Ch. 11: Challenge of Organizational Change
“Change is painful, but nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.” - Mandy Hale
Adapting to change is hard for a lot of people. Businesses are no different. Most changes in organizations are often necessary, but they don't occur without impediments. And often times change is needed but individuals within the organization refuse to make the changes because they prefer the current state of affairs and see no reason to change. This blog post will discuss why organizational change is so difficult and the many aspects that need to be considered for change to occur.
Leaders have their work cut out for them when it comes to inducing change within the organization. The text discusses how leaders need to have methodical approach to overcoming resistance from other that could derail the change initiative. Leaders must make a case for the change and why it is needed and present the new model for the organization that is compelling, appealing, and realistic (Gulati, Mayo, & Nohria, 2016). It is not uncommon that there is fear within the organization towards the idea of the change. It may be necessary to express to others in the organization the benefits of the change. This can help reduce the fears and resistance to change. Obtaining buy-in from the employees is one of the biggest barriers to change in the organization and one of the best ways to do this is to involve all employees as much as possible through meetings and brainstorming sessions to help during the planning phase (Quain, 2019).
Complacency can prevent the momentum of an organization enacting change from the beginning (Gulati, Mayo, & Nohria, 2016). Educating the company of the harms of complacency and what will happen if change doesn't occur sometimes is needed to battle the false sense of security the employees may have. Generally people are drawn to stability and change sometimes petrifies people. To them the change is a big risk. They need to know that staying complacent is the real threat. This may require the leaders to inform the company employees how ignoring the problems will in essence make them worse.
As you can see, organizational change is difficult mostly due to the human condition. We like consistency and stability. Only those are elusive feelings for the most part and even in the midst of turmoil, we want to believe things are okay and that change is not needed. Humans are also aware that change requires energy and effort and often times the idea of carrying out what is needed is too daunting. I do believe there is an aspect of laziness that humans have when it comes to not wanting to change. That and mostly fear. But growth and success requires bravery and action. Pushing through when it is hard and scary is what sets those apart that are successful versus those who are not.
Adapting to change is hard for a lot of people. Businesses are no different. Most changes in organizations are often necessary, but they don't occur without impediments. And often times change is needed but individuals within the organization refuse to make the changes because they prefer the current state of affairs and see no reason to change. This blog post will discuss why organizational change is so difficult and the many aspects that need to be considered for change to occur.
Image by Geralt @ pixabay
Leaders have their work cut out for them when it comes to inducing change within the organization. The text discusses how leaders need to have methodical approach to overcoming resistance from other that could derail the change initiative. Leaders must make a case for the change and why it is needed and present the new model for the organization that is compelling, appealing, and realistic (Gulati, Mayo, & Nohria, 2016). It is not uncommon that there is fear within the organization towards the idea of the change. It may be necessary to express to others in the organization the benefits of the change. This can help reduce the fears and resistance to change. Obtaining buy-in from the employees is one of the biggest barriers to change in the organization and one of the best ways to do this is to involve all employees as much as possible through meetings and brainstorming sessions to help during the planning phase (Quain, 2019).
Photo by Krisztian Tabori on Unsplash
Complacency can prevent the momentum of an organization enacting change from the beginning (Gulati, Mayo, & Nohria, 2016). Educating the company of the harms of complacency and what will happen if change doesn't occur sometimes is needed to battle the false sense of security the employees may have. Generally people are drawn to stability and change sometimes petrifies people. To them the change is a big risk. They need to know that staying complacent is the real threat. This may require the leaders to inform the company employees how ignoring the problems will in essence make them worse.
As you can see, organizational change is difficult mostly due to the human condition. We like consistency and stability. Only those are elusive feelings for the most part and even in the midst of turmoil, we want to believe things are okay and that change is not needed. Humans are also aware that change requires energy and effort and often times the idea of carrying out what is needed is too daunting. I do believe there is an aspect of laziness that humans have when it comes to not wanting to change. That and mostly fear. But growth and success requires bravery and action. Pushing through when it is hard and scary is what sets those apart that are successful versus those who are not.
References
- Alcedo, M. (2020, June 02). These Quotes About Change Will Help You When Times Get Tough. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/g5153/positive-quotes-about-change/?slide=11
- G. (n.d.). Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://pixabay.com/illustrations/conference-change-new-beginning-2110761/
- Gulati, R., Mayo, A. J., & Nohria, N. (2016). Management: An integrated approach. Australia: Cengage Learning.
- Quain, S. (2019, February 19). Barriers & Challenges to Change Implementation. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/barriers-challenges-change-implementation-30842.html
- Tabori, K. (2018, August 19). Photo by Krisztian Tabori on Unsplash. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://unsplash.com/photos/IyaNci0CyRk
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