Unit 5: Planning, Implementation, and Managing Transitions
In the last four units, we have covered the basics of change management and leadership, the various change management models, case study failures in change management, leadership of talent when it comes to change management, and facilitating change in the business environment. Now we will cover how to recognize when change needs to occur. If you are a mid-level manager, this will help you see the whole organization's big picture, why change needs to be made, and how to get everyone on board with the idea of change. Most of the time, change occurs because the CEO recognizes the need and makes plans to implement that change company-wide. But suppose you can affect change at your level and see the changes the company needs to make to have sustainable growth. In that case, you may be recognized for your vision and understanding of change management and leadership. This unit is about deeply understanding change management and what you can do as a leader to recognize and implement those changes.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 6 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- analyze the steps of planning change management in a given organization;
- select performance improvements for change;
- describe performance measurements for change management;
- analyze the communication skills talent needs to affect change in a given situation; and
- analyze change management practices in a given situation within a global context.
5.1: Change Management
Change management is important for all organizations because of the speed of change in business today. Trying to keep up with change may mean constant change is occurring, and having a change management system in place is important to ensure this happens easily. This section will cover setting goals, creating plans, and tracking change.
Once you understand the changes your department is expected to make, it is important to create a plan and goals to complete the change. This will require creating a list of what needs to be done and then matching those changes with the right people. This video covers setting goals with employees and ensuring the goals are met.
As a manager, it will be important for you to ensure employees are working to implement the needed changes. There may be instances when employees are not making the necessary changes; at this point, you will need to set a performance improvement plan. This video covers the basics of helping employees to improve their performance.
One of the tools you can use to track change management and create a timeline of those changes is Microsoft Project. By creating a timeline, you can keep track of your project and ensure that changes are made promptly. You can also adjust your timeline as things change or need to be updated during the change management process. This short video gives an overview of creating a timeline in Microsoft Project.
It is important to measure the performance of employees and the change management process itself. Developing key performance indicators will assist you in measuring the performance of your team and team members. This video will give you ideas of the indicators you can develop to track your teams' performance.
5.2: Leadership and Change Management
Good leadership is important when it comes to implementing change in the workplace. Leaders are needed to implement change, and employees need someone to lead them into the change and follow up to ensure it happens. This section will cover talent and ensuring that the right people are in the right position to assist in implementing change.
Keeping track of and following through with employees is important to ensure that change happens. This video explains how to take action to ensure that employees meet their targets and are on track to complete the needed changes.
It is important to successfully track communication with employees and ensure they understand what tasks must be completed and any timelines you've previously set. This video covers communicating with employees and streamlining that communication as much as possible to ensure success.
Emotional intelligence is important when implementing change and managing your employees. Emotional intelligence will help you better understand your employees and make you more relatable as a manager. After you read, answer the three questions at the end.
You will use emotional intelligence almost every day in your job. It might also become necessary to teach others about this useful skill. This video explains the skills needed to develop emotional intelligence. How would you explain the importance of emotional intelligence in change management?
If you are a manager who is in charge of several teams, it will be necessary for you to track what each team is responsible for, when the changes will be complete, and who will make the changes. There are numerous project management systems that you might utilize to track this information. Some project management systems also work within the change management system. This video explains the various options that might be utilized in lean project management.
5.3: Global Change Management Practices
Change in organizations occurs both domestically and globally. Change management on a global level can be complicated. Culture must be considered when trying to implement change in a country that is not yours. This section will cover considerations when implementing global change management.
As a manager of a global change management project, you must consider many issues. These issues may include culture, people, needs, communication, creating a strategy that may be localized, etc. International competition is another consideration regarding change management on a global scale.
At some point, your domestic business may consider expanding internationally, and numerous issues must be considered. This section discusses developing a change strategy and considerations for change management. After you read, answer the managerial leadership case study and concept check questions.
Understanding culture when conducting international business is important because it can change how you operate. Culture may affect how you do business since it includes traditions, behavior, and beliefs or values related to potential employees or the business. Before conducting business in any country, you must understand the culture. This video explains why it is important to understand the culture of the country where you plan to conduct business.
Over the last few decades, technology has changed the way business is conducted on a global scale. As a manager who may conduct business globally, it is important to understand what trends impact how business is conducted. This video explains trends that may impact the future of international business.
Conclusion
This unit covered change management planning and implementing that change. By understanding organizational needs, it may be easier to determine the best change management process and how that change will be made. There are numerous resources available in change management. These resources might include trade journals for your specific industry; local, national, or international conferences that include speeches or classes about your trade; or even companies that will implement change management for your organization. We encourage you to discover more about your industry by attending a trade show or joining a national organization.
Unit 5 Study Resources
This review video is an excellent way to review what you've learned so far and is presented by one of the professors who created the course.
Watch this as you work through the unit and prepare to take the final exam.
- Unit 5 Review Slides File PDF document
You can also download the presentation slides so you can make notes.
We also recommend that you review this Study Guide before taking the Unit 5 Assessment.
Unit 5 Assessment
- Receive a grade
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.
- This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
- You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
- You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.