Change Management

What is Change Management? Organizational change can be described as the process of moving away from a current condition to realize some future state. Change management involves managing the process of achieving this future state. 1 (Nickols, 2004) Change can be viewed from two vantage points, that of the people making the changes and that of the people experiencing the changes. 2 In the top-down, or strategic viewpoint associated with management, the focus is on technical issues such as the investment required, the processes for implementing the change, how soon the change can be realized, and the outcome. In the bottom-up viewpoint of the employee, the focus is on what the change means to the individual, how they can cope with the change, and also how management can assist them through the transition. In this context, effective change management should be able to help individuals evolve from negative feelings such as fear and anxiety towards positive feelings about the changes being made. 3 Effective change management deals with diagnosing problems and determining an alternative that involves changing the organizational structure or processes. It also identifies and deals with the individual responses to change that can hinder the success of the project. To understand change management better, we need to understand the various models and strategies that managers may follow. Some of the models include the Leadership model, Improvisational Model, Theory E versus Theory O, and the ADKAR model.

Models of Change Management - Leadership Model

John Kotter's leadership model is an extension of Lurt Lewin's model that identifies three phases to the change process. These three phases are described as:

· Unfreezing the status quo in preparation for the change
· Implementing the change
· Refreezing and reinforcing the new culture The first phase involves preparing the people for change with the focus on getting them to let go

References: 1. Fred Nickols, "Change Management 101: A Primer, 2004.