Writing Homework Help
Effective Communication and Collaborative Skills Responses
Topic: Lesson 8
This lesson will consider the implementation of organizational change to maximize buy-in and deal with those who resist change. The class will consider Kotter’s 8-step model to determine how to utilize others in the organization to help implement this change and incorporate the best possible model.
Learning Outcomes
- Determine ways to effectively implement organizational change to maximize potential long-term success.
Two issues for discussion are posed for each lesson. Learners must individually address the issues—initial response—through college-level, succinct and insightful paragraphs.
Peer replies to further the conversation
Student replied to at least two (2) classmates’ posts and each reply includes at least three (3) to four (4) sentences relating the classmate’s post.
Responses are substantive and encourage discussion by proposing a different point of view supported by an attribution to a source, personal example, or personal application. All responses include related follow up questions to promote continued discussion.
Forum Post 1:
Re: Lesson 8, IFD #1
LESSON 8 ISSUE FOR DISCUSSION #1:
How do you as a leader handle those resistant to organizational change?
(In need of a reply of at least 100 words) to the Forum Post Below:
A couple of years ago, a new leadership team came in to my department of 100 people. It very quickly became apparent that anyone perceived as not being in support of organizational change would be shown the door. This scorched earth policy meant a lot of institutional knowledge was sent packing. Fortunately in the Marine Corps we can’t simply fire those that are resistant to change, but this does come with it’s own challenges as change can be even harder to implement.
As a reminder from the reading, here are the eight steps to organizational change.
Step 1: Create Urgency
Step 2: Form a Powerful Coalition
Step 3: Create a Vision for Change
Step 4: Communicate the Vision
Step 5: Remove Obstacles
Step 6: Create Short-Term Wins
Step 7: Build on the Change
Step 8: Anchor the Changes in Corporate Culture
Generally when instituting change, I look for what it would require to reach a tipping point (Read Malcom Gladwell-Tipping Point, if you haven’t already). Usually there is a critical mass of people or maybe more accurately “people power” that is required to institute change. I’ll loosely define “people power” as the amount of sway (or wasta) per person. As we all know, not all employees have the same influence. And it’s not precisely correlated with rank. We’ve all seen the staff officer or senior enlisted that wields little influence. Often at the company level I focus at the sergeant level. There are typically 3-5 of them which can control the entire 150 person until when they’re aligned with the leadership vision. Of the eight steps outlined in the reading, this would be step 2 and the one I would view as the most critical because it requires the most challenging thing, to change the way people view the world
Forum Post 2:
Re: Lesson 8, IFD #2
LESSON 8 ISSUE FOR DISCUSSION #2:
How do you incorporate organizational change from superiors that you may not agree with?
(In need of a reply of at least 100 words)to the Forum Post Below.
This is certainly a very tricky question as it is important to maintain credibility with people by sticking to your opinions (don’t be Aaron Burr from the play Hamilton), while simultaneously supporting the leadership’s vision. Often it is important to consider what parts of the organizational change you support. For one, you can easily say that it is important to support any change and reinforce that change is continuous. This shows support for the change while also not binding you the efficacy of it.
As discussed by Clark in the reading, there are three reasons for change: “We can refer to these theories by the simplified shorthand of politicians, generals, and events.” (Clark, Page 25) I would further simplify them as internal, external, and supernatural (admittedly, the third is a little weak). If you are able to classify the change into one of these categories, it will help you internalize and understand why it is occurring and justify your support.
I was not in favor of weighing down our troops with extremely heavy personal protective equipment (Read, A Soldier’s Load, if you haven’t already), it really wasn’t a general’s decision to increase individual load, nor was it a general’s decision to create the Mine Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicle. This was both an event (i.e. the proliferation of IEDs) and politicians (the desire to decrease casualties). While neither was supported by my, I can understand how this trickled down to affect my daily combat patrols in Iraq and could justify it in my mind.
The simply answer to this question was exemplified in the wonderful clip from Saving Private Ryan (I had forgotten the portion when the Captain says, “Pay attention, this is how to gripe”). Quite simply, gripes go up, not down.
Additional Resource:
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_82.htm
Talk to us support@bestqualitywriters.com