Change Management

Change is a compelling aspect of any organization. When implementing a new organization-wide "acceptable use" policy to the workers' access to the internet, one needs to be more cautious by creating a platform where everyone is free to express their views. When implementing a policy, I might consider contemplating the rules' effects before enforcing them and how people would react. Also, I might consider determining the rationale for implementing the acceptable use policy y defining the extent to which I will impact the organization. I might consider determining how the employees use the internet when there is less or no supervision. This way, it would be easy to implement the new policy effectively and, at the same time, make it acceptable to everyone.

Some employees might oppose the new acceptable use policy due to various reasons. Some people consider it their workplace right or freedom to have confidentiality and privacy in how they use the internet. It can be challenging to change their mindset regarding privacy concerns.

To be able to implement the new policy, I need to overcome various anxieties. One of the concerns when inhibiting a person is the fear to read and respond to feedback. Most employees air their views and grievances by providing feedbacks on haunting issues, and therefore they should receive proactive responses. The other key anxiety that I should overcome is the fear to administer and lead. This fear emerges from individual employees' fear due to various reasons such as workplace level and their experience. Overcoming these anxieties is necessary for the proper implementation of the new policy.

In my opinion, there are practices that can help tearing down the barriers to change.

1. Communicate the importance of change management
2. Define roles and responsibilities in change management

• Define an Organization Chart and/or a Cultural Diagram
• Define a clear Project plan 
• Define the Change Manager
• Define the Change Owner
• Create Committees such as a Change Advisory and/or Emergency Change Advisory committee

3. Have change management workflows to help with the decision making

The approach seeks to help organizations deal with the challenges encountered in a firm when enforcing a change in its operations. The approach in question will help firms manage their projects. According to the approach's provisions, employees will be free; hence they can engage in different projects in the organization.

According to Senge et al. (2014), serious projects involving change are against the organization's prevailing systems. Managers are willing to engage in the change if it does not impact the way they manage their employees.

Senge et al. are for the idea that managers should employ various techniques to successfully implement change in their firms. These techniques include starting small, expecting challenges, maintaining growth, and planning in phases. Managers should start small because introducing all the policies in the firm would make it hard for employees to comply with especially when the changes affect their level of output. Managers need to expect challenges when enforcing a change in the organization, for not all employees will agree with the new policies. Managers should have a plan with different phases to cater to the organization's different times and seasons. Besides, having a plan with all the details regarding the changes required to be implemented in a firm will make it hard for the employees and the management team to deal with the various challenges associated with the plan. On the other hand, Senge et al. do not issue the formulaic solutions of dealing with the different forces created by organizational change in a firm.

The approach in question is valid because it focuses on the long-term effects and issues associated with the firm's needs. Long-term sustainability issues need to be addressed with a firm to maintain smooth organizational change. According to Senge et al. (2014), project managers must focus on the early stages involved in the project. These stages include first initiating and evaluating organizational change and sustainability of the organization's change. Project initiation is a significant part of project management, for it ensures that the manager aligns the project with the goals and objectives. The initiation process ensures that the project manager understands the requirements that facilitate the organizational change's success.

Managers need to comprehend the work required to deliver the firm's desired results. It is important to balance the different forces which arise when the organization is experiencing change. This helps maintain a workforce that is focused on the change needed in the firm, thus contributing towards achieving the company's goals and objectives. Besides, the forces which develop when some employees begin to execute their duties differently lead to incompatibility. This disrupts the workflow for the employees who lack unity. Employees need to have a positive mindset regarding organizational change occurring in their firms for them to support any project initiated by the management. Some employees do not support organizational change due to the wrong perception regarding the changes that need to be made. Some employees fail to understand the benefits of the organization's change being enforced.

• Set a realistic plan in place to carry out the switch
• Set a team in charge of education and support end-users in their use of the new software
• Establish practice sessions to learn how to use the software
• Continuing training so that end-users feel confident using the new software

All personnel impacted should be fully briefed; risks and issues discussed and mitigated. In all major change programs, there's always the danger that change management gets delegated; leaders distance themselves from the challenge of implementing the priorities they once championed. That can cause the initiatives to fail. An organization needs an authoritative leader capable of persuading and attracting people with an engaging vision, capable of being both a credible and enthusiastic leader that never stops emphasizing how important the full implementation of the change/software would be.

Follow Kotter's eight-step process:

?  Generate a sense of urgency;

?  Establish a powerful guiding coalition;

?  Develop a change vision;

?  Communicate the vision for buy-in (clearly and often);

?  Empower broad-based action and remove obstacles to the vision;

?  Plan for and create short-term wins;

?  Never let up—drive new behaviors and practices and avoid regression;

?  Incorporate changes into the corporate culture.

What are some simple tasks that can be taken during the planning process to reduce the barriers to change that might occur?

Planning is a process by which organizations try to anticipate change and adapt to ensure that organizational goals are met.

• Set goals and objectives
• The planning function begins by setting goals and objectives without the statement that the organization may fail to set its priorities and allocate resources.
• Define the current situation
•  It is important to identify the organization's weaknesses and strengths and the resources that can be used to achieve the goals.
• Establish premises on future conditions
• At this stage, managers evaluate the internal and external environment in an attempt to identify those factors that could create problems in trying to achieve the objectives. Then managers predict future trends based on these factors because, although difficult, anticipating problems and opportunities is an essential part of the planning process.
• Create alternatives and set the direction
• During this stage, managers develop alternatives and choose the option that seems most appropriate.
• Building organizational capacity, capability, and readiness.
• Implement the plans and evaluate the results
• Planning is the first of the basic functions of management and underlies the other functions. This stage of the planning process emphasizes the relationship between planning and control: action plans are the basis of the control process.

According to Cameron, Esther; Green, Mike. Making Sense of Change Management (2008), important aspects of the change process include:

• Alignment- This ensures that all the components of the change plan are an integrated whole.
• Attunement- This is about ensuring that all aspects of the change are carried out in line with organizational values and with sufficient attention to the human side of change.
• Critical Mass- The aim of a change management plan is to develop momentum and build sustainability. This occurs when a sufficient critical mass of people are aligned in tune with the senior management.
• Building Organizational capability- Change management capacity and capability within organizations varies dramatically. The sooner the need for change is accepted by the senior management, the easier it is to implement.
• Encouraging Individual Learning- This provides an incentive as well as helps develop and integrate new ideas.

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