Melvin Feller Illustrates the Process of Leading Change
Melvin Feller Illustrates the Process of Leading Change
Melvin Feller Business Consultants in Dallas, Burkburnett Texas and Lawton Oklahoma. Our mission is to call and equip a generation of Christian entrepreneurs to do business as ministry. We provide workshops and resources that help companies discover how to do business God’s way. When the heart of a business is service rather than self it can be transformed into a fruitful business ministry earning a profit and being of service to the community and their customers. Melvin Feller is currently pursuing another graduate degree in business organizations.
Most organizations do not follow a systematic approach for planning and implementing change. What happens more often than not is a two-step “plan”:
Senior management determines that a change is needed
The CEO/President announces the change to “the troops”
This kind of two-step plan invites resistance to change.
Consider the following seven essential elements for successful organizational change:
Involve the people who will be affecting (and affected by) the change. Get their input. Workers are a valuable source of information for management decision making. Today’s workers want to be part of what is happening. (No buy-in from these folks guarantees resistance.)
Communicate a good reason for the change. Human beings can change quickly when they see a way to maximize benefits and/or minimize threats. Make sure the change is seen as relevant and strategy-driven. (Busy people will resist changes that they see as irrelevant.)
Designate a champion for the change. A senior executive does not have to take the champion role. In fact, it might be better to find someone the workers can relate to. (Natural leaders, many times in unofficial roles, exist throughout every organization. Take advantage of their leadership ability.)
Create a transition management team. This cross-functional team can provide emotional support as well as practical ideas for change leaders. (Remember, no one individual is charismatic or talented enough to effectively implement an organizational change single-handedly.)
Provide training in new skills, behaviors, and values. If workers fear a loss of competency, they will resist change. They will revert to the old skills, behaviors, and values when they feel threatened. (Change invariably involves a threat to one’s current sense of competency.)
Bring in outside help. This sounds like a self-serving comment since I am an independent consultant, but the external consultant can play a critical role. An outsider brings a fresh perspective. An outside consultant does not have an “axe to grind.” (In addition, realistically, most senior managers are not trained in leading or facilitating organizational change.)
Reward people. Remember, whatever behaviors you reward, you get more of. Rewards do not have to be in the form of cash. Acknowledgement, praise, new job assignments, or additional decision-making authority can be more powerful motivators than cash. (In every successful organizational change, people are the essential factor.)
Benefits of Change for the Organization
Change is a planned and managed process. The benefits of the change are known before implementation and serve as motivators and assessment of progress
The organization can respond faster to customer demands benefits of change management employee
Helps to align existing resources within the organization
Change management allows the organization to assess the overall impact of a change Change can be implemented without negatively effecting the day-to-day running of business
Organizational effectiveness and efficiency is maintained or even improved by acknowledging the concerns of staff
The time needed to implement change is reduced The possibility of unsuccessful change is reduced
Employee performance increases when staff feel supported and understand the change process
Increased customer service and effective service to clients from confident and knowledgeable employees
Change management provides a way to anticipate challenges and respond to these efficiently An effective change management process lowers the risk associated with change
Managed costs of change: change management helps to contain costs associated with the change
Increased return on investment (ROI)
Creates an opportunity for the development of “best practices”, leadership development, and
team development
concerns regarding changes
Benefits of Change for Individuals
Effective change management supports a smooth transition from the old to the new while maintaining morale, productivity, and even company image
Provides management and staff support for
An efficient change management process creates the correct perception of the change for staff and public
Helps to plan efficient communication strategies Managed change can minimize resistance to change Improves morale, productivity and quality of work Improves cooperation, collaboration and communication
A carefully planned approach to change reduces stress and anxiety and encourages people to stay loyal to the organization
Increased employee acceptance of the change
Personal loss/gain to individuals is acknowledged and addressed
Change management reduces disruptive aspects and emphasizes positive opportunities in the change process
The bottom line is that careful planning helps to ensure that the change process is started and managed by the right people at the right time. Also that planned change management allows you to include specific tasks and events that are appropriate for each stage in the change process. Finally, change management ensures that customers, suppliers and other stakeholders understand and support the change.
Melvin Feller Business Consultants Group in Burkburnett, Dallas Texas and Lawton Oklahoma. Melvin Feller founded Melvin Feller Business Consultants Group Ministries in the 1970s to help individuals and organizations achieve their specific Victory. Victory as defined by the individual or organization are achieving strategic objectives, exceeding goals, getting results or desired outcomes. He has extensive experience assisting businesses achieve top and bottom line results. He has broad practical experience creating WINNERS in many organizations and industries. He has hands-on experience in executive leadership, operations, logistics, sales, program management, organizational development, training, and customer service. He has coached teams to achieve results in strategic planning, business development, organizational design, sales, and customer response and business process improvement. He has prepared and presented many workshops nationally and internationally.
