Organisational Change
Organisations and managers face change on a continuous basis, especially in volatile environments. Sometimes we need to change as a reaction to external threats. And other times it is a proactive attempt to seize opportunities.
It is crucial that organisations endeavour to create and sustain competitive advantage. This includes, where possible, innovating to improve competitive position within the marketplace. You need, not only the readiness to change but also the ability to implement the proposed changes.
If you can view changes as opportunities rather than threats it can make implementing the changes easier. This is because you need to obtain a ‘buy-in’ from stakeholders, often primarily your staff. Sometimes limited to small groups of staff. But quite often impacts all your employees. Certainly within a smaller company this is commonplace. Their involvement might not be direct. For example physically using the new software system, or just receiving work orders in a different format.
To ensure that the company objectives are met, it is important to manage change carefully. Additionally, that all changes are implemented as smoothly as possible to minimise disruption to the day-to-day running of the business. Including identifying any training needs and support for employees.
There are many different change models that can be used to assist with implementing changes. It can be rather a minefield to ascertain which one(s) to use and how to make them useful rather than just a tick box exercise. There is no point in completing a SWOT analysis for example if you never refer to it down the line.