MANAGING AND SUSTAINING CHANGE

Change Management and Change Leadership

Change management is a systematic method or process by which an organization implements change (Hao & Yazdanifard, 2015). It encompasses standardized techniques and procedures meant to support employees and leadership teams to transition from one point to another. The change process has a discrete end and beginning, and the managers role is to direct employees to follow the standard processes in achieving the desired end (Hao & Yazdanifard, 2015). Change leadership, however, goes beyond standard practices and processes. It involves inspiring and influencing employees to agree on what needs to be done to collectively achieve shared objectives in times of uncertainty (Hao & Yazdanifard, 2015).

The change leader adopts a people-focused approach and thrives by integrating the change among employees rather than imposing it (Hao & Yazdanifard, 2015). According to Kotter (n.d), they achieve this by helping the employees understand why the change is necessary, getting them to own the change, and then collaborating with them to develop a strategic shared vision. Differently from a change manager, a change leader removes barriers such as inefficient hierarchies and processes and gives employees the freedom to exercise independent decision-making to realize the shared vision. Basically, in change management, the leader single-handedly establishes the need for change and what needs to be done, and then directs the employees to work in line with the established plan and instruction (Hao & Yazdanifard, 2015). Conversely, a change leader guides the employees through the change process and motivates them to commit to their jobs and use their talents to achieve the shared vision (Hao & Yazdanifard, 2015).

Leadership Approaches and the Evaluation and Sustaining of Change

Evaluation of change has to do with analysing what changed as a result of a certain initiative, and what the outcome of that change has been. Sustaining change, on the other hand, has to do with getting a change to be adopted as the standard of doing things (Hodges & Gill, 2014). For instance, a healthcare organization may decide to implement a quality improvement such as conducting initial...

…employees to realize superior performance. Thus, to effectively sustain organizational change, the leadership has to put in place an effective training and reward program to help employees integrate the change. According to Hodges and Gill (2014), an effective organizational climate empowers employees to continually grow their skill and make independent decisions in the area of work, and it is the leadership that creates such an environment.

Finally, the organizations leadership determines how change is measured (evaluated). Changes are constantly happening in an organization, at both the individual level and corporate levels. Employees are continually identifying and implementing new ways to realize efficiency in their work. At the same time, organizations are continually adopting new evidence-based practices to improve their systems. This implies that organizations are constantly in the process of implementing change and measuring the effectiveness of change efforts. It is not possible to stop measuring change because there are always new and better ways to do things to realize greater efficiency. The leadership comes up with systems for measuring change and is responsible for communicating the…