This reflection examines a significant organizational change—the transition from WorkBrain to Kronos scheduling software—and analyzes the manager's approach through the lens of six images of change management theory. The paper identifies the "coach" image as the primary leadership approach used during implementation, focusing on communication, empowerment, and ongoing training. It discusses how this coaching methodology positively impacted both the organizational change process and employees' sense of agency, and speculates on how alternative change management approaches might have produced different outcomes.
A significant organizational change that I experienced involved my company's decision to update its employee scheduling system. For years, the company relied on WorkBrain, a software that allowed assistant managers to schedule associates with considerable flexibility, provided the schedule met payroll department requirements. The system often resulted in overlapping shifts and scheduling inefficiencies. The new system, Kronos, fundamentally changed this approach by automatically generating weekly schedules based on business needs, eliminating shift overlap and reducing manual scheduling decisions.
Before implementing the new system, my manager recognized the need to prepare the organization for this significant shift. She initiated daily meetings to inform and educate all staff about the importance and necessity of the change. These communications were designed not to dictate compliance but to build understanding and buy-in across the team. All operations managers received virtual training on how to use Kronos, ensuring that those responsible for system administration understood both the technical aspects and the strategic rationale behind the transition.
The preparation phase extended beyond management to the broader team. Front-line staff received training that positioned them not merely as users of the new system but as informed participants in the organizational transition. This emphasis on preparation and communication created an environment where the system launch was met with comfort and confidence rather than resistance or confusion. Even after the launch, ongoing training continued, reinforcing skills and addressing emerging questions. In this case, the manager's approach exemplified the coach image of change management—she created conditions for empowerment and prepared the organizational foundation for successful change.
The coach image of change management emphasizes development, empowerment, and the creation of conditions where staff can grow into new roles and responsibilities. My manager's approach aligned closely with this framework. Rather than centralizing all training and change leadership, she delegated responsibility to assistant managers, allowing each of us to train and educate our own teams. This shift required the manager to release traditional roles and activities that she had previously controlled.
This delegation was not abdication; it was strategic empowerment. The manager demonstrated confidence in her team's ability to understand Kronos and communicate that understanding to others. She had the courage to step back from day-to-day training activities and instead create the structure—daily meetings, virtual training for managers, ongoing support—within which others could succeed. This reframing of her role from direct executor to enabler is central to the coach image. She prepared the organizational ground by ensuring managers had the knowledge and support they needed before they were expected to lead their teams through the change.
The impact of this approach on team dynamics was immediate. Everyone felt empowered because they were treated as capable of learning and teaching. There was a clear change in both the manager's role and behavior; she moved away from the traditional command-and-control model toward facilitation and development. This behavioral shift signaled to the entire organization that change was being managed collaboratively rather than imposed hierarchically.
The coach image's impact on the change process was profound. The emphasis on communication, training, and empowerment meant that employees moved through the transition with a sense of agency and understanding. Rather than experiencing Kronos as a top-down technology implementation, staff experienced it as a change that leadership trusted them to understand and implement. This sense of empowerment extended throughout the organization.
On a personal level, the coaching approach made a significant difference. By being trained alongside other assistant managers and then having the responsibility to train my own team, I developed competence and confidence with the new system. I was not a passive recipient of a mandated change but an active participant in facilitating that change. This experience reinforced my commitment to the organization and my sense that my contributions—and those of my peers—were valued.
"Speculative analysis of other change management methods"
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