Change Management Plan Paper And Defense

Change Management Plan Paper and Defense

University of Phoenix

MBA520: Human Capital Development

Group: GA06MBA06

November 2, 2006

Change Management Plan Paper and Defense

"Change cannot be executed by merely announcing a new program. . . . Effective change must be built on the foundation that is already in the organization" (Kerfoot, 2005). In a fiercely competitive world, organization's that are willing and able to sustain change will reap the benefits of present and future. These changes will invade every level of the organization--the "culture, ideas, processes," relationships, processes and procedures, people (Kerfoot, 2005). With such substantial change on the horizon, how does an organization implement such change? What steps can be taken to mitigate the human factors? What role does leadership play in organizational change?

The telecommunications industry has gone through extensive changes within the last 20 years; deregulation, and eventually mergers and acquisitions. Along with these changes, companies have to increase their research and development (R&D), hire the best talent, become more customer-focused, and offer competitive products and services. CrysTel, an Illinois-based telecommunications company, is preparing for such an organizational change. The products they offer include data cables, wireless solutions and network development. CrysTel is planning to improve its offering of additional products and services to its customers on a regular basis. With the advent of the internet and wireless technology, any company that wishes to remain competitive must continually find ways to stay ahead of the competition.

Prior to any major change in organizational policy and procedure there must be a viable plan. Haphazardly taking on such a challenge is an indicator of failure. CyrsTel's mission and vision statements exemplify its efforts to be the first choice and most reliable provider of voice, telephony and data services to all its customers throughout the State of Illinois (University of Phoenix, 2006). According to the annual revenue figures, the company is succeeding in its efforts. By improving its products and services, CrysTel's CEO; Morgan, Trevannon, recognizes that all internal stakeholders will need to be ready for change. Management consultant; Valencia Jones-Day, has been assigned with the task of determining which teams are ready for change and those who may not likely be receptive to change. The chosen method consists of two surveys; a climate survey and the employee satisfaction survey. The climate survey measures the work environment using such criteria as security, motivation, leadership and incentives. The employee satisfaction survey will assess overall job satisfaction, training needs, communication effectiveness and physical working conditions. The combination of two surveys will give Ms. Jones-Day an overall view of what the employees are thinking, and what specific strategies will be needed to adequately move the company in the direction proposed by senior management.

The results of the surveys reveal that the risk of resistance to organizational change lies within the Sales and Marketing groups. These groups are the backbone of CrysTel; without targeted marketing and the selling of products and services, the company will not continue to reach its goals. CrysTel would lose market share and cease being a profitable corporation. According to Fred Hassan; CEO of Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, "the sales people are active representatives of the company and can influence people's perception of the company through their ability to interact, to customize, and to build relationships with customers" (Stewart & Champion, 2005). In addition, consumers will not have a clue about a company's offerings without targeting those markets that will benefit from its products and services. The aspect of marketing studies the demographics, consumer trends and buying habits, target audiences; all these factors coupled with other data provide the specifics necessary to compete in a volatile industry.

Opportunities exist for marketing and sales managers to initiate employee participation in problem-solving. The managers will develop a program where employees can observe firsthand how to tackle problems and issues proactively. Senior managers will devise and set effective performance goals for themselves and the employees to reach in specific time periods. Mentoring programs will provide additional training necessary for employees to handle greater responsibilities within the department. Forums will be convened for resolving work-related concerns or issues. The taking of risks will empower employees to come up with creative ways to connect with the customers and make the customer experience a memorable one. In addition, the promotion of team efforts will be highlighted. These teams will have the freedom to make decisions in their areas of expertise without consulting senior management. These are just a few of the opportunities that the Marketing and Sales groups can take advantage of in moving forward with the company's strategic mission.

As mentioned earlier, a suitable plan for change with competent leadership especially in the case of CrysTel would provide a situation where everyone wins. CrysTel has chosen the Systems Approach model for change. This method stresses the need to consider everyone and everything in the organization; basically, change will affect everyone. "A systems model of change offers managers a framework to understand the broad complexities of organizational change" (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2003). Three components make up this model--inputs, target elements of change and outputs. During the input phase the organization will look internally (i.e. strengths and weaknesses) and externally (i.e. opportunities and threats) to make sure the business is moving forward, and if not, determine why. Organizational change can incorporate many facets of a business. The strategic goals of the company establish which areas to target. The output demonstrates the expected outcome. CrysTel will use the model to focus on its people; particularly the sales and marketing groups. As mentioned earlier, these groups require fine-tuning in the areas of knowledge, abilities, attitude, motivation and behavior (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2003).

With any new organizational endeavor, individuals take issue with change whether personal or otherwise. Why are people uncomfortable with change? Kreitner and Kinicki provide the following insights:

* Childhood