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Introduction

John Kotter, Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership, Emeritus at the Harvard Business School and a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Kotter’s vast experience and knowledge on successful change and leadership have been proven time and again (Kotter, n.d.). Kotter made a breakthrough in the arena of leadership and managerial roles producing the eight-step process for leading change. Kotter's change model emphasizes the importance of the process of change. Furthermore, emphasizing on the fact that neglecting any of the implemented steps can result in the possible failure of any project. Kotter's eight-step change model outlines the idea that change, although vital will not an easy or quick process. Kotter's change model suits the change proposal the U. S. Navy has implemented to consolidate several Personnel Support Detachment (PSD) and Customer Support Detachment (CSD) locations.

How each step of the eight-tier change model applies to the U. S. Navy

The U. S. Navy's proposed initiative to centralize and modernize customer relations was designed to improve efficiency and provide Sailors with a modern service delivery model. The motive behind the change was a great opportunity to assist Sailors with self-service initiatives. However, additional steps should be taken for the organizational change to be effective. Despite the desire to centralize several PSD's and CSD's, there is a need for many to remain for face-to-face and emergent customer interaction and transactions.

In contrast, Kotter's model relates to the organizational change implemented by the U.S Navy. A sense of urgency was created. However, it was created as the change was being implemented throughout the fleet. There could have been more efforts put into the second step of forming a coalition to better assist with the organizational change. Once the sense of urgency was presented, everyone had no other choice but to be on board with the implemented changes. Higher ranking Navy officials were the brunt of the coalition that was on board with the change. The lowest man in all chains of command was the last one to get the notice of the change.

The third step of the model is where the organization should formulate a strategic vision and develop change initiatives designed to capitalize on the big opportunity (Hodges & Gill, 2015). The vision was well thought out to centralize and modernize PSD's and CSD's; the downfall was the change initiatives. The steps to ensure the fleet was properly trained and adequately prepared to implement the organizational change was a failure. Many Sailors do not have the knowledge and training to effectively process the self-service documentations deal with pay and personnel matters. Had the change modern been adequately followed step four would have elevated many of the previous steps. Higher ranking personnel should have enlisted a volunteer army. The vision should have been appropriately communicated, and volunteers should have been assessed or as stated in the U. S. Navy "voluntold" to test out the change. Enlisting a volunteer army would have sparked conversation and ideas for the organizational change.

Step five of Kotter's change model is accelerating movement toward the vision and the opportunity by ensuring that the network removes barriers (Hodges & Gill, 2015). This step highlights the importance of removing obstacles along the way. Breaking barrier in the face of change is a crucial step within organizational change. The U. S. Navy did not relay the vision throughout the fleet, hence the reason for resistance to change. The fear of unknown will create barriers, while proper communication will prevent barriers. The U.S. Navy began to celebrate visible and significant short-term wins concerning organizational change. Many were hired to fill the many positions required to provide the fleet with 24/7 customer service, but many of the personnel hired were not experienced to fulfill the positions. The inexperience, in return, requires rework and additional training to be provided to and from Command Pay and Personnel Administrator’s (CPPA’s). The benefit of this outcome gave higher ranking personnel excitement in the endeavor of change.

Step seven hints that one should build on implemented changes and never let up. Declaring victory too soon can leave room for slack, create consistency, and personnel can lose track of the change. There is always room for improvement, hence the need for additional initiatives to proposed to be added to the original initiative. Lastly, step eight is institutionalizing strategic changes in the culture (Hodges & Gill, 2015). The U. S. Navy revolves around change. Sailors are accustomed to sudden change, it is a part of military culture, whether for better or for worse. Once the implemented changes are ironed out, they will become a part of the day-to-day evolutions.

Strategies on the implementation of the various steps

Step one: Create a sense of urgency

Creating a sense of urgency is critical to increase the organization's level of awareness that there is the need for continual strategic adjustments and that they should always be in line with the significant prospect in view (Hodges & Gill, 2015). It is vital to inform all personnel of the new initiatives being implemented. One of the most important concepts of operating in an organization that is spread across the globe is not just the ability to communicate, but to communicate quickly, effectively, securely, and with full accountability (Starling, 2018). Communication can be passed through the Navy’s message traffic for widest dissemination. Within the message, it is crucial to begin from the starting point of the process to include any major issues with the initiative. The message will then proceed to explain the need for the new initiatives and the effectiveness of the initiatives. Personnel will be well informed of the proposed change with comparison to the first implemented change. Furthermore, providing deadlines for the initiative and training dates will create a sense of urgency.

Step two: Build a guiding coalition

The core of a network is the guiding coalition (GC), which is made up of volunteers from throughout the organization (Hodges & Gill, 2015). During this phase, higher ranking personnel must be knowledgeable with the organizational change implementations. Once the message traffic is received, it will be vital for each command to do their homework on the initiative and provide training to the junior personnel. The triad should consist of the Commanding Officer, Executive Officer, Command Master Chief, Administrative Officer, and all CPPA's. Administrative personnel, in which are typically the CPPA's, will be a vital part of the GC as they are the subject matter experts. CPPA’s provide input to their Commanding Officer/Officer in Charge on issues related to Navy pay and personnel within the command; facilitate Navy pay and personnel transactions for command personnel on the behalf of the pay and personnel supporting organization; facilitate command level support to Billet Based Distribution (BBD) processes within the command; and provide guidance to command personnel on changes to Navy pay and personnel policies and procedures ("CPPA & PAYPERS Support Services " n.d.) . 

Step three: Form a strategic vision and initiatives

The vision will serve as a strategic direction for the dual operating system. A well-formulated vision is focused on taking advantage of a big make-or-break opportunity (Hodges & Gill, 2015). Communication will be vital in regards to the vision of the new initiative. The first organizational change was rolled out causing confusion, rework and administrative chaos. The vision behind the new initiative is to ensure all personnel are trained and understand the benefits of the centralization and expectations of self-service. While the PSD’s and CSD’s will no longer be up and fully functional, there will be personnel there for face-to-face and emergent services. During this phase, the GC of each command should muster with all-hands to ensure everyone is on board and has a clear understanding of the vision. Mustering all-hands provide the opportunity to receive feedback and prevent the fear of the unknown.

Step four: Enlist a volunteer army

As stated by Kotter (n.d.), Large-scale change can only occur when massive numbers of people rally around a common opportunity. They must be bought-in and urgent to drive change – moving in the same direction. During the all-hands call, volunteers can be accepted to assist with the testing process of the new initiative. This will allow CPPA's to interpret what other changes may be required to achieve the most successful and uncomplicated results. As stated in the text, if done properly, with creativity, such communications can go viral, attracting employees who buy into the ambition of the message and begin to share a commitment to it (Hodges & Gill, 2015).

Step five: Enable action by removing barriers

Removing barriers such as inefficient processes and hierarchies provides the freedom necessary to work across silos and generate real impact (Kotter, n.d.). Training personnel will alleviate individual barriers. Personnel must be on board with the initiative and be willing to share knowledge; otherwise, rework, confusion and stoppage to individual personnel matters will continue. The U. S. Navy has no intentions to pull the strong on the project, only to improve. During the all-hands call, there will be ample opportunity to record the flaws within the current initiative. Correcting the errors is a step toward removing barriers.

Step six: Generate short-term wins

A network’s credibility will not last long without confirmation that its decisions and actions are actually benefiting the organization (Hodges & Gill, 2015). As training is being provided there will be a muster sheet available and CPPA’s can track individuals training and the overall command percentage. All-hands can be held each time the percentage goes up a quarter until max completion. Sailor’s like to hear from the Commanding Officer’s so conducting all-hands and providing status updates will imply short term wins. Not only will the all-hands satisfy the likes of the Sailors but this will also be a precise opportunity for continuous feedback in regards to the success of the initiative.

Step seven: Sustain acceleration

Never letting up means that organizations should keep learning from experience and not declare victory too soon (Hodges & Gill, 2015). Commands must not become complacent with any organizational change. GC’s must reiterate these sentiments each time they meet with personnel. Change is ever revolving in the military. As time passes, so does technology. The current initiative involves centralized and modernized PSD’s and CSD’s with the additional service of the Transaction Online Processing System and calls made to the Centralized Hotline. In the future, this can easily change to video call customer service. All personnel should always remain informed of program changes. Although CPPA's are the subject matter experts they too, should always reference directives when processing personnel matter. Complacency must not be confused with consistency.

Step eight: Institute change

Once the final steps of the initiative are complete, this must become the new norm especially to those new to the self-service functions. The self-service functions include but are not limited to updating records of emergency data, submitting changes to marital status, adding dependents, and requests to separate or retire online. No strategic initiative, big or small, is complete until it has been incorporated into day-to-day activities (Hodges & Gill, 2015). The implemented changes must be embedded in the culture of how business is done. Implemented changes will be followed by a directive that will provide the how-to-data. The current personnel experiencing the implemented changes will be the leader of many Sailors to follow.

Conclusion

Organizational change is not an easy process. The process can be intense and require many additional changes, which is not always a bad thing. Change models provide critical step by step analysis and implementation of the relevant factors to successfully incorporate organizational change. When you have a guide such as Kotter’s eight-step process for leading change, the process can be smoother to transition. Failure to conduct in-depth analysis can lead to an unsuccessful change. The Navy has a history of change strategies, but not all are highly successful, which happens within an organization that has ever-changing dynamics. As pointed out within this paper, Kotter’s change management model is perfect for the proposed changes to enhance the original initiative.

References

Command Pay/Personnel Administrator (CPPA) Pay and Personnel (PAYPERS) Support

Services. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/paypers/cpcresources/Pages/default2.aspx

Hodges, J. & Gill, R. (2015). Sustaining Change in Organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA:

SAGE Publications

Kotter, J. P. (n.d.). Faculty & Research. Retrieved May 9, 2019, from