REPLY TO CLASSMATE’S POST IN 15 HOURS

Describe two strategies for including people in change processes. Share a related personal experience wherein a strategy was or was not applied. How could it have helped? Or how did it help? Cite idea(s) from Chapter 5.

PLEASE REPLY TO MY CLASSMATE RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU AGREE? (A MINIMUM OF 2oo WORDS)

                                               CLASSMATE’S RESPONSE:
Organizational change is part of the job. In my short two years in finance my team and organization underwent changes out of necessity and changes out of strategic development initiatives. Both types of change used forms of traditional and experiential training. “Experiential training focuses on behaviors while allowing participants to try out new behaviors required of the change effort” (Spector, 2013, p. 104). First, a change out of necessity was the transformation of our budget tool. All finance members were taught the new system via training modules but were also allowed to test the system in practice mode to run through planning scenarios. As Spector (2013) mentioned, support was standing by the answer questions about the simulation. This was time consuming, but critical.
Second, a change out of strategic initiative for growth was the implementation of an Emer genetics tool. Essentially, all of finance completed a detailed personality test and then went to an offsite training to go through behavioral scenarios with the experts. Key takeaways were varied communication styles between peers with various communication and work style preferences. The information was extremely beneficial and impactful but fell victim to the “success for a week” type of change effort. I am nearly positive the efforts were less than successful because they were just implemented top down, without too much of a why. Any type of widespread change that requires people alignment needs to allow employees to be a part of the diagnosis stage. Without that, the need for change and commitment to long-term change behaviors will fade throughout the masses and be left in the corner of the minds of those that were really paying attention. Factors impacting training fade-out are supervisor/manager support, peer support and work conditions (Spector, 2013). Unfortunately, a few excited people don’t have what it takes to get others on board if there’s no support.
Spector (2013) discussed the issue of fast-tracking employees via having them go through somewhat of a career maze. I LOVE this concept. Jobs should be fun, challenging and a gradual progression via learning. Career mazes: “lateral movements replace rapid upward functional mobility with a far broader set of experiences” (Spector, 2013, p. 108). This is huge! Managers that have gone through these different experiences have the capacity to build and empower their teams.  
                                                        Reference:
Spector, B. (2013). Implementing organizational change: Theory into practice (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.