Running head: CHANGE MANAGEMENT REFLECTION 1

Change Management Reflection

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 Introduction

Change management is essential in the management of any organization. A successful

manager should be in a position to adjust organization strategies, culture, and the structure of an

organization for the success of a business (By, 2005). Studying change management has helped

in acquiring vital knowledge that can be used in future management roles. Before studying

change management book, I did not have a clear understanding of what change management is

and how helpful it was in an organization. After studying change management with guidance

from a lecturer, I have realized the need for change management in an organization and its role in

the success of a business. The following reflection will explain, demonstrate, and assess chapter

3,4,7,9 and 10 of the book "Change Management." The chapter discusses teamwork, Resistance,

Conflict, environmental scanning, and change leadership consecutively.

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 (Creating a team ecosystem) discusses the importance of creating a team for

change management. A change team includes people, parts, and processes. The structure of the

change management team includes leadership, communication, human resource, finance, and

expertise (Pearce & Sims, 2002). For effective change strategies, the change management team

should have essential skills such as knowledge, skills, abilities, and motivation. Creating a

change management team requires the management to have some sub-teams such as work

category teams, senior management teams, middle management teams, and special teams, among

other essential sub-teams. Also, the change teams should apply the six systems models of

teamwork, including cooperation, collaboration, communication, accountability, responsibilities,

and authority. Teamwork is suitable in change management because it helps in generating

different ideas, using diverse expertise in handling change, and using a wide range of experience
in implementing change (Montes, 2005). However, lack of coordination leads to failure of

teamwork; the teams must have common goals for the success of change management.

From the knowledge acquired from this chapter, I will work with a team during the

implementation of change other than working individually. I will ensure that we have a common

goal to avoid conflict sin change management hence avoid the failure of the change strategy.

Some skills acquired from the chapter include creating effective teamwork and how to avoid the

pitfall associated with teamwork, such as over-relying on the leaders and failure to solve a

conflict. Therefore, the skills will help me to create a robust change management team that will

lead to the success of change implementation.

Chapter 4

The chapter focuses on change-resistant in an organization. Regardless of change being

implemented to improve the performance of an organization, it can face resistance. Central

changes in an organization include a change in technology, organization structure, and people

(Olaniyan & Ojo, 2008). Therefore, workers in an organization are mostly affected by any

change in an organization. Lack of flexibility in organizational culture is among the cause of

change resistance in many organizations. Also, if a change is perceived as a threat to employees,

they may resist it (Oreg, 2006). For instance, changing organization equipment may threaten

unskilled employees hence resisting the changes, fear of the unknown, and poor leadership,

among other causes. Some of the fear and conflict induces in change implementation include

unclear goals of the change, lack of proper communication; in this case, only a few members in

an organization understand the motives of suggested changes (Wittig, 2012). Also, lack of

communication leads to suspicion of hidden agenda in a particular suggested change hence

leading to employees' resistance. When the employees are not engaged in change management
by listening or asking their ideas, they also tend to resist change hence leading to poor

implementation of change strategies.

In my management career life, I will implement changes in an organization to enhance

the performance of an organization in areas such as technological development, employee

development, and recruitment procedure, and organizational goals and culture that will enhance

the performance of an organization to achieve organizational goals. Some of the fundamental

changes will be changing the technological equipment to be consistent with modern technology,

updating the recruitment procedure to be constituent with national employment policy, and

changing the structure of an organization to be consistent with business strategies.

The common challenge that I would face in change management is resistance from

employees. However, to overcome the challenge, I will ensure proper communication, the

communication will enable every individual in the organization to understand the motives of

change in the organization. Also, I will listen to the ideas of the employees and engage them

during the decision making about change strategies that touch their areas. Before, implementing

change, I will ensure that I create o flexible organizational culture that supports changes. The

approach will help in reducing the resistance of change in an organization. Besides, I will

motivate employees to enhance change implementation hence limiting the chances of resistance.

From the knowledge acquired in this chapter, I feel ready to implements change management

since I understand its purpose of change and how to avoid the pitfall of resistance.

Week 7

Conflict is conventional in many workplaces; the central cause of conflict is a

disagreement between individuals or groups (Himes, 2008). It has both positive and negative
impact on an organization. The positive impact is that it stimulates critical thinking and change

in an organization. The negative impact of conflict is that it results in poor coordination hence

lowering the performance of workers in an organization. Some of the significant causes of

conflict include self-interest, prejudice, lack of empathy, and desire for power other causes

(Gatlin, Wysocki, & Kepner, 2002). Employee conflict resolution plays a vital role in the

performance of workers; most workers agree that conflict resolution skill is vital to the

supervisor. Supervisors should be concerned with employee morale and mentor their juniors to

demonstrate practical employee conflict resolution skills. Workers tend to trust supervisors with

conflict resolution skills in workplaces. Dysfunctional conflict limits the performance of

workers; examples of dysfunction conflict include communication slow down and workplace

stress—the functional conflict help in improving workers' performance and supporting

innovation (Singleton et al., .2011). Deflecting judging is among the communication style that

escalates conflict and can lead to physical attacks and assertive verbal attacks. The conflict

resolution process involves listening to individuals with issues, identifying the conflict, and

finding a possible solution. Also, evaluating the solution enables one to accept or reject a

particular solution.

In my management career, I will ensure that the workplace environment is conducive for

all workers. However, there are common causes of conflict that may arise in an organization.

Some of the strategies that will help in building a conflict fee organization include identifying

the roles of every individual in an organization—setting boundaries and building an

organizational culture that embraces teamwork. Also, defining clear organizational goals,

mission, and values will help in avoiding self-interest in the organization hence reducing the

level of conflict in an organization. With the knowledge acquired from chapter 7 of the change
management book, I will manage to solve the conflict in the organization when need arise.

Following the steps to conflict resolution, which include listening to individuals with issues, will

help me to identify the cause of conflict in an organization. After identifying the cause of

conflict, I will discuss the possible solution to the conflict with the parties involved. In this step, I

will listen to different ideas and test the viability of the solution; this will help in identifying

what can work and what cannot work before accepting or rejecting a solution. The conflict

resolution skills acquired in this topic will help me to diagnose workplace conflict and manage it

before, resulting in a severe impact on an organization.

Week 9

Chapter 9 of Change management focuses on environmental scanning for change. The

environmental scanning process involves collecting relevant data from the internal and external

environment and analyzing it to identify business opportunities and threats (Albright, 2004).

Some of the vital information from the external environment involves the competitor's strategies

and general changes in a particular industry. Also, the political and legal issues, change in

technology, and demographic factors are vital in decision making; hence information regarding

them should be collected and analyzed (Babatunde & Adebisi, 2012). Environment scanning

enables a manager to make long term strategies for an organization. The speed of change in the

external environment should be consistent with the internal environment of an organization.

Managers in an organization should be aware of the changes in the business environment to

ensure that they adjust the internal environment. Some of the fundamental changes in the internal

environment include communication, morale, job satisfaction, and gender, among other changes

that help in achieving organizational goals.

environment of an organization. The environmental scanning process will help in collecting vital

information that can be used in current and future decision-making process. I will ensure that I

am aware of the competitors' move in the industry and respond to the competitor threats by

making the right changes strategies that will protect my organization from the severe

competition. Also, I will ensure that I understand customers' needs by collecting vital

information from the customers and the general population characteristics. I will also ensure that

I am aware of the changes in the political and legal factors, among other external factors, to

ensure that an organization complies with the law and is consistent with other external

environmental factors that may influence the performance of a business. The knowledge

acquired in the chapter is helpful in my management career, I understand the right way to

perform environmental scanning for efficient change management. With the knowledge and

skills acquired from the topic, I will collect vital information from the internal and external

environment of a business and ensure consistency in the two environments, thus enhancing

business sustainability.

Week 10

The chapter focuses on change leadership; leaders are at the forefront in implementing

change in an organization (Valente & Pumpuang, 2007). They act as role models in giving

direction in an organization. Without proper leadership, change cannot be implemented

successfully (Pasmore & Lafferty, 2009). There are various skills associated with good

leadership, such as the ability to relate with employees and other stakeholders in an organization

effectively. Good leaders must be able to treat their employees equally; they should also listen to

their juniors and motivates them (Mumford, Campion, & Morgeson, 2007). Also, they should not
utilize the traditional model of leadership where the leaders demand respect from employees and

command them. Instead, leaders should respect his/her employees; this will enable workers to

trust them and also respect them (Hayes, 2018).

In my management career, I will ensure that I am on the frontline to show the direction in

an organization through example. Also, I will establish a good relationship with my employees

by respecting them and guiding them through implementing change. Also, I will motivate

employees in various ways, such as setting clear goals and rewarding the employee to encourage

them to enhance their performance in implementing change. I will also create a conducive work

environment by solving conflicts, encouraging work ethics, encouraging teamwork, and consult

with employees while making a decision. The leadership approach will help in implementing

change strategies, thus enhancing the success of an organization.

Conclusion

Change management is essential in the success of any business; therefore, the knowledge

acquired from chapter 3,4,7,9 and 10 of Change management, and I am now in a position to hand

various issues associated with change. For instance, I can be able to manage conflict in an

organization to create a conducive environment for change implementation. Also, I understand

the reasons why employees resist change and the right way to encourage them to implement

changes through change leadership. For instance, excellent communication within the workplace

helps in identifying every individual with the suggested change; also, listening to employees

helps in engaging them in decision making hence making them a part of the organizational

change. The approaches help in avoiding resistance among workers. Also, encouraging

teamwork in the workplace help in enhancing change management by acquiring more ideas and
experience from team members. Environmental scanning helps acquire vital information that

helps in the formulation and implementation of change strategies.

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