(300 words to answer this post) (2 references) (Apa in-text citation is a must)

1. How would you create readiness for change in your organization?

You are responsible for 3 posts (and only 3; no less, no more). The 1st post will answer the question and the other 2 posts will respond to other student’s posts (all posts are to be research-based). Each post is to be 300-words or so. Support your contentions. You must spread these posts out during the week so that everyone can be involved. [See the grading rubric] This dialog will disappear on Sunday at 11:59 p.m.

Respond to this post (300 words)

1. How would you create readiness for change in your organization?

Having been in the business world for the past 40 years I have seen the necessity for change in an organization/business to facilitate growth and survival. With the pace of technological advancements, evolving customers, generational differences, competition, and shifting markets, organizations need to evolve or they will render themselves dinosaurs and eventually become extinct. In the reading this week, embracing change isn’t just about staying relevant, it’s about fostering a culture of adaptability to empower employees to innovate, learn, and thrive in uncertainty. Leading positive change is a management skill that focuses on unlocking positive human potential. (Whetton, Cameron 2020)

To lead a positive change, I agree with our textbook that the manager/leader must establish a climate of positivity, create a readiness for change, articulate a vision of abundance, generate a commitment to the vision, and (5) create a sustainable positive change (Avey, Wernsing, & Luthans, 2008; Cameron, 2012; Cameron & Ulrich, 1986). Creating readiness for change involves aligning the right people, processes, and strategies to embrace the transformation (2023). The change starts with the people. Effective communication to address the whys and the how-to’s of changes is an integral part of gaining the buy-in of the organization. The leaders need to identify those who are resistant to the changes and listen empathetically to their concerns. Look for common ground while sharing the whys and the benefits of the changes. It is also important to identify champions/influencers within the organization and empower them to assist their peers in navigating through the change. The leader needs to communicate to all relevant parties the changes in processes and workflows needed to reach their goals. When processes are aligned with the intended changes it will facilitate smoother implementation and reduce resistance (2021). The final key for the organization is to develop a supportive culture and nurture that culture to value innovation, adaptability, and continuous improvement while rewarding behaviors that align with the change.

Change is difficult, but is necessary for survival. It takes planning, effective communication, resource allocation, and a deep understanding of the organization’s dynamics and goals (2023).

Respond to this Post (300 words)

2. Creating readiness for change in my opinion is a tough challenge. This process involves a group of people sincerely accepting large changes and adapting to them sincerely. And unless this group of people are prepared and willing for change to happen, the process will either not begin or fall at the first obstacle. To create readiness for change in an organization I would apply the rule of Lean Six Sigma. Lean Six Sigma was incorporated by Toyota in the 1940s and in 2022 Toyota has the most selling cars worldwide. According to (Carlier, 2023) “Car shoppers purchased more than one million Toyota Corolla models, making it the world’s most popular car in 2022.” Around those times, Toyota consistently ranked among the most valuable car brands within the global automotive world. Even as of 2022, Toyota came in second only to Tesla, beating out other competitors such as Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Honda etc. Lean Six Sigma originated in the 1980s and its main purpose was to improve quality by reducing defects. “Lean Six Sigma principles focus on eliminating wasteful activities and improving quality by removing causes of defects.” (Kanbanize, 2023)In order words, to define, measure, analyze, and improve a bit more how time is being invested. Lean Six Sigma helps improve employee and company performance therefore leading to a higher performance among employees and leaders. According to (David A. Whetten, 2019, p. 452) the five skills for leading positive change include “(1) establishing a climate of positivity, (2) creating readiness for change, (3) articulating a vision of abundance, (4) generating commitment to the vision, and (5) creating sustainability of the positive change.” This process is very similar to Lean Six Sigma, and although these two methods are effective, I would most definitely prefer the Lean Six Sigma principles since it is a method that has been around for four decades and has provided an extremely positive result.