Organisations are required to constantly respond to changes occurring in their external environment in order to remain competitive and to ensure their survival.
However, implementing change in the organisation may impact organisational structure, systems, procedures and employee roles.
Change management involves managing employees affected by the change. Organisational restructuring or the implementation of change projects may require new teams to be formed. The change management agent will be required to facilitate the development of the team.
This can be done by using Tuckman’s Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing model.
The first stage, forming, is the introduction of the team members. The change management agent is responsible for ensuring that the team roles, expectations and responsibilities are clearly defined. The team learns how it will be expected to behave and how tasks will be performed.
The second stage, storming, involves team members working together. Team members understand what is expected of them and the group and how to complete tasks. In this stage, the change management agent is responsible for keeping the team on course, building relationships between the team members, dealing with issues that arise and implementing a structure to manage conflict within the team.
The third stage, norming, is characterised by the team resolving conflict and determining the strengths of each member. The team becomes a cohesive group working together to achieve the team’s goals. Each member is accepted and is able to express their views and provide constructive feedback. The change management agent aids in enabling members to be accountable for helping the team to move towards achieving the team’s goal.
The fourth stage, performing, involves the team members focusing their energy and commitment towards successfully attainment the team’s goals. At this stage, new members entering the team may not discover any resistance from other team members. Little involvement is needed from the change management agent as the team is able to manage itself and is able to manage or eliminate potential conflict that may arise.
Change management involves dealing with the employees who are influenced by the change. Effort needs to be directed towards the forming of teams. Successful team formation enables individuals to work together to respond to the changes implemented within the organisation and results in high productivity and performance.
Staff Training is a soft skills training provider with a number of workshops dealing with Change Management. Contact us at 0861 996 600.