Changing Tides: How to navigate organizational change

By Sahar Abraham

Unlock the secret to effective change management with this seasoned blueprint for driving organizational transformation.

Are you a business leader with big plans for your organization? Are you struggling to drive meaningful change at your workplace? Or are you looking for real-world st

• Language: English
• Publisher: My Narrative Publishing
• Release date: Nov 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798990303713

Book preview

CHANGING TIDES: HOW TO NAVIGATE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

YOUR GUIDE TO MODERN LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE DEVELOPMENT FOR ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT

SAHAR ABRAHAM

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CONTENTS

Introduction

1. The Importance of Leadership in Organizational Management

Organizational Leadership: Why Is It Important?

2. The Importance of Leadership

Transformational Leaders vs. Change Leaders

3. Unlocking the Need for Change—Defining Organizational Change

Change Management Principles

4. How Do I Do It?

Effective Communication Strategies

5. The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Change Management

What Changes Has AI Brought to Change Management?

Conclusion

Glossary

References

INTRODUCTION

There is nothing permanent, except change.

HERACLITUS

Change. It is funny, if more than a little odd, that such a short word can stop so many of us in our tracks. Change is often seen as a scary thing. How could it not, given the amount of uncertainty that it brings with it? None of us are able to see the future after all, which means that the idea of change brings with it all sorts of questions. What if this does not work? a lot of us end up asking. What if things turn out badly?

That thought alone is enough to keep both individuals and entire organizations rooted in fear and, thus, unable to take action for change. Here’s the thing though: just because an organization is choosing not to change out of fear, does not mean the rest of the world is doing the same. Quite to the contrary, the world at large dives into change headfirst. It embraces it, even invites it in. Organizations that are able to see the tides of change around the world do so as well. That is not to say that they don’t have similar fears or hesitations. It just means they don’t let these things stop them. As a result, they get to become a part of emerging trends. They obtain the opportunity to make use of new resources, reach brand-new audiences, and update their structures so that they can fit into the landscape of the evolving world.

The organizations that didn’t do this, on the other hand? The ones that resisted or ignored change out of fear? Unfortunately, they are unable to do any of this. Instead, they wake up one day to either find that they have been rendered outdated and obsolete, or they struggle to play catch-up for long periods of time, which feels a bit like trying to win a marathon while treating it as a potato sack race. Not only is that not very effective, but it is bound to be incredibly frustrating for both you and those that are around you.

The simple, undeniable fact of life is that everything is always in a state of flux. Everything is, therefore, bound to change, and if you want your organization to survive and adapt to the evolving landscape, then you need to take the steps necessary, in spite of your doubts and fears, to enact organizational change. At least, this has been my experience working in various leadership roles in the healthcare industry over the course of a 20-year career. Having worked in three different countries—England, Canada, and the US—I have seen, time and time again, that one of the biggest challenges any leader in any industry can face is resistance to change. I’ve also seen, firsthand, how necessary and vital change can be for both organizations and the individuals they serve.

One of the leading reasons why people are resistant to change is that a lot of us have similar natures and tendencies at our core. This means that we typically have the same kinds of fears and hesitancies and even come up with similar kinds of excuses to resist change.

It might not sound like it, but this is actually good news because it means that these fears and hesitations are easy to alleviate, so long as you, as a leader, have the right tools and attitude to alter minds and perspectives and invite change into your own organization. Not only can the right tools and attitude help you to implement the changes necessary for your organization’s longevity, but they are also vital for adapting to your rapidly evolving industry, building resilience within your organization, and creating an agile team culture and spirit. What exactly are those tools, though, and what does the right attitude entail? More importantly, how can you use these things to both strengthen your organization and become the best leader you possibly can be? This is what you shall discover within the pages of Changing Tides. In the process of reading this book, you will hopefully begin to identify areas of change within your organization and get pumped enough to start implementing them.

1

THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP IN ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT

The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets people to do the greatest things.

PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN

Before we can even begin to think, let alone talk, about organizational change, we must first understand what organizational management is and what it is not. Organizational management can be defined as the strategies you use to achieve the main, common goal that unites everyone who works in your organization or company ( Indeed Editorial Team , 2022). Organizational management is important because it helps you to effectively allocate and manage your resources, such as the funds and labor you have on hand. In the process, it helps you to reduce your overall costs, ensures that the things you are doing align with the goals you are targeting, and, most importantly, ensures that your organization remains adaptable. This last point is crucial if you want your organization to be able to change with the times and, thus, stay relevant and be as successful as it could be. Organizational management, then, not only improves the quality of your work and that of your work environment but also keeps your ability to enact organizational change alive.

A number of different components go into organizational management, from motivation to planning and to time management. The most important thing in organizational management—and subsequently in change management—is leadership. Your leadership skills are the key to you being able to manage your teams efficiently, keep everyone motivated about their work, and have them collaborate enthusiastically to meet your organization’s goals. What makes for a good leader, then? What are the leadership skills you need to have so you can manage your organization well, and why does this matter so much in the grand scheme of things?

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Leadership is being able to implement some kind of change or introduce some sort of vision and then communicate these things to others in a clear and convincing manner (Boyles, 2023). Organizational leadership, on the other hand, is the general term used to define the skill set you need to have and use to be able to do this. As such, it can be thought of as something larger in both scale and scope. After all, organizational leadership requires factoring in all sorts of things like the number of people involved and affected by a certain project, how large a budget needs to be allocated to it, what resources need to be set aside for it, how those resources need to be managed, how many operations and tasks will be part of said project, and more. The fact that so many balls are flying in the air means that you have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders and a great many things to consider.

Being good at organizational leadership means being able to do several things at once. For starters, it means motivating and inspiring everyone who is a part of your organization. It means being able to anticipate their needs, as well as any challenges, hindrances, and hurdles you may encounter in the future. In addition to that, it means being able to spot new opportunities and implement the right changes to take advantage of them and keep up to date in an ever-evolving marketplace. A good organizational leader, then, is someone who is able to get their team excited and on board for all these things, as well as someone who can manage crisis situations well, determinedly, and confidently.

Being able to achieve all this may sound like a tall order, but it is not as difficult as you might think, at least not so long as you know which skills you