Analysis of Planned and Unplanned Change
Introduction
Change in an organization can be planned or unplanned. Planned change is the result of a specific change agent and unplanned change is random or spontaneous. Whether the change is planned or unplanned, leaders must manage change effectively, something that was not done in the past. It has been estimated that 50 to 70 percent of all corporate change initiatives in the 1980s and 1990s failed to achieve their objectives.(Boyett & Boyett, 2000) To stay in business and ahead of the competition, leaders in organizations must manage change effectively. Most articles agree that there are several common elements in managing change. Those elements include define the vision for planned change, react quickly for unplanned change, communicate the change, and involve employees.
Define the Vision (Planned Change)
In order to entice employees to accept change, an organization must have a clear, defined vision. The vision must be one that is concrete and drives movement towards measurable goals and not one that is a slogan or a bumper-sticker campaign of clichés such as “customer-oriented” or “new and improved.” (Boyett & Boyett, 2000) The leaders of the organization must show the employees how the change will benefit them and the business. It is also important to remember that any desired outcome must be congruent with core values. Decisions that encompass the values, ideas, and suggestions of the group, or employees, are stronger and more powerful than decisions based on the viewpoint of a single person. (Cutts, 2001) Involving employees to help create the vision will help to motivate them to achieve the vision.
React Quickly (Unplanned Change)
Unplanned change can be disruptive or beneficial. A good management team, along with a good employee team, will have a “worst-case” backup plan. For example, what if the network fails? There should be a backup plan, which has been communicated to employees, so that the time the network is down is minimal. The key to taming unplanned change is to react quickly and decisively. Leaders do not have time to create a vision but they should be able to communicate the change and the process to be followed.
Communicate (Planned and Unplanned Change)
Inadequate communication is one of the main reasons change efforts fail. One way to motivate employees to accept planned or unplanned changes, is to allow them to have a stake in the outcome. Give them a chance to ask questions, share concerns and offer ideas. People are less likely to resist change if they feel that it is their idea or they have input. Also, leaders should consider the vehicles used to communicate the change. There is no one perfect way to communicate change. The communication should be via a variety of ways such as e-mail, internal employee web sites, and all-hands meetings.
In addition, the reason for the change should be included in the communication. Managers should share with employees the various options considered [next page]