CHANGE
To capture a cliché concerning today’s
marketplace, we continually hear, “The only thing constant is change.” Businesses are constantly being pressured to
adapt to remain competitive and since people normally comprise the most
important asset of the company, it is necessary to learn how to affect
effective change in our organizations.
Many times human nature reflects the law
of inertia. Things at rest tend to stay there
or put in plain English “if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it.” The fact is, we tend to practice the same
habits until the pain of staying the same exceeds the pain of change.
It’s not those employees arrive at work
wishing to fail. Given the right
atmosphere for innovation and change, many people willingly accept the changes
necessary to remain competitive.
Therefore, it is management’s
responsibility to institute change in the organization. Recognize that change requires top management
support, constant reinforcement and repetition to achieve the desired
destination.
Some recommended strategies include:
•
Develop a management change
team
•
Designate responsibility for
the change success to the appointed senior manager on that team
•
Develop teams in each
department in the organization
•
Appoint a senior management
person to serve on each team
•
Launch the change initiative
with full workforce meetings
•
Form sub-teams down to the
lowest level with appropriate management participation
•
Launch a media campaign in the
organization to support the change required
•
Fully inform all individuals
why the change is necessary
•
Invite participation from all
the individuals affected
•
Eliminate outdated procedures
and practices that form an impediment to change
•
Establish benchmarks of
progress
•
Reward departments and
individuals for progress or completion of the assigned changes
•
It may be necessary to replace
or demote individuals who refuse to participate in the change process
•
Remember that constant
reinforcement and management participation are the two keys to success
One example very prevalent from the 1980’s
was the quest for Total Quality Management.
Previous to that time frame, many service companies, distribution and
manufacturing firms were run by simple formulas, experience and gut feel. For example, my purchasing training in 1976
consisted of determining an A and B supplier, learning how to replenish stock
and laborious hours marking printouts.
There was no instruction on the need for inventory turns or formulas to
produce efficient purchasing practices.
The job function was treated as a stand alone function, not as an
integrated part of the whole company’s successful operation.
As profit margins declined and profits
were unable to cover lax management practices during the mid-eighties, quality
programs became very popular among top management. A Total Quality Management Program was a way
to bolster profitability without investing in new plants, machinery and product
development. In addition, it was virtually forced on many suppliers to retain
their client base.
To ensure the implementation of the
quality programs, many aspects of the change process were utilized by my
employer at that time. Senior management
was involved, training was performed, teams were formed, measurements were
taken, audits were undertaken, and recognition was provided to the high
achievers. Best Way Manuals were written
and eventually software was developed to track almost every aspect of customer
service. This change process took
approximately two years to fully institute.
However, after that time period the quality aspect of our business
became part of the company culture.
Application:
Are your responsible for a business, yet
refusing to make the necessary changes to achieve competitiveness? Involve your personnel and get started! They may surprise you if you provide the
leadership.
Author:
Gary D. Seale - MBA
Trucon Communications
www.truconbd.com
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