Managing change in the workplace: strategies and employee engagement

Managing Change in the Workplace

The author of the article talks about change in the workplace. She states tat change is exhirating and terrifying. She also states that change is badly needed around any workplace. Whatever an individual's attitude to change is, it has to be the most reliable companion that anyone is likely to ever have. Change will always be with us so it mans that it's better off making friends. The author gives several tips on how to manage change within a workplace.

The first thing that needs to be understood is that growth requires change. If one doubles the number of customers they serve, then how will the current system s in place hold up? Therefore there is need to review the current processes and see how they work if there is an increase in workflow. It is important to ensure that the processes in place can handle the increase in customers ( Holland,2005).

The second thing is letting go of the emotions that revolve around change in order for you to engage in productive conversations with those that have been invited. For instance, if one is a manager and their employees are resentful on a change that is very much needed, one can help create a productive dialogue that will enable one to let go of their personal investment in the outcome. The simplest thing to do is discussing the situation without any anger, ego or pride. The employees will be more open when it comes to understanding the necessity of the change and one might learn something new as well.

The third thing is ensuring that one looks for opportunities that normally encourage or invite change. Ask questions such as where can the existing processes be streamlines? What is there to learn from spots whereby things bog down now? Are the employees' best gifts being used or simply using them where a warm body is needed? Employees who feel as though they are using their gifts are more likely to stay and hence put their best effort in their work. When one becomes an active participant of change, and at the same time remain receptive to the gifts that come with change, then one can learn from it and hence be able to grow with it (Holland,2005).

The author's conclusion and/or recommendation

The author recommends three things in order to effectively manage change within a workplace. These are the understanding that for there to be growth there has to be change, letting go of emotions that revolve around change which will enable one to have meaningful conversations with those involved in the change and finally looing out for opportunities which usually invite change within an organization. The author's conclusion is that active participation in change requires one to be receptive to what change has to offer and hence be able to learn from it and grow from it.

How the concept in the article applies to your organization

The concept in the article applies to my organization in various ways. Just like any other organization, my organization goes through several changes with time.in many of the occasion there are problems with employees embracing the change that has been proposed.it is therefore important for my organization to be able to know how to manage change in order to get the full benefits out of it. The tips that have been given in the article will be useful for my organization when it comes to managing change.