Change Management Patrick Tandoh-Offin, (Ph.D.) Lecturer, SPSG GIMPA

Introductory Questions Think of one successful change in your work environment. List the successful change variables that were in place. What was the critical factor(s) for the success of the change? Think of some unsuccessful change from your environment. List the resistance to change variables that were present. What was the critical factor(s) that thwarted the change? Regarding the use and implementation of any particular program, list some of potential resistance to change factors in your institutional setting.

What is Change? Change is a permanent part of life. No matter who we are, where we live, how old or young, we all make changes in our lives. Most of us struggle with change. The ways we change inside, the ways we grow and learn, and become transformed are because of the changes in our lives. Change is pervasive in our society and a fact of life in organizations (Goodfellow, 1985).

Source and Impetus for Change The impetus to change comes from the environment. Effective strategic leaders understand that change in the strategic environment is a continuous process. By environment, is meant both the internal and external environment of organizations. A part of strategic leadership is understanding when environmental change implies a need for organizational change and when it does not.

Impetus for Change Change is about survival and especially necessary in organizations that wish to prosper in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment. Powerful forces in the environment are pressuring public and private organizations to alter permanently existing structures, policies, and practices. These are:  Globalization and high competition for workforce;  Peace and the need to trim down the size of armies;  Information technology and structural decentralization;  Demographic changes in the population

Impetus for Change Change is absolutely necessary for the survival of individuals and organizations. The question isn't whether or not to implement change, since in the long run, change is inevitable, unless you are willing to become irrelevant. The strategic environment, over which you have little or no control, is in a state of constant change and it's your job to sense when changes in the organization are going to be necessary

Impetus for Change The first real question is what role are you going to play?  Domain defender? or Reluctant reactor?  Anxious analyzer? or Enthusiastic prospector? If you choose to play only one role and that in a fixed manner over time, then you and your organization will survive for as long as the environment tolerates that role. A successful strategic leader knows which role to play at what time, and he/she knows when to change roles.

Strategic Leader Roles in Change Domain Defender  Perceive little or no uncertainty in the environment.  Make minor adjustments in organizational structure and processes.  Likely candidate for derailment and extinction. Reluctant Reactor  Perceive some change and uncertainty.  Not likely to make substantial adjustments until forced to do so.  May survive, but at the margins.

Strategic Leader Roles in Change Anxious Analyzer  Perceive a good deal of change and uncertainty.  Wait until competitors develop a response and then adopt it.  Likely to survive, if not first overrun. Enthusiastic Prospector  Perceive continually change and lots of uncertainty.  Regularly experiments with potential responses to trends.  Survives and prospers over the long run.

Change Agents A n individual who influences customers’ decisions in a direction deemed desirable by a change agency; The roles of change agents include:  Developing the need for change;  Diagnosing the problem;  Establishing information exchange channels;  Creating an intent to change in the clients;  Translating an intent into action;  Stabilizing adoption and prevent discontinuance.

Discussions