Synergetic_Solutions_Report

Overview The world is ever-changing and companies must be able to change as well. Those who do not are in danger of falling behind. Any area can be affected by change and a company has to be prepared for these changes. Change can cause turmoil within a company and it is essential that the company prepare leaders and employees for new transitions. Understanding how the changes effects everyone will create a more successful transition and provide a more harmonious environment. This paper includes a discussion of internal and external forces of change, leadership factors and change models, the types of resistance faced and strategies to manage this resistance. Internal and External Forces of Change Change is inevitable and organizations that resist change are subject to becoming unstable. Organizations must recognize the internal and external forces of change and have a plan of action to implement these changes. Internal driving forces things, situations, or events that occur inside the business, and are generally under the control of the company (Ask.com, 2010). Internal forces that Synergetic Solutions face include technological capacity, organization of machinery and equipment, financial management, and employee morale. Each issue has to be addressed separately to formulate a plan of action. External driving forces are things, situation, or events that occur outside of the company and are by and large beyond the control of the company. Examples of external driving forces may be, the industry itself, the economy, demographics, competition, and political interference (Ask.com, 2010). Synergetic Solutions was driven by a stagnating system integration market to reorganize the network solutions division. The company realized the growth because of external forces and began to make changes. Since Synergetic Solution is flexible to these changes, it could take the company into areas they had never considered. Leadership factors and change models Leaders have to consider the politics of change. Because change invariably threatens the status quo, it inherently implies political activity. Power struggles within the organization will determine, to a large degree, the speed, and quantity of change. Leaders should expect that long-time career executives will be sources of resistance. Implementing change models can assist with the transition. One change model is Lewin’s Three-Step Model. Kurt Lewin argued that successful change in organizations should follow three steps: unfreezing the status quo, movement to a desired end state, and refreezing the new change to make it permanent (Robbins & Judge, 2007). Another model that leaders can use is Kotter’s Eight-Step Plan for Implementing Change. Kotter began by listing common failures that managers make when trying to initiate change. These included the inability to create a sense of urgency about the need for change, failure to create a coalition for managing the change process, the absence of a vision for change and to effectively communicate that vision, not removing obstacles that could impede the achievement of the vision, failure to provide short-term and achievable goals, the tendency to declare victory too soon, and not anchoring the changes into the organization’s culture (Robbins & Judge, 2007). Once evaluating and implementing these models, then the resistance of the employees should be addressed. Kotter devised an eight step plan on implementing change. The steps involved: • Establish a sense of urgency by creating a compelling reason for why change is needed. • Form a coalition with enough power to lead the change • Create a new vision to direct the change and strategies for achieving the vision • Communicate the vision throughout the organization • Empower others to act on the vision by removing barriers to change and encouraging risk taking and creative problem solving • Plan for, create, and reward short-term “wins” that move the organization toward the new vision • Consolidate improvements, reassess changes, and make necessary adjustments in the new programs • Reinforce the changes by demonstrating the relationship between new behaviors and organizational success (Robbins & Judge, 2007). With leaders appropriately communicating and implement these ideas, the transition process can be a success. Types of resistance Resistance to change is inevitable in an organizational environment. To minimize the effects of resistance, it is important to first identify the types of resistance. Economic factors are ever present in resistance. Changes in job tasks or established work routines can arouse economic fears if employees are concerned that they won’t be able to perform the new tasks or routines to their previous standards, especially when pay is closely tied to productivity (Robbins & Judge, 2007). Another factor is fear of the unknown. Employees automatically turn to resistance when the unknown is present. They fear for the loss of their jobs therefore resisting the change gives a feeling of more security. Security is a factor and it threatens an employees state of safety. Employees are resistant to change out of habit, which is other factor leaders need to consider. To cope with life’s complexities, employees rely on habits or programmed responses. But when confronted with change, this tendency to respond in our accustomed ways becomes a source of resistance. The last type is selective information processing. Employees are guilty of selectively processing information in order to keep their perceptions intact. They hear what they want to hear and they ignore information that challenges the world they have created (Robbins & Judge, 2007). Synergetic Solutions leaders’ face all of these resistant types from their employees. Discovering innovative solutions to these resistances issues is essential for the leaders to be successful with any changes. Strategies to manage resistance One of the most difficult jobs for leaders is to overcome resistance. Each type of resistance can be overcome with different techniques. Education and communication is the first step. Keeping employees informed will address any concerns and make them feel more at ease. Synergetic Solutions addressed their employees and involved them in the planning process. Leaders trained employee heads and team leaders to hold counseling sessions to address employee concerns (University of Phoenix, 2002). Participation is another strategy that Synergetic tried to manage. They invited employees to be a part of the changing process and listened to their ideas. They asked for inputs on training needs, workspace design, and project processes. Another technique involves building support and commitment. Synergetic did this by offering incentives to their employees to increase productivity and committing these rewards will instill security and safety into the employees. When Synergetic hires new employees it is essential that they chose people who are flexible and open to changes. These are people who take a positive attitude toward change, are willing to take risks, and are flexible in their behavior. Conclusion Change is necessary for a company to thrive throughout the years. Leaders must recognize internal and external factors and find solutions to these issues with little impact to employees. When the leaders evaluate the effects of politics and determine which model best suits their needs, then employee resistance should be accessed. Leaders should review the types of resistance that employees can feel and be prepared to implement proper solutions depending on each employee needs. Synergetic Solutions followed this format and had a good response from employees. The employees were more productive and the nine month project was a success. References Ask.com. (2010). What are the different external and internal forces of change in organizations'. Retrieved from http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_different_external_and_internal_forces_of_chang e_in_organizations Robbins, S.P., & Judge, T.A. (2007). Organizational Behavior. https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/eReader.aspx University of Phoenix. (2002). Human Relations and Organizational Behavior [Computer Software]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Simulation, Communication for Accountants website.