Organizational Changes

Organizational change initiatives to realign company objectives, capital and resources become necessary when the company shifts its strategic focus in response to exogenous market forces or events that require it to examine the way it does business and implement a new framework to accommodate changed goals and objectives. Despite this re-orientation, not all companies experience a smooth transition to the new paradigm. Some of the problems that befall companies and create barriers to organizational change are outlined below:

Inadequate Requirements Planning: Unlike machines that automatically respond to new commands, human beings have emotional and psychological needs. Issuing a new company mandate may not be fully embraced unless sufficient justification and education is undertaken to convince and realign individuals with the new company direction. Entrenched attitudes and beliefs and fear of failure create barriers that organizations need to examine. Change agents can assist with this process but not all companies possess the vision to realize the importance of managing people�s attitudes and expectations during the realignment process. This can be particularly evident in cases that involve merging two previously competing entities. The sudden realization that a previous adversary is now an accepted team member can require carefully thought out planning to successfully merge operations.

Failure to consult The Affected Members: A natural extension of the failure to plan adequately is excluding or ignoring the deeply affected individuals. The sudden realization that their world is about to be turned upside down can create resentment, anxiety and a resistance to change. Informing the relevant members and soft selling an educational process prior to implementing the changes can assist with the integration process, minimize the risk that resentment will occur and condition the affected members to accept and embrace the change. Not all companies do this, however, and adopt a hardened stance which does little to overcome the resistance to organizational change.

Inadequate Training: With advances in software and technology, applications are becoming increasingly sophisticated and specialized. Basic computer awareness does not always allow the individual to fully absorb the capability of the new application. Consider the case of a personal assistant who is computer literate but suddenly faced with the challenge of operating new accounting software. Learning on the job may not compensate for the necessary background information that is required to successfully use and operate the advanced capabilities of the software. A lack of awareness by management to provide formal training can sabotage the entire process and result in damage control measures to salvage the situation.

Employing the services of specialized personnel to assist with change management can help organizations avoid some of the common barriers to organizational change and assist with organizational decision making process.

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