Sample Business Paper on effective change management
Managers are required to apply effective change management on projects from the very beginning to mitigate resistance. Change management helps to manage resistance when it happens and effectively activates and engages employees in the change process. Effective change management enables managers to come up with both proactive and reactive tactics for managing resistance to change.
Avoiding the resistance to change situation requires a proactive approach. Managers should ensure there are adequate resources for managing the change process, proper communication and adequate management of the change process. Up-front communication and education of employees enables them to see the reason for the change effort and minimizes chances of resistance. Employees should also participate and be involved in the change effort which increases their chances of buying into the change. Senior managers should also visibly show their support and commitment to the change.
After resistance occurs, managers should start by understanding its root causes. Causes of resistance to change include lack of awareness among employees why the change is needed, the impact of the change of current job roles, past performance with change in the firm, failure by managers to display visible support and commitment and fear of job loss. An innovative approach that can be adopted in the change process is the force field analysis. This is a way that managers can use to visually map out the forces that may drive or hinder the change. It will help in identifying the driving and restraining forces. The manager can then develop strategies for reducing the impact of the forces that oppose the change and strengthen the driving forces. Therefore, effective change management will help in avoiding the resistance and handling it when it occurs.