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Making changes means ‘making or becoming different’ – you are either introducing something new, or altering something that already exists.
Changing something means you are leaving your comfort zone. You are used to doing things a certain way and for certain reasons and when this changes you tend to resist, saying ‘but we’ve always done it this way and it works fine’. But do you really know how or why the changes have come about? Change, if implemented thoughtfully, can be a positive thing as we will demonstrate in this chapter.
We are constantly experiencing change – both in the workplace and at personally:
In the workplace
– Changes in technology affect us all differently; think of the changes in the way we work today using business equipment such as computers, internet, email, ATM, online conferencing, and the portability of communications
– They promised us a paperless office (although it hasn’t quite happened yet!) and we now have systems in place to store our information on a microchip no bigger than your thumbnail – you used to fill a filing cabinet with the same amount of information.
– Computers have also ensured that making bookings for services and keeping track of people and stock etc. are much quicker and easier.
– We can save enormous amounts of time doing business online which saves on effort, cost (envelopes, paper, stamps), and it’s quick and convenient.
In your personal life
– Think about what changes have taken place in your personal life.
– Taking a training course (you do this to change your prospects or your knowledge levels)
– Moving house (why do you do this?)
– Changing jobs (why do you do this?)
– Leaving school and entering the workforce (how do you cope with this?)
– “Throwing out your favorite old shoes!!!” (why do you do this?)
– How often do these changes occur?
– Whatever the reason for the change you are altering the current state of operation.
For a change to take place effectively and with as little disruption or trauma as possible, you need to approach the issue systematically:
You (or your managers) need to:
– assess the need for change – what is currently happening and why isn’t it working anymore?
– research what needs to be done – look at the steps you need to take (in logical order) to get from where you are now to where you want to be.
– look for potential problems with the new procedure and seek solutions.
– obtain feedback and input from relevant staff from a variety of departments
– implement the change – introduce the new plan, process or system to all concerned and provide any necessary training to staff
– evaluate the effectiveness of the change – iron out any problems and determine if the new process or system is actually doing what it is supposed to. For example, when you move house;First, you assess the need for change; you’ve got more kids and the house is too small, you can afford a better neighborhood, you are being transferred to a new city/country etc Second, you determine what kind of house would now suit you. You: look at houses in the right area, look at houses the right size, check for land rate costs etc, look how close transport, shops, and schools are, etc, find out about moving costs Third, you move! Finally, you settle into your new house and take care of all the things you couldn’t do before you moved: adding additional power points, knocking out the wall between the family room and the dining room, modernizing the kitchen etc.
Change starts with dissatisfaction.
– All changes come about due to dissatisfaction with the current state of being.
– For example; Personal (influenced by you). You might be dissatisfied with your; Clothes, Hair, House, Partner, Furniture Work (influenced by you) Department you work in, Job, Work area Supervisory (influenced by others) Work procedure, Work environment, Equipment, Other staff Management (influenced by others) Company structure, Introduction of new product / service, Introduction of new policies, New owners / managers (new broom – change for change sake) Customers requirements Market trends
– If there is dissatisfaction with the current state of play and you or your supervisors or managers start looking for a better way to do things.
Reasons for change within the workplace
– Although all changes are usually caused by EXTERNAL influences, it can be said that there are two change motivators that a business is subjected to: Internal motivators (proactive), External motivators (reactive)
– Internal change is motivated by: the need for or the introduction of new systems, expansion of the product or service line, the need to review current processes that are no longer productive, setting of new goals and strategies, expansion into new markets, the addition of new major accounts & customers, change in the office – new furniture, equipment, change of location and more.
– Many of these can also be driven by external influences, in order to satisfy product or service demand but if the change is undertaken as a result of extensive research and before the need for the change becomes a negative business factor then this is proactive and positive.
– External change is motivated by: competitors may have made positive changes to their procedures or improved their product / services that now impact your business in a negative way. the introduction of new or identification of recent legislation that means a major change in the way you market or distribute your products or services. For example, many years ago the government introduced new legislation with very strict guidelines on the advertising and packaging of tobacco products. market trends are shifting. For example, people are now much more health-conscious than ever before. This has had an enormous impact (positive) on a range of businesses. Many of these changes are forced upon us due to these external influences. If they were anticipated, researched and acted upon before they had a negative impact on us, then we were being proactive. If these changes were not anticipated, researched and acted upon then we are merely making a change because we have to or because everyone else is doing it and this is reactive. Reacting to a market-driven change (after the fact) can be costly and stressful as it usually allows no time for re-tooling, communicating with customers and staff etc.
Change Management
– Managing change is about a well-researched and thought out, step by step approach to introducing something new to your company. Issues when considering a change include; Where you are now? Where do you want to be in the future? How are you going to get there?
– Managing change effectively, then, is about taking a good look at where you are at present; 1. Your procedures 2. Your products/services 3. Customer satisfaction levels 4. Your competitiveness 5. Your sales figures and profit margins 6. Your productivity and efficiency etc.
– Determining what it is about your current state that is not working, or unsatisfactory and deciding what needs to be changed in order to be more
– Deciding what steps you need to take to move from the present, unsatisfactory, state to the new efficient and more profitable state.
– Much of this means discussing the issues with your colleagues and gaining their input and support. Advantages and disadvantages of making the change (or not making the change) should be discussed with relevant staff members and the consequences of each action to be taken should be thoroughly talked through. This is important as once the ball starts rolling and things are put into action, it may be hard to stop or change the direction. So it pays to be sure about what you are doing and that: relevant staff have been consulted and asked for input, perceived problems are worked through and solved so that implementation of the change can go ahead smoothly.
– Participants for projects involving innovation and change should ideally be chosen from a broad range of divisions within the company, choosing staff who are relevant to the project. Who is chosen from each area of the company will depend on a person’s track record, their ability to be open-minded and fair thinking, their ability to keep the project moving in a forward direction and their ability to communicate the new processes and/or procedures to their workmates.
– No two people will view a problem, a change, or a project in quite the same way, so there is room for disagreement and conflict. Bearing that in mind, management should select only a limited number of staff…
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