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Change Agent Proposal
Consulting Proposal #2
Liberty University
BMAL 504 – Leading Organizational Change
Definition of Project:
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Change Agent Proposal
The goal of this proposal is to evaluate and recommend the needed business changes to the
Housing Development Board Singapore (HDB). The HDB is under pressure to bring change and
increase their customer expectations as per their rising needs. One of those to bring about this
change was a past Deputy Director named Chew Ling Tan, who was sponsored by the Board to
receive an MBA at Columbia University. The Board was a government agency who was
interested in finding strategic ways to improve the needs of their ever changing population. Tan
had experience as a leader in a very vital department within the Board; which was the Estate
Administration and Property Department (EAPD). In order to act correctly and efficiently, the
manager must identify and be very knowledgeable of the situation that requires change (Braica,
2013). Tan’s professional experience with the knowledge received from her MBA will allow her
to have the skills to accomplish the changes needed. Tan showed through her actions that she
cared passionately about success for customers, colleagues, communities, and the stakeholders
involved (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, p. 227).
Diagnosis of current situation:
Since the 1960s when Singapore’s Housing Development Board was established, the
country’s public housing programme has grown to become one of the largest in the world. The
program caters for the housing needs of the working class, majority of the middle class, and a
small private housing market for the upper middle class (Vasoo, 2001). The Board’s
responsibilities and challenges increased over time from initially providing shelter for 6% of the
population to 81% by 2007 (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, p. 430). The external challenges faced by the
HDB ranged from land scarcity, diversity of customers who were vocal with high expectations
for lower prices, and the pricing and availability for construction plans. Internally HDB had shed
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Change Agent Proposal
34% of their staff with frequent CEO changes, faced pressure from the public with scrutiny, and
trying to keep building materials costs low.
The organization must adopt changes in order to be able to survive in an increasingly
unpredictable environment, and understand that change is a favorable occasion to prosper
(Braica, 2013). Necessary reinvention for HDB came about through three change initiatives. The
first initiative involved private developers who designed, built, and sold the new units. This was
piloted the Design, Build, and Sell Scheme (DBSS), and it was well received by the public.
Public outreach was the second initiative, and it entailed engaging residents and organizations to
support its policies and programs. Finally, the third initiative was a system known as MAGIC
“Making a great impression on customers”, and this was to bring motivation for workers to
improve customer service. Chew Ling Tan had the role of Change leader within HDB for these
initiatives, and she developed a personal detailed action plan in order to achieve the proposed
changes (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, p. 437).
Recommendations:
The management functions in processes of change comprise of diverse activities starting at
the moment of realizing the need for change, and till the time transformations imposed by the
implementation of these changes (Braica, 2013). Tan started an implementation and timeline plan
to accelerate the change initiative goals, and with her confidence she was dedicated to driving the
change forward. Chew Ling Tan has a very detailed and strong system in place, but here are
some suggestive actions to improve the Housing Board’s future success:
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Change Agent Proposal
1. Managing the expectations of the public and private customers will need to be approached by
innovating ways to show staff that they are the first true customers. The workload and
responsibilities are increasing with changes, and there must be specialization groups per each
transition.
2. Building a stronger team unity on all working levels is important, and this will be achieved by
bi-weekly meetings with not just the strategist teams, but also monthly meetings with the senior
staff, frontline staff, and town hall/organizations. Strategies for everyone working toward change
will help reevaluate what other options can bring progression.
3. Establishing a clear vision that will not be difficult for the staff to support is important. The
culture of any organization will always change with time, but a reason to wake up and be
passionate daily has to catch the spirit of those old and young who will help energize it.
4. We might be more satisfied and successful if we thought of ourselves formally as change
agents (Euchner, 2013). It seems there are key resource people at each change initiative, but in
order to gain momentum against pushback there needs to be serious consistency with ways for
people to grow into leadership roles so hard work doesn’t seem endless.
5. Feedback is important, and this will allow input from not only higher level staff but those
workers who the change is impacting the most. During a transition into a merger years ago at my
hospital, the new management found a way for staff to give feedback so it can alleviate the
resistance from a certain system they were used to for so long. This helped the new and old team
to successfully take on more patient care with enthusiasm.
Implementation Plan:
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Change Agent Proposal
Respect and recognition win friends throughout the change process, and it is important to
make everyone who is a part of the process look good (Jick & Peiperl, 2011, p. 493). Once the
change initiative has taken hold within the EAPD, HDB will experience upward movement as
per changing times. Determinant factors that will drive success forward at HDB Singapore will
come as follows:
There will need to be preparation for unforeseen obstacles that may arise due to planning
faults. Resistance to change may also need to be prepared for by assuring people that this
new vision is to bring all round success to all of us personally and professionally.
There needs to be constant preparation for the new times the world has come to
believing they can achieve. Most of the current organizations are going to change their
activities and culture, because due to the advancement of technology, changing
production techniques, the changing behavior of customers, economic changes, the
business world changing activities compel the organization to bring change on their
activities (Hashim, 2013).
Tan’s Eleven-week timeline for restructuring will come with evaluation one-month post
meetings and proposal evaluations. This will enable feedback from all levels of staff so
that we can improve on what needs to be discarded and what deserves more attention.
Tailoring initiatives recognizes that each organization's situation is unique and must be
accounted for when implementing change (Worley & Mohrman, 2014). Preparation to
succeed is the key for how to deal with uncertainty.
Costs need to be monitored on a month to month basis so that we can achieve quality
without losing our resources and profits. Continuous improvements on all scales for
customer satisfaction must remain important due to changing times, and fluctuation of
availability of social processes.
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Change Agent Proposal
Reorientation must take place quarterly to make sure that the vision is being ingrained in
everything we are trying to achieve as a government authority. From all levels of upper
management, there will be training to make sure that everyone is showing the support and
we do not need to be afraid of the uncertain times ahead.
Summary:
Chew Tan’s plan is strong with internal transformation being achievable, and there will be
no challenge on the outside that can’t be overcome with this in sight. The leap in complexity,
connectivity, interdependency, and speed, compared to 20 or 30 years ago, has created an
environment that is radically different and requires new approaches to change (Worley &
Mohrman, 2014). Being aware that personal knowledge and expertise is not enough, will allow
flexibility during times of transition that can affect the initial plans. Dedication, humility,
competence, and understanding are the characteristics a change agent will need to sell the dream
that the population and internal corporation will approve and appreciate.
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Change Agent Proposal
References
Jick, T. D., & Peiperl, M. A. (2003). Managing Change: Cases and Concepts (3 ed.). New
York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Worley, C. G., & Mohrman, S. A. (2014). Is change management obsolete? Organizational
Dynamics, 43(3), 214.
Braica, A. P., PhD. (2013). FUNDAMENTALS OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT. Studia
Universitatis "Vasile Goldis" Arad.Seria Stiinte Economice., 23(4), 138-149. Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1664920678?accountid=12085
Hashim, M. (2013). Change management. International Journal of Academic Research in
Business and Social Sciences, 3(7), 685.
Euchner, J. (2013, July-August). Innovation is change management. Research-Technology
Management, 56(4), 10+. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?
url=http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/ps/i.do?
p=GRGM&sw=w&u=vic_liberty&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE
%7CA349901837&sid=summon&asid=0b0929f86d1b14065b3cf9ae5eb85e3a
Vasoo, S., & Lee, J. (2001). Singapore: Social development, housing and the central provident
fund. International Journal of Social Welfare, 10(4), 276-283. doi:10.1111/1468-2397.00186
