Running Head: CHANGE MANAGEMENT PLAN l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l 1
6-1 Milestone Two: Change Management Plan
MBA 687
SNHU
CHANGE MANAGEMENT PLAN l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l 2
Introduction/ Background
The Singaporean Software Solutions organization has been facing issues relating to
communication and disengagement at its U.S. branch. Communication is an indispensable element
that can positively influence the work environment and employee performance (Martinez &
Hurtado, 2018). Similarly, employee engagement is also critical to maximize organizational
performance (Markos & Sridevi, 2010). In order to address the current issues within the
organization, a change management plan has been designed. The report is a critical component of
the change management kit. The organizational and individual activities that are necessary for the
change implementation process have been captured in the report. It can serve as a blueprint and help
to bring about a change in the organizational context so that the Singaporean branch and the U.S.
branch can address their issues by strengthening communication and engagement.
In the initial section of the report, the key stakeholder for the change process have been
identified, and their significance has been captured. Then the strategic goals are identified that are
streamlined with the change management plan. The need for making improvements to the
organizational systems has been captured. Strategies for team collaboration have been identified,
and a suitable change management model has been identified. Finally, the implementation steps are
presented that will help to make the necessary change in the organizational setting. l
Identification of key stakeholders
Two key stakeholders have been identified who will play an instrumental role in the change
management process. The first stakeholder is the Customer Success Coordinator/ Team Leader. In
the past year, he has played the role of the lead agent in the call centre of the company and helped to
increase customer satisfaction. His involvement in the change process is necessary since he spends
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time interacting with the agents about their performance expectations. Additionally, he contributes
to the evaluation of the organizational personnel. He has the ability to work along with employees at
all levels of the company while understanding the needs of the customers. Based on his current role
in Singaporean Software Solutions, he will play a key role in the change process and help to address
the differences that exist between the personnel of the Singaporean branch and the U.S. branch.
The other key stakeholder whose involvement is vital in the change process is the Vice
President of the organization. He is primarily responsible for leading departments as well as
operations so that Singaporean Software Solutions can function in its entirety and its goals and
objectives can be achieved. He can add value to the change management process by ensuring that
the values, vision, mission, beliefs, and strategic goals of the company are shared across the
Singaporean branch and the U.S branch. He plays a leadership role in the organization, and his
involvement is indispensable to ensuring that the change management process can be introduced
and implemented to address the existing concerns relating to communication and disengagement.
According to Hayes, the role of leadership in the change management process is vital since leaders
can influence the staff to adapt to change (Hayes, 2018). The stakeholders that have been identified
play a pivotal role in Singaporean Software Solutions, and by being a part of the change process,
they can help to address the current concerns that need to be resolved on an urgent basis. l
Significance of each stakeholder’s role
The role of the identified stakeholders, i.e., the Vice President and the Customer Success
Coordinator/ Team Leader. They have been chosen to be a part of the change management process
since they can help in gaining buy-in, acceptance and support relating to change across diverse
branches. According to Doccy, when any kind of change is introduced in an organizational setting,
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considerable implications can arise for diverse stakeholders (Doccy, 2019). Thus, it becomes
necessary for organizations to identify the most important stakeholders so that they can be a part of
the change management process and facilitate change.
In the context of Singaporean Software Solutions, the Customer Success Coordinator/ Team
Leader can help to gain the buy-in of the staff by ensuring that an employee-centric workplace
culture exists, which promotes employee engagement and coordination. He can act as a counselor
and extend support to the member of the U.S. branch and the Singaporean branch to obtain their buy-
in and help them adapt to the change process (Level 6 strategic stakeholder relationships, 2021, p.
13). Similarly, the Vice President can support the change initiative by acting as the opinion leader
and ensuring that the mindset of the personnel is positively influenced and they accept the change to
address the issues relating to poor communication and disengagement. Lewis has argued that while
making change, the role that stakeholders play can influence the success of the change management
process (Lewis, 2019).
Strategic goals
Singaporean Software Solutions considers people to be its most valued resource. The
company has succeeded in creating value for its customers in the market by leveraging people,
technology, and resources. The chief elements that the company focuses on in order to move in the
desired strategic direction include growth, talent and learning, marketing, and customers. While
operating in the dynamic and evolving market setting, the company only focuses on the needs of its
customers but also on its employees so that they can get the opportunity to work in a nurturing and
positive organizational climate. The change plan has been designed by taking into consideration the
company’s vision, mission and strategic goals. The entire change management plan revolves around
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the staff members so that the current issues that exist relating to poor communication and
disengagement at the U.S. branch can be effectively addressed.
Currently, in the U.S. branch, engagement is a major issue that has increased the turnover of
the staff members. Some of the potential causes of turnover that have been identified are low
company morale, limited training and career growth opportunities, lack of work-life balance,
ineffective communication and poor leadership and management practices. According to Siti, in
order to address the high employee turnover issue and the related factors, it is critical for employers
to identify the needs of the staff members and focus on elements like job satisfaction, work
environment, and motivation (Al-Suraihi et al., 2021). In the specific organizational context, some
of the key elements that can positively influence the employees of the U.S branch include effective
and transparent communication, better leadership practices, opportunities for growth and
development and better engagement in the workplace. By emphasizing these areas, it will be
possible to streamline the change process with the organization’s strategic goals.
Need for improvements to organizational systems
In order to bring about the desired change in the organizational context of Singaporean
Software Solutions, it is necessary to bring about improvements in the existing organizational
systems and processes. According to the results of the exit interviews that were conducted, there
exists a broad range of pain points for employees that deter them from working in the organization.
According to Mokibelo, exit interviews serve as a mirror for employers that must be used to capture
valuable feedback from the existing staff. The feedback can be used to make improvements in the
existing processes or practices in the organization so that a more employee-centric climate can be
established and the issue of turnover can be controlled or mitigated (Mokibelo, 2020).
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In the specific organization, some of the main areas of change that have been identified with
the help of the exit interviews are poor relationships with the management, limited training
opportunities and the lack of career opportunities. Based on the interview, there is scope to improve
the existing processes and policies so that the engagement between the staff members and the
management can improve. Similarly, the needs of employees relating to training, development and
growth must be given high priority. By focusing on these aspects, it is possible to create a more
employee-centric climate within the workplace and boost their morale as well as the level of job
satisfaction. Kandavel has argued that training can positively influence employee morale (Kandavel
& Sakthivel, 2018). By creating training and development opportunities within Singaporean
Software Solutions, it will be possible to empower the staff to upgrade their skills and capabilities
and adapt to the evolving business climate. Similarly, effective communication and engagement can
strengthen the professional association between the personnel and management and help to address
the employee turnover issue (Miles & Huberman, 1994).
Enhancement strategies for team collaboration
Two enhancement strategies have been recommended that Singaporean Software Solutions
can adopt in order to strengthen team collaboration. Currently, the main reasons for the lack of
collaboration between team members across the Singaporean branch and the U.S. branch of the
organization include the lack of cross-cultural awareness, poor change management skills and low
visioning. In order to address these concerns that deter team collaboration, some of the enhancement
strategies that can be adopted within the organization are the introduction of transparent and
effective communication in the workplace and working on cultural intelligence skills by the leaders.
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Better communication – One of the fundamental strategies to boost team collaboration is
strengthening communication so that accurate and timely information can be shared among the
team members. Keyton has identified collaboration as a form of interaction that can help to reach the
shared goals and objectives (Eynon, 2016). By focusing on better interaction, engagement and
communication, it is possible to ensure that all employees are connected by the shared vision of the
company. An individual employee can be transformed into a team player and foster team
collaboration by engaging with other members, listening to their ideas and actively participating in
the team setting.
Emphasis on cultural intelligence by leaders – The leaders of the Singaporean Software Solutions
organization must work on their cultural awareness ability. According to Jenifer cross-cultural
competence is an important skill for professionals that operate in the contemporary organizational
landscape (Jenifer & RAMAN, 2017). By working on this specific area, the leaders will be able to
understand the differences in culture between the Singaporean branch and the U.S. branch. The
insight can help to respect diversity and differences and create an inclusive work culture where the
members of both teams can function in a collaborative and cohesive manner. Mosavi has identified
cultural intelligence as a critical soft skill that can enable leaders to effectively function in cross-
cultural contexts and engage with the diverse environment and its participants (Javaheri et al.,
2020). In order to build trust, the leaders must have proper cultural awareness and suit the leadership
style to effectively influence both the branches. l
Change management model
The current issues that the U.S. branch of Singaporean Software Solutions is facing include
ineffective communication and disengagement. In order to address these problems that negatively
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affect the work climate, the suitable change management model that can be adopted is Kotter’s
change management model. The 8 step change management model gives a detailed insight into the
fundamental steps that need to be adopted to bring about a change in the organizational setting. The
steps that Kotter has identified in his model are creating a sense of urgency, establishing a guiding
team, creating the vision, emphasis on communication to obtain buy-ins, empowering action,
creation of short-term wins, not giving up, and ensuring that the change sticks.
The specific change model has been selected since the detailed steps can serve as guidelines
that can help in the facilitation of change so that employees from the U.S. branch can make the
transition. The model will be applied in the U.S. branch so that it could guide the employees to be a
part of the change process and ensure that their buy-in is achieved. While using the model to bring
about the necessary change in the organizational context, some of the key elements that will be
given high priority are communicating with the organizational personnel and involving them
throughout the change process. It will help to ensure that a common vision is shared among the staff
members irrespective of the branches in which they operate so that a sense of connection and
collaboration can be established.
Steps for implementation
The 8 steps will be used in the U.S. branch in chronological order to drive change. A sense of
urgency will be created by letting the staff know that proper communication and engagement are
vital to accomplishing the organizational goals. A guiding coalition will be established by creating a
team including the key stakeholders – Customer Success Coordinator/ Team Leader and the Vice
President so that they can help to manage the change process. The strategic vision of the firm will be
articulated clearly so that it can connect employees at all levels. This step will be crucial to minimize
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or mitigate the differences between the Singaporean headquarters and the U.S. branch. The next step
involves conveying the vision with the help of the key stakeholders to obtain employee buy-in. Then
efforts would be made to empower others by removing obstacles or barriers. Obstacles such as poor
communication and engagement, lack of relationship between the staff and the management, etc.,
need to be addressed. The next step that must be taken while implementing change is the creation of
short-term wins. Employees must be motivated by setting small and achievable targets. It must be
followed by sustaining the acceleration of the change and looking for further improvement. Finally,
change must be integrated into the culture so that roust communication and engagement between the
two branches can be fostered (Haas et al., 2020).
While implementing the change, roadblocks in the change management process can be
removed by listening to the views and feedback of the staff and engaging with them throughout the
process. In case any impact of planned and/or unplanned changes and contingencies will arise, the
same will be communicated with the key stakeholders and subsequently with other employees so
that a collaborative approach can be adopted to deal with it. The milestones that must be
accomplished for the change implementation to succeed include higher job satisfaction, reduced
employee turnover, improved individual and team or branch performance. The success of the
change management plan can be measured by using metrics like employee turnover rate, increase in
employee performance and employee satisfaction level. The role of Key Performance Indicators
(KPIs) will be vital in evaluating the success of the change plan (Bala & Koxhaj, 2017).
Conclusion
A change management plan has been designed for Singaporean Software Solutions that will
help to address the issues relating to poor communication and disengagement at the U.S. branch.
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The ideal model that has been selected to implement the change process is Kotter’s 8 step change
management model. The involvement of key stakeholders, namely the Customer Success
Coordinator/ Team Leader and the Vice President, is vital throughout the change management
process.
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