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From the era of the industrial revolution until today, companies have been tasked with the duty of ensuring peak performance in its daily operations. The inability to meet the set projections regarding performance have more often than not led to an overhaul of the managerial team. Such actions have led to the discipline and subject of change management. Rune, in a review of Change management, quotes Moran Brightman’s definition of the same as the continuing process of evaluating the direction, structure, and capability of a given organization (Todnem, 2005). Palmer (2016) presents an illustrative exercise that details the process of change management within the Leonard Cheshire Charity, through a change of regime. As such, this essay looks into the lessons of change management drawn from Palmer’s (2016, pp. 53-55).
Images of Change Management Illustrated by Clare Pelham
Start With the People
From the example presented by Palmer, had been struggling and the turnover for top managers and executives was quite high (Palmer, 2016). In a bid to turn the tide for the better, Clare Pelham was appointed as the new CEO. Once in office, she took it upon herself to meet and learn the people at the firm by scheduling individual meetings with each manager at the time. Through learning the different characters of the people within the organization, she had the tools to lead the way to re-inventing the operations at Leonard Cheshire.[Click Essay Writer to order your essay]
Do Things Quickly
While most firms are riddled with limiting bureaucratic processes, Pelham took this away and focused on getting the job done in as little time as possible. In the first phase of the solution to Cheshire’s problems, Pelham had managed to lead the team to the creation of a solid strategy in less than a month after joining the charity. While thinking of the right path is necessary, making the decisions and beginning impact in a fast, efficient manner is the key to effective change.
Clarity in leadership: Purpose and Direction
Despite being at the helm of the organization and, therefore, implicitly holding power to make all decisions, Pelham saw it fit to engage the people in the group. She managed to achieve efficient change management through clarity. Palmer quotes that Pelham sought to make it clear to herself and the institution at large the ‘real’ reason they were there, what they were doing and where they were headed (2016, p. 55).[Need an essay writing service? Find help here.]
The Shifting Role of a Change Leader
Leading From the Heart
In the new role of organizational change, a leader needs to not only drive from a cognitive point but should also lead from the heart. A leader needs to genuinely care about the people they work with, the available resources, as well as the cause at hand (Aladwani, 2001). Pelham is quoted in the text saying that leadership is a caring profession. [“Write my essay for me?” Get help here.]
Creating a Renewed Mind
To successfully change organizational leadership in a given company, one needs to create a shift in the manner in which the people think. Pelham achieved this by calling a meeting with the top brass at Leonard Cheshire – a meeting with no agenda. Instead, the meeting was based on ideas and thoughts on making the organization better. Pelham also instilled a sense of confidence and believing in what is needed to be done. This is integrated well with Kotter’ssecond step in the process for leading change that has proven useful over the years (2012).
Lessons Drawn From This Experience That Apply to Other Organizations, Say in Healthcare
Cultivating a Culture of Humaneness in Organizations
While most firms have a guideline on personal behavior and its separation from behavior at the workplace, the Executive at Leonard Cheshire seeks to introduce a new paradigm that integrates both extremes. Through pushing the idea of making life better for any individual, anyone could be forgiven for being late while helping alleviate another’s suffering or making their life better in one way or another (Palmer, 2016, p. 54).
Active Enforcement of Beliefs
Under the leadership of Clare Pelham, Leonard Cheshire went down in history as among the firms that made an impact by lobbying for an issue they believed in, to the point that laws and bills are amended to accommodate the changes they promote. The same can be applied to the healthcare sector, where companies, through well thought out plans can rally for change in a peaceful yet efficient manner.
The turmoil at Leonard Cheshire and the resulting process that led to improved performance have resulted in an brilliant example of excellent organizational change management. The case is usable as a case study to depict a new thinking that leads to more efficient firms. The case shows the changing roles of managers, and the lessons from the changes may be used in various related and unrelated industries and sectors.
References
Aladwani, A. M. (2001). Change management strategies for successful ERP implementation. Business Process Management Journal, 7(3), 266-275.
Kotter, J. (2012). The 8-step process for leading change.
Palmer, I. (2016). Managing organizational change: A multiple perspectives approach. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Todnem, R. (2005). Organisational change management: A critical review. Journal of Change Management, 5(4), 369-380.
