Change and Innovation
Ana De La Cruz Reyes
HCA/250
March 29, 2015
Margaret Gocke

Change and Innovation Nothing is more certain than change, according to Leigh Richards on How Can an Organization Manage Change & Innovation in an Optimal Way?, Before all else we must accept change, we may not agree much with it but we must accept it and try an understand it in order to succeed. We are in an area where new technology emerges on a daily basis and change happens very often. Now, will you accept change or will you let technology change you? We will describe the strategies that are needed in order to manage change and innovation, while also bring light as to why employees resist organizational change. Lastly we will cover how human resources can play a role in managing change. Therefore, we will receive some encouragement as to why we need change, and why change is good for us if we try and understand it and accept the change and innovation.
Strategies for change and innovation In order to accept change and innovation we must first understand it and find ways to cope with it. Practice openness, establish trust and commitment, allow feedback and implement rules such an open-door policy. Listen before making rational decisions and accept all feedback whether it be positive or negative. Solicit input by allowing employees to give you their input, as stated in the article, “Employees do not oppose change; they oppose change they have no opportunity to influence.” Provide training, Most if not all of your employees have never worked with this system before therefore, you must give them the tools they need in order to succeed. By giving them the proper training less mistakes will be made. Lead by example, allowing yourself to think outside of the box will make your employees want to think outside of the box and create stronger bonds between management and employees. According to Management is a Journey, there are 8 reasons as to why people resist change. The first one includes, loss of status in the organization. People are often threatened by managers at the fact that by not accepting and making the change their positions might be eliminated or reduced. By enforcing fear into the employees they will either accept the change and make mistakes or resist the change all together. Reward systems being nonexistent is number two. Without reward the employees will resist the change because they simply have nothing to gain out of it. The change does not have to cost an arm or a leg but by allowing quizzes on the change or competition this will get your team to work for you. Surprise, surprise is number three. The less information given to the employee about the change the more frightful they become. People need to be ready for change, therefore giving them time to prepare themselves physically and mentally only benefits the management. Peer pressure, employees resist change in order to protect their coworkers or work group. No trust, employees and managers need to trust. The mutual mistrust ends in failure and the resistance of change. Politics, in a workplace either mean that they want to prove strategy unfit or are committed to seeing the change fail. Fear of failure is number seven, we find comfort in what we do therefore bringing in change can cause fear of missing the pitch and disappointing others. Lastly the lack of tact or poor timing is number eight. Introducing the change has to be done at the right time and in the right way. If done so incorrectly you will lose the momentum