Managing strategic change is fundamental to business success Discuss Essay

Managing strategic change is fundamental to business success Discuss - Essay Example Lewin attempted to explain organizational change by using the example of the physical changes an ice cube undergoes over time. He noted that if you have an ice cube that you want to change to a cone of ice, you melt the ice cube (unfreeze) then you model (change) the water into the cone shape you want by freezing the water (refreeze). By analyzing the change as a process, with specific stages, a manager can begin to monitor and manage the transition. Understanding the reason why the change has to take place is very important in any successful process of change. During the unfreezing stage, some factors have to be accomplished. The organization is prepared in order to accept the changes required. It entails breaking down the existing procedures and management strategies to facilitate the adoption of changes. An important aspect of this process is identifying and developing a good reason why the organization cannot continue in its current way of doing things. Pointers such as poor financial results, declining sales figures, negative feedback from customer satisfaction surveys can be useful in developing the message necessitating the need for change that other people can see, preparing the organization for the impending changes is necessary and the process begins at the center of the organization. Beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors that are currently held must be challenged to pave way for the implementation of the needed changes. This is the most problematic stage because by disrupting the way things are usually done, you destabilize people in the organization who depend on routine to perform their daily duties, which may evoke very strong reactions from the people affected. There is uncertainty created. Through challenging the organization to change, a controlled crisis is created that can be a tool for motivation in order to establish a new equilibrium where people are comfortable with the new changes. At