were trimmed and old-line units were eliminated. The philosophy of this organizational change was to either be number one in the industry, or drop everything and start over. This management for organizational change was greatly criticized, but soon became a standard, and was adopted by other CEOs in many American companies. GE also adopted Motorola’s Six Sigma in 1995 to help in the management of its organizational change, and this greatly boosted its revenues. The basic concept of the Six Sigma was to produce a specified output in order to eradicate the defects of production. This is done through a standard form of non-varying processes that can be measured, analyzed, improved and controlled. In applying Six Sigma and developing their own unique learning styles in management, the goal of GE to become the world’s most competitive enterprise has become a reality. Because the management of organizational change for GE was so revolutio-
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nary in the 1980s, may companies have now made management through leadership a rallying point in their organizational change.
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The Basics of Management: People, Performance, Change No matter which type of industry your business is, your upper management team should be able to take control of three things: people, performance and change. A manager should be able to apply his or her leadership skills to ensure that a person, or a group of people, work toward a particular goal. Let us take a closer look at those three things. First, management involves handling people. If you are in an advertising firm for example, and you’re in charge of a creative team composed of ten individuals; what are you supposed to do to properly manage the team so that you can come up with a good campaign? Primarily, you need to make sure that each member understands their responsibility. Taking the team as a whole, you need to disclose your goal, so that each individual is aware of what should be accomplished. Second, management involves supervising your team's performance. This will test your motivational and leadership skills. As a good leader, you should be able to persuade people to see things your way, and do their best to accomplish the goals that you have set forth as a team. Finally, management involves handling change, which is your ability to relay information about changes in business procedures, corporate structure, or any changes that may relate to individual behavior. By knowing how to properly manage people, performance and change, you can easily make a smooth transition from being a small business to the huge company you envision in the future.
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The Meaning of Management Change Change in management must be organized and systematic when it comes to the application of knowledge, resources and tools of change. Management change must provide the organization with important processes that will help it to achieve their business strategy. Managed change is the method of changing management, and it’s designed to bring the people and the organizational sides together to reap the benefits and results of change. Focusing on the human factors of change, by way of managing it, will eventually increase the rate of implementation of the change project, thus decreasing the cost of the project. Change negotiators may identify the possible resistance, its causes, why such resistance may occur, who could possibly be the resistant, and the difficulty of the resistance by using models for managed change to work through the project. To lessen the risks that may be caused by the resistance, change managers can develop higher learning systems and communication plans that exactly manifest the needs of the object for the change. They can determine the risks of the planned change, and the cost of lessening the risks. The success of adapting to the change within an organization is as vital as it is in the real world. Organizations, and the people under them, are expected to encounter changing conditions that they sometimes do not have control over. The effectiveness in dealing with the change will determine how the organization will thrive. This is why the experts in handling change must manage them wisely.
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Microsoft Organizational Change Management As the cliché goes, change is the only thing that is constant in this world, and nothing holds truer than in the corporate and Information Technology environment. Microsoft understands the need of both big and small organizations to be able to adapt to any type of change, which is why they have developed some tools to make the transition smooth, easy and flawless. They call it Change Management Service Management Function or SMF. If there is a change in a company procedure, for example, one of the most difficult things management has to deal with is the disruption of the business' operations. To keep the company from losing profits over the non-operating hours while the change is made, the SMF tool is used. Here’s a quick look at how it works: First, a request for change is submitted. Then, the request is analyzed, and its urgency determined. If the change in a particular business procedure should be implemented as soon as possible, then the request is escalated. If not, it goes through the normal screening process. Once the request is screened and approved, then it is implemented. The goal of this Microsoft's organizational management tool is to initiate the necessary changes in a particular business, and to make the transition as smooth as possible without disrupting the company's daily operations.
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Models of Change Management – Devising Standards for Business Success The different models of change management were devised to have a clear representation of how change should be implemented in an organization. Each has its own benefits, and at the same time weaknesses, that if change management is carefully planned and employed will still yield positive results. Some of the different models are described below: Business Process Reengineering (BPR) Model. This model focuses on outcomes and work processes rather than on people issues. Seven principles were designed to improve quality, cost and time management. These are the following: (a) Organize around desired possible outcomes, not tasks. (b) Identify all the processes involved and prioritize in order of redesigned urgency. (c) Integrate information processing work into real work. (d) Treat geographically dispersed resources as a centralized unit. (e) Link parallel activities to eliminate redundant work. (f) Build control in the process. (g) Capture information at the source. Kaizen Model It’s the opposite of BPR, it focuses on long term philosophy rather than short term change tool. Kaizen founded five specific elements that are known to be people oriented, easy to implement and have proven success over a longterm change situations to allow people time to adapt on the new process and grow from it. They are: (a) Teamwork (b) Personal Discipline (c) Improved Morale (d) Quality Circles (e) Suggestions for Improvement
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Deming PDSA Cycle Model. It stands for Plan, Do, Study and Act. It’s designed to create a culture that in constantly innovating and preparing for change. As a result, people will be more comfortable with the change process.
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Keyword: CHANGE – Objectives of Change Management Training Training is something that everyone looks forward to, especially when a new policy is about to be rolled out, a new product is about to be introduced to the market or a new technique will soon be implemented to improve on the current one used every day. These are just some of the reasons why training is needed in an organization. The keyword in these given scenarios is “new,” which means that change(s) is/are about to happen. It’s very important to focus on every detail of the discussion, in order to be equipped with the information required to carry out activities related to the topic presented. Active listening is indeed very critical as the company embarks on a new journey toward business success. When change is taught in training, it’s important to have relevant and concrete objectives that everyone is aware of before training starts. This is to set the audience’s expectations on the outcome of the training. For Change Management, here are some of the objectives that should be achieved by the end of the training: (1) Understand the effects of change on individuals and organizations – What are the possible outcomes or results? (2) Assess change readiness - Is everyone ready for change to be implemented? (3) Define change management strategies – What are the strategies or techniques linked to change management? (4) Develop a high degree of competence when managing change – How can change be implemented so everyone is ready for it?
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Organizational Change Management Program – Providing Solutions for Transition Are you up to getting a promotion within your organization? Or would you like to shift careers because you think you can do more than what your current work requires? If your answer is “Yes” to either question, then you are up for an Organizational Change Management Program. It’s designed for those who would like to broaden their experience in the field of organizational change management as future managers or change consultants, as well as those who would like to transition to this profession. Organizational change management is the process of preparing, motivating and managing people to meet new business challenges associated with changes in the environment, which include technological changes. There are certain tools that management uses to effectively move organizations or groups through change. Organizational change management solutions help personnel within the organization achieve expected business results. Many web sites offer Organizational Change Management training courses to interested individuals. If ever you are interested, a form is available for you to fill out if you decide to sign up for the program. Some sites impose certain requirements for interested applicants. For example, the Milano site, it requires applicants to have at least 3 years of work experience. The courses taught equip students with the ability to develop basic analytical skills with theories of management and organizational behaviors. Some of the courses offered are: (a) Managerial economics. (b) Quantitative methods.
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(c) (d)
Management and organizational behavior. Policy analysis.
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Tips on Carrying Out Organizational Development Change Management Organizational development, as the term implies, is the process by which an organization survives and thrives through the years of its existence. Thus, organizational development change management is the process by which decision makers attempt to manage the changes that are inherent with any effort at organizational development. To properly carry out organizational development change management, decision makers need to first create a well-structured plan for organizational development. Many change management efforts fail because decision makers (or those designing the organizational development program) didn’t structure the program properly. A half-baked effort is worse than no effort at all because it may result in changes detrimental to the organization. Next, organizational development change management must be communicated to all affected levels of the organization. Granted, not all members will be affected by the changes, but those who will should be informed beforehand so that they prepare. Everyone knows that ill-prepared employees have the odds stacked against them when it comes to properly and adequately handling change(s) related to organizational development. Sometimes, for organizational development change management to be successful, the concepts and principles used should be as simple as possible. The same goes for the execution of the program – sometimes, the simpler the process being installed, the better it will be for the organization and all affected audiences, in the end. It’s perfectly obvious that the more complex the program,
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the harder it will be for people to integrate it into their daily responsibilities.
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PowerPoint Presentation of Change Management – Getting a Glimpse of Change Management Concepts When talking about the concept of change management, it’s better to first acquire information to understand it clearly, before applying it in the organization. Change management cannot only be read in books by change management advocates and geniuses. It is also learned through classroom training and discussions by taking different change management courses available online. As with any other process or concept, there is a corresponding tutorial on the Internet. The same goes for change management. This may seem more practical because most tutorials that come in PowerPoint presentations can be accessed or downloaded for free. Though the basics can be learned from these online materials, it is still advisable to take change management training courses to have an extensive look at the change process. To search for PowerPoint presentations and tutorials about change management, all you have to do is launch your computer’s default Internet browser and visit your favorite search engine. After that, type in the words” “PowerPoint presentations for Change Management” and a list of sites containing this information will be displayed. Clicking on the best possible site will then give you information you need to know about change management and you should be all set. After carefully studying the concept behind change management, it is still recommended to seek the advice of other professionals that may have successfully gone through all its stages. It’s also best to consult your colleagues, and ask for feedback and
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opinions from customers. Then, after that, you’ll be more than ready to take on the challenge of change management.
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Project Management Software Issues – Change Requests from Customers When a huge project is at stake, the company requires many project management software applications to aid in ensuring that every single process made within the course of the project is geared toward success. Such project management software applications include quality management (for evaluation of the quality of products offered and services rendered), scheduling (to arrange schedules of people who will work on the project, all the resources required and the various tasks needed), finance (for cost control, payroll and budget management), or administration systems (for project planning). Project management software applications can be implemented as desktop software (installed on the computer) or a Web application (accessed using a browser). Typically, these software applications are only accessed by a group of people who were chosen to work on a particular area of a project. However, not all programs are perfect, meaning that they sometimes do not work as designed. This is where reporting comes in. Users of these programs can call for support whenever such issues are encountered. The help desk support personnel will then gather information and open a ticket for that particular issue. This will be used to track down the source of the problem so that possible fixes can be implemented. Eventually, this will lead to software improvements that will benefit both the users and the company. In addition, submitting feedback is a way of letting management know what feature needs to be incorporated with the program, among other enhancements. Change requests are welcome for as long as they are feasible and practical.
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What Does the Job of Project Analyst Process Improvement Change Management Entail? A project analyst for process improvement change management does just that – analyze a project based on how processes can be improved so that change management can be carried out properly. Usually, the term is used for IT-related positions. If the project analyst is to handle the IT systems for the organization, this employee will have to supply change management support for hardware and software, as well as other related IT assets of the organization, such as network systems. The Request-for-Change (RFC) lifecycle system also fall under his jurisdiction, encompassing initial assessment of RFCs that have been appropriately logged; helping those affected by the changes with regards to navigation of RFCs; guaranteeing proper identification of change request status through continuous record updates; and initiating post-implementation reviews. The project analyst should be in constant contact with key stakeholders regarding the project status, while also organizing change implementation schedules. For instance, the release activities of the different IT environments must be coordinated by making the project analyst cooperate with Release Management and Configurations Management. Other stakeholders will eventually be involved in the work of the project analyst. The project analyst plays a support role in the functions of a change advisory board made up of business and technical experts who help the project analyst understand complicated RFCs and
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provide solutions, if necessary. In turn, the project analyst will have the support of junior analysts who will be trained in sub-functions so that the project analyst will be free to work on weightier matters concerning process improvement change management.
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Software Change Management – Keeping up with the New Demands of the Target Market Software applications keep on evolving. With many different ones being launched on a regular basis for various functions and purposes, competition is getting stiffer as new demands are created for the target market. With this in mind, developers need software change management to determine what change needs to be encouraged, as well as what innovations need to be granted and which ones should be disapproved. On every change process, the software developers and project management must be clear as to why, what, when and how to carry it out. Therefore, changes made in the software must meet the standards of the customers, and should be aligned with company’s business structure. Such changes are caused by the following: (a) Planned software development: There are certain instances where software requirements and specifications change to keep up with the rest of the pack. Upgrades on different system platforms done by external sources can result in factors that will hinder the program from working as designed. This is the reason planned development efforts must be implemented, while also taking into consideration the cost to apply changes to the system. (b) Unexpected problems: Problems discovered during software development initiatives are normal, but spending time to resolve them is an added effort. It’s a good idea to realize though that it’s better to anticipate such problems will occur and eventually lead to a working software application. (c) Enhancements: Ideas to further improve the system are good. It would even be great if these significant ideas will come
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to reality, as enhancements are essential for project development success.
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PowerPoint Presentations of Software for Change Management Change happens inevitably. The problems how to manage the change successfully in an environment that is complex, especially when there are teams distributed geographically, and handle volumes of requested activities from many stakeholders and digital assets. The PowerPoint presentation regarding the software for change management provides incorporated and practical solutions for software configuration management that modernize and automate the development of the lifecycle processes. Software management solutions control and manage asset software. Companies that offer software solutions for Change Management must enforce and automate the processes done by the software. Solutions given by the software can help in the improvement of productivity of the organization and to have a better visibility of the processes and projects, help manage organizations that are distributed, and to provide traceability and audit tracks in the lifecycle to meet the compliance needs of the organization. The solutions given by Change Management software must allow the organizational development to communicate, control, and respond effectively to the rapid change in the demands of the business. Furthermore, its capabilities of the software and its integrated configuration must expand easily in all phases of the lifecycle's application development, including IT projects, analysis and design, and the quality management of the lifecycle. It must result in better visibility, increased predictability, greater responsiveness, and improved systems for software applica-
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tions. The software for Change Management must also address the different challenges of effective Change Management. It must monitor and track the activities of change associated with the assets of the organization.
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Dynamism – Strategic Approach for Change Management Change management is all about strategy. Necessary changes within the organization should be a result of consistent planning and critical decision making wherein several strategies were thought of as to how the implementation process for a certain change should be started, and then maintained to keep up with the demands of the market. Fast changing environments require dynamism in all aspects of the business and include the following: (a) The people – Everyone needs to commit themselves to the planning, implementation and management phases of change. (b) The resources – All the needed materials and equipment should be made available at all times to ensure high quality end results as a by-product of work efficiency and timeliness. (c) The culture – Learn new strategies and behaviors that will positively impact the business and unlearn old ones. (d) The processes – Keep effective processes, but constant innovation is also needed for further improvement. (e) The systems – Upgrade resources and applications whenever necessary. Strategic approaches for change management vary depending on the needs of the business and organization as a whole. There are certain aspects that should be kept, especially those proven effective through the years. But then again, thinking of better ways to improve the current process is also beneficial. Empowering people is one good strategy. Giving qualified personnel the capability of making decisions also means delegating responsibilities and
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encouraging them to think of better ideas and make some recommendations whenever applicable. Having open communication will also break barriers, and certain conflicts will then be minimized. There are some key elements that should be considered, and in the long-run, will establish goals for growth, development and continued success.
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How to Conduct a Study of Change Management Inventories Questionnaires When we speak of an inventory, we usually use the term to mean a list of the products and raw materials that a business has in stock in its warehouses. To conduct an inventory, the employees are actually attempting to minimize the impact of the actual length of manufacture/supply delay on the end-users (the customers). Usually, delivery delay is much shorter than manufacture/supply delay, so the business has to be ready with enough stocks on hand so that customers are not deprived of the products and/or raw materials that they need. It’s important to conduct inventory at a fast enough pace to prevent inventory from turning into distressed inventory, which are made up of goods and products that may no longer be sold at normal cost (or sold at all) due to deterioration. Change management inventory, in turn, means taking stock of what goods and materials are on hand as the organization undergoes change. To conduct change management inventories properly, it’s necessary to use questionnaires (otherwise known as change management inventories questionnaires). These questionnaires should ask certain important questions whose aim is to improve the change management inventory process. The questions should aim to discern problems that may have occurred in the past, are still occurring, or may occur in the future. The questions should also raise possible answers or solutions to those problems.
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Questions in change management inventories questionnaires may be defined as “how” questions, “what” questions, and “why” questions. These questions will show the mindset of the people handling the change management process for the organization.
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What Organizational Activities Fall Under Supply Chain Management? When we talk about Supply Chain Management, we mean how the delivery of goods, finances and information flow in a continuous process, starting from the supplier and terminating at the consumer. In between, all these elements will flow between different parties, including the manufacturer, the wholesaler, and then the retailer before they reach the consumer. Thus, in Supply Chain Management, the flow of the elements is organized so that the flow between concerned parties is smooth and uneventful. For Supply Chain Management to be considered effective, it should culminate with less inventory on hand so that distressed inventory will not result. (Distressed inventory is the term describing goods and materials that have reached or are about to reach the level of deterioration that makes them ineligible for sale). We can subdivide this whole process of flow from supplier to consumer into three sub-categories, which are: product flow, information flow, and lastly finances flow. Product flow encompasses the flow of goods as initiated by the supplier and culminating with receipt by the customer. It also includes any demands by the customer for product service or returns of the products. When information flow is considered, it pertains to sending orders for the flow elements (goods, finances and information), and updates on where these goods are at any stage in the process.
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The last category, financial flow, refers to the use of payment schedules, terms of credit, consignment, and even title ownership stipulations to manage financial information.
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Theories of Change Management – Brilliant Mind’s Perspective of the Change Process Through the years, brilliant minds have developed many theories and models related to change management. Some are still applied, and considered key factors in change management implementation. The following are two that have been proven effective concerning organizational change (there are many others): (1) The ADKAR Model: This model was developed by Prosci, coming from inputs of 1000 organizations in 59 countries. It describes the five building blocks required for change to be successfully. They are: (a) Awareness of why is there a need for change. (b) Desire to participate in the change. (c) Knowledge of what and how to change. (d) Ability to implement new behaviors. (e) Reinforcement to lock in change. (2) The Six Change Approaches: developed by Kotter and Schlesinger, it was designed to prevent or minimize employee resistance to change. It has six approaches: (a) Education and Communication - Helping employees see the importance of change and the logic behind it. (b) Participation and Involvement - Delegating people in the change efforts will make it easy for them to accept it in instead of resisting it. (c) Facilitation and Support - Making employees deal with the anxiety during the transition period. (d) Negotiation and Agreement - Fighting resistance by offering incentives and rewards to employees to keep the motivation alive.
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(e) Manipulation and Co-option - Patronizing gestures that lead to employee development by having them participate in change management discussions. (f) Explicit and Implicit Coercion - Forcing employees to accept and adapt to changes by making them realize that their jobs are at stake should resistance persist.
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What Are the Theories of Change Management? Companies today need to create ways to improve . This not only includes the service you can offer to your clients, but also changes you can implement to further develop your managing skill in dealing with your employees. Theories in change management are important guidelines for your company. Geoffrey James, the author of the book “Giant Killers” argues that “need is the source of conceiving new innovative ways to improve management. And these methods and techniques are based greatly on people.” He says that businesses and corporations today must be community based and managers communicate openly with their staff. Industries today need to create venues for social interaction between employees and managers, developing a fun-filled environment. He says that staffs are to be treated as equals, not as children, which leads you to hire motivated people, and change the concept of separation between the workers and managers. This encourages the informal methods of working in the company. It also eliminates the atmosphere of fear, and functions as trust. This theory sounds really good, and has proven great business outcomes. Success may reveal exceptional management, but it can also cover up any errors in the execution and decision you make in your business. The development of small and medium enterprises heads along the same path. If you observe prominent companies and other hierarchy establishments, people-based management is applied and proven to be effective. Today, several companies
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partner with other suppliers, customers and even competitors. You have to bear in mind that theories in change management are essential to further improve your service to your company, clients and staff.
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Learn about the Three Types of Change Management The term change management refers to the way that a person or team of managers handle the transition from one business procedure to another. However, change management is not just limited to such changes. It can also involve changes in the business structure, or a change in leadership. Read on to learn more about the three basic types of change management. The first type deals with changes in business procedures. This is the most common type of change that a lot of small or big organizations undergo. With new technology always being introduced, it is necessary to adapt your business processes in a way that will keep up with the latest technological trends. As a result, the products or services you offer will always be top-of-the-line, and in keeping with the ever-changing demands of consumers. he second type of change management has to do with a change in your business' overall structure as a result of a merger, a cross merger or a sale. The third and final type is changes in the leadership structure. Every now and then, somebody in the upper management moves up the corporate ladder, which requires those who are under him to either move up, or change to a different position. For your personnel to easily adapt to any of these changes, you should implement a solid change management plan so that there will be a smooth transition as your business moves from one phase to the next.
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What is a Planned Change in Educational Management? Planned changes in educational management are based on the concept that schools undergo three kinds of changes according to renewal, reform and restructuring. They tend to be accepted depending on the customs and culture of the school, and the professional contributions they give the staff. This is because most people are unsure if they will still be able to do their professional work satisfactorily if there are “interferences” to the norms. Renewal planned changes or activities involve changes that assist the school or organization in performing at a better and more efficient way than they normally would. Reform planned changes usually alter the existing culture, technology, rules, procedures, and practice of the school so that they can adapt to different circumstances (like from all-boys or all-girls to co-ed), requirements (like additional year level units) and the latest (and future) technological advances. Restructuring planned changes are activities that change the way the organization handles or interacts with its clients. An important objective of the question of what is a planned change in educational management would be to change the way people accept change from the reactive and inactive state wherein they will maintain the “status quo.” Ultimately, they resist the educational change in order to preserve the old system of tried-andtested education, rather than get to a proactive and interactive system where the educational system is actively engaged in the design and concept of the desired change (Benathy and Jenks 1990). There are many models that can be adopted in a planned change in educational management, and it’s a given that adminis-
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trators are involved in them. More than that, teachers, students and the whole educational organization should be informed, made to understand, and get directly involved in the planning and implementation of the change in educational management.
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How Do I Identify What is Planned Change in Educational Management? First, educational management itself is defined as the discipline of operating an educational institution (such as administration of a college or university). It should always aim to support the educational institution, as its main reason for existing, which is to provide quality education to its students. Thus, we can say that any planned change in educational management should never divert or distract the educational institution from educating students. When the values that are supposed to be imparted to the students by the educators are sacrificed for the sake of management procedures, change is needed. This is the case with many bureaucratic educational institutions that are top heavy and put undue emphasis on Doing Things This Way Because This Is The Way We Always Have Done It, rather than pursuing innovations that will help students become better learners. Some progressive educational institutions have adopted use of the Internet into their educational processes as part of a planned change in educational management. Now that it has been proven to be quite effective at reaching out to non-traditional learners (who may have other familial or occupational responsibilities to juggle along with their need to earn a degree), other educational institutions are following suit. This shows that sometimes it requires a maverick to show the way to implement a planned change in educational management. This is because many leaders of educational institutions have
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become so used to education as it has been practiced in the past that they find it difficult to adopt innovations as part of planned change in educational management.
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The Human Factor – Writing Conclusion Examples for Change Management Who does not want to read a book or watch a movie with a happy ending? “All is well that ends well” is what they always say. Change management also has the same objective. That is to make sure that all the processes lean toward business success. This is the reason why policies keep changing, people keep moving, and processes keep innovating. Though writing conclusions is not that simple, it still needs to be carefully studied to determine the factors that may contribute to possible failure of the implementation of change, and learn from these lessons. On the plan change process, the human factor is a key component. This is the stage wherein people are given a chance to speak out and air their views about the changes that are about to be implemented. Diversity of people’s take on certain issues will broaden the change management perspective since they tackled all possible scenarios and results. The differing views of individuals won’t hurt the organization. It is actually a big plus, as long as a compromised agreement is the end result of these discussions. Fostering change in an organization is not that hard to imagine. All you need is the right people with the proper mindsets, and the right resources to support the change implementation process. To arrive at a certain conclusion that is favorable to everybody, the leaders should also give due recognition to people with excellent work ethics. This will serve as their motivation to keep on moving, and eventually reach the top of the corporate ladder.