Module 8 - Change

Question 1

Where does change start

Answer 1

At an organiation’s periphery, led by unit managers creating ad hoc arrangements to solve concrete problems.

Question 2

Four Part Communications Strategy for Driving Change

Answer 2

1. Set the strategy for acceptance
2. Create the frame through which information and messages are interpreted
3. Manage the mood so that employees’ emotional states support implementation and follow-up
4. Provide reinforcement to ensure that desired changes take hold without backsliding

Question 3

What is task alignment

Answer 3

Directing employees’ responsibilities and relationships toward the company’s central competitive task–these managers focus energy on work rather than abstractions like “empowerment” or “culture”

Question 4

What is a senior manager’s role in change

Answer 4

Specify the company’s general direction without dictating solutions.

Question 5

Successful change requires

Answer 5

1. Mobilization of commitment to change through joint diagnosis of problems
2. Develop a shared vision of how to organize for competitiveness
3. Foster consensus for the new vision, competence to enact it, and cohesion to advance it
4. Spread revitalization to all departments–without pushing from the top
5. Institutionalize revitalization through formal policies, systems, and structures - only after your new approach is up and running
6. Monitor the revitalization process, adjusting in response to problems

Question 6

What is the role of top management in a change effort

Answer 6

1. Create a market for change
2. Use successfully revitalized units as organizational models for the entire company
3. Develop career paths that encourage leadership development

Question 7

What are the essential hard elements of change

Answer 7

DICE:
Duration: time between milestone reviews - the shorter, the better

Integrity: the project team’s skill

Commitment: senior executives’ and managers’ dedication to the program

Effort: the extra work that employees must do to adopt new processes–the less the better

Question 8

How does DICE impact the outcome of a transformation initiative?

Answer 8

D - The duration of time until the change program is completed if it has a short life span; if it is longer, it is the amount of time between milestoned

I - The project teams’ integrity - its ability to complete the initiative on time - depends on skills and traits relative to the project’s requirements

C - The commitment to change by top management and employees affected by the change display

E - the effort over and above the usual work that the change initiative demands of employees