LEADERSHIP ASSIGNMENT

Leading Change For changes to be successful, leaders need to make sure to lead effectively.

John Kotter developed an eight-step process for leading organizational changes designed to minimize errors.

Through his eight-step change management model, he explains how to achieve change by building onto each step.

Step 1: Establishing a sense of urgency – This step is designed to unfreeze the organization by showing the reasons why change is needed. Establishing a sense of urgency is essential to gain the cooperation needed to initiate a greater need for change.

Step 2: Creating the guiding coalition – This step creates a crossfunctional group of people who possess enough power to lead the change. Creating the right team and combining a level of trust with a common goal in which the team believes, can result in guiding coalition that has the ability to make needed change happen.

Step 3: Developing a vision and strategy – Clear visions simplify many detailed decisions, motivate people to take action and helps to coordinate the actions of different people, in a quick and efficient way. A vision must provide guidance. It should be focused, flexible and easy to understand.

Step 4: Communicating the change vision – In this step the new vision and strategic plan is consistently communicated to the organization. This can be through emails, in meetings and through presentations.

Step 5: Empowering broad-based action – To empower broad-based action, eliminates barriers to change. Risk taking and creative problem solving is greatly encouraged within this step.

Step 6: Generating short-term wins – In this step you want to generate short-term wins and recognize and reward those who contribute to the wins. This helps build momentum that turns neutral people into supporters and reluctant supporters into active helpers.

Step 7: Consolidating gains and producing more change – In this step additional people are brought into the change process and attempts are made to strengthen the change process. Each success provides an opportunity to build on what went right and identify what you can improve.

Step 8: Anchoring new approaches in the culture – In this final step, methods are developed to ensure leadership development and succession. This stage requires continuous efforts to ensure that the change is seen in every aspect of the organization. Continuous efforts will confirm that the changes are working and on track. Change is an important phase for every organization. The future is going to involve change as part of the normal practice of any company. When employees understand

‘why’ a change is made and are a part of the process for planning and implementing the change, it allows for a better chance for successful completion