Management of Change

A while ago I was asked to write a class material on management of change for my students at the FUSEMBA program of the Institute of Lifelong Learning (IL3) of the University of Barcelona. Here is a synthesis of that material.

Change is not only a reality in organizational management but also a necessity. The current turbulent environment requires that an organization and its members have the ability to undergo dynamic changes to achieve high performance levels and be able to maintain their competitive advantages and value contribution.

To be successful in efforts to manage change, managers must be capable of recognizing the forces that motivate change. These forces can come from sources that are internal or external to the organization. Sometimes they originate from a combination of both.

Managers are the main change agents in most organizations. Management’s commitment to change must be visible because its behavior will serve as a model for employees. A shared vision of change must be developed that includes participation of the greatest possible number of employees in the planning process. A careful diagnosis and needs analysis must be carried out before proceeding to implement change.
Because resistance to change is an unavoidable fact, management must plan for its occurrence and prepare to manage it. Timely and complete communication on the background and consequences of change, high levels of participation and empathic support will be very useful in helping an organization’s members during the transitional stage. In addition, the organization’s rewards system must be prepared to reinforce new behaviors and to snuff out the old ones. Finally, to effectively meet the goals of change it is also important to carefully select an organizational development technique.