Change Management Process Report
Business executives constantly face the risk of employees resistance whenever they introduce change. Resistance to change takes various forms, including reduced productivity, increased voluntary turnover, transfer requests, chronic conflict, industrial action, hostility, and remarks that imply the change’s ineffectiveness. One may assume that the management is in the business of forcing change on employees. However, incremental changes are important for improving productivity in an organization (Lawrence, 1969). Most of the resistance that occurs is unnecessary. The employees of a small manufacturing company are resisting change due to their lack of understanding of its needs. The training department has also declined to utilize skills that can be used for organizational development to resolve the resistance. The employees do not resist technical but social change, which affects the interactions and relationships at work.
Strategies for aligning training with the new strategic direction
Change is a constant factor in organizations. Therefore, employers are in the constant process of aligning training with the new strategic directions that changes introduce. To achieve this alignment, it is important to set new goals that guide the entire process. Once this is done, the organization conducts training needs analysis, which identifies the skills gaps in the workforce. These gaps guide the training process leading to the setting of training goals, which should correspond to the company’s new strategic direction (Grensing-Pophal, 2020). The two action plans enable the organization to create goals that align with the new direction and conduct training that helps the achievement of the same goals.
In addition, an organization must communicate the plan to the employees. Communication of the goals, the new strategic direction, the training procedures, and their need is important for getting employees involved in the entire process. This communication process also offers the company an opportunity to inform the employees about the company’s future. The effect that the new direction will have on the social aspects within the entity should be communicated as well. This opens the employees’ minds about the change and reduces resistance (Ilyas et al., 2016). Thus, communication is a critical part of the change process in any firm.
Organizational development skills required to be effective in training program development and delivery
The creation of organizational structures that enable change and training processes is important for organizations. Entities may lack specific leaders who may be critical for the change process. Incorporating the leadership positions into the current structures is one of the aspects that facilitate change management. The organization can also identify other beneficial structures that can be adopted for the change management process and the future of the organization. Management of current members of an organization is an important element in change management. In this particular case, the firm should adopt different techniques to take the employees through the change and provide a sneak peek into the future (Grensing-Pophal, 2020). Dispelling their fears, which are related to social changes, is important in ensuring that the change process is successful.
In addition, planning the training process is important in fueling the change process. Failure to plan and allocate the necessary resources to training is likely to result in failure. The development of the training program, as well as delivery, requires intense analysis of the current skills gaps and the best methods to fill these. Resources that are required for the training process include both financial and human. Finding sufficient resources enables the entity to implement the most efficient designs and processes that make training effective. To ensure that all human resources are engaged beneficially, delegation or task allocation is an important skill as well. This ensures that human resources are maximized. Most importantly, the process of designing and implementing training programs requires articulate goal setting (SHRM, 2021). Identifying the objectives of the training program and ensuring they are aligned with the new direction ensures that the firm forges forward in change management or implementation.
The steps that should be employed to support change management within the organization
Creating a sense of urgency is one of the initial steps. Management can achieve this by explaining to the employees about the crisis in waiting or the lurking opportunity. This should evoke organizational cooperation as employees contribute to engaging in honest and meaningful conversations. After establishing a sense of urgency, it is important to create a group that has sufficient power and competence to pioneer the process of change. The members of the leading group should have the necessary leadership and management skills, authority, competence, and credibility. The group should create one goal and work from a point of trust. The next step would creation of a strategic initiative and vision in relation to the change in question. The leading group should motivate other employees to participate in the process and coordinate these activities. The vision should be coherent, imaginable, focused, feasible, communicable, and desirable (SHRM, 2021).
The management should also eliminate all potential barriers to facilitate the process of change. Common obstacles include personnel, formal structures, skills gaps, information systems, and discouraging supervisors. During the early stages, the management should create short and visible wins that indicate signs of success. Sustenance of the acceleration is critical for long-lasting change. The initial stages of change should be used as a foundation for future modifications to avoid resistance and possible regression. The management should review any organizational aspects that do not support or reinforce the change. The HR department should hire individuals who understand the vision and possess the necessary skills for its achievement. Training and development are ideal avenues for ensuring that the workforce’s competencies support the change. Finally, the company should institute the change by connecting it to the organizational culture (SHRM, 2021). These steps of managing change build upon each other and should be implemented in order to ensure success.
Legal considerations related to organizational development and change management that should be considered during this transition
Since the process of organizational development and change management involves people, the entity must be careful to avoid non-compliance with regulations. Firstly, the HR department must ensure that non-discriminatory policies are not created to replace outdated ones. Secondly, the recruitment process should offer equal opportunities to all candidates. Age, race, nationality, physical abilities, and gender should not be used to choose the right employees (SHRM, 2021). Instead, these factors should be used to promote the diversity of the workforce.
A summary of how employee resistance and change management effectiveness will be assessed during the transition
To assess the level of resistance during the transition, the organization should monitor the achievement of both short-term and long-term goals. This monitoring process should highlight any issues that may hinder achievement or confirm current resistance tendencies. The assessment offers an opportunity to streamline the process, improve action plans and strategies, and identify new techniques that are needed for change management.
References
Grensing-Pophal, L. (2020). How to Achieve Alignment Between Training and Company Objectives. HR Daily Advisor.
Ilyas, M., Hin, C. W., & Adnan, Z. b. (2016). Training Aligned with Business Strategies: Aiming at the ‘Strategic Fit’. Journal of Scientific Research and Development, 3(4), 150-156.
Lawrence, P. R. (1969). How to Deal With Resistance to Change. Harvard Business Review.
SHRM. (2021). Managing Organizational Change. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/managingorganizationalchange.aspx
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Question 
Change Management Process
Imagine a small manufacturing company that is shifting its direction in light of changes in the competitive environment in which it operates. Training will be deployed to ensure that employees have required skills that align with the new strategic direction.
Change Management Process Report
Change management is critical to ensure organizational alignment. However, the company has experienced two-fold resistance to the new direction. First, employees are unclear on the need for change; and second, the training department has shown resistance to using organizational development skills to resolve employee resistance issues.
Create a report that summarizes the change management process.
Write a report of 1,050 to 1,400 words that includes the following components:
- Strategies for aligning training with the new strategic direction
- Recommended processes that should be used to align employee training with the new business strategies
- Organizational development skills required to be effective in training program development and delivery
- The steps that should be employed to support change management within the organization
- Legal considerations related to organizational development and change management that should be considered during this transition
- A summary of how employee resistance and change management effectiveness will be assessed during the transition