Change Management 3

Management's Primary Role in Relation to Change

Employees' adaptability to change

Change management is about how to go from the present situation to where you desire to be in the best possible way. It may sound simple, but changes are complex, and usually, everything in the organization is affected by the changes, i.e., employees, structure, culture, processes, and specific tasks.

Changes require changes in employees. Organizational changes, such as changes in structure, goals, technology, and work processes have an effect on employees, and organizational changes can bring about changes in working conditions, roles, job functions, and the performance of work tasks.

The employees have to acquire new skills when, e.g., the job description is changed and it is expected that employees are quickly and flexibly able to adapt to the new direction of the organization.

Changes in the employees' daily work may cause resistance to change. A scenario can be that a group realizes that there is a need for change, but chooses to oppose it, as they can see that they are going to lose the tasks that they used to be responsible for. Changes may contain emotional elements that activate emotional reactions called psychological defense mechanisms.

Six images of the change agent's role

There are many different ways of perceiving the agent's role in a change process. Theorist Palmer introduces six different images of these perceptions, which are both rooted in practical and theoretical differences in the perception of organizations.

1) The first image considers the change agent as a director

Management makes a strategic choice and implements change "top-down", referred to as "hard" change management.

2) The change agent as navigator

The change manager has the skills and power to put together new structures, such as interdisciplinary teams, but does not necessarily have the skills to initiate a successful outcome; in this respect, he is dependent on bottom-up involvement. Change is not regarded as a linear process; the future course must be set for receiving new information.

3) The change agent as caretaker

This is a relatively pessimistic view of change management, as the best thing the manager can do is to act as a shepherd of the organization to the best of his ability. He will always run into barriers regarding change, such as the organization's size and bureaucracy. This is based o the theoretical perception that the organization undergoes a "life cycle", and that very little can be done to stop this "natural" development.

4) Change management as coaching

Change management is regarded as a "sports coach" that attempts to build up the right set of values in his team, but cannot dictate every single player on the field. The coach structures the activities, so that each individual player may become better at solving their own problems.

5) Interpretive change management

Interpretative change management is when the change manager is in the process of creating meaning in the organization. The interpreter's role is to assist the individuals in developing their ability to deal with the ambiguity of any change process.

6) Nurturing, i.e. nurturing, caring for, and educating employees

Just as parents try to create the conditions for a good future for their children, the change manager tries to create good conditions for his employees. However, the manager can never be sure of what the outcome will be, due to the fact that other influences may have an impact. This way of thinking is based on a chaotic perception of organizations.

The last three images are called "soft" management styles, where change management is aimed at influencing values among employees in different ways, rather than directly "forcing" change like "hard" change management.

This theoretical framework makes us aware of which perspectives we are placed in. This way, we also become aware of how we may apply these perspectives in our approach to change management.

Awareness of the different perspectives can also be important in order to achieve a greater understanding of the individuals involved in the change process, and why they act and react the way they do.

Through awareness of which perspective is dominant in the organization, there is an opportunity to explore the limitations of this perspective in relation to the process of change.

Some organizations have a very anchored perspective. If this perspective differs from the one of a consultant, this may help to explain the frustrations of the change manager, as well as of the employees.