Implementing Change Paper Essay

In any organization, the manager wears many hats. Their responsibilities go beyond just managing a group of people. On top of managing, they have to be communicators, coaches, and advocates, just to name a few of the many hats. Part of being an effective communicator includes reporting and implanting changes that may come down from upper management. Change can bring out many emotions in people, like anxiety. How a manager handles the change and implements it within their department can either make their people feel good about it, or heighten their concerns (â€Å"Managers And Supervisors: Importance And Role†, 2014). What is the manager’s role and responsibility in implementing change in the department? When implementing change within a department, there are specific responsibilities that a manager must uphold. First and foremost, it is important for the manager to inform the employees of what is going on and most importantly as soon as possible. When employees sense th at there may be a change, it often causes panic. When the employees aren’t sure of what exactly is going on, it allows their minds to run wild with all the possibilities and often times they are negative. Therefore, it is important they are given all the necessary information up front before they have time to assume what is going to happen (Scott, 2014). Once all the relevant information has been relayed and the employees understand all the changes that are going to take place, the manager then needs to switch into support mode. They need to be able to support their entire team through the process that is about to unfold. For example, this is important if the change will bring a heavier workload. The manager will need to provide support to the team so that they will adjust to the change as seamlessly as possible. Lastly, overall good management techniques are important when a change is being implemented. Managers should be aware of over and under managing the situation. Also, implementing a rewards program can also help ease the stress of the change (Scott, 2014). How should a manager  successfully handle staff resistance to change? A resistance to the change is bound to happen and should be expected from at least a few employees. A manager’s skills are put to the test when this happens and it is vital that they handle this situation appropriately. Resistance can come in many different forms. For example, there may be an increased number of people quitting, hostility, and in extreme cases, strikes. Any type of resistance can be troublesome for the management teams, which is why it is imperative that it is handled quickly and appropriately. For starters, the management team needs to understand that some resistance is desirable because it will help the change to be more effective. Employees who question the change in a non-malicious manner could ultimately help to refine the plans of change. Secondly, a good manager will realize that not all of their employees will respond the same to the changes and should be treated accordingly. Sometimes the resistance may come because the employees may not understand the purpose of the changes. The fix for this could be as simple as sitting down with those employees that are having trouble adjusting and thoroughly going over everything. This would include explaining why, how, and when the changes will be taking place. Define each step of the change process: assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation The change process includes four steps, assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. These steps can help make the change process an easier transition. According to Sull ivan and Decker (2009), â€Å"Emphasis is placed on the assessment phase of change for two reasons. Without data collection and analysis, planned change will not proceed past the â€Å"wouldn’t it be a good idea if† stage† (Sullivan & Decker, 2009, â€Å"Chapter 5, Initiating and Implementing Change, The Change Process†). Change does not have to come from only a problem, it can also come from an opportunity. Once the problem or opportunity has been properly identified, internal and external data can be collected. Many factors will have to be examined, like who would benefit from the changes and the costs associated with the changes. Once all the data has been collected, it is imperative that it gets analyzed. A statistical analysis could prove even more beneficial especially if it is presented visually, with either graphs or charts. Once a direction has been established, the next part in the process can begin. In the planning stage, the who, when, and how of the change are determined and the target area is decided. Those in the target  are should be act ively involved with the planning stage. Doing so will hopefully lessen the chances of resistance later on. In the next stage, which is implementation, the plan is put into motion. There are two different methods for change; changing an individual and changing a group. Information giving is the most common method used in changing an individuals’ attitudes and values. According to Sullivan and Decker (2009), â€Å"providing information is prerequisite to change implementation, but it is inadequate unless lack of information is the only obstacle effecting change† (Sullivan & Decker, 2009, â€Å"Chapter 5, Initiating and Implementing Change, The Change Process†). Just giving information does not give the reason for the change. Another method that can be considered to change individuals is training. This method combines information giving and actual skill practice. As for methods to change groups, â€Å"The greatest influence is achieved when group members discuss issues that are perceived as important and make relevant, binding decisions based on those discussions† (Sullivan & Decker, 2009, â€Å"Chapter 5, Initiating and Implementing Change, The Change Process†). Individual and group methods can be combined. Whichever methods are used, everyone involved should feel as though their input is important and be rewarded accordingly. The final step in the process is the evaluation. It is important to monitor the change to ensure that it the presumed benefits are being achieved financially and qualitatively. Although some outcomes may be undesirable, those too must be examined. If there are problems, they can be reevaluated and corrected. Change is never an easy process to go through. Everyone handles it differently and it often comes with feelings of fear and anxiety. This is especially true for organizations as managers play a large role when it comes to implementing the changes. There are many skills that one must possess in order to do this properly and without much backlash. It is always to be expected that retaliation will come from some in the organization, but the managers have the ability to control the extent of it. By going through the ch ange process and spending quality time on each step, retaliation can be kept to a minimum. Managers and supervisors: importance and role. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.change-management.com/tutorial-job-roles-mod4.htmNichols, V. (n.d.). How you should handle resistance to change. Retrieved from  http://www.hrzone.com/feature/people/how-you-should-handle-resistance-change/141253Scott, G. (2014). What Is the Manager Role and Responsibility in Implementing Change Within the Department?. Retrieved from http://work.chron.com/manager-role-responsibility-implementing-change-within-department-26671.htmlSullivan, E.J., & Decker, P.J. (2009). Effective leadership management nursing (7th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.