Globalization and technical advancements have made it mandatory for almost all organizations to make changes in their organization, in one way or the other. Experiences of such organizational changes serve as interesting key points to know while implementing such changes in another organization, experience matters. Here is a compilation of some of the key mistakes that should be avoided while implementing a change in an organization.
Not Implementing a Task Force: It is advisable to form a task force dedicated to the implementation and introduction of a change to key stakeholders. Not doing so puts more unnecessary responsibility on key drivers of the change. Many times, it is seen that the key people responsible for the change do not consult or take the senior management into confidence. This increases the probability of conflict of interests and confusion in the higher management and affects the health of the organization in the long run. The task force formed or the team responsible for the implementation and introduction of change should be comprised of influential leaders or members. These members should exhibit strong and efficient relationship management competencies along with superior task management skills. This task force would be responsible for encouraging the employees at every level to embrace the change. Apart from the ability to convince employees of all ranks about the benefits of a change, it is important to remain focused about the prosperous goals of the organization and working towards its realization.
Assuming Responses will Remain Consistent Overall: With the introduction of change, at least some if not all employees are bound to react with resistance or fear. It is a common assumption that everyone in an organization feels the same about a change in the organization. On the contrary different employees in an organization feel differently about a proposed change. For example, top management is usually content with the introduction of newer automatic machinery, the shop floor staff may not be open to the idea because of the fear of being replaced by modern machines, this is understandable.
Not Allowing Knowledge To Change Into Actions: Many organizations assume that by giving knowledge alone, the actions of employees can be changed to be proactive towards the change. Some of the major techniques used by organizations to provide change related knowledge to its employees are training sessions, mass gatherings to give knowledge and computer-based communication techniques. These exercises may provide knowledge but would not always change that knowledge into the required actions and behavior. Using methods like regular feedback sessions or question-answer based communication would help transform the knowledge conveyed into positive actions and behavior towards the change.
Not Sticking To The Vision: A common mistake done by an organization is not sticking to the vision that is communicated by the organization to the employees. Sometimes even when there is a proper definition of the vision that an organization is going to implement, it gets sidetracked from its goal. This calls for an immediate need for an inventory check for the proper implementation of the required change in the organization.
Failing to Plan Small Successive Successes: Many organizations target long term changes and do not bother about short term, easily manageable changes. Short term changes are an excellent choice for implementing changes in an organization because they offer less risk and lesser, mostly recoverable cost when implied.
Listen: One of the biggest stumbling blocks for businesses and people in general is not listening. Listening to your employees and stakeholders alike. More often they have valuable information to share that can be most useful in reaching the goals and objectives of the organization.
These steps will let you implement an efficient change in your organization with a high success rate.
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