Critical Issues Management Project

MILESTONE TWO:

For this milestone, you will submit a draft of your professional presentation (Component One). First, you will choose a real-world company that is seeking to reorganize or reinvent itself in the market and that would benefit from a change management plan. Working as a consultant for this company, you are tasked with developing a plan that includes recommendations with the goals of maximizing company profit, productivity, and market perception. Before developing the plan, you must first create a comprehensive and professional presentation that articulates a convincing need for change.

You should envision yourself giving this presentation to the senior executives of your chosen company or organization. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of their organization and the situations that established the need for the change. You then need to present an outline of your change management plan in a well-organized and clear manner. You should use innovative and creative methods that are reflective of your project goals. Remember that you are seeking support of the proposal, so knowing your audience and tailoring your message to them is crucial.

Since you will not actually deliver this presentation in person, you must create a self-sustaining presentation (speaker notes included). The presentation should adhere to the principles of an effective presentation, and all of your sources should be properly cited. Create a presentation that will convey all of the necessary information while keeping the attention of your audience.

Guidelines for Submission: Create a PowerPoint presentation that outlines the key elements in your change management plan. You will present your plan as if you are speaking to the senior executives of the company. The material you have researched in regard to change management plan templates can be used to create your plan. Use the speaker notes for the detailed information; the slides should be visual for the intended audience. Your presentation should consist of at least 15 slides in the following format:

Slide 1: Include a title slide (name, date, course code, and project title).

Slide 2: Include a table of contents.

Slide 3: Describe the purpose of the change management plan.

Slide 4: Define the change management plan member structure. (This is the authorizing staff.)

Slide 5: List the issues to address.

Slide 6: List the outcomes to be resolved.

Slides 7–14: Organize each slide based on the individual issues and outcomes you will discuss, and provide examples of each. You may include visual examples, audio, or other media in the slides. Reference all resources applicable for each slide.

Slide 15: List references with corresponding in-text citations.

Speaker Notes: You will provide written information as if you were speaking to your intended audience. This is where you will expand on the bullet points in each slide. You will need to cite any resources you use.

Your draft must contain all of the elements listed above. It should follow APA guidelines and must include at least five scholarly sources. Cite your sources on the slides, in the speaker notes, and on the reference page.

MILESTONE THREE:

Assuming that you gained buy-in from the company’s senior executives, you must now develop a comprehensive change management plan that addresses the desired change. In developing a change management plan, you cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach. A plan of this kind depends on the company’s needs. One company, for instance, might be releasing a new product, while another might be in the middle of a merger. Each of these scenarios requires a very different approach, and it is up to you to make these determinations.

Prompt: For this milestone, you will submit a draft of your change management plan (Component Two). The steps listed below should be included in your change management plan.

1. Preparing for Change

Provide a comprehensive assessment of the key aspects of the company and how it might be affected by the change. Your assessment of the organization could include reviewing the current mission and vision statement; assessing organizational structure, culture, and values; reviewing the company’s history; or understanding staff retention and morale. This is not an exhaustive list, and you should include information that is pertinent so that others can understand why the change is necessary for the company and how your plan will effectively implement the intended change.

In preparing for the organizational change, the following sections should be included:

Outline of Goals. Outline and prioritize the goals of the plan and proposed change. How will you prioritize and manage the tasks, resources, and tools within the project?

Macro and Micro Changes. Describe and evaluate the macro and micro changes, including a financial analysis for each change that you propose. Provide your interpretation of resource allocations.

Scope of the Change. Review the scope of the change and who will be affected. Discuss why each change is necessary and what the benefits will be.

Task Force. Make recommendations for the creation of a task force to help with the changes. This group would be tasked with helping implement the plan to allow for a smooth transition and aid in identifying what worked well and what did not.

Strategies. Create strategies to make the changes happen. This will depend on your company’s needs and proposed changes. For example, if applicable, how would you downsize the staff, or how would you find and keep the best employees? How would you cut expenses?

2. Managing Change

This should include the following:

Communication Plan. Discuss how you will maintain communication among all stakeholders.

Mediation Department. Provide recommendations regarding conflict resolution for addressing employee issues. Once the changes take place, what will you do to help those who resist?

Human Resource Support. This might include training, coaching, professional development, and a plan for performance evaluations.

3. Reinforcing Change

What is your plan or recommendation to reinforce and sustain the proposed changes within the company and among internal audiences? What strategies will you use to gain buy-in among the internal individuals or groups that the change affects? How will you achieve and maintain a sound, ethical framework or ethical reasoning when making these recommendations?

4. Change Outcomes

This should include the outcome of your plan. What do you envision will happen to the company based on implementation of your recommendations? This section should reflect your list of goals and positively reflect benefits to the organization. How will you resolve potential conflict during the change management process and create a positive impression on the organization? Also, describe the ethical components that will create accountability in the functions of the organization.

Guidelines for Submission: Your draft must contain all of the elements listed above. It should be at least 10 pages in length (excluding the title page and

references) and should follow APA guidelines. You must include at least eight scholarly sources. Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page.

FINAL PROJECT:

Overview

The final project for this course is the creation of a professional presentation, a change management plan, and a professional reflection.

The change management plan will serve as evidence and documentation of your ability to create a plan and collaborate with a team of employees to work on tasks to reach a common goal. You will also highlight the critical-thinking and decision-making skills learned while studying management at SNHU. Think of this assessment as a cornerstone of your professional identity that can be considered a representation of the skills and abilities you bring to a potential employer. This assessment could be used as an artifact while seeking new opportunities in which you can present your research to interested stakeholders and have a positive reception. For this reason, you are tasked with devising a well-rounded, authentic change management plan that is worthy of implementation. In addition, you will also reflect on your journey through the management program and how you plan to position yourself professionally.

The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Four, and Six. The final submissions will occur in Modules Nine and Ten.

Outcomes

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

Utilize multiple methods for supporting and developing talent in employees in the interest of facilitating high-performance teams, dispersing expert knowledge, and guiding teams through organizational change

Integrate effective verbal, written, presentation, and technical communication skills for gathering and presenting information, facilitating groups and teams, and building appropriate business relationships across the organization

Apply critical thinking, data analysis, and ethical reasoning to ensure strategic, systems-level decision making in business and management

Create project and management plans that effectively prioritize tasks, stabilize resource conflicts, and integrate appropriate project management tools

Articulate the importance of business metrics, performance data, and financial analysis for maintaining accountability to the business in management plans and decisions

Evaluate how the brand, mission, and values of organizations can integrate with effective management practices to encourage an enterprising organizational culture and brand stewardship in employees and one’s management approach

Prompt

Working individually and with feedback from peers and your instructor, you will identify, research, and analyze a real company that seeks to increase presence in the market and improve functions and processes within the organization so that there is fluid communication as well as a more positive environment and buy-in from stakeholders. You will build this plan throughout the term, completing various milestone assignments and refining your work. A personal reflection on your professional journey through the program will accompany the presentation and change management plan. You will additionally participate in peer-review discussions, providing feedback to your classmates and receiving feedback on your final project.

You will first create a well-researched, insightful presentation that outlines your proposed change management plan that you would present to a group of the company’s senior executives. Assuming you receive buy-in from these executives, you will then create a comprehensive and professional change management plan that will include your recommendations and ideas for effectively implementing change within the company.

Evaluation of Capstone

There are three separate components that will be submitted at different times during the course; however, they all operate together to make up the whole capstone experience and are not assessed separately. The three final project milestones are submitted for feedback (peer and instructor) throughout the course. You will be evaluated on all three as a unit in determining whether you have demonstrated proficiency in each outcome. Your instructor will guide you through this process, keeping a running narrative of your strengths and weaknesses in relation to the outcomes as you progress through the class. Your work is expected to meet the highest professional standards.

The document should follow the professional industry standards and should include a title page, table of contents, change management plan, reflection, professional resources, and appendices. The information should be cited according to the rules of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). All students may include illustrations, photographs, graphs, charts, and other non-textual materials as needed to support the underpinning change management strategy (though all of the latter should be placed in an appendix or appendices if used).

Component One: Professional Presentation

First, you will choose a real-world company that is seeking to reorganize or reinvent itself in the market and would benefit from a change management plan. Working as a consultant for this company, you are tasked with developing a plan that includes recommendations with the goals of maximizing company profit, productivity, and market perception. Before developing the plan, you must first create a comprehensive and professional presentation that articulates a convincing need for change.

You should envision yourself giving this presentation to the senior executives of your chosen company or organization. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of their organization and the situations that established the need for the change. You then need to present an outline of your change management plan in a well-organized and clear manner. You should use innovative and creative methods that are reflective of your project goals. Remember that you are seeking support of the proposal, so knowing your audience and tailoring your message to them is crucial.

Since you will not actually deliver this presentation in person, you must create a self-sustaining presentation (speaker notes included). The presentation should adhere to the principles of an effective presentation, and all of your sources should be properly cited. Create a presentation that will convey all of the necessary information while keeping the attention of your audience.

Component Two: Change Management Plan

Assuming that you gained buy-in from the company’s senior executives, you must now develop a comprehensive change management plan that addresses the desired change. In developing a change management plan, you cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach. A plan of this kind depends on the company’s needs. One company, for instance, might be releasing a new product, while another might be in the middle of a merger. Each of these scenarios requires a very different approach, and it is up to you to make these determinations.

The steps listed below should be included in your change management plan.

1. Preparing for Change

Provide a comprehensive assessment of the key aspects of the company and how it might be affected by the change. Your assessment of the organization could include reviewing the current mission and vision statement; assessing organizational structure, culture, and values; reviewing the company’s history; or understanding staff retention and morale. This is not an exhaustive list, and you should include information that is pertinent so that others can understand why the change is necessary for the company and how your plan will effectively implement the intended change.

In preparing for the organizational change, the following sections should be included:

Outline of Goals. Outline and prioritize the goals of the plan and proposed change. How will you prioritize and manage the tasks, resources, and tools within the project?

Macro and Micro Changes. Describe and evaluate the macro and micro changes, including a financial analysis for each change that you propose. Provide your interpretation of resource allocations.

Scope of the Change. Review the scope of the change and who will be affected. Discuss why each change is necessary and what the benefits will be.

Task Force. Make recommendations for the creation of a task force to help with the changes. This group would be tasked with helping implement the plan to allow for a smooth transition and aid in identifying what worked well and what did not.

Strategies. Create strategies to make the changes happen. This will depend on your company’s needs and proposed changes. For example, if applicable, how would you downsize the staff, or how would you find and keep the best employees? How would you cut expenses?

2. Managing Change

This should include the following:

Communication Plan. Discuss how you will maintain communication among all stakeholders.

Mediation Department. Provide recommendations regarding conflict resolution for addressing employee issues. Once the changes take place, what will you do to help those who resist?

Human Resource Support. This might include training, coaching, professional development, and a plan for performance evaluations.

3. Reinforcing Change

What is your plan or recommendation to reinforce and sustain the proposed changes within the company and among internal audiences? What strategies will you use to gain buy-in among the internal individuals or groups that the change affects? How will you achieve and maintain a sound, ethical framework or ethical reasoning when making these recommendations?

4. Change Outcomes

This should include the outcome of your plan. What do you envision will happen to the company based on implementation of your recommendations? This section should reflect your list of goals and positively reflect benefits to the organization. How will you resolve potential conflict during the change management process and create a positive impression on the organization? Also, describe the ethical components that will create accountability in the functions of the organization.

Component Three: Professional Reflection

For the final component, you will write an essay in which you discuss the process and potential outcomes of this project, as well as how your coursework culminated in the project. This may include discussions of unforeseen problems or obstacles, as well as any unexpected surprises. The essay should also include your identified strengths and problems encountered while completing the project. Finally, the essay will examine how the project will be useful in the job market or for furthering your education.

You should envision this component as a personal reflection on the project and your experience in the management program as a whole. For instance, relative to the project, you could discuss what you did (or intended to do) and then consider what worked well, what challenges you faced, and what you would change or do differently to make your experience better. In reflecting on your time here at SNHU, you might discuss where you started, where you are currently, and where you see yourself going. Note that this component is not about evaluating the capstone course itself but rather your experience of creating the final project.

Some areas that could be addressed in this component include the following:

Overall, how has the project affected your management viewpoint?

Reflect on the significance of the project in relation to your own experience at SNHU.

What connections do you see between your project and your academic program?

How will you apply what you have learned to your future academic and/or professional life?

Reflect on how your current experiences and education have prepared you for a career in the management field.

How do you feel about the final product in relation to the organizational behaviors, organizational structure, and ethical reasoning in the steps of the plan?

Milestones

Milestone One: Company Selection Summary

Identify and discuss the company you wish to study for the change management plan. The submission should be two to three pages in length (excluding the title page and references). It should be formatted according to APA style and should include at least three scholarly sources, which may include your previous course textbooks. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.

Milestone Two: Professional Presentation Draft

Submit your professional presentation draft. Your draft should contain at least 15 slides and should follow APA guidelines. You must include at least five scholarly sources. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.

Milestone Three: Change Management Plan Draft

Submit your change management plan draft. It should be at least 10 pages in length (excluding the title page and references) and should follow APA guidelines. You must include at least eight scholarly sources. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.

Final Project Submission, Component One: Professional Presentation

Submit your professional presentation (Component One). It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This component will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.

Final Project Submission, Component Two: Change Management Plan

Submit your change management plan (Component Two). It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This component will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.

Final Project Submission, Component Three: Professional Reflection

Submit your professional reflection (Component Three). It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. This component will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.

Final Project Rubric

This rubric will be applied to all three components as a whole, and no component will be assessed on its own.

The “Possible Indicators of Success” are examples for you and the instructor of the types of concepts to look for to demonstrate proficiency. They are neither exhaustive nor proscriptive and should be used as guides for illustrating how your project embodies the outcome. All outcomes are weighted equally.

Guidelines for Submission: Your submission must use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and at least eight sources. It must be 16–18 pages in length (in addition to a cover page and references) and must follow APA format.