NHRD Journal - National HRD Network

To address the challenge of executing change,
the change leader should function as a systems
architect.
(d) Building Change Capability: This involves
creating positive context that enables people
to have faith in their own capabilities, take risks
and learn. By engendering a feeling of optimism
and hope, change leader fosters a positive
belief in people that they can face challenges of
change. This positive belief lies at the heart of
capability building. Thus change leader should
be an efficacy builder.
Change management failures occur because
one or more of the above challenges are not
addressed effectively. In rest of the paper, we'll
briefly review what each one of the above four
roles entails.
Leadership
Appreciating Change
A traditional organization had sought to make
certain important structural interventions to be
able to face greater competition. Accordingly,
teams were constituted and resources were
allocated. The objective was to strengthen
interface management among the key functions
for developing new products. For the success
of the change effort, employees were required
to behave in ways that would be qualitatively
different from the manner in which they had
been used to operating.
For example, the organizational members were
required to work across functional boundaries
and operate with minimal guidance and
specific role prescriptions to pursue larger
organizational goals and priorities. This was
a sharp departure from the existing methods
that were characterized by hierarchical
approaches, strong functional loyalties and
turf concerns. For the change to succeed, people
had to communicate requirements and
demands, if required to individuals, groups
and functions even if they were powerful.
Juniors were expected to talk openly about
difficulties and voice opinions freely at
meetings. They had to assume responsibility.
The seniors, on the other hand, were expected
to actively seek opinions, encourage dissent
and support efforts to modify dysfunctional
procedures. They had to feel comfortable with
initiative being taken at lower levels and
feedback and expectations being expressed
frankly by their direct reports.
No thought was given to how such changes in
mindsets were expected to be brought about.
Not surprisingly, these mindset changes did
not occur and so the structural changes did
not take root. There was also no clarity on how
the inherent contradictions among different
sub-goals were expected to be resolved. For
instance, the sub-goal of new product
development was at odds with the sub-goal of
maximizing production of existing products.
Incentive systems, goal setting and
measurement procedures were not geared to
accept possible higher rejections, extra costs
and the dip in the top-line and bottom-line
flowing from investments for the future.
A key change management challenge is to
ensure that all such factors are visualized and
considered before the direction is frozen in terms
of specific sub-goals and tasks. When people
are able to visualize both the larger picture and
their assigned tasks, they become hopeful,
optimistic and committed to the transformation
process.
November 2007 NHRD Journal 61