Organizational Changes Management
From Wikipractice
Contents |
Introduction
During the next years, the organizational changes and the processes improvement will be continuous and change management strategies will be imperative i.e. the strategies which will take into account attitudes of the persons in front of change, the balance between the technical and human aspects and the process of adaptation of the individuals to the change.
Analyze the attitudes of the persons towards change
When we think of implementing organizational changes or improvement of processes, it is essential to keep in mind the 20-60-20 rule. It indicates that approximately 20 % of the persons who work in an organization will accept at once the change (the positive). Another group, that is approximately 60 % of the employees, will not compromise (neutrals); these employees will rather be reserved in front of change. As for the 20 % of the employees who remain (the negative), they will resist wildly to the change; they will even deliberately try to make it fail. These data illustrate well the task to be carried out: convince the group of the employees representing the 80 % (neutrals and negative) to accept the change, because only 20 % of the employees are positive at first. The strategy must be obviously established as a consequence.
Integrate the technical and human aspects during the change
To facilitate the change means establishing strategies which integrate the process of technical change (i.e. the passage of the current situation to the wished situation) to the process of adaptation of the individuals to the change. Any program of change thus implies these two change processes.
Traditionally, the change administrators especially concentrated on the technical aspects. They enphasis on the structures, the processes, the systems and the technologies, to deploy their vision of the organization as well as their strategy. Although these aspects are very important, it was demonstrated that the chances of success are considerably low if we do not take into account the process of adaptation of the individuals to the change. It is to this last one that we shall dedicate the next paragraphs.
Apply the adaptation process of the individuals to the change
The adaptation process of the individuals to the change takes place in three different stages: break, Investigate and Begin. During these three stages, we can observe feelings and common behavior and open consequent strategies. Let us see what it is there.
Break
The first stage consists in breaking with past, in loosing the former methods of work, the old customs. The first reaction to the change often shows itself by the uncertainty or the refusal. The employees are very worried, besides, by the consequences of the changes at their own level. They are opposed to have to give up what is familiar and comfortable. We can sometimes see increasing absenteeism, disengagement. We want more information, we question more. Numerous strategies aiming at supporting and at reassuring the employees can be adapted to the situation: supply with the information, explain to what expect, to treat the past respectfully, to to reveal and to to accept the signs of emotion, etc.
Investigate
This second stage is in a sense the stage where we succeed in surmounting the concern and the resistance, in experimenting the change and in defining the new roles. It is the period when the old methods are forgotten while we are not still completely comfortable with the news. Often, this phase turns out the most difficult. It is the moment when several questions live without answer. Gradually, the employees learn about the new manners to make and look for means to improve them. The actions to be put then have to go to the sense to clearly identify the priorities and define the short-term objectives, make known the temporary structure, encourage the implication of the employees to all the stages of the change, etc.
Begin
Paradoxically, the beginning corresponds to the last stage of the adaptation process. It is the stage during which the employees adhere to the new values, adopt new attitudes and begin to perceive tangible profits and to undertake in the setting-up of the change. They undertake in their new work only when they integrated mentally, emotionally and physically the changes. Strange things can then occur. For example, the employees are usually at the same moment tired to have crossed the phase of the investigation and satisfied to arrive finally at the " promised earth". On the other hand, for some, the beginning remains alarming and the possibility persists that the changes are not in accordance with the expectations. For others, the vision is now clearer and they are already engaged.
According to the situation and the individuals in place, the following actions can begun: be inspired by the best practices, favor the leadership of certain executives, communicate the vision and the strategy, form the employees, identify occasions of quick success, show of the gratitude and reward the employees, etc.
There are three key elements to keep in mind concerning this process of adaptation:
- The process, such as described above, show the usual progress path of a person who adapts himself to the change.
- All do not evolve in the same rhythm through this process.
- While employees progress in the step, the others may return behind, and sometimes even until the previous phase. The road is not thus one-sided and all do not still go through it in accordance with the other employees.
The particular circumstances which prevail in every organization make that any change program must be specific. Although there is no recipe or miracle methodology to facilitate the change, we think that a successful method requires a big skill to understand the human behavior in any process of change.
