Change Management

Question 1

What are the 4 key elements a good leader should focus on?

Answer 1

1. Establishing direction
2. Aligning people
3. Motivating and inspiring
4. Focus on change

Question 2

What is the change kaleidoscope?

Answer 2

It is a tool used to design a context-senstive approach to change and identify the specific difficulties and complexities associated with the planned change.

Question 3

What factors of change should be considered when planning for the merger between HCT & NTS?

using the 8 change kaleidoscope factors

Answer 3

1. Time - The merger is due to happen on 1 April 24, HCT must ensure all consolidations, assets and liabilities are transfered by then and are ready for operations as a merged entity.
2. Scope - Must consider the scope and how this will change the strategic objectives of teh school. From consiolidating HCT strong position to strategic improvement of NTS site.
3. Preservation - HCT will want to retain its good reputation. To do this it will need to enusure any issues with NTS are not carried over after the merger. Could do SWOT analysis to identify strengths.
4. Diversity - Will have to consider how to manage the staff of NTS & HCT sperately. NTS staff seem more resistent to change.
5. Capability - Does HCT have the ability to carry out the change. Poor quality teaching at NTS may hinder. Low level of reserves may at HCT may hinder also.
6. Capacity - What is the allocated budget for merger activities? Does HCT have the time to complete the merger and maintain education standards.
7. Readiness - NTS management seem aware of the need for change as they have tried to convert to a Federal school but there seems to be resistence from staff, how can they change the resistence.
8. Power - Must abide by regulations set by the education ministry.

Question 4

How can HCT & NTS implement the changes?

Answer 4

Using Lewin’s 3 stage model

Question 5

What are the 3 stages of Lewin’s change model?

Answer 5

1. Unfreezing - Existing ways of work challenged and the need and motivation for change is established. Change vision is communicated and sold to stakeholders.
2. Change - New working practices are introduced and new behaviours developed. People must be supported and given time to adjust.
3. Freezing - The new order is bedding in and being reinforced in the organisation, becoming the status quo. People should start to feel comfortable.

Question 6

What model can we use to help people through the change and garner support for it?

Answer 6

The intervention model

Question 7

What 4 main interventions can we use to help people through change using the intervention model?

Answer 7

1. Education & Communication - Essential at the start of any change. Important that there is a good relationship between management & staff.
2. Participation & Involvement - Participation leads to commitment & buy in from stakeholders
3. Facilitation & Support - Practical support such as training or team building.
4. Negotiation & Agreement - With powerful and reluctant stakeholders such as unions.

Question 8

What are the 4 main sources of conflict in the workplace?

Answer 8

1. People - Personality clashes, power struggles, communication failure ect.
2. Technology - Disagreements about how to use technoology and resistence to changing working methods.
3. Skills - Some people may not have the skills they need to fulfil their current roles.
4. Resource allocation - Work pressures can overload staff leading to conflict over time or monet needed to complete tasks

Question 9

What are the 5 key steps to conflict resolution?

Answer 9

1. Anticipate - likely sources of conflict
2. Prevent - employ preventative strategies
3. Identify - identify interpersonal conflict (conflict betwen people rather than over performance)
4. Manage - Work with both parties to address interpersonal issues and encourage building a relationship so that they can resovle the relationship themselves.
5. Resolve - focus on finding a resolution through constructive dialouge.

Question 10

What 6 methods can be employed to embed a change (and create a new finance team at HCT)?

Answer 10

1. Management by objectives
2. Team building
3. Development & Appriasals
4. Reinforcing success
5. Delegation and job design
6. Innvovative cultures

Question 11

What is the purpose of Management By Objectives?

Answer 11

To formally relate organisational plans and targets to the goals set for individual employees.

Question 12

What are the 3 key steps to applying Management By Objectives (MBO) at an organisation?

Answer 12

1. Top management agree long term objectives or KPI’s.
2. Senior managers identify key tasks required to achieve these goals and agree quantifiable (SMART) targets.
3. Senior managers translate their targets into departmental, team or individual SMART targets in conjunction with staff responsible for achieving them.

Question 13

What are the 4 stages of team building?

Answer 13

1. Forming - Team learns about opportunities & challenges and agree goals. Team members behave independently.
2. Storming - Different views and ideas about attitudes, behaviours and actions are introduced and compete. Members compete for rolls within the group and strong leadership is vital for bringing the team out of this stage.
3. Norming - Norms are established and team mebers support each other and develop clear idea of goals, roles and responsibilities.
4. Performing - High performance beigns to thrive.

Question 14

What are the 3 Development & Appraisal techniques for improving employee performance?

Answer 14

1. Training - Focused on current performance e.g. helping them attain a required level of skill or knowledge.
2. Development - Preparing people for future needs of the organisation e.g. enabling staff to operate at a more strategic level by improving confidence, initiative or creativity. Performance appraisals are a key part of this.
3. Mentoring - Developmental partnership where one person shares knowledge, skills ect with a more joiner staff member.

Question 15

What are the 4 stages of a performance appraisal?

Answer 15

1. Planning - setting objectives
2. Monitoring - performance is monitored through results, management assesments and feedback from customers ect…
3. Reviewing - Formal appraisal interviews are carried out.
4. Communicating - The outcomes are discussed and agreed and new objectives set.

Question 16

For an appraisal process to be beneficial it should follow what 4 F’s?

Answer 16

1. Frequent
2. Factual - evidence based and on past performance
3. Firm - Appraiser must be honest about weaknesses
4. Fair - Relationship between appraiser and appraisee must be considered along with standards applied by other managers across teh organisation.

Question 17

What 2 ways can success be reinforced?

Answer 17

1. Negative reinforcement - worker is encourage to behave a certain way to avoid unpleasent outcomes.
2. Positive reinforcement - Worker is rewarded for certain behaviors to encourage them to repeat them.

Question 18

In the change kaleidoscope, Capability for change is judged on what 3 levels?

Answer 18

1. Individual - The ability of individuals to cope with the change
2. Managerial - The ability of managers to help their staff through the change.
3. Organisational - The existence of organisational resources with teh knowledge and ability to manage change of the type required.

Question 19

In the change Kaleidoscope, what is capacity?

Answer 19

It is the resources that are available for investment in the proposed change such as:
1. The budget available
2. The time people have to devote to the chnage
3. The number of people with the skills

Question 20

What tool can you use to identify potential sources of resistence to change in the meger of HCT & NTS?

Answer 20

The cultural web can be used to identify where there are potential culture clashes.

Question 21

Why could the merger of HCT & NTS feel like a breaking of the psycological contract for the staff of NTS?

Answer 21

Employees generally expect an attempt by the organisation to provide job secuirity and this may be undermined by the merger.

Question 22

What is the Kubler-Ross change curve?

Answer 22

It is a model that illustrates the gradual acceptance of chnages and explains how chnage agents should adapt their role to match the needs of employees as they move through the change curve.

Question 23

What are the 7 stages of the Kubler Ross change curve?

Answer 23

1.Shock - At the event
2.Denial - Hunt for evidence the change is not true.
3.Frustration and anger - Unwilling to adapt.
4.Apathy/Depression - Whats the point
5.Experiment - Begin to engage with new situation
6.Decision - More positive and working with the new situation
7.Integration - Changes integrated and new goals internalised

Question 24

What 4 stages should a change agent adapt to help employees move through teh Kubler-ross change curve?

Answer 24

1. Inform - In the shock & denial stages should provide as much information and opportunity to ask questions.
2. Support - As the change is accepted the change agent should provide practical and emotional support. Training can provide staff with knowledge and skills they need and provide guidance on behaviours and attitudes that will be expected.
3. Reinforce success - As employees accept the new ways working they must experience the benefits themselves. Can be linking rewards to results, an improvement in experience at work ect.