ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

Organizational Change

Organizational Change

Abstract

Change in today's organizations is occurring at a staggering rate. Often the responsibility to manage that change falls to the internal organization development or training professionals. This responsibility can be overwhelming, particularly without a change model or process in place. With mindful planning, however, there are a host of tools and techniques that can be applied to change initiatives to facilitate the management process. Keys for successful change management include thinking holistically to understand all of the change implications, focusing on the critical success factors that facilitate implementation, and striving to be an equal partner with the businesses implementing change.Introduction

Obviously we have all been dealing with changes in our lives since the moment of birth. With all of that practice wouldn't you think that as a collective group we would be better able to integrate change into our business lives as well as we do our personal lives? Most of us, when faced with change at work - are naturally concerned about “self” and the impact the change will have on us personally - our job security, the ability to pay our bills, and also about what it may mean for our careers within an organization. The basic question, then, for most people, is: “How will this change affect me?”. If we recognize this concern while planning for change, we can be prepared to address it. If, however, we ignore it and assume that the change is beneficial for all, then we are likely to encounter resistance and diminished productivity. Having a solid change management process and tools can help organization development professionals add value to the bottom line during any change initiative (merger, acquisition, technology, reorganization, etc.) by effectively understanding the roots of resistance and how to deal with it proactively(McCalman, 1994).

Discussion

At our company, we have had “change management” tools and processes in place for more than ten years. Although we have recognized the need to help people understand how change affects them and help them adapt to the changes long-term, we were never more challenged by change than we were two years ago with the initial bid to buy (in conjunction with another organization) a major competitor. Had this acquisition reached final approval, Air Products would have moved from No. 4 in the gases and chemicals manufacturing industry to No. 2. The organization would have acquired 17,000 new employees, doubling its current employee base. That endeavor, from an administrative standpoint, is significant; but to lay on top of that effort the expectation that we will make the transition as smooth as possible for people, pay attention to their needs, and minimize the productivity dip that inevitably occurs with any large change - the effort becomes much more of an art than an administrative task. The good news (as with any art form) is that with some knowledge, the proper tools and techniques, a lot of perseverance and dedication, the art form can be greatly improved. When you filter in some of the statistics regarding mergers and ...