Change Management what HR managers should know

Introduction 

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In the current dynamic operational environment, an organization needs to enact continuous change to maintain competitiveness. Change management is a systemic transformation of the organization, its people and the process from the current state to the desired future status, (Austin, 2015). Change management can be described in 3 perspectives. It is the systemic transformation of the process of the organization such as a change in corporate structure, processes and adoption of technology, (Austin, 2015). in response to the internal and external environmental changes. It also involves transformation and aligns of employees with the new organization structure. Further, change management is the alignment of the organization in accordance with the marketplace (Lisa at el, cited Ryerson University, 2011).

How to facilitate change 

Change is not a smooth journey. There are many obstacles to overcome during the process. The change process can be divided into three phases, designing, implementation and sustaining. These three phases are not linear always. Organization many need to revisit each phase during the course of action and adjust their journey accordingly. The following steps are prescribed by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) for change management, (Austin, 2015).

1. Designing of change 

This is one of the important first steps. The HR department plays a decisive role in the designing phase. It is required to assess the current state of the organization, designing the change for the future and create realistic goals. Common mistakes that encounter during the designing phase are [1] Failure to get broader stakeholder consultation [2] Overconfidence [3] Lack of quality data for better decision making. HR professionals need to take proactive measures to overcome these barriers. 

2. Enacting change 

The second step of the process. Most of the time implementation will be carried out by a separate team and the HR department has less roll to play. One important practice in the implementation of change is to form a team. The team shall consist of all required experts, a project manager, a team manager and the senior level change champion. Employee resistance and their disinterest are major obstacles for implementation. The inducement for change shall be provided and an employee needs to develop self-awareness about the change which is important for sustaining the efforts in the long run.

3. Sustaining the change 

This is the most challenging task. Usually, once the change is implemented, the change team will focus on another task while the HR professionals need to take forward with the enacted change. Sustaining change requires monitoring and reviewing the organizational performance after the change initiative. 

Change management models 

Every organization is different. There are personal, structural, cultural and competitive differences among organizations, (Austin, 2015). Even the change stories are different. SHRM (2015) has proposed 4 change models, namely, leadership model, system model, stakeholder and skills model and recovery model. In addition, there are other models that are similar to these models such as GE’s change acceleration process, (Linn B.V.D, 2009) and McKinsey 7-S model, (McKinsey & Company, 2008).
 

Since the organizational context is different from each other it is prudent for HR professionals to adopt a suitable change management model.  

References 

1. Austin J., 2015. Leading Effective Change: A Primer for the HR Professional, Alexandria: Society of Human Resource Management.

2. Linn B. V. D., 2009. Overview of GE’s Change Acceleration Process (CAP). [Online]
Available at: https://bvonderlinn.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/overview-of-ges-change-acceleration-process-cap/ [Accessed 03 June 2019].

3. McKinsey & Company, 2008. Enduring Ideas: The 7-S Framework. [Online]
Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/enduring-ideas-the-7-s-framework [Accessed 03 June 2019].

4. Ryerson University, 2011. Change management leadership guide, s.l.: Ryerson University.