Managing Change and Organizational Learning

 The world of business is never a permanent.  Technology, competition, attitudes and processes pose the necessity for a business to shift gears to keep up.  The John Kotter Model is an 8-step process on how to lead and manage change.  First, this must involve and convince the stakeholders of the great need for change because of the threats and opportunities that surround the business.  The entire organization must buy in the change for the process to succeed.  Second, the most important and influential people of the company must team up to push the change process.  Third, people need to identify core values with which to center the change on.  They must think on where they want to see the company in the future.  They need to have a plan of action on how to realize that vision for the company.  Fourth, the vision must be relayed to everyone in the organization.  More importantly, the vision must be applied in action.  Fifth, barriers that hinder the progress towards change must be removed, quick.  Sixth, break the journey into small steps.  A small success along the way is a cause to celebrate and efforts must be rewarded.  This will motivate people to push on with renewed enthusiasm and inspiration.  Seventh, do not rest after one success.  Learn from the experience and replicate the success.  Eighth, make the change a permanent part of the corporate culture.
Kurt Lewin’s Organizational Change Model is a 3-stage process.  One must want change, for change to happen.  Lewin’s Model follows the way of the cube ice.  It has to unfreeze for change to be possible.  The change is when it became water. For it to become a new shape it has to refreeze.  In the Lewin Model, to Unfreeze is to accept the need for change and recognize that things have to be done differently from what people have been used to doing in the past.  To Change is when the people realize the benefits of change that make them fully supportive of the change initiatives.  In a Refreeze the changes are felt and seen in the organization such as when people embrace the new ways of doing things.  The changes must become a habit and incorporated in the organization’s culture.  Such is a time to celebrate a successful change management.  Workforce diversity, advances in technology, stronger and larger market competition, as well as major social and political pressures on the business are the external drivers of change. Employee and organizational fit in terms of skills and job requirements, the attitudes and behaviors that bring conflict between management and subordinates are the two internal forces that indicate a great need for change.

References

Mind Tools Ltd. (2008).  Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model.  Retrieved October 20,

            2008, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_82.htm

Bronwyn Ritchie’s Pivotal Points. (2008). Lewin’s Change Management Model. Retrieved

            October 20, 2008 from http://www.consultpivotal.com/lewin’s.htm 


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