| Change Management:
Importance of Leading and Managing Change
Change is inevitable in every day life and is especially
crucial in business. However, it is a natural reaction for
a lot of people to be opposed to change. People get into a
comfort zone and are wary of having to make changes even if
it is beneficial. In business, keeping abreast of emerging
technology, varying market indicators and improvements in
processes is crucial in maintaining a healthy environment.
Change can often lead to an increase in productivity and an
improvement in efficiency which will ultimately positively
affect the bottom line. Leadership in affecting change is
an important skill to have and will allow you to advance further
within your industry.
Having change management skills can allow you to lead a group
of people into an area that will be highly advantageous for
all involved. When indicators dictate that a change is warranted,
leadership within change management will allow the process
to come to fruition smoothly and with as little stress and
disruption as possible. In order to make everyone comfortable
with the proposed variances, having change management skills
is extremely important.
Why is Change Necessary?
Within each particular industry change is a necessary part
of developing business. There are many reasons why change
is necessary and having the proper leadership skills is crucial.
With proper leadership you can identify the need for change,
outline the specific details of the change and use your change
management skills to put the changes into practice. Some of
the reasons for changes in business are:
- Emerging competitors within your industry
- Advancement in technology that will streamline processes
- A need for increased productivity
- Growth within the company causing systems and processes
to become outdated
- Changing financial climate within the industry
- A shift in industry standards of operation
- Legislation or regulation changes within an industry
- Ineffective existing business strategies
Why can Change be Difficult?
Informing existing personnel that a change is coming can
be met with resistance. People can become set in their ways
and comfortable with the ways things are done. Even if all
indications are positive that the desired change will benefit
everyone, many will still be opposed to it. Good leadership
skills will help alleviate fears and lessen the stress of
change. Using change management skills to make a smooth transition
will allow the changes to take place and will help personnel
get on board with the positive effects. Some reasons people
are opposed to change include:
- Fear of not being able to adapt to different processes
- Reticence in having to work among a different peer group
- Thinking that new workloads will not be as interesting
or enjoyable
- Believing that the job position and requirements have
changed without any compensation
- Resentment that ownership of particular work processes
have shifted to others
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