Assignment 1: Leadership (Individual)
Myrna Pokiak
LRNT 525
MALAT: Royal Roads University
Submitted to: Michelle Harrison
February 20, 2022
Figure 1: Change in Leadership
From personal experience in business, in addition to a personal discussion with an owner of a business (2022, personal interview), organizational readiness (Weiner, B., 2009) is a hot topic in leadership. Physiologically preparing to do what it takes to progress forward and lead a team in the direction of where the entire world is shifting is occurring globally. It is not an isolated event in an organization, but requiring a committed team who want to and are willing to implement organizational change using technology. From my perspective as explained below, successful change takes a path of recognition, research, reorganization, implementation, and motivation.
First of all, successful change begins with recognizing the need for change. Internal reflection for the benefit of a team, as Al-Haddad and Kotnour referenced “understanding where your reorganization sits today and what processes it needs to improve, change or transform is the first step toward introducing business process change discipline” (2015, para 27). This same concept was reaffirmed in the personal interview with E.P. (2022) in my organization. Without recognizing the need for change, repeat patterns continue, and often have negative results, limiting growth and advancement. Successful change requires a leader to recognize the need for the benefit of the team.
Research is the next step and one that leaders must do efficiently while listening to the team. Understanding hurdles faced, funding, technology, training, and supports requested, are all important to understand the dynamics of technology advancement and the purpose. This includes evaluating strengths within the team and weaknesses. A topic that came up in my personal interview, is knowing what generation individuals belongs to; centennials and millennials or baby boomers? (2022, The Center for Generational Kinetics). Though Centennials require more direction, they do provide value in the technology world. Research provides the data necessary to understand how to take the next step forward with the team available.
The next step forward can be tagged as reorganization. With the change in education technology, in line with what Al-Haddad & Kotnour describe as lean thinking, “originated with driving out waste so that all work adds value and serves customer’s needs” (2015). Having gone through this process, I understand lean to take a business from its current state to its future state and through the process focus on process and procedures to improve efficiencies and eliminate inefficiencies. Throughout this process it also offers opportunity to assess strengths and weaknesses of a team, offering opportunity for advancement while reorganizing the organization. Including the younger generation can work as a benefit. Acknowledging their value, offers insight into a generation most Managers have difficulty relating to but can benefit from when involving them in the reorganization of the organization.
The fourth and the most important step in leadership change, in my perspective, is Implementation. As Biech affirms, “no role is more important than that of guiding implementation to ensure that it keeps moving forward” (2007, Chapter 8). While consulting with my colleague, one of the challenges mentioned was the implementation phase and being confident to take this next step. Leaders’ responsibilities are substantial and beyond implementation comes a stage that I often struggle with, as do my colleagues.
A step that even leaders need is Motivation. Biech described the efforts that offer value and reaffirmed the importance to encourage involvement, build momentum and motivate everyone.” (2007, Chapter 8). Motivation offers opportunity for new ideas, increase in production, and happier minds, essentially healthier minds for leaders and those being led. This step, when achieved, is one that completes the successful change within an organization. As a leader, this stage is also a reminder that even a leader needs a leader to guide and offer motivation. This is where the star becomes symbolic.
I chose the symbol of the North star for many personal reasons, but the one most important is the symbol that the star is a guide. This reminds me that even a leader needs something or someone to look up to and like the North Star, a leader guides the way, even in the darkest days of change.
References:
Al-Haddad, S., & Kotnour, T. (2015). Integrating the organizational change literature: a model for successful change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 28 (2), 234-262. https://www-emerald-com.ezproxy.royalroads.ca/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JOCM-11-2013-0215/full/html
Biech, Elaine. (2007). Thriving through change: A leader’s practical guide to change mastery. https://royalroads.skillport.com/skillportfe/assetSummaryPage.action?assetid=RW$1544:_ss_book:22651#summary/BOOKS/RW$1544:_ss_book:22651
P, E. (2022). Personal Interview with Colleague.
The Center for Generational Kinetics. (2022). Generational Breakdown: info about all of the generations. https://genhq.com/faq-info-about-generations/
Weiner, B.J (2009). A theory of organizational readiness for change. Implementation Science, 4(67). https://implementationscience.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1748-5908-4-67