Change Management; Post Election/Selection

Effective change management is an integral part of a business’s make up in this fast-paced and dynamic age of advancement. This advancement is in all aspects of business and can be related to the specific human resources as well as technological and environmental aspects of a business. As new leaders join our Political institutions and change is initiated, so too do businesses develop and grow over time, with leadership changes, and movement of staff in and out, affecting businesses make up. The importance of managing this change should not be undermined.

There are two broad methods of change which can be implemented by businesses; Transformational and Incremental Change (Chapman A, A framework for transformational change in organisations; Clegg C & Walsh S, Change management: Time for a change!). Transformational change is business-wide and is typical of radical shifts in organisation strategy, systems, and structure. It is a significant event for staff and can be a source of considerable stress. Incremental change involves strategic goals and organisational structure and values remaining relatively the same with modifications and adjustments to existing management and business processes. Benefits that can be gained from using incremental change are:

• Small wins which lead to increased support for change;
• Long term capability development; and
• New structures and improvements that lead to overall improved organisational performance.

However, as each and every business is different, no one method suits all situations. Therefore businesses should look to integrate both Incremental and Transformational change in a planned and structured manner according to the situation.

Of further importance is the approach used to initiate change. A pull approach rather than a push approach would be more suitable as it involves employee engagement. The employees are given responsibility which helps gain their commitment and they become more accepting and receptive to the change. According to Alastair Rylatt, HR Monthly March 2012, managing change is much more than a rational process and in order to sustain momentum for change you need:

• Sufficient clarity, protection and order for people to be helpful contributors to the process;
• Avenues to help build confidence, such as, mentoring, coaching, and collaboration, combined with training and development; and
• Involvement in technical know-how aspects of change and processes for dialogue and knowledge-sharing to build understanding of the more complex and adaptive elements.

If you have any questions about Human Resource Management or Change Management issues please, don’t hesitate to contact us. At JP Smith our experienced HR Consultants can support you in a number of key areas of Human Resources. We are outcome focussed and tailor our approach to suit what it is that you want to achieve.