Leading Change Protocol and GTU

Leading Change Continual Learning, Creativity and Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Service Motivation, Strategic Thinking, And Vision

The purpose of this report is to discuss the process of leading change as a core qualification and how it encompasses an ability to develop and implement an organizational vision that integrates key national and program goals, priorities, values, and other factors. Even though the need for change is a concept that is recognized and acknowledged, instituting change and change policies is still a very difficult process and guaranteeing that a required change actually takes hold of the long-term is even more difficult a process to manage. In the 1995 book by John P. Kotter, professor of leadership at Harvard Business School showed that businesses often have many common errors when managing organizational change. For example, the Harvard report found organizations allowing far too much complacency, fail to create sufficient guiding coalitions, they underestimate the power of vision, they under-communicate the change vision, they permit obstacles to block the vision, they fail to create short-term wins, they declare victory too soon and they neglect to anchor the changes into the corporate culture. Thus, the ability to balance change and continuity is the foundation of a work environment that encourages creative thinking and handles adversity.

Change and leadership through change are a major concern in all aspects of the business spectrum today. An example of these concerns can be seen at the VA. Although a cabinet level organization since 1989, the Department of Veterans Affairs did not have an effort focused on protocol services. The organization needed an effort that directly advised, assisted, and supported development activities for the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and the Chief of Staff on official matters of national and international protocol, and in the planning, hosting, and officiating of related events and activities for visiting heads of state, members of Congress, senior Veteran Service Organizations (VSO's), and diplomats. This was a challenge during the first year of the 2001-2004 administration when the department received visits from senior U.S. And foreign dignitaries to include the Vice President of the United States and Minister of Veterans Affairs for The Republic of Korea. After learning of several challenges with VA events with high-level emissaries, I conceived, developed, and submitted a proposal to establish the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Protocol. This was an opportunity for me to demonstrate my skills in leading change (continual learning, creativity and innovation, external awareness, flexibility, resilience, service motivation, strategic thinking, and vision).

It is understood that managing change is important and competent management requires a vigilant process that to keep change efforts headed in the right direction. Through a sound leadership policy, change needs to be anchored into the culture of the organization. In August 2004, I was selected to participate in my organization's Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program (SESCDP). In meeting the OPM criteria for the program, currently, and maintaining performance of my job, I am attending the Saturday courses, at Georgetown University Center for Professional Development and I am currently in the Senior Executive Leadership Certificate program. This program will better prepare me for instituting programs that will help indoctrinate change programs into our corporate culture because I will attain the necessary Executive Core Qualifications. The program entails five (5) courses that teach aspects of Leadership, Vision and Strategy; Leading and Executing Change; Managing Institutional Politics and Conflict; Leading and Motivating People; and Building an Effective Business Foundation. I am scheduled to complete the entire program on June 17, 2005, and will receive the Georgetown University Center for Professional Development Senior Executive Leadership Certificate. My objective upon completion of this program is to address some obvious situations where change policies did not last and therefore require no goals that establishing a sense of urgency, create a guiding coalition, develop a vision and strategy that clearly communicates the change vision for the Department of Veterans Affairs.