Personal Assertiveness and Organizational Change: A Parallel Analysis

Personal Change Plan and Implementation

The goal of this personal change initiative is to become an assertive individual who can voice opinions and requests in a tactful manner that increases communication harmony. Currently, I struggle with asserting myself. Afraid to speak up, I sometimes hold in my true feelings until an outburst happens. To address this challenge, I have implemented a three-phase process.

First, I will attend a weekend seminar on how to become a more assertive person. Second, I will purchase books and other helpful resources that will help retrain my thoughts and behaviors. Third, I will put what I learn into practice by recognizing the small incidents in which I demonstrate the new behavioral change. This structured approach provides both theoretical knowledge and practical application opportunities.

Progress and Self-Assessment

By attending the weekend seminar, I connected with others who also want to improve their communication style and ability to be assertive. These people became new colleagues who can support me as I implement the desired changes in my life. More importantly, friends and family members are noticing the changes in my behavior. The friends and family members with whom I am closest are also allies in my quest to create change in my life.

I have been drawing on my strengths during the process of change. By keeping a journal, I have been able to track my progress in this area. When I have setbacks, I write those down too. This way, I have been able to see what incidents give me the most trouble in terms of being assertive. Understanding the situational triggers that cause me to lapse into non-assertive behavior is helping me correct my weaknesses and limitations. Similarly, I am congratulating myself on mastering some situations in which being assertive comes more easily.

Change Principles: Individual and Organizational Parallels

The principles of change are similar for individuals and organizations. As Robbins & Judge (2011) points out, change can be "forced" or brought about by unseen external events such as a death in the family or a war. However, change is often planned. Planned change is that which is inspired by a desire to reach a personal or organizational goal. By thinking about my intended desire to change the way I communicate, I planned to change by actively pursuing a healthier assertiveness. An organization might be inspired to change things like its customer relations.

Robbins & Judge (2011) also point out the factors involved in resistance to change. I noticed a little bit of resistance to change in some situations. These situations were those I identified as my weakest spots in terms of ability to remain assertive. There were times I slipped into old behaviors due to factors like habit and security, which are also identified as personal resistance to organizational change (Robbins & Judge, 2011). Issues like inertia are common to both businesses and individuals. Gilley, Godek, & Gilley (2009) refer to the "organizational immune system that defends the status quo and resists change," (p. 4). This metaphor captures how both individual psychology and organizational culture can resist disruption, even when change is ultimately beneficial.

Lewin's Three-Step Model Applied

Lewin's Three-Step Change Model provides a helpful framework that can be adapted to suit any scenario. As Robbins & Judge (2011) point out, the three steps of change are unfreezing, moving, and refreezing. Gilley, Godek, & Gilley (2009) also point out that there are "multiple approaches and responses to change," (p. 4). There are simply too many variables to present one change model for all situations. This is as true for personal and individual change as it is for business and organizational change. However, Lewin's model remains robust because of its flexibility and applicability across contexts.

Unfreezing is the point at which we remove resistance to change. On an individual level, this would entail becoming aware of the problem that needs addressing and becoming willing to invest the time and energy into fixing it. In my case, I acknowledged that my inability to assert myself was causing emotional strain and communication breakdowns. At an organizational level, unfreezing would mean breaking the organizational culture that has become too rigid and promoting new social alignments that are conducive to change. Conformity might be useful at the point at which solidarity and cooperation are needed, but conformity can also be poisonous to change.

The moving phase involves the actual implementation of new behaviors and practices. For me, this meant attending the seminar, reading educational materials, and practicing assertiveness in real situations. In organizations, the moving phase corresponds to training, restructuring, and pilot projects that help employees adapt to new processes or cultural norms.

The final step of the three-step model is refreezing. Seemingly counterintuitive, refreezing is a necessary step because it reinforces the new behavior. Robbins & Judge (2011) put it like this: "You need to refreeze the changes by balancing driving and restraining forces" (slide 8). Moving forward requires a commitment to the goals upon which the change was based. In my case, I have refrozen my behaviors so that it becomes more likely that I will behave in a more assertive manner.