ARTICLE REVIEW ON “ENGAGING CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: NSO’S QUEST FOR EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE by Joel T. Lim

Employees, in most cases, prefer status quo rather than change. Resistance to change is part of human nature. For many people, "sameness" is psychological security. Change leads to psychological insecurity. Most people like security. Even though it is difficult to change human nature, there is still value in understanding that resistance is normal and must be considered and managed. Change means stepping into the unknown and losing your comfortable routine. And most people view this as frightening. Resistance to change can be a form of self-defense that comes from fear. Whether it's in a corporate sense, or with individuals, understanding what motivates a personality is a key to understanding how to keep them moving ahead.

Change can originate from external sources through technological advances, social, political or economic pressures, or it can come from inside the organization as a management response to a range of issues such as changing client needs, costs or a human resource or a performance issue. No employee is left unaffected in most changes. As a result, resistance to change often occurs when change is introduced. It can affect one small area or the entire organization. Nevertheless, all change whether from internal or external sources, large or small, involves adopting new mindsets, processes, policies, practices and work behavior.

The need for an organization to embrace change is clearly described in the article. Without change, issues in public service delivery function of NSO R10 surfaced. Simply asking the question "Why?" can lead to new ideas and new innovations that can directly impact the bottom line. Organizations benefit from change that result in new ways of looking at customer needs, new ways of delivering customer service, new ways of strengthening customer interactions, new products that might attract new markets and new technologies. New employees joining an organization are especially valuable because they can often point to areas of opportunity for improvement that those who have been long involved in the company might have overlooked. But even existing employees should be encouraged to question why things are done a certain way and look for new ways to get work done faster, better and with higher levels of quality and service.

Change that results from the adoption of new technology is common in most organizations and while it can be disruptive at first, ultimately the change tends to increase productivity and service. As the world evolves, customer needs change and grow, creating new demand for new types of products and services -- and opening up new areas of opportunity for companies to meet those needs. Customers who were satisfied with conventional ovens many years ago are sometimes impatient with the microwave today. Change is important in organizations to allow employees to learn new skills, explore new opportunities and exercise their creativity in ways that ultimately benefit the organization through new ideas and increased commitment. Preparing employees to deal with these changes involves an analysis of the tools and training required to help them learn new skills.

It is worth noting in the article that the reason for the success of a transition stage, from unfrozen to being prepared for something new, was the support of the leader. Leaders must lead. The new system will ultimately have to stand on its own feet, but every new system needs support and nurture. Because change is inherently unsettling for people at all levels of an organization, when it is on the horizon, all eyes will turn to the CEO and the leadership team for strength, support, and direction. The leaders themselves must embrace the new approaches first, both to challenge and to motivate the rest of the institution. They must speak with one voice and model the desired behaviors. The executive team also needs to understand that, although its public face may be one of unity, it, too, is composed of individuals who are going through stressful times and need to be supported. Mindset then plays a key essential element. Without initially transforming their mindsets, leaders and employees would ultimately continue to operate in their old ways which then in turn completely rules out the ability for the business to change into its new designs and execute its new strategies. Changing an individual’s mindset provides greater awareness and deeper thoughts towards diverse ways of operating. Taking this idea into a personal action, I myself have tried to become more aware of my customary ways of operating and I am trying to develop different, more influential ways to go about changing my emotional state towards a more positive note.

As change and culture meet, a natural friction is likely to occur. it isn’t easy to change attitudes or relationships; they’re deeply ingrained in organizations and people. Leaders should be prepared to compromise on cultural issues that are not critical to accomplishing successful change.

This marriage of old and new won’t ever be exact, and a likely outcome of the change initiatives will be eliminating ineffective norms and behaviors. Leaders need to understand that this cultural shift can be a gradual process and that organizations, like humans, are only capable of digesting so much at one given time. Employees are more apt to support change if they are ready to make changes. This means that they believe in the changes, have the time and energy to invest in the changes. It is not enough to just have a vision but it is essential to communicate in such a way that it is actionable and believable by those who can be affected and will be affected. Leaders should not assume that the company’s strategy is clear but will see to it that the employees understand “why” and “how” the company will be changing. Too often, change leaders make the mistake of believing that others understand the issues, feel the need to change, and see the new direction as clearly as they do. The best change programs reinforce core messages through regular, timely advice that is both inspirational and practicable. Communications flow in from the bottom and out from the top, and are targeted to provide employees the right information at the right time and to solicit their input and feedback. Getting the whole organization together can build momentum, create a memorable event, and build peer pressure for the change.