Management of Change Flashcards
a transformation of a process, culture, or people into an alternate form
Change
- inevitable; continuous development is imperative
- encourage innovative changes
- promote beneficial modifications
- change with improvements will make the lab:
- a better place to work
- enhance quality
- improve patient outcomes
T/F:
change is both a challenge & an opportunity
TRUE
- change is needed to cut costs, provide competitive services, and decrease excess & unnecessary lab testing
T/F:
resistance is not present in change
FALSE
- RESISTANCE IS ALSO INEVITABLE
- many personnel/staff still fear change
a manager of chief is expected to..
- drive & implement change
- be flexible in his/her management approach
- encourage & guide the staff towards making changes
- also learn the power of persuasion
planned change vs. unplanned change
a. PLANNED change
- “anticipated change”
- changes already studied & examined to ensure successful outcome
- ex:
- - transferring lab locations
- - remodeling, renovating
- - installing automation
b. UNPLANNED change
- changes not anticipated
- ex:
- - COVID-19
levels of change
a. evolutionary
b. opportunity
c. emergent
change that happens over time
Evolutionary change
- a gradual anticipation/responsiveness to change
- can be PLANNED OR UNPLANNED
change that results as an opportunity arises
Opportunity changes
- can be PLANNED OR UNPLANNED
- ex:
- improvement in equipment
- newly acquired skill sets of individuals
change made when a pressing or important issue dictates immediate action
Emergent change
- usu. UNPLANNED
types of change
a. transactional
b. transitional
c. transformational
developmental change
Transactional change
- the MOST COMMON TYPE of change
- a continuous process
- based on the IMPROVEMENT OF AN EXISTING skill, method, performance standard, or condition
- a lab makes improvement to stay competitive
- implementing additional training to improve a process
T/F:
transactional change encounters little to no resistance
TRUE
- most changes/improvements are logical adjustments
project implementation
Transitional change
- REPLACES PROCESS OR PROCEDURES with new concepts & procedures
- efficiency is increased
the most complicated & most difficult type of change to achieve
Transformational change
- a SHIFT IN THE ENTIRE BUSINESS CULTURE of the organization
- resulting from a change in strategy & results over a period of time
- involves the human side of change
- encounters the MOST RESISTANCE
- total transformation of the work culture
- different way of thinking
- a change in culture
*ex: incorporation of a new college program; changing the org. structure; implementation of new rules
stimuli of change
- movement
- route
- advancement
sources of change
a. knowledge base
- broad advances in the arts & sciences; specific tech of lab instrumentation/methodology
b. scope of management
- duties & responsibilities
- application of specialized business skills & concepts to non-profit & social orgs
c. issues & problems
- facing managers, society, and individuals as their needs & desires progress into the future
d. environment
- physical resources depleted; must be renewed
e. increasing rate of change in all areas
- and resulting decrease in response time
- - for the manager to make & implement needed adjustments
factors affecting successful change
a. knowledge
- individual’s understanding of the mission or strategy of the change
b. skill
- person’s job specification
- selection criteria
- performance review
- training needs
c. motivation/attitude
- significant role
- employee ensures that the task is accomplished on time with high quality, reliability of results
the process in which people react to change
Personal Change Curve
- denial
- resistance
- exploration
- commitment
- employees may not always move in order
- some move back the curve; some get stuck in a particular phase
identify personal change phase:
employees ignore or do not respond the awareness of change
Denial
- it does not sink in right away that change is occurring
- employees are in withdrawal
- tend to focus on the past
- avoid the topic (change) as much as possible
*productivity & morale = decreases
identify personal change phase:
often due to the employees being fearful of the unknown
Resistance
- strong feelings about the change emerge
- anger
- blame
- depression
- anxiety
- uncertainty
- frustration
- self-doubt
- the longer employees stay in denial & resistance, the harder & more painful the changes will be
- as manager, allow time for mourning/recovery
*productivity & morale = low
identify personal change phase:
staff takes on change as a new adventure & a new opportunity
Exploration
- “moving on stage”; embracing possibilities
- staff acknowledges the change & accepts that it is necessary
- staff is concerned about the details & new ideas
- some staff may still be confused & have lack of focus along the way BUT ARE OPTIMISTIC
*productivity & morale = low but increases with time
identify personal change phase:
fully embracing the change & accepting it as the new normal
Commitment
- staff acknowledges the change as the norm
- staff is motivated & capable of achieving success
- the whole lab is set on new goals & plans how to reach these
- staff is:
- cooperative
- focused
- feel confident & in control
*productivity & morale = high, constant over time
effect of too little change
- stagnation
- ineffective
- not developing & growing
effect of too much unmanaged change
- confusion
- chaos
the person initiating the change effort
Change agent
- in order to counteract the effect of change
- role of the manager
the target of the change agent’s intervention effort
Client system
- the entity/individual/unit that may need or desire a change
this helps the manager gain perspective on conflicts & achieve objectivity
viewing the design of
a change strategy in a consultant-to-client relationship
- managers serve as the representatives of the owners & employees
- manager is responsible for adjusting to & initiating change
- managers should be active neutral
laboratory change roles
a. laboratory manager
b. technical supervisor
c. general staff
the change agent who leads the change
Laboratory manager
- lead, cultivate the vision, inspire, motivate the whole staff to making, overcoming, accepting, committing, and practicing the change
the implementer of change who enforces the process & fulfill the expectations of the laboratory manager
Technical supervisor
- manages mistakes as they occur & realign steps to ensure success
- makes expectations clear & communicates effectively with open communication
- (in PH big hospitals) task is on the QA on MT procedures, supervise the stocks, or troubleshoot problems
- also provides mentorship & guides the staff
- some resort to fear –> not good
they must change the process while maintaining the quality of the present method
General staff
- has the toughest job of all
- all decisions from the higher-ups will be passed on to them & implemented
- usu. the front-liners, those that cater to the patients
- endure the following:
- brunt of anxiety & stress
- burden of altering the process
- the confusion of the execution
nature of change
- lab at its steady (frozen) state
- thawing
- change exerts pressure on the org’s tendency towards stasis (stimulus)
- diagnosis/analysis on how to prevent the change from further thawing out the steady state - regeneration
- intervention & implementation of change strategy - new plateau of achievement
- back to steady state
sources of the forces of change
a. internal forces
b. external forces
seeks to guide the overall progress of the organization towards specific goals
Management
- cultivates the vision
- manager’s goals:
- to protect the lab from devastation
- to unite all MTs within the section
focuses on identifying needed modifications & developing a strategy for adjustment
Change process
stages of the management of change process
- diagnosis of the problem
- strategy development
- implementation of the plan
- follow-up
diagnosing & analyzing the need for change
Diagnosis
- involves the following:
- management planning function
- decision-making skills
- internal or external changes
- conducting a systematic investigation to identify exactly what kind of change needs to be pursued
internal change vs. external change
a. internal change
- need for change may be evident from the QC process to complaints from physicians, patients, or staff
- ex: delayed TAT
b. external change
- need for change develops from diverse external sources
- ex: info received from seminars, literature reviews, colleagues from other labs, etc.
designing a change strategy to execute the change effectively
Strategy development
- involves the following:
- situational changes
- organizational development
- a manager must use a strategy that could result to the least resistance for change to happen smoothly
primary means of intervention
“Change strategies”
a. tools of persuasion
- participatory & involvement strategy
- manager informs staff of the problem; asks for advice/recommendations on how to solve the problem
b. tools of control
- informed strategy
- manager decides everything
tools for intervention used in change strategies
- participatory strategy of education
- discussion
- fact presentation
- explicit orders
the tools that the manager selects are determined by the following:
- the manager’s leadership style
- implementation route
- particular circumstances
leadership style that centers on providing information about any impending change
Participatory leadership style
- info on the impending change at the very 1st stage of the decision-making process is provided
- solicits the advice of those who will be affected
implementation of the plan/change
- avenues through which to implement the change:
- job functions
- organizational structure
- people changes
change of tasks due to revision of policies & procedures or the introduction of new technology
Job functions
- most frequent method for introducing change
- the redesign of responsibilities is an ongoing process
- almost all changes involve modification in jobs
- the increasing space of specialization & technology will change –> excellent intervention point for the manager
changing the bureaucracy by reorganizing the management hierarchy
Organizational structure
- a popular strategy for big corps & top admins
- at the dept. level structural changes are introduced through changes in supervisory & management styles
reasons for reorganization
- streamlined decision-making
- eliminating middle-management waste
- cost cuts & reduction of overhead
- downsizing
a move to a more participatory decision-making style includes changes in the following aspects:
- delegation of authority
- span of supervisory control
- coordination
- communication of channels
implementing change through replacement or changing the attitude/behavior of the current staff
People
- possible mistakes revolve around the following:
- selection
- compatibility
- orientation
- learning adjustment time
- recruitment expenses
- current staff may feel rejected, resentful, disappointed when the change is implemented on them
- major part of any ongoing management plan: development of new leaders from the existing staff
- advantages of:
- senior staff = loyalty
- new staff = open-minded
*it may feel easier/quicker to bring in new talent rather than develop an existing staff member BUT there is considerable risk
continuous change management
Follow-up
- possible responses (staff) when change is implemented:
- accept & provide active support for the program –> manager did well in cultivating the vision
- passive compliance with the new requirements –> manager not very good
- resistance with varying degrees of aggression –> staff/manager is aggressive
how to avoid active resistance in implementing the change?
- including the people who will be affected by the change in the decision-making process
- make the people realize their mistakes, what could be done
- conduct analysis of both the source & objection
- use the tools of persuasion/control available
actions to become an agent of change & prevent resistance
- involve every level of staff in decision-making
- be open to staff & their concerns
- speak from own experience
- set a good example
- control the rumor mill
- do not be afraid to learn
- invent the future (do not redesign the past)
- be mindful of people’s weakness
- do not fight losing battles
- learn to refocus rapidly
- practice good stress management
*COMMUNICATION = remedy for assistance in the change process
forms of resistance to change
a. the negative view
b. apathy & indifference
c. pet project attitude
d. unconscious dissention
e. free translation
f. authoritarian approach
the most common form of resistance especially for older generations
The negative view
“it won’t work”
“we already tried that”
“I just work here”
apathy & indifference
pet project attitude
“are you criticizing my plan?”
“whatever the boss says..”
unconscious dissention
free translation
“we’ll implement my variation, it’s better anyway”
“you are not to reason why”
authoritarian approach
actions to become a master of change
- get involved; be part of the solution not the problem
- develop positive relationships
- keep a positive mental attitude; don’t let strengths turn into weaknesses
- expect & get ready for the expected & unexpected
- make managing a part of the job description
- keep/develop a sense of humor
- refocus rapidly; practice effective stress management
- invent the future; look 3-5 years
- support the upper management
- do not constantly react to each new competitive threat as is comes; be proactive
*worry is a misuse of imagination
