Foundations of Sports Management
November 17, 2013
The Heart of Change The book The Heart of Change shows the practical side of the theories regarding how to run a business. It presents actual stories of successes and failures based in the application of concepts. The concepts that are evident in the examples in The Heart Of Change are the more progressive and individual centered approaches. The leadership characteristics that are important to successful change in an organization are those that are espoused in the transformational theory of management. It makes sense that ideals ultimately the transformational management theory would be evident in a book about how to bring about positive change in an organization. Sometimes you have to go through some negatives to hit amazing positives in an organization. The first thing stated in the book is ‘thirty years of research by leadership guru Dr. John Kotter have proven that 70% of all major change efforts in organizations fail.’ People everyday probably ask, “why do organizations fail?” The answer is simple: Because organizations often do not take the holistic approach required to see the change through. In the book it shows the reader and talks about an 8-Step process outlined by Dr. Kotter on how organizations can avoid failure and become adept at change. It says that if organizations can improve their ability to change, organizations can increase their chances of success, both today and in the future. Without this ability to adapt continuously, organizations cannot thrive. It states all of that before explaining the 8-step process. Obviously, this process is 100% guaranteed, however, Dr. Kotter has proven over his years of research that his 8-step process for leading change will help organizations succeed in an ever-changing world. Step 1 is Create a Sense of Urgency. This step basically stresses the importance of having a sense of urgency because leaders who understand the importance of that are guaranteed to succeed. Step 2 is Creating the Guidling Coalition. This step basically stresses the importance of putting together a group with enough power to lead the change. Putting together the right coalition of people to lead a change initiative is critical to its success. That coalition must have the right composition, a significant level of trust, and a shared objective. Step 3 is Developing a Change Vision. This step wants people to clarify how the future will be different from the past. The vision has to be imaginable, desirable, feasible, focused, flexible and communicable. Step 4 is Communicating the Vision for Buy-in. This step talks about ensuring that as many people as possible understanding accept the vision. When telling people what to do, make it simple. Don’t use complicated words and a long paragraph to explain something, try and explain it in one sentence. Step 5 is Empowering Broad-Based Action. This step says to remove as many