Dealing with change and innovation in the workplace -
Make 'making or becoming different' means changes - or you introduce something new, or change something that already exists.
Changing something means that you are leaving your comfort zone. You are used to doing things a certain way and for certain reasons and when this changes we tend to resist, saying 'but we have always done it this way and it works great'. But do you really know how and why these changes occurred? Change, if implemented thoughtfully, can be a good thing as we will demonstrate in this chapter.
We are always experiencing change - both in the workplace and staff:
In the workplace
Changes in technology affect us all in a different way; think about the changes in the way we work today with business equipment such as computers, Internet, email, ATM, online conferences, and portability of communications
We were promised a paperless office (although it has not quite happened ! again) And now we have systems in place to keep our information on a micro chip no bigger than your thumbnail - was used to fill a filing cabinet with the same amount of information. Computers have also made sure that making reservations for services and keep track of people and stock and so much faster and easier.
We can save huge amounts of time doing online business which saves on effort, costs (envelopes, paper, stamps) and is fast and convenient.
In your personal life
Think about what changes have taken place in your personal life.
- Taking a training course (you do this to change the outlook or levels of knowledge)
- Relocation (because you does do this ?)
- Changing jobs (because doing this ?)
- After leaving school and entering the workforce (such as do you cope with that?)
- "Throw your old favorite shoes !!!" (Why do you do this?)
how often these changes occur? Whatever the reason for the change that is altering the current state of operation.
For a change to occur efficiently and with the least disturbance or a possible injury, it is necessary to address the issue in a systematic way:
(or your manager) shall:
- assess the need for a change - what is happening and why it is not working?
- research what needs to be done - look at the steps you need to take (in logical order) to get from where you are now to where you want to be.
- look for potential problems with the new procedure and seek solutions.
- get from staff feedback and input from a variety of departments concerned
- implement the change - introducing the new plan, process or system to all interested parties and provide any necessary training to staff
- evaluate the effectiveness of the change - iron out any problem and determine if the new process or system is actually doing what they are supposed to.
For example, when moving house;
First you assess the need for change;
- have more children and the house is too small
- you can afford a better neighborhood
- have moved to a new city / town etc
Secondly, it determines what kind of home would be now does for you. Is:
- looking at homes into the field
- looking at homes the right size
- check for costs landrate etc.
- look how close to transport, shops and schools, etc.
- information regarding live costs
third, you move!
Finally you settle in to your new home and take care of all the things you could not do before you moved:
- adding additional power points
- tear down the wall between the family room and the dining room
- kitchen modernization, etc.
Change begins with dissatisfaction.
All the changes occurred due to satisfaction with the current state of being. For example;
Personal (influenced by you). You might be dissatisfied with your;
- Clothing
- Hair
- House
- partners
- Furniture
work (influenced by you)
- Department are working in.
- work
- work area
Supervisory Authority (influenced by others)
- working procedure
- work environment
- equipment
- other staff
Management (influenced by others)
- corporate structure
- Introduction of the new product / service
- Introduction of new policies
- new owners / managers (new broom - a change for the good change)
- customer needs
- market trends
If there is dissatisfaction with the current situation, and you or your supervisors or managers start looking for a best way to do things.
reasons for change within the workplace
Although all the changes are usually caused by external influences, we can say that there are two reasons for change that it is subject to:
- internal motivations (proactive)
- external motivators (reactive)
internal change is motivated by:
- the need or the introduction of new systems
- expansion of the product line or services
- the need to review the processes that are no longer productive
- setting of new goals and strategies
- expansion into new markets
- adding new large customers and customers
- change in the office - new furniture, change of position equipment
and more.
Many of these can also be driven by outside influences, to meet product or service request, but if the change is carried out as a result of extensive research and before the need for change becomes a negative factor structure then this is active and positive.
external change is motivated by:
- competitors may have made positive changes in their procedures or improved their products / services that now impact on your business in a negative way.
- The identification introducing new or recent legislation which means a big change in how you market or distribute your products or services. For example, many years ago, the government introduced new legislation with very strict guidelines on advertising and packaging of tobacco products.
- market trends are shifting. For example, people are now much more health conscious than ever. This has had a huge impact (positive) on a range of businesses.
Many of these changes are forced upon us because of these external influences. If they were planned, designed and implemented before they had a negative impact on us, then we were being proactive. If these changes were not planned, we studied and acted then we are simply making a change because we have to or because everyone else is doing it and that's responsive. Reacting to a market driven change (after the fact) can be expensive and stressful as it usually leaves no time for re-tooling, communication with clients and staff etc.
Change Management
Managing change is about a well-researched and thought, phased approach to the introduction of something new for your company. Problems when considering a change include;
- Where are you now?
- Where do you want to be in the future?
- How are you going to get there?
Managing Change Effectively, then, is about
Taking a good look at where you are now;
1. The procedures
- your products / services
- customer satisfaction levels
- is competitive
- your sales figures and profit margins
- productivity and efficiency, etc.
2. determine what it is about your current state that does not work, or unsatisfactory and decide what needs to be modified to be more
3. decide what steps you need to take to move from the present unsatisfactory state again was efficient and more profitable.
Much of this means discussing issues with your colleagues and earn their contributions and support. Advantages and disadvantages of making the change (or do not make the change) should be discussed with the staff members concerned and the consequences of any action taken must be carefully talked through. This is important because once the ball starts rolling and things are put into action, it can be difficult to stop or change direction. So it pays to be sure of what you are doing and that:
- the staff concerned were consulted and asked for input
- perceived problems are worked through and solved so that implementation of the change can go on smoothly.
The participants in the projects involving innovation and change should ideally be chosen from a wide range of divisions within the company, the choice of personnel that are relevant to the project . That is chosen by each area of the company will depend on a person's track record, their ability to think of open and fair-minded, their ability to keep the project moving in a forward direction and their ability to communicate the new processes and / or procedures to their fellow workers.
There are no two people see a problem, a change or a project in quite the same way, so there is room for dissent and conflict. Bearing in mind that management should select only a limited number of staff from a variety of areas to help in the process of change. This ensures that;
- all relevant sectors of society have an input in the process.
- confusion is avoided by having too many opinions
Why change management is required.
Any change in the work is different.
Some changes may be very small, for example,
- to change the text or layout of a company form
- get a new fax machine for the office.
- put on a new staff member
Some changes can be large and complex
- restructuring of a department, or the whole company
- adding a new product or service
- upgrade your computer or the phone company systems.
Regardless of whether it is a small or large change, the transition from the old to the new flow more easily if the change that needs to happen is carefully considered and managed.
The goal of change management is to focus on providing excellent performance across the organization with as little disruption as possible. It helps you:
- focus on the issues at hand
- avoid any pitfalls along the way
- reduce personal resistance to the changes to make
- increase productivity and efficiency
- plan a route to a smooth transition
- identify the communication and training issues that need
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methods by which the change occurs Decide what changes need to be done, and why, is essential. After all 'if it is not broken does not solve the problem ...!' Consider product brands that have been around for a long time as McDonald's or Coca-Cola. These brands have been in existence for manymanyyears and are instantly recognizable around the world. How they managed to remain successful for so long, when other companies have failed? Quite simply they have their fingers on the pulse of consumer demand and changes were made as and when necessary.
proactive management of why, when and how a change should take place in an organism can be undertaken in several ways, including;
regular search This is something that every company should embark on an annual basis in order to .;
- stay in touch with the needs of consumers
- evaluating their productivity
- assessing their profitability
- confront their competitors
The search can take many forms. Two of the main types of research are:
primary research
This is information that you have collected on your own first-hand .. You can do this;
- How to get customers and / or staff to complete survey forms. These forms may be asking a series of questions that customers or staff can fill while they are in the office or sent off to their homes. The questions you ask can vary from one survey to detect and will depend on what you want to find out.
- Invite customers or staff for the 'Focus' sessions. This is where small groups of employees or customers to spend time with you (perhaps more than snacks and drinks) for general discussion on a range of issues surrounding your business.
types of questions you can ask in your survey or focus session could include:
- If you continue to offer a certain product (sales May be afflicted)?
- If you introduce a new product or service?
- are customers / staff happy with certain aspects of your business?
- What are you doing well?
- What could be doing better?
secondary research.
Secondary research is information that has been collected by someone outside of your organization. Possible secondary research sources include;
- government departments
- Local Council
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Industry associations
- Internet
- Chamber of Commerce etc.
the type of information that can be obtained from these sources are:
- demographics of the area, such as 'mean age and sex of the local residents, the types of local residents occupation, where to shop, what the average income per capita, and so on.
- economic trends, such as the latest employment data, the retail trends and so on.
- legislative issues
business analysis.
Another method to find out the possible need for a change is to make a SWOT analysis of your organization. SWOT stands for.
trengths S; These are the areas , that your organization shines! These are areas that can be built on to make them more solid and would possibly require only small modifications.
eaknesses W; These are things that your organization needs to work. Are open spaces to attack by your competitors (indicating your weaknesses of potential customers). Weaknesses should be seen as opportunities for improvement. A weakness, once recognized, can be treated to overcome and possibly then be turned into a force. This is where your research will have an important role;
- What is the weak point?
- because there?
- What can you do to overcome it?
pportunities O; research and a deep understanding of your work environment will display opportunities that are available to your organization. Typical areas of opportunity could include;
- new economic trends, social or cultural open new possible markets
- new government legislation may make new things possible.
- new technology could increase market exposure and effectiveness etc.
T hreats; A threat is nothing to stop you in your business environment to do what you need to do and could include:
- a new competitor
- new legislation that threatens the way you currently do things
- new technology - everyone has it, but ...
a SWOT analysis allows us to take a close look at the organization and builds an accurate picture of what, if anything, needs to change.
problem must be solved. Problems within an organization can be quite obvious or can be hidden below the surface (and we just always put with them). Often they come to light only during your organization's analysis. After locating the problem something, then it must be done to solve it. Problems can;
- affect productivity
- customers to drive away
- personal self
- incurring unnecessary costs
- incurring
legal sanctions or fines
The change planning process begins then;
- what exactly is the problem?
- What causes the problem?
- what needs to happen to make it better?
Communicating the change
After all the searching for what you need to make changes, involving the appropriate staff to discuss what that must be done and how it is done, resolved any problems with the implementation process and so on is now necessary to let the rest of the organization's staff to know what is going to happen.
You will need:
- explain the process. How did the need for a change has occurred? Who was involved in the design? How were decisions reached - and finally, what the plan is
- What the new procedures will be
- What training staff will receive
- What frames time will apply to change
- As the implementation will affect the daily work of all, and so on.
It 'important to be honest about the ups and downs. There may be difficult times ahead so it is best to let people know in advance and clarify any issues or questions you may have. Make the plan easy to understand to be clear and concise.
Communication methods may include;
- personal information sessions where a presentation is made to the entire staff by supervisors or managers - perhaps between slides and diagrams in which staff can then ask questions.
- memo outlining the new procedures and giving details of how each department is involved.
- staff meetings - Many organizations have weekly department meetings to discuss general business issues. They have a perfect place for the modernization of the staff on new procedures.
If done thoughtfully changes to an organization can be affected with a minimum of disruption and resistance and can provide a stable and secure platform for the future of the company.
The resistance to change.
A common mistake made by managers in implementing change is that this change will always be visible in an emotional rational manner. The truth is, however, that change is a sensitive issue with most people, and while they might feel apathetic change, there is rarely any emotional response at all.
This is because change involves two extremely emotional events:
a final means that a part of your life, the way you did things, is about to come to a conclusion. It is going to be taken out of your comfort zone and put in a situation that, while it might be better, is unfamiliar. And 'so often generates fear of the unknown, for example:
- I will be able to carry out these new tasks properly?
- What happens if I can not do this?
A beginning means you need to go on to something new. This is often traumatic, as it means that (hopefully) a new formation and there is an initial period where you are not quite sure of yourself as you were previously. This puts a dent in your self-esteem and can cause adverse reactions.
Why do people resist change
Most people resist change because;
- fear that they may lose their job
- do not understand the need for change
- believe that it can lower their position
- others try to tell them what to do, how to manage their lives
- other act superior to them and make them feel insignificant
- not their
management - do not trust consulted change and the processes
emotional Intelligence
a person's emotions have the potential to serve them as a delicate and sophisticated internal guidance system. The way you feel about something will determine your physical and mental reaction to it. Emotions are a valuable source of information and help make decisions. When you feel uncomfortable with a situation or a person it is the emotions that raise the alarm and cause them to be cautious, and so on.
We all have basic emotional needs - for example, we need to feel respected and accepted. We need to be taken seriously. In a work situation we get uncomfortable when our emotional needs are not met. If decisions are taken for our immediate work environment and that have not been consulted or informed in advance we feel angry and perhaps even resentful. The depths of these emotions may vary from one person to another - a person may feel much more strongly about an issue of another - but all must be taken into account when trying to make major changes to a given situation, personal or related work.
emotional consequences
Feelings of being disrespected, ignored or rejection, etc. can lead to extremely negative consequences. The initial excitement, during a situation can turn into anger, resentment and bitterness and may, at worst, lead to feelings of revenge and the need to take a negative action.
Although it is not possible for the organization's management to consult with each individual employee is very important for them to keep staff informed of what is happening within the organization and to encourage the suggestions.
This
- all personnel are shown respect
- staff are aware of the issues that involve their work area
- staff could contribute to the process by giving useful tips
- management can go ahead with their plans in a more positive way.
There are still people who are discontent with the changes to be made, but this is a fact of human nature and must be accepted.
How you can help to change and innovation .
In order to actively contribute to change, everyone needs to understand the reality of change:
- change will stop as you are working.
- changes may take a long time - perhaps more than first thought
- Change does not remove all the current problems. In the short term, they can create more - until things have settled
- is normal to be concerned about the proposed changes and to have some doubts
- There will be hiccups and flaws and you can go out track sometimes.
accept that there will be difficulties, the most important thing is to actively contribute to the changes;