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Key Change Management Models You Should be Aware of

HR Tech Outlook | Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Change management Models and theories can assist you in managing organizational change and considering how to overcome employee resistance.

Fremont, CA: The need for companies to implement and adapt to organizational change has never been greater, from adapting to the latest technology to responding to the economic and logistical challenges presented by COVID-19. Successful business transformation necessitates the appropriate change management models and tools.

Kotter's Theory of Change Management: Harvard Professor John Kotter's 1996 book Leading Change is a go-to reference on how to navigate change in business. Kotter outlines an 8-step process for organizational change:

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• Create a sense of urgency

• Build a guiding coalition

• Create a strategic vision

• Communicate the vision

• Enable action by removing barriers

• Generate short-term wins

• Sustain acceleration

• Anchor changes in corporate culture

Kotter's theory is one of the most popular change management models because it does a great job of establishing a sense of urgency and explaining why change is needed. Where it comes up short is in its lack of feedback from all levels.

Kotter takes a top-down approach. If you start with these steps, include some methods for building grassroots momentum and soliciting feedback from frontline employees.

The Lewin Model of Change Management: Lurt Lewin created his change model in the 1940s, and it is still widely used today, owing to its simplicity. The model divides organizational change into three stages:

Unfreeze

• Determine what needs to be changed.

• Analyze your current processes to determine what needs to be changed.

• Communicate the importance of change.

Change

• Make the necessary adjustments.

• Communicate frequently about the advantages of the change.

• Allow people time and training to adjust to the change.

Refreeze

• Change must be internalized and institutionalized.

• To keep the change going, create a sense of stability.

•Celebrate your accomplishments.

Because it consists of only three steps, the Lewin model for organizational change appears simple. You will have to resist the urge to rush through each phase.

McKinsey's 7-S Change Management Model: In their book In Search of Excellence, McKinsey consultants Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman described the McKinsey 7-S model. Instead of emphasizing structure, the model emphasizes the importance of coordination and outlines a series of interconnected factors that influence a company's ability to change. These seven elements are as follows:

Elements of Durability

• Strategy is your plan for competing and succeeding in the marketplace.

• Structure refers to your organization, such as your business unit and reporting structure.

• System - the processes and technologies that employees use to complete their tasks.

Elements of Softness

• As defined by the company's corporate culture and work ethic, core values are shared values.

• Style - a leadership approach to managing the business and its employees.

• Employees - members of the company's workforce

• Employees' collective knowledge and skillset are referred to as their skills.

 

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