Organizational Change is a Journey: One Leaders' Journey Through Change, its Impact on Understanding and Practical Steps to Leading Change Efforts...

By II Dr. Sherman Lee Mitchell

Description Product description: What is organizational change? Organizational change:  Refers to a planned or unplanned shift in the organization’s staffing, structure or technology (Greenberg & Baron, 2000). Organizational Change Megginson (1963) paraphrased Charles Darwin’s assertion that “It is not

• Language: English
• Publisher: EXCEL Consulting Co. LLC
• Release date: Feb 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781087866840

II Dr. Sherman Lee Mitchell

About the Author: Sherman L. Mitchell, II, PsyD had a desire to understand both organizational theories and human involvement in the workplace, which led to him attain a Doctorate in Psychology with an emphasis in Organizational Management and Consulting, a Master's in Organizational Psychology, a Master's in Public Administration, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with an emphasis in Criminology and Corrections. Dr. Mitchell has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than twenty years at the administrative, supervisory, and executive levels. Dr. Mitchell has dedicated his attention to assisting organizations and leaders in effective organizational management, strategies for introducing effective organizational change initiative and engaging employees in the change process, increasing the likelihood that the change will be supported, implemented, and, therefore, stick.

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Organizational Change is a Journey : One Leaders’ Journey Through Change, its Impact on Understanding and Practical Steps to Leading Change Efforts…

One leaders’ journey trhough change… understanding and managing organizationl change efforts

Sherman L. Mitchell, II PsyD, MAIOP, MPA

Organizational change is a Journey : one leaders Journey through change, its impact on understanding and practical steps to leading change efforts…

Copyright © 2019 by Sherman Lee Mitchell, II Psy.D.

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

First Edition : December 2019

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 My Journey Through Change

CHAPTER 2 Lessons learned about change and family systems

CHAPTER 3 Organizational change

CHAPTER 4 A theoretical perspective

CHAPTER 5 Core competencies

CHAPTER 6 A sample case study

CHAPTER 7 WrInvolved change model for managing change and resistance

CHAPTER 8 Conclusion

CHAPTER 9 About the author

CHAPTER 10 Acknowledgement

References

CHAPTER ONE

My Journey through change…

I was born and raised in Compton, California, a city that was unforgiving. In its early years, the city was notoriously known for extreme gang violence, drug use, poor education system, limited access to resources and police brutality. Consequently, there were very few black male role models that I could aspire to emulate in my community. As a child I often asked myself, What does the future hold for me? Based on some of the things I witnessed growing up, I was unsure if I would have the chance to be successful. I worried that the lack of opportunities would negatively influence my life choices and create problems for me in the future.

Like many other young males growing up in Compton in the 1980s I was frequently pressured to join the neighborhood gang. I recall the time when my uncle found out that my friends were all beginning to become increasingly active in the gang. My uncle walked me outside and let it be known to my friends that joining this gang would not be tolerated. In that moment my uncle simultaneously saved my life and gave me the hope I needed to survive. A generational cycle of violence surrounded my entire family, beginning with my mother and her siblings witnessing some of the same things I did growing up. Although my grandmother raised her twelve children to attend church and instilled a strong sense of family values in them, our community was plagued with so much violence that it became necessary for them to learn how to protect themselves for the mere sake of survival.

Despite our surroundings, my mother found refuge in her faith and it changed her outlook on life. She was committed to ensuring that my siblings and I were brought up in church, which became an intricate part of our lives. My siblings and I attended church about four times a week. This, however, did not change my abusive home environment, where my father (and later my stepfather) continuously perpetrated domestic violence. By the time I was 7 years old I recognized violence and aggression as behavioral norms because men expressed violence inside my home, at my schools, and in the broader community.

Fortunately, through perseverance and the aspiration to excel as a young black boy from Compton California, I graduated with a modest 3.2 GPA, a student body member (commissioner of athletics), as captain of three varsity sports, homecoming king and prom king. Nevertheless, prior to graduation, I saught out help from the school guidance counselor about attending college and I was told that I should pursue a trade, not college.

I opted to not adhere to the the counselors advice and I enrolled at California State University, Northrdidge (CSUN) becoming the first male grandchild in my family to go to college. My first year was filled with both joy and challenges. The same year that I was inducted into the international organization Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., my daughter Ashlee was born. Ashlee was healthy, but she weighed only four pounds at birth. That semester, I drove over 40 miles to Long Beach Community Hospital every night to visit my daughter while she was in an incubator while balancing a full-time class schedule. In addition, I was granted full custody of Ashlee and she arrived home three weeks after she was born. To say that life as a young, full-time father and full-time student was challenging is an understatement. While other students enjoyed extracurricular activities or simply rested, I woke up every hour to change or feed my daughter. It was strenuous having to feed, clothe, and dress Ashlee by 6:00 a.m. so that she would be ready for her day and I could make it to early morning classes. I credit my mother with providing the guidance I needed to manage life as a single father attending school and working full time.

Service to the community is one of the three principles that my fraternity values. Despite my hectic schedule, I started volunteering to mentor inner city youth throughout Los Angeles County. This led to my involvement with agencies that serviced autistic children, homeless people, and other underrepresented members of the community. I used my diverse background in volunteering to help start a student-directed service club designed to encourage other students to get involved in their communities.

My personal journey and drive towards bettering myself so that I could be a vessel for those that come after me led me to furthering my education. I remember the Northridge earthquake and its impact on the many lives and families that experienced it. Change as we knew it reared itself once more, as I was tasked to ensure that neither I nor my family, friends and community lost hope.

In 1995, I was a sophomore at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). I accepted the invitation to be a student keynote speaker at the reopening of CSUN’s Oviatt Library after a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the San Fernando Valley. I opened my speech with Robert L. Sharpe’s (1929) poem titled Princes and Kings:

Isn’t it strange how princes and kings, and clowns that caper in sawdust rings, and common people, like you and me, are builders for eternity? Each is given a list of rules; a shapeless mass; a bag of tool. And each must fashion, ere life is flown, a stumbling block, or a stepping – stone. (Sharpe, 1929)

I chose this poem because it made me reflect on the personal experiences and obstacles that confronted me simply because of the area where I was raised, as well as my innate desire to overcome such experiences. Years later, this poem is still the guiding force behind many of my life decisions, including choosing my topic of study for this book. From an early age I faced adversity, but I also learned the value of family, trust, and integrity. Sharpe’s poem eloquently characterized my life: a host of stumbling blocks and very few stepping stones.

In 1996 I co-founded the Volunteer Council at CSUN under the Volunteer Programming Career Center. Its formation was a significant achievement in my academic career. The project took several semesters to reach its current level of success. Today, thousands of students participate each semester in ongoing events that promote opportunities for students to volunteer.

Serving my community and helping young men and women develop necessary life skills – character building, leadership development, goal setting, change management, overcoming adversity – while teaching them to utilize stepping stones and take responsibility