Organizational Behavior and Change Leaders

Organizational Behavior and Change Leaders

Introduction

Society has greatly changed over the past few decades and technology is the primary contributor to the variation in lifestyles seen all over the world. Advancements in telephony, communication, media and microwave technology has made life a lot simpler. Today, gadgets such as cell phones, GPS locators and devices that function based on internet connectivity have become norm.

Keeping the above mentioned changes in mind, it comes as no surprise that organizations have had to change as well. Time waits for no one, and thus leaders in the business world must constant evolve and adapt to current situations. Part of this evolving nature is the responsibility and burden on the shoulders of the teams and leaders that guide their organizations in to the required change (Albaum et al, 2005, pp.67-68). Consisting of sponsors, responsibility, project managers, stakeholders and millions of dollars at stake, change leaders are a crucial part of any organization and must be handpicked to ensure quality, efficiency and productivity. For the reasons stated, specific questions asked prior to appointing a change leader include:

Are they capable of handling resources and manpower?

Do they possess the desired attitude towards the change and the overall organization?

Do they possess the required knowledge to make the endeavor achievable?

Are they masters of the skills required?

Discussion

The rate at which technology has evolved is immense and could have hardly been predicted by most. It can be said that just in a few months, the gadgets, equipment and knowledge we use today to accomplish our most challenging tasks will become obsolete and outdated. With that being said, organizations must constantly be ready for potential changes and respond to advancements in their particular field if they wish to survive in today's market. Managers must continually come up with innovative ideas and be able to adapt to situations. For the advancement to occur, employee skills must evolve too.

The Right Attitude

First and foremost, if a change in the organization must take place, everyone must be onboard and understand the benefits of the change. Anyone resisting the change can hamper progress or even cause it to fail. Change is complex and is labor intensive, involving many people, mixed emotions and even conflicting attitudes. Often, many changes seen in organization can result in conflicting priorities, unforeseen problems, resistance for older employees and frustration among staff (Appelbaum et al, 1998, pp.289-301). These are only some of the problems that must be faced by change leaders on an everyday basis.

A good way to ensure that such problems do not become too large an issue is to appoint such a leader that is committed, ambitious and has zeal for the project at hand. Individuals who look at the challenge of bringing change in the organization as a way to progress their career rather than feel it is a burden are more likely to succeed. In doing so, the individual will gain a deeper understanding of the organization, build extended networks and contacts and will develop necessary leadership ...