Change management simulation Essay

As the rapid development of modern economy and the increasingly fierce market competition, the demand of how to manage organization change is increasing. Especially for leaders in both large and small companies, the ability of dealing with change is so significant. In many case, the main reason for company bankruptcy is that leaders fail to cope with organization environment change properly. The demise of many fortune 500 companies in the 1980s and 1990s suggests that the leaders of these companies were ineffective in responding to changes in the business environment; they were unable to overcome rigidities in their firms until it was too late. (Beer, M. & N. Nohria. 2000) In order to improve my learning about managing organization change, I did change management simulation four days ago. Then I am going to talk about the detail of my stimulation. In this simulation, I was the CEO of Spectrum Sunglass Company. For this company, the future is bright due to the growing sunglass market. However, from many professional articles I read, I learned that sustainable development is significant for business, our company should offer some new sunglass products to customers who concern about Spectrum’s environmental impact. Moreover, new products can also differentiate our products from competitors’ and provide us more sales opportunities. But unfortunately, some of my colleagues doesn’t agree with my points, the CFO of my company thinks green raw materials may be so expensive that will influence the profit margins of Spectrum. Then my  mission is to persuade Spectrum’s managers to adopt my proposal. PROCESS RECORDING Week 0 – Week 2 Firstly, I conducted private interviews, I interview Michelle Barth, the executive assistant; Nancy Kerr, the director of product innovation and Yao Li, the director of process innovation. For my assistant, I think I should discuss with her first if I have a proposal. And the other two people are in innovation department, it’s easier for them to accept my opinion than others. After that, I told a ‘success’ story to the three same people to convince them deeply and hope them help me persuade other colleagues. Successful diversity need strong commitment from top management. (Beer, M., R. A. Eisenstat, & B. Spector, 1990) Week 3 to Week 5 In the third week, I issued an email notice to the whole company to tell them my opinion and obtain initial feedback from them. I think it’s important to let them understand my opinion and persuade them to support my opinion. Then I hold town hall meetings to talk about my opinion face to face, to know my colleague’s opinion, after that week, walk the talk was followed. Week 7 – Week 9 In the seventh week, I got the consultant’s support, at this time, the people who was interested in my opinion was greatly increased. From the seventeenth week to the ninety week, I provide both external skill-building and internal skill-building to some people in our organization, the purpose is to let them know well about the skill that my proposal needs and make them believe the advantage of my proposal, after these two levers I used, some people began to adopt my proposal. I think these two levers are effective. Week 13 In the thirtieth week, I announced goals and deadlines of Spectrum. I told my company my determination to change, to produce new products. After that, five people began to try my opinion. Week 23 Ten weeks later, I revised reward system, I hope I can use a special way to let them know the significance of changing. After that, I repeated to use the former effective levers to persuade my colleagues. Week 64 – Week 65 In the sixty four week, I posted progress reports of my company, to show the development of the new product, two more people adopted my proposal. At this time, I have already achieved most people’s adoption, in order to convince more people, I decided to continue my work. I also conducted pilot project the following week, I want to see the marketing condition of the new sunglass product, to find its drawbacks and relative developing ways. Week 74 – Week 75 In the seventy four week, I privately confront resister Louise Orysh to ask his opinion about new products and why she doesn’t adopt it, to know the weakness of the new product and how to reform. Then I restructured organization the following week. Week 91 – Week 93 During the ninety one to ninety three weeks, I provided internal skill-building and external building again, and then, my initiative achieved all the managers’ adoption. CHANGING MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT Now I will assess my work. As a change agent, I have 20 adopters of sustainability initiative in the management team at Spectrum, I persuaded all the managers adopt my proposal successfully. I have succeed in bringing about a significant organization change and creating a bright future for both Spectrum and the environment. So, I think I am an effective change agent. But I also have some deficiencies on my changing management practices. Although I attained 20 adaptors, I spend 93 weeks to get this result, it’s really a long time. The change efficiency ratio is only 0.22. I have to say my work is effective but not efficient, I still need to shorten working time to improve change efficiency. The flexibility and speed is also important in changing management. (Kanter, R. M., B. Stein & T. D. Jick. 1992.) From managing organizational change, I learned that the need for knowledge about how to manage organization change efficiently and effectively is continually rising. If there was a code that could unlock our understanding how change might best be changed, it hadn’t yet be broken. (Beer, M. & N. Nohria. 2000) But break the code may be not the best way to  manage change. The core of organization change is that change what is invalid and remain what is effective. A successful organization know how to overcome the antibody of refusing innovation, seize appropriate opportunities and avoid risks. Furthermore, the central challenge is not strategy, not systems, not culture. These elements and many others can be very important, but the core problem without question is behavior. (Kotter, J. & D. Cohen. 2002.) So changing behavior is the core of changing organization management. Revitalization is one kind of organization change, it involves enhancing the abilities of and contributions made by, managers, workers, and the organization sa a whole to cope with an increasingly competitive environment. (Beer, M. 1990) In summary, I still have some deficiency during this change management simulation. For next time I am going to lead change, when I catch up with a changing opinion, I will notice all the company managers about it, to seek for their advisements. The core of organization changing is human’s behavior, if they agree with my initiative, it’s easy to change their behaviors. I think I should give every manager an equal chance to learn about my proposal and state their own opinion, this way is more acceptable for the managers. So I will hold town meeting first. Moreover, I would like to take some measures to persuade managers adopt my proposal, such as clarify organizational values and conduct private interviews. Finally, I will provide internal skill-building and external skill-building to the rest managers who still doesn’t agree with me, and I can also privately confront resisters to ask the reason he disagree with me. I think through improving what I listed above, I will enhance the efficiency of changing management and achieve most adaptors in shortest time. Reference Beer, M. 1990. The Critical Path to Corporate Renewal. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Beer, M., R. A. Eisenstat, and B. Spector. 1990. Why change programs don’t produce change. Harvard Business Review (November–December): 2-11. Beer, M., and N. Nohria. 2000. Breaking the Code of Change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Kotter, J., and D. Cohen. 2002. The Heart of Change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Kanter, R. M., B. Stein, and T. D. Jick. 1992. The Challenge of Organizational Change: How Companies Experience It and Leaders Guide It. New York: Free Press.