| Everyone is placed in situations that require | | | | a manager on an organisational level. |
| changing their lifestyle, thought patterns and job | | | | In an organisation each level, from senior |
| environment. For some these changes happen | | | | management through to support staff must be |
| regularly. For some they happen rarely. But one | | | | evaluated for their ability to implement and solidify |
| thing is for sure, change ALWAYS causes stress | | | | changes required. Often, management recognize |
| at varying levels. Handled correctly it can be made | | | | the fact that "something" is going wrong, but |
| a pleasure and a source of personal and group | | | | have no idea how to fix the problem. Experience |
| pride. The current surge in professional change | | | | shows that this level is so engrossed in the day |
| management in companies requires some careful | | | | to day running of the business from a technical |
| consideration as to the effects of that stress on | | | | and corporate governance perspective, they |
| the individuals and their organisation. | | | | ignore the fact that the organizational organism is |
| Our world has created enormous changes over | | | | made up of people. |
| the past 50 years. The resultant stresses are | | | | It is a mistake to believe that individuals can just |
| causing serious mental and physical health issues | | | | "role with the punches" and accept any change |
| that in turn translate into huge economic cost at | | | | foisted upon them. It is also a mistake to try to |
| personal, business and government levels. By | | | | use hard sell techniques to convey the need for |
| handling the PERCEPTION of the change properly, | | | | change. These techniques do not work and never |
| a great deal of needless anxiety and serious | | | | have. Those people may have widely varying |
| consequences can be avoided. The perception of | | | | values systems and the resultant conflict creates |
| change and its expected outcomes must be | | | | high levels of anxiety, anger and depression in |
| understood by the individual at an unconscious | | | | organizations, leading to low productivity, |
| level in order for the stresses to be reduced to a | | | | substantial staff turnover and high illness levels. |
| minimum. This is a very different process to | | | | The illnesses are no different to the problems |
| presenting the need for change only at a | | | | presented to me on a daily basis as a therapist |
| conscious level and expecting the individual's | | | | and stress management consultant. |
| memory and values system to accept it. | | | | From experience, it is often high stress levels in |
| The perception that personal change is different | | | | management brought on by perceived |
| to organisational change is erroneous. Both have | | | | performance expectations that must be dealt |
| the same effect if handled wrongly, but ultimately | | | | with first. Without clear direction and planning and |
| an organization behaves in exactly the same way | | | | communication, major changes can be seen as |
| as an individual undergoing change. The only real | | | | "the straw that broke the camel's back" in middle |
| difference is that in personal change the stress | | | | management. This often undermines the success |
| arises from conflict between ill informed parts of | | | | of introduced change in an organisation. |
| the mind, while stress in organizational change is | | | | A good Change Manager is fully aware of these |
| derived from conflicts between parts of the | | | | issues at a personal level and puts in place |
| organization (other minds). Where both parts | | | | effective strategies to handle the potential fallout |
| conflict at a personal level and parts conflict at an | | | | from large scale change before the change is |
| organizational level occur, very serious | | | | implemented. He/she then must monitor the |
| consequences will be displayed. | | | | entire process until the individual and organisation |
| In both situations the Values System of the | | | | are back in a stable environment. By doing this |
| individual parts needs to be recognized and in | | | | large potential losses can be avoided and the |
| some cases modified before stress levels due to | | | | desired result from the change will be seen |
| change can be reduced. Using very advanced | | | | sooner in the bottom line. |
| techniques of modality evaluation, we can now | | | | Once the risk assessment has been completed |
| identify possible conflicts before a change regime | | | | and a customized organisational development plan |
| is put into place, reducing the potential for | | | | has been agreed upon, the plan is implemented in |
| disharmony and personal stress. The economic | | | | the following order: |
| benefits of this become apparent when you | | | | 1. Senior management is coached in what to |
| consider the real cost of illness and staff turnover | | | | expect and how to respond to challenges and |
| of an organisation. | | | | resistance to the suggested change. |
| Handling of both personal change and | | | | 2. Second tier management is trained in the |
| organisational change needs to consider the | | | | requirements for introduction of new systems or |
| individuals in a change process as individuals. This | | | | technologies so that they are seen by staff to be |
| involves understanding a number of factors | | | | congruent with the companies outcomes and are |
| including:o Values systemso Ability - technical and | | | | part of the implementation. |
| learningo Previous history of changeo Reaction to | | | | 3. Training sessions for each group of staff |
| historical changeo Perception of proposed changeo | | | | members is implemented in a way that does not |
| Perception of work colleagueso Perception of the | | | | disrupt day to day business to a damaging |
| individuals place in the organisationo Ability to | | | | degree. This training takes into account the |
| integrate technology changeo Assessing the | | | | intelligence gathered about these groups and their |
| inherent culture of an organisation points not only | | | | likelihood to resist the change, accept a move in |
| to the historical development of the organisation, | | | | company policy or efficiency or become part of |
| but also to the management style and social | | | | an overall fostering of renewed pride and security |
| interaction in place. | | | | in a congruent corporate environment. This |
| The second most important component of | | | | training is supported by regular communications to |
| handling change includes an assessment of:o What | | | | all staff on the progress and especially in the |
| extra commercial risks are introduced through the | | | | change in customer or other stakeholder's |
| change.o The real need for change to occuro The | | | | perception of the reinvigorated company. |
| speed with which change needs to occuro Based | | | | 4. Systems and technologies are implemented in a |
| on the past history and expectations of staff, will | | | | staged process and level of acceptance and |
| the change be seen as positive or negative from | | | | integration is monitored by the change |
| their point of view?o Does the change involve | | | | management and senior management group. |
| technology upgrades that will require higher skill | | | | 5. Additional training and communications are |
| sets?o Does the staff expected to integrate the | | | | added as required to cement the change and |
| technology change have the capacity to do so?o | | | | make it a permanent factor in the company. |
| Will effective training staff be available to transfer | | | | It is important through all of this that potential |
| skills required?o Will the company or organisation | | | | increases in stress levels be monitored and |
| provide the resources to ensure the education | | | | reacted to in a confidential way for all staff. Done |
| process required by individuals PRIOR to change | | | | correctly, a properly designed and implemented |
| being implemented? | | | | change program will reduce the risk of abnormal |
| Given an understanding of these factors, a good | | | | stress blowout and increase productivity by |
| change manager will be able to develop a highly | | | | inducing a higher level of pride in the company and |
| effective custom program to implement any kind | | | | increased work satisfaction at all levels of |
| of change. This applies whether the change is | | | | management and staff. |
| implemented by a therapist on a personal level, or | | | | |