Organizational Change

Regardless of how neutral the change may be,

the way we react upon it is always personal.

The key ingredient to implementing change is Motivation
Darwins theory of Natural Selection has depicted the notion that, an organism that mutates in order
to get into the environment and surrounding and in order to cope with the changes that other
species acquire in them is the one who possess the greatest of potentials to survive eternally. One
potent example is the change in colour of a chameleon which is prevailing and rife in order to get
either a prey hunt or to survive from predators.
Corporates cannot follow such a frequent change, in order to accelerate their business. Instead, they
need a mindful and deliberate strategic move, to full the mouths of a never-satisfying customer and
to gain a beaucop of market share.
There are several examples where companies tried to move their foot so fast without foreseeing the
menace around them, as a result they fallen off deep under the ground, badly-wounded, and letting
their agile competitors having their share of lunch. On the other hand, there are some companies
that seldom reconsider their strategies. Since the formal hierarchies and organisational policies are
the biggest hurdle to compete in such an over mutating market in which the innovators are always
ready with an innovated product in order to make the customers spell-bound and the companies to
be sealed forever (Accelerate, by John P. Kotter, Nov 2012, HBR).
Eventually the mere solution is to have an organised system which is meant for the designing,
implementing and controlling of such strategies that are similar as that of the chameleon and also
craft enough to fulfil Darwin's theory.
Obstacles to Change
"Regardless of how neutral the change may be, the way we react upon it is always personal"

Changing an organizations culture is one of the most troublesome leadership challenges. Thats
because an organizations culture is strongly linked with the goals, roles, processes, values, norms
and attitudes of not only of an individual, but of the groups, teams and that of the entire
organisational structure.

According to a renowned study, biological upgrade in
the software of a human brain leads to a decline in
performance before picking up and using our
newfound abilities. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, M.D. (1926
2004) was a Swiss-born psychiatrist and the author of
the roundbreaking book On Death and Dying, where
she first discussed what is now known as the Kubler-
Ross model.

"It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out nor more doubtful of success
nor more dangerous to handle than to initiate a new order of things."
Machiavelli (1446-1507)
Apart from various factors, one of the core reason for the resistance to change, that every company
come across while implementing even a slice of a change, is the control of one's emotions. It is not
an easy chore to experience the dynamic of feelings and in the meantime keep up an agreeable
perspective. In the end, change gets personal, and in an organisational setting we are not used to
cope up with this. When we are gone up against with a change in our own particular
conglomeration, we often don't know how to manage these strong feelings. We by one means or
another assume the common cycle of organizational change does not have any significant bearing to
our own particular company.
However, certain individuals are substantially ready to support something if they feel they've
something to deliver in it; even a little hand. Research has shown that, when a leader is ready to
convey his or her vision and permits others to help in it, to make his or her story positive for
everyone - it's remarkable how much more commitment to that vision there will be. There are ways
to do this effectively without having an unmanageable number of cooks in the strategic kitchen.
There are two sides of a change. One is external and the other is internal. External change is what
we know; knowledge, and the internal change is what we feel; motivation.
"The key ingredient to implementing change is Motivation."
Why need Change?
Change in an organisation is pretty much a constant task in todays environment. Globalization,
changing market dynamics, evolving technologies, and many other factors has created the need for
change, while human emotions - the response of human brains, has made many of the hurdles to
successful change implementations.
Change is also important for any organisation, because without change, businesses would likely to
lose their competitive edge and fail to meet the needs of what most hope to be a growing base of
loyal customers.

How to Change?
J.P Kotter, in his article Accelerate has devised 8 strategies for the organizational change:
1. Be proactive for specific opportunities
Top management must carry out such efforts to make everyone in an organization
to see a big picture for the strategic move.
There is no need to run after every opportunity but to prioritize in order to make
them as a competitive advantage.
2. Establish a GC guiding coalition
GC comprises of a fusion of several networks from each department-many heads
bring many thoughts.
3. Create a vision
A vision has to be practicable, based on both emotional and rational appeals that
will guide the GC till their final destination.
4. Pass on the vision to bring into a new army
A clear, live and bright vision can go viral throughout the organization resulting in
the motivation of several other employees who buy into the inspiration of the
message and put their dedication and commitment to it.
5. Quick pace towards the vision
GC must bring the CRM system and remove every possible barrier to which they
come across.
6. Glorify and praise each triumph
Such short-term celebrations will acknowledge the GC effort and will also attract
others to join in which GC there by; success will breed more and more success.
7. Be focused; with open ears and eyes and a closed mouth
Concentrate on the path and remain adhere on it.
8. Cling organizational change with the organizational culture
Make the strategic changes be the part of the culture.

All the steps has to be taken in same order as mentioned, as the skipping of any of the step will only
create the illusion of speed without satisfactory result (Leading change: why transformation efforts
fail, by J.P.Kotter, HBR, 2000).

Change Managing Resistance
We can say Patience is the key to handle resistance; it takes lots of time to make necessary cultural
changes that enable other changes. Keep providing support and helping team focus on their goal,
whatever that goal is.
For say, it was a commitment to producing the best quality software we possibly could. Foster a
learning culture, tolerate mistakes let people experiment, dont beat them up when experiments
go wrong, give them time to learn. Otherwise, change can never happen.
Below are the 6 strategies for handling resistance in change from HBR article (Choosing strategies for
change, by Kotter and Schlesinger HBR).
Education & Communication:
One of the most ideal approaches to overcome resistance is to change is to educate individuals
about the change in advance. People tend to react positively if change is communicated prior it will
increase the confidence level so internal change resistance will be less.
Participation & Involvement:
The point when workers are included in the change effort they are favourable to get tied up with
change instead of opposes it.
Facilitation & Support:
Managers can head-off potential resistance by being supportive of employees during difficult times.
Prepare people for their new tasks, and show them that you are supportive (given the fact change
makes people stressed).
Negotiation and Agreement:
Managers can deal with change resistance by offering incentives to employees not to resist against.
The other way would be to allow people to voice their concerns and to comment and welcome the
resistance as a result of concerns not as opposition.
Manipulation and Cooptation:
Managers can have change resistance leaders involved metaphorically in the change by giving them
symbolic roles that doesn't allow them to affect the change progress. However, this method is a two
edged sowed, if the change resistance leader figure out that you trick him, he might become more
resistant to the change than before!
Explicit and Implicit Coercion:
Managers can explicitly or implicitly force employees into accepting change by making clear that
resisting change will result in job losses, salary cuts, and other kinds of punishment.

Change - a fruitful vine or a bitter gourd
A change can be implemented as expected or can go beyond expectations as well as can go sour.
When it goes well, the top management have done the preparatory and communication work
necessary to successfully navigate the dangerous emotional and psychological territory created by
change. When it doesn't, as expected, it is generally because the mangers have not fully appreciated
or planned for the emotional context in which they are working or they just try to impose change on
resources causing conflicts with existing culture and emotions.
Leaders that grasp and think once more at the failures, trials and inconveniences and have the
courage to say, wouldn't it be great if we could gain experience from it, don't gave it a chance to
happen again and continue making a headway and not abandon the mission, have the strongest and
the most influential charisma to bring every particle of the organisation to touch the seventh sky.
Such a remarkable change then becomes the legend.

One key to successful leadership is continuous personal change. Personal change is a reflection of
our inner growth and empowerment." Robert E. Quinn