Organisational Change Definition
Organisational change impacts the entire organisation. Changes in management, relocating workplace, company goals etc. are all part of organisational change. It’s a broad category.
To effectively plan your organisational change management strategy, it is important to determine the type of change.
This allows for the implementation of the right change management plan to achieve results. Additionally knowing the type of change will help in selecting change management tools.
Table of Content
Why is effective Organisational change management important?
Organisational change is an aspect of running a business.
As employees leave and new ones are hired, as companies grow and create teams and divisions and as businesses adopt technology to stay competitive – managing these changes in an efficient manner is key.
Ensuring your employees understand the nature of these changes and how they will be impacted is crucial. Effective Organisational change management enables businesses to smoothly navigate through these transitions.
For instance, providing training helps employees adapt to technology more quickly.
That way they fully embrace innovation, and the implementation of change is not hindered by support tickets and confused customers.
By identifying the types of changes, you will implement you can create a plan to keep employees updated.
You have the option to request input as you implement the changes and then adjust your change management plan so that your team receives the support to adapt and handle the changes effectively.
Different Types of Organisational Change
Types of change require different approaches. Everything from performance to communication needs to be tailored based on the type of change being implemented.
1. Strategic change
Organizations implement changes in their business to achieve goals, maintain an edge in the market or respond to potential opportunities or threats.
Strategic change involves making adjustments to the company’s strategies, structure or processes. The responsibility for change often lies with management and the CEO.
2. People driven organisational change
While all changes impact people, people driven types of change involve implementing parental leave policies or integrating new team members.
When implementing a people change management should keep in mind that employees may naturally resist change.
A people-oriented approach requires transparency, communication, strong leadership and a compassionate approach.
3. Structural change
Structural changes involve making alterations to the organization’s framework that can stem from external factors and typically affect how the company is operated.
Key transformations entail shifts in the management structure, team collaboration responsibilities assigned to departments leadership hierarchy, work organization and regulatory approach.
Factors that contribute to transformations encompass mergers and acquisitions, redundancy of tasks, market fluctuations and alterations in processes or policies.
These developments intersect, with changes driven by individuals as they directly impact the majority of employees.
4. Change in technology
The increasing market competition and evolving technology result in changes within organizations.
Technology change often involves introducing software or systems to improve business processes.
However, goals for technology projects are often poor. Inadequately communicated, which scares and frustrates employees and ultimately leads to resistance.
5. Unexpected change
Unexpected change is defined as action following events. An unexpected change cannot be made. Can be handled through change management.
6. Remedial change
Remedial changes are conservative in nature. This type of change occurs when a problem is identified, and a solution needs to be implemented. As these changes are meant to resolve an issue, they require action.
Conservative change may not be ideal. It is inevitable, nonetheless. The advantage of change is that judging its success is quick and straightforward, with one question.
Strategies for Facilitating Successful Organisational Change
Once you have identified the type of change here are a suggestion to ensure that the transformation is effective:
Defined vision and objectives
It is crucial to comprehend the reasons behind the change, how it will impact business outcomes and when it will be considered a success.
To ensure the success of change, it is crucial to plan and communicate a purpose, vision and goals. This helps both employees and leaders understand the reasons behind the change and its overall impact.
Prioritization is essential because it is not feasible to tackle every issue.
It is important to focus on addressing the issues first. For example, implementing three enterprise applications one by one all at once.
Gaining buy in from all stakeholders within the organization is vital.
This includes involving individuals such as leadership, management and supervisors. By making employees feel valued, included and respected.
It also allows any potential conflicts or concerns to be voiced in the implementation process for resolution.
Final Thoughts
Creating a change execution plan is crucial for implementation. This plan should outline milestones. Address various aspects such as project scope, integration, resources, communication, timeframes, costs, procurement and risks. A designed execution plan helps overcome barriers and resistance to change while expediting the pace of implementation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the key perspective for organisational change?
Answer: To achieve change management, it is crucial to have leaders who do not embrace change themselves but also effectively guide others through the process.
What are the five key elements of organisational change?
Answer: When it comes to navigating change successfully organizations should focus on five aspects; Culture, Communication, Courage, Belief and Empathy.