2. IMPLEMENTING CHANGE
Implementing Change
As a manager within the department it is essential to understand how to implement
change. Change can happen daily, weekly, and throughout the year which can cause many forms
of issues, conflicts, concerns, and even resistance. There are three areas that a manager can be
prepared for when implementing change. First, a very imperative part of implementing is that a
manager must be aware of their role and responsibility in implementing change in the
department. Second, knowing that implementing change will have negative outcomes a manager
will need to know how to successfully handle staff resistance to change. Finally, a manager
cannot just attempt change without knowing the steps within the change process that consist of
assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The following information will give
insight of each of these three areas.
Since the manager will be the individual in charge of leading implement of change, then
that person will have a certain role and many responsibilities. The role of the manager will be
viewed as the leader. This means the followers believe that the leader has knowledge,
understanding, interest, and experience to use and teach with. Followers are not only interested
in how the leader uses and teaches with their skills, but that the leader will also be an example
for them to follow. If a leader can be an example this will start of the implement of change with a
positive foundation. One way to be an example is to have team discussions. Followers can
participate in input that can be both positive and negative without the leader taking offense.
Another part of being an example is accepting input or having team members lead a project that
is not one of the leader’s strengths. Some of the characteristics of this foundation will be trust,
acceptance, growth, and strength (Banutu-Gomez & Banutu-Gomez, 2007). Working together as
a collaborative group also allows the benefits of the strengths of each team member to be
3. IMPLEMENTING CHANGE
combined. By using this open concept not only will give the leader more control of the goals, but
it opens up the lines of communication which will reflect on the groups relationships as a whole
(Dobson, 2009). When a leader is an example to the followers then a team will be built. By
building a team, Porter-O’Grady & Malloch (2007, p6, para 2) describe it as, “Teams are not
configured simply for the good of organization. They are designed as a way to more effectively
undertake work and achieve outcomes. The team-based approach maximizes the skills and
talents of individuals and integrates them, and through their cohesive energy and activities,
achieves better results.” Along with being a manager as a leader there are the many
responsibilities that are part of leading and managing. The main responsibilities are to take on the
tasks; problems, goals, training, productivity, and ideas. The manager needs to approach each of
these tasks will need to be led with a responsibility of commitment. Commitment not only shows
a sense of responsibility, but will also express to the followers other traits of responsibility such
as loyalty and respect. Another responsibility a manager has is to be able to teach others how to
lead. With teaching others how to lead an advance in department growth will be able to take
process. Banutu-Gomez, M. and Banutu-Gomez, S. (2007, para 9) explain this concept as,
“Members should be taught how to provide leadership that facilitates identifying issues, finding
the roots of conflicts, and creating solutions to problems that everyone can support.” Most
importantly a manager must be ready for staff resistance to change.
Recognizing and being prepared for staff members that are having a resistance to change
will assist in a successful outcome. The following steps will identify what needs to be recognized
and being prepared will be supported with meetings, training, and information. In any type of
organization there will be resistance to one issue or another, but change is being implemented
resistance can grow and spread fast. The first part of a successful outcome from resistance is to
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get rid of practices from the past. This is where being prepared will come into practice. Some of
the areas that would be removed would be attitude problems. Support can be given in the form of
training, literature, and the outcome that is required from the member. Another practice to
eliminate would be to provide information of what actions will not be tolerated. This will need to
be reinforced with setting boundaries along with the right tools to show how to get rid of bad
acts. A very important part of having a successful outcome with resistance is to communicate
with the staff of every change, how each person will be affected or not affected, any new job
titles, and provide the goals of the change. This can be a consistent part of addressing resistance
because it will take different amounts of time for each member to adjust. The final part of a
successful outcome with resistance is to challenge the staff to be prepared for evaluations and
progress reports (Porter-O'Grady & Malloch, 2007). This gives the staff a goal to reach for as
well. Next, let’s review the steps in implementing change.
Implementing change will consist of a four step process which includes; assessment,
planning, implementation, and evaluation. The process of assessment in implementing change
includes learning about the key problems and strengths in a department. Assessment can take
place on a rating scale with specific questions so that the lower scored answers can be addressed.
The assessment can also be used in the planning phase. A plan should contain detailed steps that
address specific functions within the department. This will help members understand what they
will be doing. It should also answer the quality of work and what is expected from each position.
This will prepare the staff of what the mission of the department is. Another answer the plan will
address is the goals and the expected outcomes. This will give the staff direction of what to do,
how to act, and what the end result can be (Porter-O'Grady & Malloch, 2007). Once the
assessment and planning have been developed then implementation will put the plan into action.
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The implementation stage will need guidance to address any glitches, give either group or
individual inspiration, and to update on process of the plan. A great description on how to
approach implementation is given by Banutu-Gomez, M. & Banutu-Gomez, S. (2007, para 29)
as, “Their main focus should be on influencing the process rather than dictating it.” Even though
the evaluation is the final step in implementing change it can be conducted throughout the
implementation stage. This will give the manager the opportunity to evaluate individual’s
progress, teamwork, address and discuss problems, and teach how to lead (Banutu-Gomez &
Banutu-Gomez, 2007).
In closing, when implementing change it is important to understand the role and
responsibilities of the manager. The manager will be viewed as the leader of the team who will
be relied upon to set the direction of every decision, goal, and structure of the department. And
even though implementing change may cause resistance a manager can be prepared by
recognized what needs to be removed within the department, offer support, communicate what is
happening, and set goals for individuals and as a team. Finally, the steps in implementing change
cannot only help the manager stay organized but prepare the department for transaction with
knowledge, support, and goal setting.
