Each of the interviewees in the corporate organization I interviewed disclosed that each department is very reliant on each other and the experts within each of their teams in terms of both dependencies on each other and as contributing stakeholders and Subject Matter Expertise (SME). I will highlight insights from the two interviews collected, personal experience and course material while using Lewin’s unfreeze, change, and refreeze model to frame this external scan. Lewin’s model offers a structure that can be easily broken down into separate components and then looked at from an organizational change perspective that will emphasize the “change” part of the model. Lewin asserted that as organizational behaviour becomes less individualistic that the group environment will reinforce or modify personal behaviours (Al-Haddad & Kotnour, 2015).
The CHANGE Stage
- Be present
- Design & desire
- Involve others
- Timely action
- Strengthen teams
- Celebrate
The action steps highlighted in the “change stage” illustrated in Figure 1 are not only vital for success but have been mentioned in several literature sources; these models include Lewin’s method, the Leading Change method, the Judson method and the Jick & Kanter method (Al-Haddad & Kotnour 2015; Antwi & Kale 2014), and referenced or referred to in interview 1 (Int1) and/or interview 2 (Int2).
Being Present: was distilled through (Int1)s initial concern that the change effort timing was very shortly after the company experienced a hiring freeze; the participant explained that there were opportunities to ask questions and appreciated the methods available. Being present is also managing expectations and creating psychological safety for those working in or with your teams.
Design & desire: Al-Haddad & Kotnour, point out the importance of a strong leader when implementing change which connects nicely to Lewin’s explanations of the importance of dialogue in successful problem-solving (2015). Again, communication comes up as an essential element by Antwi & Kale (2014), while (Int1 & Int2) refer to clarity and leadership referring to business goals as key practices.
Involve others: The second interview (Int2) recognized the importance of daily meetings as trust building and maintaining positive morale between the team members experiencing the change and the leaders responsible for carrying out the change effort. Antwi & Kale (2014) have included engagement with stakeholders as vital in order to avoid misunderstanding and gain valuable insights; this message is reiterated generously throughout other change management text as well (Flynn, 2022).
Timely action: In order to change with intention, Hussain et al. look into the change process in more detail and draw on maintaining momentum and creating a clear transition process (2018). I have added time as a multi-dimensional aspect describing time as linear, a start and finish to the phase, as well as measurable milestones to keep everyone on track and accountable to the new direction (Weiner, 2009). Incorporating the voices of those who engage in the work daily as powerful SMEs in understanding and avoiding potential risks and delays when brought in early or when timely due to their expertise.
Strengthen teams: Change efficacy is discussed by Weiner (2009) and evaluates the time and resources needed. Capacity building occurs in the “Change Stage” by allocating resources and teaching new skills. It is necessary and urgent and happens before Lewins’ last refreezing stage. However, this has not always been my experience in leadership; it is easier to push forward if the tools and skills are continuously reinforced through policies and procedures. Experimentation with roles outside the team members’ skills set was one thing (Int1) noted coming from change.
Celebrate: It is important to celebrate the learnings as well as the milestones, especially in a digital learning environment where not only is the technology new, but many times the setting is remote. Having enough time to become efficient with technologies takes time that isn’t often afforded in fast-paced digital spaces and instead is often the source of much frustration for many employees (Int1; Weller & Anderson, 2013).
References
Al-Haddad, S., & Kotnour, T. (2015). Integrating the organizational change literature: a model for successful change. Journal of Organizational Change Management 28(2). https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-11-2013-0215
Antwi, M., & Kale, M. (2014, January). Change management in healthcare: Literature review. Monieson Centre for Business Research in Healthcare, Queen’s University, 1-35.
Flynn, C. (2022). Transcript. LRNT525 Voices. http://malat-coursesite.royalroads.ca/lrnt525/files/2022/02/Chad-Transcript_Matched-to-audio-clips.pdf
Hussain, S. T., Lei, S., Akram, T., Haider, M. J., Hussain, S. H., & Ali, M. (2018). Kurt Lewin’s change model: A critical review of the role of leadership and employee involvement in organizational change. Journal of Innovation and Knowledge, 3(3), 123–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JIK.2016.07.002
Weiner, B. J. (2009). A theory of organizational readiness for change. Implementation Science, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-4-67
Weller, M., & Anderson, T. (2013). Digital Resilience in Higher Education. www.open.ac.uk
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