How can managers manage change?

Answer 1

The first thing managers must be cognizant of, is that if there is anything that is steadfast and unchanging, it is change itself. Change is inevitable. It will always occur. How they handle that change will determine whether it leads to positive or negative outcomes. Organizations today must be flexible and ready to respond at any given moment to change. One problem today is that too many managers react to change rather than respond to it. Changes occur because of both internal and external driving forces. In other words, those things that occur within the organization are internal driving forces and are the responsibility of that organization. They may include, keeping up with the technological advances, employee morale, organization of equipment and machinery, changes in production, efficiency, and proficiency etc. The kinds of issues that occur outside the organization are called external driving forces and often are out of the control of the company, such as the kinds of things competition does, the economy, changes in Demographics, changes in trends etc. Managers must be able to deal with these changes in the most appropriate way.

One way is by ensuring open, honest, and direct communication between all levels, from management to front-line support staff. Good communication skills are critical to the organizational process. However, managers should know when to stop talking and start listening to the individuals placed under their charge. In other words, managers must listen to employees and their concerns, needs, and recommendations, and especially their recommendations. When employees voice their opinions and ideas and managers do not listen and respond to them, what happens after a while is that employees will stop giving their recommendations and ideas. In this case managers are then cut off from vital information that could have facilitated the choosing of best practices.

Another way is to promote team-building. It is working through synergy. It's one of the only formulas where 2+2= 5. In other words, four people working together can accomplish more than if they were to work independent of each other. When change occurs, teams can deal with change in a better way through a mentality of common purpose, common cause. It develops camaraderie which always proves to achieve more positive results.

Still, another way managers can deal with change, is to keep employees informed (good communication once again) as to why change is necessary. The mentally of "why fix the wheel if the wheel is not broken," must to put to rest. That kind of thought amounts to a status-quo mentality that will leave the company far behind the competition. Employees need to know why they are dealing with change and why it is important to the long-term stability and survivability of the organization.

Another concern, is that in many organizations today, employees work in silos. You have seen these structures on farms. It is a tall structure used to store wheat, or grain. You will notice it does not have noticeable doors, windows, no connection with the outside world. When employees work in a silo (this is just an analogy), they concentrate of what they are doing and only on what they are doing which can promote - once again- a status-quo mentality. Thus, they do not acquire a full understanding of how what they do affects others, in either a positive or negative way, either within their office, department, or division. This may develop a comfort zone for them, where they are use to doing things only one way. When change comes, guess what? They become resistant to change which then leads to internal conflict. Managers must promote the notion of always working toward positive change.

I hope the above helps you bit. I must admit I am not as articulate as I usually am. My mind is going the three different directions today. Best wishes!!

Answer 2

Some people deny change and fight it. But that's a lot like fighting the current in a river. Eventually you get tired out and you drown. A way to manage change is to accept the fact change is going to happen. There's nothing more certain than change. We don't always know what the change is or where it's going to take us. Sometimes what looks like a change is a fad and won't last long and you can rid that wave understanding it will die out sooner or later. Change, like most things, cost money to accommodate. So have reserve funds so when a change occurs, such as one of my customers is a printer and when technology changes he's prepared because he has the means to go with that flow. Also consider that every change has a ripple effect. There may be a change in technology or the law or whatever but that change may effect other aspects such as work routines and specific work duties will have to change too. One final thing. I never try ride the crest of the wave of changes. With change comes mistakes. Let others surge forward, make the mistakes that I can then learn lessons from.