NHRD Journal - National HRD Network

However the good news is that the above
factors are not static and in our experience of
driving change initiatives the dynamic factors
on the left had side can be effectively loaded
with effective deployment of the four tools of
Leadership: Engagement, Reward and
Recognition, Capability building and
Communication and Buzz to ensure that the
balance tilts in favor of Change.
The greatest challenge in D is that often people
learn to live and "manage" in the existing ways
of working and the "dissatisfaction" often
becomes a way of life not usually surfacing
quite openly in the organization. To drive a
change initiative it is critical to heighten the
levels of dissatisfaction with the process/
behavior that needs to be changed. This can
often be done through initiatives like
"Appreciative Enquiry"! Other initiatives like
"co-creating" a shared vision, eg., what is the
organization you want to be a part of, evolving
a theme, an anthem etc are some initiatives that
help to create buy in as well as creating a vision
of the Ideal/desired state and preparing the
organization for Change. Inclusion of all
stakeholders through different interventions.
As the organization formally steps into the
journey of affecting change, Communication
and Capability building play a critical role in
further tilting the balance in favor of the
Change. Concrete steps taken towards
achieving the Vision need to be visibly seen
and felt by the employees, periodic updates on
progress made, seeking feedback, informal
conversations, training people on new ways of
working etc all help drive change through and
through the organization.
Was the Change Initiative successful?
At the end of any change initiative the question
that would always confront the leadership team
would be "Has the Change been successful?"
To answer this, it is imperative to get the Vision
that it had set out for the organization. Change
is affected only if the desired business goals as
was visualized to begin with has been achieved
in the end. As most Change initiatives involve
behavioral change, formal dipsticks from a cross
section of people impacted by the Change
should be undertaken to measure the impact of
the Change. The success of a change initiative
has to be measured at different levels. At input
level are the milestones being met, at the output
level are the Business goals being met. The
change impact has to be measured or reviewed.
Closing Remarks
Kurt Lewin had described Change as a simple
three step process such as Unfreezing,
Changing and Refreezing. Moving too quickly
through the stages can endanger the success of
a change effort. People typically transit through
a series of emotional stages as they adjust to the
need for a drastic change in the lives; and that
is why the HR team is indispensable to the
Change process. As every change process is
invariably a behavioral change process, the HR
teams are usually placed in the "eye of the
storm" and owe the responsibility of sailing the
organization through the stormy seas through
innovative practices designed around Change
models and prescribed tools.
References
Beckhard, R. (1969). Organization Development: Strategies and Models. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA
Gladwell, Malcolm (2000). The Tipping Point – How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Little, Brown & Company
Schein, Edgar (1992). Organizational Culture and Leadership. Jossey-Bass Inc., California.
Silverman, Lori L. (1997). Organizational Architecture – A Framework for Successful Transformation. Partners for Progress
November 2007 NHRD Journal 69