Essay on Leading Change and John Kotter's Contributions

Published: 2021-07-16
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There are various theories concerning to do change. Several of them originate with John Kotters leadership and change management. The system is applicable when obtaining and safeguarding the effective organizational change. The following paper will analyze the John Kotters Eight-Stage Change Model together with its implementation guide in initiating change in an organization. The responsibilities of different stakeholders such as the emerging and senior leaders, employees and managers through the eight stages, together with the factors that would contribute towards the failure of an organizational change initiative.

Stage One, creating the sense of urgency: According to Kotter (2007), a sense of urgency is created considering the upcoming organizational transformation, and also, 75 percent of managers must believe the status quo is more dangerous than the unknown (p.4). Assist the team in identifying the need for change through a bold, ambitious opportunity declaration that communicated the essence of responding immediately.

The Second Stage, Building a guiding coalition. This stage offers establishment of a coalition or transforms champions who will lead the transformation effort, its essential that this coalition is made up of the assortment of stakeholders incorporating senior managers, middle leadership as well as the front-line employees. A team that has representation, create all levels of employees in the organization, therefore, demonstrating that the transformation is not order created by the senior leadership, instead, it is a decision composed of feedback from different employees working in an organization (Kotter, 2007). The Third Stage: Developing a vision and strategy. Vision and strategy are created and communicated to the stakeholders such as the suppliers, customers, stockholders, and employees. Vision gives the stakeholders the information and strategies on how the vision will become reality (Kotter, 2007, p.4). It is important for the management team to emphasize on persuading the stakeholders on the expected difference in the future which was not there in the past and the method that you will use to transform the future into reality by the use of initiatives connect precisely to the vision.

The Fourth Stage: communicating the change vision. There is the need of communicating the idea throughout the unit illustrating the reason why change is required as well as how Soldiers and unit will benefit from the change. A large-scale change can only take place when huge numbers of individuals gathering over a mutual opportunity. They have to be urgent and bought-in to drive change, as they move in the parallel direction. The organizational change plan is introduced to the entire organization as well as stakeholders start to take place in the transformation (Kotter, 2007).

The Fifth Stage: empowering a broad base of people to take action (Kotter, 2007). The subordinate need to be empowered, at all levels to support and apply the resolution to problems, some resistance may take place in the levels and a number of those individuals may have to be eliminated for the sake of change to take place. Eliminating barriers like incompetent processes together with hierarchies gives the necessary freedom to work. At this point, the staff will want to be busy and fulfill the objectives that you have been promoting and implementing the structure for change, and is constantly being vigilant for its barriers. Eradicating such obstacles can embolden the people to need to perform the vision, and it can assist the change move forward (Kotter, 1995).

The sixth stage: generating short-term wins (Kotter, 2007). In this stage, accomplishment must be created and rewarded to facilitate the unit to see evidence of change. There is nothing more motivating like success. It is necessary to give victory in the progress. At the short time, you will wish to see some of the quick wins that the staff members can witness. Without this, negative thinkers together with critics would sabotage the process.

The stage seven: combining gains and generating even more change. In the large establishment like in the Army, long time leaders must initiate and start talking about the change as they inspire the fellow soldiers to maintain the urgent level high. According to the Kotter's perceptions, change project may not succeed when victory is early declared. Quick success is only from the start on what is anticipated to be executed to fulfill the long-term change (Kotter, 1995).

Finally, in stage eight implement the new approach for the change to stick; it needs to be part of the center of the organization. It is also, essential for the leaders in the company to support the change. This is made up of the new leaders and existing staff. These people are important in this process because losing their support will drag the management back to where it started (Kotter, 1996).

Conclusively, there is no business that can thrive over the long-term without constantly reinventing self. However, this is the most complex to perform since it needs to work across all levels of the organization.

References

Kotter, J. P. (2007). Leading change. Comunicar, 4(5), 6.

Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading Change Harvard Business School Press. Boston, MA.

Kotter, J. P. (1995). Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail.

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