#Notes 7.5 Planning and Executing Change Effectively

• 7.5 Planning and Executing Change Effectively
  
  
  Unfreezing Before Change
  • Executing change without prior preparation is likely to lead to failure. So it's much better to get prepared before you actually make the change. So every organization should start with the preparation procedures which is the unfreezing to make sure that all members are sufficiently prepared for it and receptive. In other words, if you are not doing your study or research, you are much likely to fail on an exam.
  • Communicating a Plan for Change: When employees know what is going to happen, when, and why, they may feel more comfortable. For instance, you go to see a doctor and the doctor doesn't explain why he(or she) doing this treatment, you might be nervous and confused, and start to think about all the bad situations.
  • Ensuring that top management communicates with employees about the upcoming changes also has symbolic value. As I said, the doctor doesn't tell you all the details you should know about every step that you are about to be treated. It's might affect your confidence during the treatment.
  • Develop a Sense of Urgency: Our brain is made up to avoid danger. So people are more likely to accept change if they feel that there is a need for it. If the doctor tells you that the surgery is necessary and you need to do it now, you will still choose to ignore it? 
  • If employees feel their company is doing well, the perceived need for change will be smaller. Just like your recovery is doing well after the surgery.
  • Building a Coalition: To convince people that change is needed, the change leader does not necessarily have to convince every person individually. In fact, people’s opinions toward change are affected by opinion leaders or those people who have a strong influence over the behaviors and attitudes of others. Instead of trying to get everyone on board at the same time, it may be more useful to convince and prepare the opinion leaders. Just like the advertisements on the TV or the internet. There is always a celebrity to introduce their product and telling you that it is really worth to buy. Then you lose your mind and your hand starts to get out of your control......Finally, you pick up your credit card and enter the card number......
  • Provide Support: Employees should feel that their needs are not ignored. Just like patients need good care. Providing emotional and instrumental support, discussing the changes, encouraging employees to voice their concerns will express confidence in employees’ ability to perform effectively under the new system.
  • Allow Employees to Participate: Employees who participate in planning change efforts tend to have more positive opinions about the change. I think this is important because when you are taking part in something, you get the satisfaction from its success. And the engagement can do more than just participation, because of the communication and the exchange of opinions.
  
  
  Executing Change
  • Continue to Provide Support: As the change is underway, employees may experience high amounts of stress. While the patient is on the pain of the treatment, the only thing that can make them comfortable is the anesthesia. 
  • Create Small Wins: Sometimes, "Your surgery is successful" and show the evidence of the success on the screen is much better than just put you back to the ward and disappearance. If people see changes, improvements, and successes along the way, they will be inspired and motivated to continue the change effort.
  • Eliminate Obstacles: It is the management’s job to identify, understand, and remove these obstacles. What do you think if the doctor sees cancer and telling you that he(or she) can not do anything?
  
  
  Refreezing
  • After the change is implemented, the long-term success of a change effort depends on the extent to which the change becomes part of the company’s culture. If the change becomes a habit in the organization, the rewards even show up before the change is executed. Like the smoker and a drug addict people, their brain might reward themselves even before doing the behavior.
  • Refreezing involves ensuring that change becomes permanent and the new habits, rules, or procedures become the norm.
  • Publicize Success: Sharing results with employees increases their confidence, like the moment you take down the king on a chessboard.
  • Reward Change Adoption: The rewards are to give support to the change effort and it's may encourage others to get on board. However, customized rewards is a better way to do it, because not everyone is enjoying the same thing.
  • Embracing Continuous Change: “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” – Steve Jobs. Not all the efforts will result in success, but giving up must fail. By setting up a dynamic feedback loop, learning can become a regular part of daily operations. If an employee implements a new method or technology that seems to be successful, a learning organization is in a good position to adopt it.