BSAD 535 – Managing Human

Resources

Leading Change
Group Members

1 Moses Jimu

2 Elizabeth Makota

3 Simbarashe Mazorodze

4 Walter Busangavanye

5 Clements Muvami
Introduction

The rate of change is not going to slow

down anytime soon. If anything, competition
in most industries will probably speed up
even more in the next few decades.”
John P. Kotter
What is Change?
What is not happening that should be
happening?

What is happening that should not be

happening?

What is happening that could happen

better?
Change Defined
An alteration in people , structure or technology.

To cause to be different or to undergo

transformation.
a) Reengineering,
b) restructuring,
c) downsizing,
d) right-sizing,
e) mergers,
f) acquisition,
g) new technology,
h) new markets,
a) new customer demands,
b) new government regulations, global
competition
c) and vacillating world economy all
add up to change.
Change has no boundaries, it
knows no time limit. It cuts
across every political divide,
economic sector and all social
classes
Change is constant and unstoppable and so
powerful that no one can detour it, except the
all mighty God, for he was the same yesterday,
is the same today and will ever be the same
forever
Thus change is constant and inevitable.
Change can be classified into two
categories namely:
1.unplanned change and
2.planned change.
Unplanned change is forced on an
organization by external environment.
Planned change results from deliberate
moves/attempts by management to improve
organizational operations, such as quality
improvement.
Change brings emotions, stress, frustrations
and other ill feelings to human kind.
The ozone layer is under threat due to
environmental changes caused by pollution
in the atmosphere. This has resulted in
persistent droughts, heat waves and floods
wrenching human lives and others.
In conclusion, Jack Welch once said:
“one big lesson that I have learned is that
change has no constituency. People like the
status quo. They like the way it was. When
you start changing things the good old days
look better and better.” - Managing
Change in a changing world,
page 20, by Professor Baidya
The Three Phases of
planned Change
 Three Phases of Planned
Change (Lewin, 1951)

1. Unfreezing

2. Changing

3. Refreezing
Driving & Restraining Forces
Unfreezing

This is the first phase in implementing change. It

consists of creating a strong enough desire for
changing the old, unwanted culture or
behaviours.
Unfreezing

If the “pain” of doing the same

unwanted behaviours is not strong
enough, there will be no desire felt
within the organization to change.
Unfreezing

The change agents need to make a

strongly felt reason to change. Some
examples might be the threat of closure
due to more efficient competitors, or
better products that serve a need
better.
Changing

This second phase is where the new

culture, behaviours, way to do things is
put in place. It is important that any
infrastructure needed to support the
new change be thought out and in
place.
Changing

If this does not happen, the organization

will resist the new change and will either
fall back to the old way or even a hybrid
of the old and new ways that may be
worse for the organization.
Changing

This phase may require training in the

new methods, new equipment,
resources, etc… It is important that
these be met.
Refreezing

The third phase in the three step

approach of Lewin is the Refreezing
phase. This is the phase where the new
changes, behaviours, etc… are made
to be the new daily norms of the
organization.
Refreezing

I have this referred to as “standardize”

in the quality assurance field and this is
where you make the new behaviours
part of the “standard’ method of
operating..
Refreezing

Some effective methods of doing this

are by linking rewards to the new
behaviours. I have experienced
companies that tie these types of things
into regular reviews as well reinforcing it
there as well.
Organisational Change
Organizational change can be one of
the toughest tasks that leadership can
face. People are resistant to change by
nature unless the need to change is
strong enough. At times, company
management may have to create a
situation (real or perceived by the
workforce) to start the process.
Managing the planned change
process
Introduction
Change occurs when a company makes a
transition from its current state to some desired
future state. Managing change is the process of
planning and implementing change in
organizations in such a way as to minimize
employee resistance and cost to the organization
while simultaneously maximizing the
effectiveness of the change effort.
Steps in Planned Change
Once managers and an organization commit to
planned change, they need to create a logical
step‐by step approach in order to accomplish
the objectives. Planned change requires
managers to follow an eight‐step process for
successful implementations, which is
illustrated below:
Steps in Planned Change
1. Recognise the need for Change
Recognition of the need for change
may occur at the top management
level or in peripheral parts of the
organization. The change may be due
to either internal or external forces.
2. Develop the goals of the change
Remember that before any action is
taken, it is necessary to determine why
the change is necessary. Both problems
and opportunities must be evaluated.
Then it is important to define the
needed changes in terms of products,
technology, structure, and culture.
3. Select a change agent.
The change agent is the person who takes
leadership responsibility to implement
planned change. The change agent must
be alert to things that need revamping,
open to good ideas, and supportive of the
implementation of those ideas into actual
practice.
4. Diagnose the current climate.
In this step, the change agent sets
about gathering data about the climate
of the organization in order to help
employees prepare for change.
4. Diagnose the current climate.
Preparing people for change requires
direct and forceful feedback about the
negatives of the present situation, as
compared to the desired future state,
and sensitizing people to the forces of
change that exist in their environment.
5. Select an implementation method.
This step requires a decision on the
best way to bring about the change.
Managers can make themselves more
sensitive to pressures for change by
using networks of people and
organizations with different
perspectives and views,
5. Select an implementation method. Cont...d
visitingother organizations exposed to
new ideas, and using external standards
of performance, such as competitor's
progress.
6. Develop a plan
This step involves actually putting
together the plan, or the “what”
information. This phase also determines
the when, where, and how of the plan.
The plan is like a road map. It notes
specific events and activities that must
be timed and integrated to produce the
change. It also delegates responsibility
for each of the goals and objectives
7. Implement the plan
After all the questions have been answered,
the plan is put into operation. Once a change
has begun, initial excitement can dissipate in
the face of everyday problems. Managers can
maintain the momentum for change by
providing resources, developing new
competencies and skills, reinforcing new
behaviours, and building a support system for
those initiating the change.
8.Follow the plan and evaluate it
During this step, managers must compare the
actual results to the goals established in Step
4. It is important to determine whether the
goals were met; a complete follow‐up and
evaluation of the results aids this
determination. Change should produce
positive results and not be undertaken for its
own sake.
Summary.
Change is natural, of course. Proactive
management of change to optimize future
adaptability is invariably a more creative way
of dealing with the dynamisms of industrial
transformation than letting them happen
willy-nilly. That process will succeed better
with the help of the company's human
resources than without.
Recognising resistance to
change
Resistance to Change
One of the best recent articles on the
subject of change was published in 1986 by
Sara Fine. One of Fine’s most relevant
points is that resistance to change is
inevitable, and management must be
prepared to respond to it (Fine, 1986).
Resistance to change
Organizational change causes individuals to
experience a reaction process (Kyle, 1993). Scott
and Jaffe (1988) describe the process as
consisting four phases, namely: Initial denial,
resistance, gradual exploration and eventual
commitment.
Causes of Resistance
1. A lack of awareness of why the change was
being made.
The number one reason employees resist change
is a lack of awareness of why the change was
being made.
Causes of Resistance
2. A lack of involvement in the change.
Managers who are not told why change is
happening and their input is not solicited,
ultimately result in resistance to the change
Causes of Resistance
3. Failure to Prove Change is Needed
Resistance to change also occurs when managers
fail to convince employees that the change is
needed. Change should only be implemented
when a performance gap exists, that is, when
people become highly dissatisfied with some
aspect of a task or process
Causes of Resistance
 4.
General Uncertainty about the Effects of Change /
Fear of the Unknown.
 There is always general uncertainty which people
experience when a major change is announced. The
literature of librarianship, of management, and of
personnel psychology shows that employees respond
better to change when management consciously tries to
ease employee fears in a number of ways (Werbel, 1983;
Weinbach, 1986; Malinconico, 1983).
Causes of Resistance
5. Failure to Tie Values to the Change
Another reason that employees resist change is
that management often forgets to emphasize the
positive aspects of the change on professional
values. Unfortunately, some managers fail both to
keep employees informed of the organisation’s
values
Causes of Resistance
6. Failure to Commit Sufficient Resources to the
Change
Increased resistance to change can also result when
managers do not follow through by committing
sufficient resources to the change. Fine (1986, p.
92) suggests that it is not uncommon for resources
(particularly personnel resources) to be
overextended or with- drawn just when staff is
experiencing the greatest stress of change.
Causes of Resistance
7. Fear of Change Due to Social Consequence
One other major type of employee fear is caused
when the potential social consequences of the
change are not anticipated and allowed for.
Causes of Resistance
8.Uncertainly about Job Performance
Another reason for employee fear of change is
uncertainty about new work-related expectations
associated with job performance.
Causes of Resistance
9.Failure to Create a Climate Conducive to
Change
General resistance to change may also result when
managers fail to create a positive climate where
change can flourish. The best illustration of this
might be a library where management allows
employees little participation and in fact does not
encourage new ideas in any way.
Symptoms of Resistance to Change
The symptoms of resistance are observable and
often overt - such as:
complaining,
not attending key meetings,
not providing requested information or resources,
or simply not adopting a change to process or
behaviour.
Symptoms of Resistance to Change
Overt (Obvious) Signs

1. Vocal complaints by employees

2. Engaging in a work slowdown
3. Threatening a strike
Symptoms of Resistance to Change
Covert (Secretive) Signs

1. Loss of loyalty to organization

2. Lack of motivation
3. Increased errors
4. Increased absenteeism and unexplained illnesses.
5. Low productivity.
Overcoming Resistance
Do change management right the first time
Much of the resistance faced by projects can be
avoided if effective change management is applied
on the project from the very beginning.
While resistance is the normal human reaction in
times of change, good change management can
mitigate much of this resistance
Consider the following change management activities
Utilize a structured change management approach
from the initiation of the project
Active and visible participation by senior leaders
Advocacy by management levels including middle
managers and front-line supervisors
Communications that describe the need for change,
the impact on employees and the benefits to the
employee (answering "What's in it for me?" or
WIIFM)
Expect it
Do not be surprised by resistance!
Even if the solution a project presents is a
wonderful improvement to a problem that has been
plaguing employees, there will still be resistance to
change.
Comfort with the status quo is extraordinarily
powerful.
Address it formally
Managing resistance should not be solely a reactive
tactic for change management practitioners.
There are many proactive steps that can be used to
address and mitigate resistance that should be part
of the change management approach on a project
In Phase 1 - Preparing for change:
During the creation of the change management
strategy, anticipated points of resistance and
special tactics are generated based on the
readiness assessments that are part of this phase.
In Phase 2 - Managing change:
The resistance management plan is one of the five
change management plans created - along with the
communication plan, sponsorship roadmap,
coaching plan and training plan.
In Phase 3 - Reinforcing change:
In the final phase of the process, feedback is
collected to understand employee adoption and
compliance with the new workflows and processes
prescribed by the change.
Evaluating this feedback allows the team to
identify gaps and react to resistance that may still
be occurring.
Identify the root causes
Managing resistance is ineffective when it simply
focuses on the symptoms.
While they are more evident, focusing on symptoms
will not yield results.
To be effective at managing resistance, you must
look deeper into what is ultimately causing the
resistance.
A final note on resistance to change
resistance is ultimately an individual phenomenon.
While benchmarking and analysis can identify
broadly the root causes for resistance,
it is important to ultimately address resistance by
individuals at the individual level
Engage the "right" resistance managers
The "right" resistance managers in an organization
are the senior leaders, middle managers and front-
line supervisors.
The change management team is not an effective
resistance manager. Project team members, Human
Resources or Organization Development staff is not
effective resistance managers either.
Ultimately, it takes action by leadership in an
organization to manage resistance.
Leading Organisational Change
Introduction

Revered Jessie Jackson said in a political context:

“You cannot lead where you won’t go, and teach
what you don’t know”.
What is leading change then?

Leading change is the process of initiating and

achieving the smooth implementation of change by
planning and introducing it systematically, allowing
for the possibility of it to be resisted or at least to be
misunderstood. Professor John P Kotter.
Why lead change?
Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric said,

“When the rate of change outside an organization is

greater than the rate of change inside, the end is
near”
Why lead change?
In other words and to some extend the
organizations are lacking initiators of change.
In such scenarios it is not business as usual.
Someone has to lead change, that is to say
INTIATING AND MAKING CHANGE HAPPEN
(facilitating change).
Steps to successful Change

Professor Kotter established 8 steps to successful

change further to the models and steps explained
earlier on by my co-presenters. These are:
Steps to successful Change
Step 1. Establishing a sense of urgency
Step 2. Create a guiding coalition
Step 3. Develop a vision and strategy
Step 4. Communicate the change vision
Step 5. Empower broad-based action
Step 6. Generate short-term wins
Step 7. Consolidate gains and produce more change
Step 8. Anchor new approaches in the culture
Steps to successful Change

Professor Kotter stresses that his eight stages are a

process and not a checklist, and that “successful
change of any magnitude goes through all eight
stages … skipping even a single step or getting too
far ahead without a solid base almost always
creates problem”.
1. Establish a sense of urgency

Process of initiating change involves the

identification of where change is required. A sense of
urgency that change is really needed should be
established.
This urgency drives the initiator to start the
facilitating process. This urgency is necessary to
unfreeze people or employees for the next step.
2. Forming a powerful guiding coalition

Assembling a group with enough power to lead the

change effort.
Encourage the group to work together as a team
3. Creating a vision

Creating a vision to help direct the change effort

Developing strategies for achieving that vision

4. Communicating the vision
Using every vehicle possible to communicate the
new vision and strategies.
Teaching new behaviors by example of guiding the
coalition.
“If you can’t communicate the vision to someone in
five minutes or less and get a reaction that signifies
both understanding and interest, you are not yet
done with this part of the transformation process”.
Kotter
5. Empowering others to act on the vision

Getting rid of obstacles to change

Changingsystems or structures that seriously

undermine the vision

Encouraging risk taking and nontraditional ideas,

activities, and actions
6.Plan for creating short term wins

Planning for visible performance improvements

Creating those improvements

Recognizingand rewarding employees involved in

the improvements
7. Consolidating improvements and producing still more
change
Using increased credibility to change systems,
structures, and policies that do not fit the vision
Hiring, promoting, and developing employees who
can implement the vision
Reinvigorating the process with new projects,
themes, and change agents
8. Institutionalizing new approaches

Articulatingthe connections between the new

behaviors and corporate success

Developingthe means to ensure leadership

development and succession
Conclusion

Without change we will not be what we are today.

We will not be enjoying all the things we are
enjoying. Globalization (and its advantages) could
not have been possible.
Conclusion
The aim or objectives of change is to increase
organizational capabilities and effectiveness.

If we fail to recognize that there is change taking

place at a fast rate outside our organizations and
thus lead change in our organizations accordingly –
by establishing the right sense of urgency – the end
is near.
Q&A