reflect on an important professional change (i.e Military Human Resources Technician or choose one) that you have experienced. Compare your change story to one of the stories from the beginning of Chapter 1 of the text. Answer the following questions and support your thoughts with at least two scholarly sources.
In your paper you must:
• Describe your change story and the one selected from Chapter 1 of the text.
• Discuss the common issues and lessons present in both stories.
• Identify and discuss the embedded lesson found in the four change stories of Chapter 1.
• Describe how you might use the lessons as a solutions template during future change strategies.
Your paper should include in-text citations and references for at least two scholarly sources, in addition to the course text, and it should be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Change Management
Change Management
Change Stories
I am currently a human resources manager in the military. I was previously a finance officer but changed my career to embrace my new profession. My profession involves travelling to various locations within the United States in addition to other countries globally. My family experienced a medical crisis while working for the Bank of America when my grandmother, who was a close companion, got a stroke and was admitted to the hospital. It was at that moment when I met patients who had served for our country in various destinations all over the world. We discussed several issues, including the issues of human resources affecting many individuals working for the military and the need for change in the management of the department.
I spent most of my time studying books and narratives on the experiences of many officers. The stories included adverse experiences that resulted in many officers being negatively affected both physically and mentally. I enrolled for a course in HR for evening classes. I had to continue working for the Bank of America to pay my tuition. Also, I had to take care of both my grandmother in the hospitals and my siblings. After graduation, I applied to join the military and got the job on a second application trial.
I worked through the ranks to become one of the top most ranked HR managers in the country. I had the opportunity to visit soldiers in medical institutions and rehab facilities to find out about their experiences with the US Army. Most individuals were discontented with how the soldiers who had served in overseas deployments were received once they returned back from deployment. On key issue was compensation. I vowed to bring up the issues and propose possible changes within the forces as well as push for reforms in the management of resources to benefit soldiers that had previously served the country and were unable to undertake their daily routines normally. Such actions led to a more improved experience for soldiers who are working on settling back to their normal lives.
J.C Penny
J.C Penny was among the most prominent home furnishing and clothing retailers in the United States. The company performance was affected by the recession of 2008, which triggered a chain of change initiatives by top management of the firm Palmer, Dunford, and Buchanan (2017). J.C Penny entered into new partnerships with companies such as Ralph Lauren to improve their sales. However, company performance continued to fail. J.C Penny needed to improve its competitiveness without disrupting its operations, as highlighted by Kotter (2012). The organizations then focused on selling large stocks to other firms such as Apple.
Common Issues and Lessons Present in Both Stories.
Ron Johnson of J.C Penny ignored the company’s main customers, which was a significant issue. As outlined by Palmer, Dunford, and Buchanan (2017), managing change within an organization is a difficult process that can easily turn messy if it is not a well-thought process. In the case of J.C Penny, the company did not conduct intensive market research for various consumer groups to better understand the purchase habits of managers and staff. Ensuring the implementation of a set of reforms within the US army was a big challenge. The process included research and collaboration with relevant stakeholders that are key decision-makers in the government and the US Army. The lack of consumer knowledge at J.C Penny led to disastrous advertising, marketing, and lousy pricing strategies, alienating various customers. Furthermore, Johnson made critical judgments based on his knowledge, creating unnecessary tensions in the firm. He acted rapidly without considering important factors in decision-making. Similarly, I rushed to get into neurosurgery because of my grandmother’s illness. Furthermore, I had to make two applications on different occasions to receive a job opportunity with the military. It takes consistency and dedication to achieve set goals.
Embedded Lesson Found in the Four Change Stories of Chapter 1.
One cannot be guaranteed of a successful change situation despite the attention and care issued to the process of planning and implementation. A change could go wrong despite an integrated design (Mylan, 2016). It is impossible the effect of a change action after implementation is rolled out. The argument does not entail planning, but the recognition of the fact that events could go wrong, and learning from such activities is necessary. Additionally, adapting relevant strategies is an essential approach for better outcomes, such as having a directive of what to do in case of a challenge during change implementation. Even with carefully crafted plans, outcomes of change can be both positive and negative (Hussain et al., 2018). The experience of most people in organizations elaborates that they are untidy and complex arenas. These aforementioned characteristics are crucial to being realistic in understanding what leaders should expect to achieve.
Describe how you might use the lessons as a solution template during future change strategies.
Recognize how change stories contribute to theoretical knowledge and practice. Narratives elaborate on the occurrence of an event due to a particular circumstance. Explanations in the stories are theories of change that point for the integration of various factors that result in either a successful or an unsuccessful change. Secondly, one should understand why the management of change in an organization is a rational and creative procedure. While general strategies are crucial in identifying the factors that should be considered in change implementation, the details should be enforced by informed staff and management judgments. Moreover, to evoke change, an individual should identify the fundamental paradoxes and tensions in the management of relevant strategies. One should consider whether to undertake transformational change or conduct a systematic and rational process, recognizing the political effects of change strategies. Furthermore, change requires the assessment of the limitations and strengths of the current operationalization of an industry. The establishment of cause and effect concerning change and various outcomes entails numerous variables and involvement of stakeholders.
References
Hussain, S., Lei, S., Akram, T., Haider, M., Hussain, S., & Ali, M. (2018). Kurt Lewin’s change model: A critical review of the role of leadership and employee involvement in organizational change. Journal Of Innovation & Knowledge, 3(3), 123-127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2016.07.002
Mylan, J. (2016). The Business of “Behaviour Change”: Analysing the Consumer-Oriented Corporate Sustainability Journey of Low-Temperature Laundry. Organization & Environment, 30(4), 283-303. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026616677169
Palmer, I., Dunford, R., & Buchanan, D. (2017). Managing organizational change (3rd ed.). Retrieved from HTTPS://redshelf.com/
Kotter, J.P. (2012, November). Accelerate! (Cover Story). Harvard Business Review, 90(11), 43-58. Retrieved from the Ebscohost datab
