Change Management and Organizations

Every Christmas, Apple plays to the gallery where all Americans and the rest of the Apple fans across the world wait eagerly for the new promised product of the future and expectantly Apple has unveiled the new, slimmer and improved I Phone 5G. It is no secret that Apple is a cult world over.

With leadership in the global market Apple continues to innovate and be ahead of its competitors continues to blaze the trail and clock profits of over 30% without its founder at the helm. Stop and think for a moment — what makes these Organizations so successful over a long period. You will soon understand that besides a clear vision and technological strengths, the Organization is built differently.

The modern day Organizations are not focused on the Organizational structure, but are built to keep changing and evolving all the time in tune with the customer requirement, evolving technology and the external environment that includes all factors affecting the Organization, technology, its people, product etc. The Organizations that are focusing on its customer and innovation depend upon business processes to manage the Organization leaving the management free to work on their ‘Breakthrough technologies’.

In the coming years, there will be no place for Organizations that continue to exist based on the old Organizational philosophies and systems. Be it a Multinational or a small scale industry, the management has got to be process oriented not only in its production and quality areas but in overall business that includes all functions, departments and resources.

Though the yester years Organizations do recognize the new wave and wish to change, it is not going to be that easy to change overnight. First and foremost it is important to recognize that change is something that people naturally and unconsciously resist. In the case of an Organization having to change entirely and embrace a new form of existence does call for a very strong and planned approach to initiate the change, to ensure the change happens and to ensure that the new changed outlook is sustained all through the Organization until it becomes a natural habit.

Change Management Process View

First and foremost, the need for change has to be recognized by the leadership. If the Organization has two distinct entities of leadership as separate from Ownership, then both have got to realize the need and consider it important for the future and survival of the entire Organization and their business. Therefore the stake holders for the change management process would be the Management.

Once there is acceptance of the fact that Change is necessary, there has got to be a definite idea and vision of how the new changed Organization needs to be. This new vision should be drawn up by the leadership/management and communicated to each and every single individual within the Organization. It is important to ensure that every individual contributing to the Organization becomes a part of the change management process, failing which the entire project of change will not succeed.

Once the vision and the plan for change has been established, it is important to assess the current situation and environment to identify the possible barriers, risks and obstacles to the change process and draw up a plan of action to mitigate the risks, to remove the obstacles and barriers that are likely to impede the process of change.

Change management in an Organization is not easy. It calls for engaging the professionals who can assist the Organization draw up the vision, to set the goals, plan the process, manage the transition, provide the training and retraining and help the Organization transition to working as the new entity.