Managing Change for Phyllis Young

11/11/2017

Introduction

Change management may appear a simple task, but it may be highly challenging especially without proper planning. There are various roles and responsibilities that determine the success of change management, including the roles of director, navigator, caretaker, coach, interpreter, and nurturer. The roles have varying impacts on change management. Every role among the six has significant impact on the success of change management, and therefore should not be ignored. Organizational change management is not a one-time event, but rather a process that requires effective management, in order to achieve success (Sanders, 2014). Additionally, the effectiveness of change management depends on the collaborative efforts of varying stakeholders, including employees, management, leaders, and employers, among others.

Some of the key images of managing change include director, coach, and interpreter ‘images. The three elements of managing change play a significant role, in ensuring the success of the organizational change. Organizational change is a complex process, which must be approached in a manner that considers the multiple aspects that affect the same. It may either affect an organization positively or negatively. Consequently, organizational management and leadership should take into consideration the numerous factors that may affect the effectiveness of organizational change, in order to ensure success (Cross, 2016). This paper focuses on change analysis by focusing on some of the most key ‘images for change’, including director, coach, and interpreter.

Apple vs. Nokia Organizational Change

Apple Corporation and Nokia Corporation have undergone major technological changes in their organizational processes and products in the past ten years. The organizations have been effective in responding to the current trends in the industry, owing to major technological advancements in the twenty-first century. The two companies have emerged among market leaders in production and commercialization of smartphones. They have adopted the most recent technologies, which has enabled them to shine in the industry. One of the key technological changes that the firms have adopted is touch-screen smartphones that have outsmarted hardware keyboards smartphone producers such as Blackberry (Skarzynski, 2008). The change has enabled the two companies to grow tremendously in the highly changing industry in terms of technology.

Nokia and Apple have invested billions of dollars in advancing their products. The two have been rampant in innovation and technological advancement, which has enabled them to gain relevance in the industry, since early twenty-first century. However, Apple has emerged the market leader in the industry, owing to its aggressiveness in software production. Nokia has sold a billion phones by 2005, where it achieved 40 percent of the global market share. However, its sales declined as a result of its lag in software development, unlike Apple. Although the technological change was effective for Nokia for some years, it lost its aggressiveness in keeping up with the industry trends. It has been forced to cut on its production costs, including labor costs and selling some of its business lines (Lee, 2001). For instance, it sold one of its key business units to Microsoft in 2007, following the pressure from its rivals, including Apple Corporation.

Images for Change

Director

The director ‘image’ in change management is very vital, owing to its impact on the success of the same. The image takes the roles of communicating and sustaining change. Although the role plays differently in different situation, it impacts significantly on the success of organizational change. Communication role enables the management to communicate to other team members on the goals, policies, procedures, mission, and vision of the organization. It provides an opportunity to solicit the support of the organizational members, as well as clarify the varying roles and responsibilities of each and every employee. Communication enables the director to address potential factors that may cause resistance to change. Another key role of the director is to sustain the change, in order to ensure organizational success. An organization may incur huge losses for investing in a change that is not sustainable (Cantore, 2016).  The director takes the role of ensuring the change is viable and beneficial to the organization even in the future.

Coach

Organizational change is a complex process, which requires a coach to educate people on the relevant issues involving the same. Change comes with numerous issues, especially with regard to its effects on organizational structure, culture, design, and procedures. The coach will be relevant in training people on how to adapt to the changes that emerge as a result of organizational change. For instance, the technological changes in Nokia and Apple will require a coach to educate the organizational members on how to cope with the same. Some of the issues that a coach will address include factors that may cause resistance to change, job insecurity, and executive coaching. A professional coach will understand major issues that may affect the implementation and success of organizational change, including leadership, motivation, and skills, among others. For instance, a technological change may require an intervention of a coach, in order to train leaders on how to address fears among employees due to fear of losing their jobs (Hamel, 2012). 

Caretaker

The caretaker takes the role of issues within an organizational change, through various responsibilities such as evaluation and monitoring of the same. Change management should consider the progress of implementation, in order to ensure it is aligned to achievement of its goals and objectives. The evaluation role enables the caretaker to identify the needs and issues that change should address, which in turn ensures organizational success. Monitoring ensures that the emerging issues within the implementation of change are addressed appropriately. The dynamics and complexities in today’s organizational environments make it vital to monitor the progress of the change, in order to make the necessary adjustments.

Combination of the Images

The combination of the three images of change management will be effective in managing the technological changes in Nokia and Apple Corporations. Technological changes are some of the most complex changes that organizations undergo through. The changes come along with numerous issues, which affect organizations and their people. Technological changes may cause major issues such as job insecurity, lack of motivation, and changes in organizational procedures, among others. The combination of the images of a director, coach, and caretaker will be most appropriate in managing the change, in order to ensure success (Carter, 2001). Although every role in change management is relevant, a combination of a coach and director will better manage the technological change in Nokia and Apple Corporations.

A coach and director will enhance the achievement of the goals and objectives of the organizational change. The success of any change in an organization depends heavily on how effective the management communicates to the employees about the details of the same. Effective communication will enable the management to address issues that may cause fear among employees, clarify on mission and vision, goals, and solicit the support of the organizational members. One of the major threats to the success of organizational change is resistance to change, lack of motivation, and job insecurity. Effective communication will enable the leadership to address the issues effectively, which will in turn enhance achievement of the goals and objectives (Palmer, 2009). Additionally, the organization has invested massive resources to undertake the change, which makes it vital to sustain the change, in order to be beneficial to the organization, customers, and other stakeholders even in the future. It is therefore pertinent for the change management to sustain the change even in the future, in order to ensure optimal returns from the same.

The caretaker and the coach will make it possible for the people to understand and cope with the change. Technological change leads to changes in production processes, products, procedures, and policies of the organizations. It amounts to a disruption in the routine way of life among people in the organizations, which requires the roles of a caretaker and a coach, in order to address the numerous issues arising from the same, as well as assist people to adapt to the new work life. The coach serves as an instructor on how to implement and carry on with the change, which ensures its success (Jick, 2011). 

Image Analysis

Conclusion

Organizational change is a complex process, whose management should consider varying factors. The different ‘images for managing change’ take varying roles, which should not be ignored. Organizational change requires huge investment of resources. Therefore, it is pertinent for an organization to enhance its change management, in order to ensure optimal returns. The dynamics and complexities in the current markets have continuously compelled organizations to undertake changes in their processes, procedures, structure, culture, and products, among others. Organizations continue to undertake the changes in order to achieve competitiveness in their industries. However, it is important for an organization to effectively manage its change, in order to benefit from the same.

References

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Cross, S. (2016). First and fast: Outpace your competitors, lead your markets, and accelerate growth.

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Hamel, G. (2012). What matters now: How to win in a world of relentless change, ferocious competition, and unstoppable innovation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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In Carter, L., In Giber, D. J., In Goldsmith, M., & Linkage Inc. (2001). Best practices in organization development and change: Culture, leadership, retention, performance, coaching : case studies, tools, models, research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

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Jick, T., & Peiperl, M. (2011). Managing change: Cases and concepts. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Lee, S. (2001). Nokia: strategic transformation and growth. Seoul: School of Public Policy and Management.

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Lewis, S., Passmore, J., & Cantore, S. (2016). Appreciative inquiry for change management: Using AI to facilitate organizational development.

Palmer, I., Dunford, R., & Akin, G. (2009). Managing Organizational Change:2nd Revised edition: A Multiple Perspectives 

Skarzynski, P., & Gibson, R. (2008). Innovation to the core: A blueprint for transforming the way your company innovates.