Change Management: Leading Change, Why Transformation Efforts Fail

Running head: CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Change Management
[Leading Change, Why Transformation Efforts Fail]
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1CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Change management is required at the time when a firm undergoes a change. Change can
be of variety of types like total quality management, rightsizing, re-engineering, cultural change,
restructuring, and turnarounds (Mohammad Mosadeghrad; 160-187). It is understandable that
different purposes are served with the change management process. However, all change
management practices may not click or will certainly fail. Various reasons can be responsible for
it; however, controlled executions of each and every step of the change process involved are of
high values. This can be understood from a few of examples of the change failures. The types of
change management models and theories can also help to understand that why change
management process at times fails. The study is also aimed at understanding why transformation
process fails while leading the change process. The purpose is being served through the few
examples of fail cases of change process and also the theories & models on the change
management.
Possible reasons of failure according to Kotter: The reasons for the failure of the change
management process can be understood from the studies of what Kotter had spoken of the
change management in an article in 1995. In that article, Kotter had identified a few set of factors
which should be fulfilled and effectively applied to the change process to get or yield the desired
outcome (Henry et al.; 372-382). Establish an intellect of urgency was one of the factors
identified by Kotter. It requires a robust market analysis to collect some facts supporting the
needs for responding to it. However, the purpose gets collapse due to the difficulty of driving
people to the change. There are many who want to be in their comfort zones. Since, change
management is a long process; it must be supported with accelerating efforts of stakeholders
under the governance of effective strategies (Lozano, Nummert and Ceulemans; 168-188).

2CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Form an influential guiding alliance is another factor which according to Kotter
troubles the change process. A change process generally lacks the teamwork at the top positions.
The senior most managers are not involved in the teamwork which is utterly required to head
with a powerful alliance to commence the change process. The human resource is generally
assigned with the responsibilities to lead the change process or work as the team. However, this
should essentially be allocated to the senior managers. Senior managers should necessarily be
involved with the leadership skills. A change management process is also hampered due to the
unclear vision (Van der Voet; 373-382). Few visions are very complicated and vague as well.
Additionally, presentation of visions is accomplished within just a few minutes. Hence, the
participants face the challenge to collate with the visions. Communication is another challenge
which the change process faces. Change process and the purpose behind the change, the benefits
of it and the possible consequences of not undergoing the change are not explained or
communicated to the stakeholders appropriately. Empowering others to act is also one of the
challenges which the change management process generally faces. It means that managers do not
follow the strategies needed to empower stakeholders on the designed vision of the change
process. Communicating vision is not just enough; it should rather be empowered as well. Unless
and until it is undone coalition or alliance will not work (Van der Voet; 373-382).
Short-term wins is also very important which does not only help to be in line with the
objectives but also motivates the stakeholders for a sustained progress of the process. The main
pitfall in regards to short-term wins is that participants are not confident of attaining it. Short-
term wins to them is rather a sudden thing which they were not sure of. Banking upon the early
successes for further changes is the next issue which is the part of a fail example of change
process. This includes a declaration of the success and reacting to it as if the mission is