Organizational Change and Management

Organizational Change

Organisational change is often stimulated by a major external force, for example, substantial cuts in funding, decreased market opportunity and dramatic increases in services. Typically, organisations undertake technical, structural or strategic shifts in the organisation to evolve to a different level in their life cycle, for example changing from a highly reactive organisation to a more stable proactive environment.  Change has to be managed and this process is called change management. 

Change Management

Change management is a set of processes employed to ensure that significant changes are implemented in a controlled and systematic manner.  One of the goals of change management is the alignment of people and culture with strategic shifts in the organisation, to overcome resistance to change in order to increase engagement and the achievement of the organisation’s goal for effective transformation.

Achieving sustainable change begins with a clear understanding of the current state of the organisation, followed by the implementation of appropriate and targeted strategies. The focus of change management is on the outcome the change will produce – the new arrangements that must be understood. Change processes usually apply to a task and/or structural change, and can be either Incremental or Transformational or Situational.

A comprehensive change management strategy should lead to the desired objectives and create a sense of ownership, enable sustained and measurable improvement and build capability to respond to future change.

Organizational Change and Transition

Change is the way things will be different, and transition is how you move people through the stages to make change work.

Change is a shift in the externals of any situation, for example, setting up a new program, restructuring a business, moving to new location, or a promotion. By contrast, transition is the mental and emotional transformation that people must undergo to relinquish old arrangements and embrace new ones.

Change is made up of events, while transition is an on-going process. Change is visible and tangible, while transition is a psychological process that takes place inside of people. Change can happen quickly, but transition, like any organic process, has its own natural pace. Change is all about the outcome we are trying to achieve; transition is about how we'll get there and how we'll manage things while we are en route. Getting people through the transition is essential if the change is actually to work as planned.

It is important to ensure that change management strategies are driven by the changes that need to occur, but not to lose focus on the more personal transition activities needed to ensure the success of the program.

REFERENCE:

adelaide.edu.au (2008) "Leading Change, Transition & Transformation", A Guide for University Staff, The University of Adelaide, Available at: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/hr/strategic/leading_change_toolit.pdf, Accessed: August 13, 2012