Implement Change

After 2 weeks of the new module that I covered during the course regards to implement change, I realized this module had given me a good point of views and steps on how the changes can be implement within a organization or company. It also makes me reflect the importance of creating and participate in a learning organization. Support enterprising behavior within a team can make the organization to expand towards new changes or opportunity for improvement.

Self-perspective of Changes

On the first session of the course, our trainer Mdm Zaiton had begin an introduction for the class by point us one question "what is your feeling or opinions about change..?" . Everyone of us in the class became 'silent-pause' after hearing it. For me, this question seems to be a good reflection on ourselves or it can be a negative respond for those who are uncomfortable of changes. In my opinion, changes is a term of new experience, new exposure or even make us to progress to a better or higher level of improvement. By facing the changes we simply make ourselves to grow and built our self-confidence. I admit that changes it is not an easy task but it will make things worth it by doing so especially when you realize that changes comes with benefit not only for yourself but also for other people around you or even the company.

When changes occur in a certain situation, it will effect our views and behavior either to positive or negative. I learned changes can able to switch my mindset to overcome my weaknesses as part of gaps to develop myself to a better development. If there is a time when my views towards change seems to be negative or very hard to adapt, I will consider to search the benefit or value that I could gain for accepting the changes in the situation. From here, I move on or plan a small step by doing certain things that able to make myself confident for facing the changes.

"The only way to realize positive change in your life is by making choices." - Psychologytoday.com

I came across this statement in a psychological website, the changes that effect our life is based by the choices that we choose through it. It is a good reflect whether it would be our personal life or even for our workplace.When we aware that change is inevitable, the choices that we made can produce a great impact in the situation. Positive change can only take place when we transform our behavior or attitude to be in positive ways. Implement changes required an effort and continuous improvement, it also required support from people around us to help us facing the difficulties in accepting changes. It can be a someone who close to us, family members, friends or team mates. Different people have different approach in adapting the changes. We can also be a role support for someone who needs help in facing difficulty of changes especially when is involved an important mission or strategy for a company. As we all know, changes required a lot of patience and focus to implement it.

Create a Learning Organization

The first point that I had learned was regards to create a learning organization. In this chapter, there are few steps had been highlighted to be implement in the organization in order to achieve company's vision by becoming a learning organization.

Learning organizations and the people in them learn constantly from everything they do. They use their own experience and that of others to improve their performance. They learn from their successes and also from their failures. Continuous learning is systemically built into the organization's DNA and infrastructure. The value of continuous learning is driven and modeled by the CEO and senior management. There is no doubt in every organization member's mind that continuous learning is expected and will be rewarded.

Based on my experience in current company, I realized that the management are lack of awareness for the growth of the company. We are still in the mindset of "comfort-zone" where all the team members and staff are not interested in doing or plan any changes in terms of work environment and business strategies. Beside awareness, the other two important keys are leadership and empowerment. With these keys concept, it will enhance the leader's responsibility to help restructure the individual views of team members.

Further, senior leaders should demonstrate they are learning constantly by communicating what they are learning as they learn; people are rewarded for learning with recognition, growth jobs, promotions and even financial compensation.

The benefit of becoming a learning organization is for competitive advantage, improving quality internal and external, for customers and also we want to upgrade our organization performance.

Support enterprising behavior within the team

The main thing that required for a company to remain competitive is by support enterprising behavior from the individuals within the team who generates any good ideas and qualities to improvise or expand the development of the organization. There are other several steps to take note such as: 


Be alert to internal and external changes

Identify internal and external for any changes to take place in the organization.
Example to keep track of customer's feedback to spot any gap that required necessary changes in business strategies. Take advantage of opportunities that come across and focus it to implement changes.



Be alert to internal weaknesses or performance gap

After we manage to identify the gap or weakness in our services or people, management and team member should participate in problem solving practices. This means by doing analysis in the products and self reflection to spot weaknesses. It can also be a positive behavior which we can develop or implement for a better change. As for the weaknesses such as not providing good customer service, the team members can develop themselves by participate in learning the steps to gain service excellence towards their clients.


Take calculated risk

Recognize positive and negative risks when it comes to the idea by doing research assess. 
It can be the changes that will be implement have certain risk for the staff example safety or relates to standard and codes of practice for product and services.


Develop new business ideas 

By developing new ideas, it can be a 'fresh-start' for the organization to implement changes that may be in or out of the comfort zone. The idea can be a new strategy to gain many customers by providing a 'online-booking' system rather than accepting bookings by walk-in or calls. This happen to my current company, where they are still not considered about planning beyond from what they currently do when it comes to booking purpose. The main reasons it is because most of the staff is not really an IT Savvy and they still prefer in doing things manually. In my point of view, by implement this new idea of solution, it can develop our system to be more effective in a new way.

This change can be done by delegating the team members to work with the management or among them who had an area of expertise to generate the new system's solution.


Have a vision within the team

A vision should be clear within the organization. Communicate with team members with an accurate way of disseminating the information. Highlight the benefits and outcomes of changes to them in order to achieve the goal vision in the company.

Models and methods for Change Management

In class, we had covered one of the management theories by the name of Kotter's 8-Step Strategy for Change Management. In this video it explain the purpose of implementation the step strategies as per below: 

1. Establish a sense of urgency
2. Create the guiding coalition 
3. Develop a vision and strategy
4. Communicate the change vision
5. Empower employees for broad-based action
6. Generate short-term wins
7. Consolidate gains and produce more change
8. Anchor new approaches in the culture

There are 2 major steps to be implement that I can relate to my company current status.

First point will be establish a sense of urgency, this is where the management should put a honest conversation with the team members to understand what or where the company is at the moment. It can be a certain threats that the company is facing and changes should be implement to overcome it. Inspiring ideas and teamwork to make sacrifices related to the change. With this effort, it can motivate the staff to do initiative of innovation when they aware the external competitive.

Secondly is communicate the change of vision. Clear understanding of the changes, team members able to work on for the changes.The management should communicate and clarify the benefit of the changing process. As I relate to my company, providing them this step can make them realize of how the changes can develop not only for the company vision but also as an individuals. By doing this, they can prepare themselves to face in business competitive.

Ways to support people who have difficulties in accepting changes

We admit changes can be a long-term planning, it can't be happen overnight. There are some reasons why people having difficulties or resist in accepting changes.

Leaders can play their important role to provide support or communicate with the team members for encouraging them in change activities.

Caring: People need to feel that those who have power care about their concerns and will listen to them. Listening to people's reactions is just as important as explaining the reasons for a change.

Control: People are more likely to accept change if they have some input into how it will be implemented. Ask for opinions or suggestions about any aspect where input may actually be used. 

Choice: Where possible, give people options. The more choices people have, the more they feel in control. Some of the energy that previously went into complaining will then be diverted to decision-making.

Competence: People are more likely to adapt when they feel that they have the skills, knowledge, and abilities to succeed. The faster you can help them move through the learning curve, the faster they will accept the change. Keep in mind that “learning” can include people, places, and cultures as well as skills and tasks.

Implement Continuous Improvement System and Processes - Communicate and Encourage team members

In order to implement continuous improvement in the organization, regular communication and encouragement are needed within the team members.

- Setup a committee or group support to observe implementation.

This is to ensure the effort and involve of the organization are taking place to continue improve any gaps from the beginning to the end.

- Create solution for detected problem.

To find a new way to the process improvement in order to achieve business goals

- Evaluate the solution.

Regular evaluate the result for solution and made adjustment when needed.

The Monitoring Process

When reviewing progress towards achieving the strategic aims and objectives, the Management Committee should:

• ensure that activities are kept within the parameters of the agreed strategic aims and objectives;

• ensure that activities are consistent with organisation’s vision, mission and values.

• keep under review internal and external changes which may require changes to the organisation’s strategy or affect their ability to achieve their objectives.

Overall, if the leaders and the team members had done their best effort to become a learning organization, they will realized that changes was an opportunity for them and continue to implement their learning needs to progress even better in the future. They also will be aware of new ideas, suggestions and create open communication within team members to be more experienced in decision-making and achieve their company's goals.