Reflective Blog 9-2

Today's blog is going to focus on changes made within an organization. I will outline 3 essential steps that I would take in order to make changes within a company. Before writing this blog, I reviewed 2 models that are commonly used for making changes: Lewin's model, and the complexity theory. Both models have been proven successful, but I decided to choose a combination of both in order to come up with my own way of dealing with change. I chose three steps that I think should be used for making successful change in a corporation: Deciding on the change, Transiton through the change, and Refreeze in order to make the changes permanent.

1. Decide what needs to be changed: before anything is changed in an organization, management first needs to decide what needs to be changed. Managers need to identify the source of the problem that needs to be changed, and then they must decide on what to do. Managers must think of a solution that is for the best of the company. Management must also think about the employees involved with the change, and how it will affect them. Not every individual is going to adapt well to change, so during this step, management must also identify what sort of obstacles could occur with the change, and how to overcome them.

2. Transition: Most people need time when experiencing change, therefore a transition period is a crucial step. This step is found in Lewin's model, and is described as being a psychological journey since each person takes change differently. An individual may have to go through several steps during the transition period in order to fully adapt to permanent change. Certain forms of coaching, training and counseling can be very beneficial during the transition period for some employees. Not everyone handles change the same way, so I think it's important to always include a transition period in order to make sure everyone is on the same page.

3. Refreeze: this final step is done in order to make the new change permanent. This is also found in Lewin's model, and is the final step in the change process. In order to put the change into effect for good, management should offer certain perks to their employees to keep them loyal to the company. Perks can be as simple as a raise or bonus can reinforce the changes made. Over the months and years, these changes wil be the norm as more and more employees adapt.

I know this blog wasn't very long, but I hope it helps you understand what I think are the most important steps when an organization is ready for change.