TEACHERS QUESTION: Discuss two strategies that can be used for leading change. How do these strategies increase stakeholder support and create momentum for a change initiative to be successful? Why might you want to consider including the most vocal critic of the change initiative in your guiding team?
STUDENTS RESPONSE:
Organizational Development and Change
A clear vision that is both comprehensive and motivating and is shared with employees is key in effective change leadership. The shared vision should delineate what will be transformed and what will stay the same for the institution, the team, and each team member. Employees are encouraged not only to educate themselves about the clear vision, but they also have to comprehend it in depth. Hence, communicating the vision several times and through different media will guarantee that employees have a clear perception of the target change and the causes behind it (Weston, Ferris, & Finkelstein, 2017). It is essential to promote clear understanding of the organizational purposes, the way in which the development initiative will help accomplish those goals, and its influence on employees at a personal level. The leader should communicate with employees personally, both formally and informally, about the overall development and its peculiarities.
New MRI technology can determine what is going on in the human brain when people are confronted with significant organizational change, making them feel agitation, stress, excitement, and even exhaustion. To achieve the assistance and dedication of employees, it is essential to apply change management approaches to mitigate fear and resistance. It is important to create various learning opportunities to help workers manage workplace changes. For instance, experiential practice sessions can support people to test new abilities and behaviors connected with a change in a risk-free atmosphere that enables them to understand the consequences (Gabriel, 2015). Being compassionate towards employees’ feelings and discussing their concerns with confidence and enthusiasm is also crucial. Sometimes, working through feelings collectively, either the one-to-one basis or as a team, encourages people to discuss their frustration and anxiety connected with change in an effective way.
Some decisions made by companies influence various stakeholders. Some of them may need to be regularly updated on progress, while others only need occasional communication. A stakeholder engagement approach will assist in planning how frequently it is needed to interact with various stakeholders and determine which means to apply for each one. Effective stakeholder collaboration can bring more clients, properly formulated policy, well-managed plans, and change. Establishing a precise goal is key to efficient stakeholder engagement.
One of the most important extended stringencies, however, is the vocal critic. Facing criticism throughout the change is the duty of a leader who should explain a particular design, plan, and purpose. Vocal critics are valuable in the transformation process. Anyone in the team, for instance, an HR manager or an administrator, can contribute to the critical assessment of the change process. The purpose of development needs to be clear to everyone; therefore, vocal critics have a crucial role here.
References
Gabriel, K. K. (2015). Organizational development, organizational culture and organizational change. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2686104
Weston, C., Ferris, J., & Finkelstein, A. (2017). Leading change: An organizational development role for educational developers. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 29(2), 270-280.