Change management can be understood as a systematic move of individuals from the current operational mode into a new form. It includes various vital skills of communication abilities, sales and marketing and leadership development (Burke, 2010). It is pretty dynamic in nature which emphasizes the need to develop these skills in managers to adapt to changes quickly.
My role in the past at various organizations has provided many instances where I was exposed to dynamic situations. These situations required instant decisive abilities and spontaneous response, which tested change management skills. A significant decision was taken to restructure the workflow and client approach. The conventional flow was order procurement, execution and delivery on time. However, a proposal was made to initiate the client interaction, follow the requirements, model development, share the idea with the client, order procurement and modification as per discussion and delivery. During this change process, I met with each significant stakeholder i.e. clients, staff, end-users. I actively listened to stakeholder concerns and shared the benefits and tradeoffs of the change. This helped to resolve any non-visible resistance through discussion. This also helped set up a new work process based on self-initiatives and creativity.
It is essential to understand how to manage change with a single individual for managing organizational change. ADKAR model developed by PROSCI (2009), a world leader in change management research and content creation, is a commonly used tool to drive personal change. ADKAR is an acronym for awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement, which states the qualities an individual needs to successfully change. ADKAR helps outline the goals or outcomes of successful change at the personal level. It is also beneficial for planning change management activities, diagnosing gaps, developing corrective action and supporting managers and supervisors.
Armenakis et al. (1999) state, “Change management model is a useful tool to introduce changes in training and development, management and organizational structure. It helps to introduce a new system with the help of trained employees which directly contributes to the overall improvement of organization structure”.
8-step change model (John Kutter, 1996)
Based on the individualistic approach to change management, an 8- step change model can be developed, which could contribute to organizational change.
| Step | Name |
| Step 1 | Establishing a sense of urgency |
| Step 2 | Creating the guiding coalition |
| Step 3 | Developing a change vision |
| Step 4 | Communicating the vision for buy-in |
| Step 5 | Empowering broad-based action |
| Step 6 | Generating short-term wins |
| Step 7 | Never letting up |
| Step 8 | Incorporating changes into the culture |