Change management (CM)

Change management (CM)

Change management (CM)

refers to any approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations using methods intended to re-direct the use of resources, business process, budget allocations, or other modes of operation that significantly reshape a company or organization. Organizational change management (OCM) considers the full organization and what needs to change Organizational change management principles and practices include CM as a tool for change focused solely on the individual.

CM focuses on how people and teams are affected by an organizational transition. It deals with many different disciplines, from behavioral and social sciences to information technology and business solutions. In a project management context, CM may refer to the change control process wherein changes to the scope of a project are formally introduced and approved

The Human Touch and the Psychology

 Change may be viewed in terms of how a newly designed idea will improve operational

performance. Because inhuman characteristics exist, sometimes the decision to

implement change appears to neglect the human touch required to successfully execute

the process. As a result, the change agent may fail to prepare for effectively responding

to employee resistance Due to the forceful nature of labor in hospitality, change management

produces psychological implications on operations. Organizational change may involve

financial and intangible transactions, but the human impact on change is immeasurable.

Due to the service nature of the hospitality industry, change is only as successful as its

quality, personified by the organization’s employees

Direction for Change Agents

First, it must be established that a change agent must believe in the change in

order to achieve quality performance during the transition. Unfortunately, due to the

traditional perception that resistance always follows change, many in the position of a

change agent fail to buy into the idea. This distraction from an organizational objective

would explain an inattention to performance objectives Effective change agents recognize and coordinate the resources that lie in the end

users, the employees caught up in the transition. A systematic method of executing

change while upholding performance would be a strategy which makes the most of dual

powers. The first would be the power that lies in the change being introduced and the

second would be that which lies in belief and commitment from the employees.

 It is important then, to appreciate the internal users of change and what explains

their resistance. In accepting this understanding of the organization, one can move

forward in devising ways in which commitment can be drawn out of a group of people

Solutions to Change Management

 Managerial implications for organizational change seem to restructure and to redefine

operational performance In addition, the fundamental key for the change

agent to navigate a team through uncertainty is to first recognize the distinguishing

characteristics of change management. In addressing an undefined and unpredictable

period of time, uncertainty demands methods of managing change that may seem to the

change agent to be “revolutionary).” The key is to remember that the overall

objective of strategic navigation through change is to uphold operational performance.

Communication and Goals

 The hotel’s employees

expressed great appreciation for their change agents’ communication efforts. In some

ways, the transition is to a degree exploratory for both the change agent(s) and the

employees he or she is leading. The previous operation of completing tasks may have

been more measurable and as a result, goals were demanded in a more concrete or

invariable form.

Introduce change.

 The introduction for change must be communicated to employees, beginning with

a common justification However, given the need for employee buy-in along with the uncertainty of

implementation, it may be best to create unconventional measures of success. As

mentioned, the transition itself may be viewed as an operation in itself. Therefore,

achievements may be described in terms of the performance of the transition process. In

addition, when describing the change process’s impact on the employees, goals should be expressed in terms of improvement and/or growth

Manage communication.

 Communication must continue throughout the change process in a way that

includes all employees on the status of the transition Once

employees understand how their work will be changing, they may need to know how

expectations will change throughout different phases). Providing such a

timeline may contributes to the reduction of uncertainty. There are also reassurances to

communicate to champions of change. By reminding them that their skill for weathering

scrutiny is rare, it reaffirms how valuable their input is to the process of change Change management continues with follow-up communication. Understanding

and support can be further demonstrated by proactively asking employees what

unexpected challenges they have encountered.

Upper Management Support

The absence of support from top management has been attributed for the failure

of change implementation While executive decision makers choose paths

for change for long-term organizational goals, change agents are responsible for the

short-term transition period. Maintaining operational performance is necessary but in

order for change to be implemented accurately, the employees must be adequately

prepared to accept the forces of change (Kale, 2005). Therefore, the change agent must

first recognize that the justification for change is wholly understood by upper

management, while his/her workforce is given the orders to step outside their comfort

zone without reason.