Commitment to Change and Sustaining Momentum for Change
Student’s Name
Institutional
Affiliation
Commitment to Change and Sustaining Momentum for Change
Introduction
My primary objective in this assignment is to enhance my understanding of organizational change as it pertains to commitment and sustaining of its momentum. I seek to explore the challenges that significant stakeholders face in implementing change processes. Furthermore, I wish to investigate some key factors that influence and inhibit the motivation of employees. I will delve into some feedback mechanisms that can be applied should managers seek to evaluate levels of commitment from their employees. Different interventions will also be considered within the essay to provide a set of applicable solutions to the challenge of momentum that cannot be sustained within the professional environment.
Question 1
Organizational change may be met with a variety of challenges in the process of implementation. One of the challenges is the lack of adequate preparation in the transition period, a phenomenon characterized by a lack of resources, workforce, and direction. Inadequate preparation may also result from unclear goals set by the management and employees. It is not enough that a vision for change is developed. Managers need to set clear, specific, and feasible goals that can be applied to achieve change (Armenakis & Harris, 2009). Resistance is a natural organizational behavior associated with the change process. Leaders spearheading the change, therefore, need to be proactive in addressing these forms of resistance to ensure a smoother adjustment.
Commitment to change may also be challenged by a high level of skepticism from the employees required to go through the transition. This skepticism may stem from a lack of faith in the organizational system. It may also be caused by a lack of understanding of why the change is taking place. Employees fail to see the direct benefits of transition. The situation may result from a lack of communication from the management, who are responsible for developing cooperation that facilitates change.
Commitment also stems from the ability to create a shared goal with the stakeholders directly involved in the change (Alvesson & Sveningsson, 2015). Managers that fail to engage their employees in the change process are likely to experience significant challenges in adjusting to the new environment. Lack of engagement also leads to reduced levels of compliance, which undermine efforts made to effect the transition.
Question 2
Various methods of survey and monitoring can be used to determine employee commitment. Questionnaires are efficient in seeking the input of employees, particularly in the change process. Through this survey method, managers will be able to ask specific questions that pertain to the overall motivation and engagement of employees. The questionnaires may facilitate the collection of information that can be transformed into relevant parameters that evaluate the level of commitment. Managers may also use interviews as tools to evaluate how motivated their teams are. These interviews may be carried out individually or in groups. The advantage of interviews is they provide more timely feedback that allows managers to respond swiftly to the demands of change. Managers can find out the attitudes and eagerness to engage with the larger organization in achieving the change.
The performance of employees may be an important indicator of change. If the change has occurred, managers need to find out how well their teams perform in the new environment (Benn, Edwards, & Williams, 2014). Thus, an efficient feedback mechanism would be carrying out performance reviews periodically, carefully monitoring the progress of each employee. An advantage of this mechanism is that adjustment challenges can be indicated in the performance reports, thereby acting as guides into how challenges are tackled.
Monitoring through direct observation is also an efficient way to determine the level of commitment employees possess. This feedback mechanism provides opportunities for organizational leaders to evaluate employee behavior and attitude, which is a direct reflection of their engagement to the change process. Monitoring is also an efficient way to determine whether employees are compliant with the regulations implemented to effect change.
Question 3
Employee commitment will determine the level of success an organization will enjoy from the process of change implementation. Therefore, it is imperative for managers to develop frameworks that assess how committed and engaged their employees are within this period. Some of the indicators that help managers determine the level of commitment to the change include:
Employee performance: This essential indicator helps to determine the level of commitment that employees have in the period of transition. For instance, in a change process designed to increase employee productivity, employees should be able to demonstrate an increased level of performance as reflected in the relevant parameters (Whelan-Berry & Somerville, 2010).
Employee attitude: The attitude of an employee is essential to transitional success. A positive attitude towards the change process will be reflected by desired behaviors, which ease the process of change. One of the most significant elements of resistance to change is a negative employee attitude caused by lack of understanding and optimism for the transition (Fernandez, 2015).
Employee initiative: A behavioral factor that indicates employee commitment to change is their ability to become more engaged in the change process. After taking the initiative, employees will be more agreeable to receive guidance from managers, thus increasing the chances of success.
Motivation to learn: Much of the change process involves learning how to become more skilled and productive within a new environment (Carnall, 2018). A good indicator of employee commitment to change is the ability to learn how to work in this modified space. For instance, if the change process is centered on replacing old with new technology, employees show commitment through their motivation to learn how to use it.
Readiness for change: Employee readiness is essential in the change process (Choi & Ruona, 2011). It can be reflected through the extent to which they have planned to adjust to the new professional environment.
Question 4
Sustaining the momentum of change is imperative to ensure the realization of organizational goals. Leaders are therefore responsible for ensuring they sustain this change through consistent engagement with their employees, systems, and other resources. Some of the methods I would use to sustain this change include:
Providing resources: For change to be successful, there is a need for the change agent to develop optimal physical and environmental conditions that help to sustain the new modes of operation. For instance, in a change where more advanced equipment is incorporated, organizational leaders need to provide all necessary resources to ensure it can be used on a long-term basis. The resources may include trainers, skilled employees, or safety tools.
Shift in culture and policies: Change may be further supported by a shift in the belief systems and cultures that affect organizational behavior (Carnall, 2018). A change agent or manager may need to restructure organizational practices that existed in the old environment.
Engaging employees and stakeholders: As a change agent, I need to ensure that employees are involved and motivated to sustain the change by engaging them from the initial planning, implementation, and beyond. Engagement entails efficient and timely communication, addressing problems as they arise, and ensuring they are skilled enough to perform their professional responsibilities.
Preventing resistance: Transitional success requires a change agent to be proactive in addressing potential challenges that may be experienced in the future. Often, these forms of change may be experienced by involved stakeholders, and they may be conscious or unconscious (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). Failure to develop initiative towards addressing these will undermine efforts of this transition along the way.
Rewarding employees: Developing reward systems is one of the most effective ways of ensuring momentum for change is maintained. Rewards are practical tools for motivation and they can be provided through bonuses, recognition, or other forms of incentives.
Question 5
As a change agent, I am likely to experience challenges that prevent me from successfully transitioning. Therefore, I may require internal and external assistance in the form of resources and guidance. Some of the interventions I would employ to sustain the change momentum include:
Transforming organizational leadership: The momentum of change needs to be guided by a team of productive and skilled leaders. One of the leading causes of lack of success is a limited leadership capacity that fails to plan for change and engage its employees (Kaufman, 2017).
Team building: Improvement of productivity and motivation of employees can be made possible through team building practices carried out on a regular basis, such as weekly or monthly. Team building helps to build a positive reinforcement, thus helping employees develop a shared vision. It also encourages creativity, which increases the chances of taking the initiative towards problem-solving.
Coaching: Challenges of change implementation are often attributed to limited skills and experience of employees. If change cannot be sustained because of this, then there is need to develop training and coaching programs that allow employees to develop skills to work in the new environment (Choi & Ruona, 2011).
Restructuring the change process: While the need for change may be desirable, it may not often be executable for a variety of reasons including lack of resources, inadequate planning, and insufficient employee support. As such, managers may need to develop new and more feasible strategies for effecting this change.
External assistance: Assistance from outside the organization may be provided from organizational consultants who are more experienced in effecting various specific forms of change. These interventions include technical assistance, audits, and public relations (Al-Haddad & Kotnour, 2015).
Summary
The
assignment helped me to acquire critical
insight into the elements, dynamics, and requirements of organizational change.
It assisted me in developing new
perspectives on the responsibilities of
change agents, managers, and organizational leaders placed in charge of transition.
A valuable lesson learned was that resistance to change is a natural phenomenon that
needs to be tackled with efficiency,
skill, resources, and consistent stakeholder engagement. Engaging employees is
imperative to the success of the intended transformation. Managers, therefore,
need to consider these essential elements to
not only effect change, but also to ensure it becomes a part of the
organizational culture.
References
Al-Haddad, S., & Kotnour, T. (2015). Integrating the organizational change literature: a model for successful change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 28(2), 234-262.
Alvesson, M., & Sveningsson, S. (2015). Changing organizational culture: Cultural change work in progress. New York, NY: Routledge.
Armenakis, A. A., & Harris, S. G. (2009). Reflections: Our journey in organizational change research and practice. Journal of Change Management, 9(2), 127-142.
Benn, S., Edwards, M., & Williams, T. (2014). Organizational change for corporate sustainability. Routledge.
Carnall, C. (2018). Managing change. New York, NY: Routledge.
Choi, M., & Ruona, W. E. (2011). Individual readiness for organizational change and its implications for human resource and organization development. Human Resource Development Review, 10(1), 46-73.
Fernandez, S. (2015). Understanding and overcoming resistance to organizational change. Handbook of Public Administration (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 382-397.
Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Kaufman, H. (2017). The limits of organizational change. Routledge.
Whelan-Berry, K. S., & Somerville, K. A. (2010). Linking change drivers and the organizational change process: A review and synthesis. Journal of Change Management, 10(2), 175-193.