Roles of Directors in Change Management

Question: Discuss about theRoles of Directors in Change Management. Answer: Introduction The environment of operation of most establishments is characterized by perpetual revolution. Similarly, the profession of early childhood development in Australia experiences some transformations as the approaches deployed in the occupation keeps on changing. Notably, the most important changes commenced in the 1980s and were introduced by the publication of the Australian Government's National Early Childhood Development Strategy, Investing in the Early Years (Andrade, 2016). All change requires an effective plan, the success of which depends on the various techniques put in place to manage the possible resistance. This paper seeks to discuss the roles of a team leader in the process of change management and further analyze the various organization norms that need to be transformed to enhance the success of the change management process. Roles of a Team Leader in Change Management Process The success of any organizational change significantly depends on the leaders as they possess then needed authority and influence to plan and efficiently execute the change process. Most good leaders exhibit superior emotional intelligence that enhances their capacity to exercise control over their followers and ultimately capturing their attentions as well as emotions to prepare them for a change (Muijs et al., 2004). More often the needed amendment starts with leader; he should have the understanding of the change and efficiently communicate the vital information to the followers. As a leader of a team, the director is expected to have the following roles concerning effective change management; Documentation For a change to be effective there a necessity for a coherent picture and representation of what is currently happening in the organization as well as the expected outcome of the modification. As such, the director has an obligation to lead the team in establishing a clear vision by developing a work plan for the likely change. The director needs to put down the activities and the steps, clearly showing the order of the steps and the duties and responsibilities in the respective steps. Documentation is crucial in eliminating the fear of the unknown among the followers as it significantly creates assurance and positive mindset that enables the stakeholders to support change rather than resisting (Trawick-Smith, 2013). Communication In creating awareness, it is prudent for the leader to communicate the reasons why the organization needs the change to the employees. Ideally, the director should include the employees at the initial stages of effecting the change to be able to avoid future resistance. Moreover, the employees more often have good ideas that can help in developing the organization, thus, through communication; they get an avenue of communicating their thoughts and suggestions to their leader (Appelbaum et al., 2016). Communication also allows participation of the entire workforce further making the employees feel acknowledged and important to the organization. The manager should include as many as possible in the change process and get them feel involved and respected. Consequently, the members of the team will deeply understand the need for the change and the anticipated benefits which in turn improves their acceptance of the modification. It is noteworthy that effective communication reduces the risk of resistance as the employees will find it better to fight for the change to be able to enjoy the associated benefits ((Jansen, 2000). Building a Team The director has the responsibility of building a team with a perfect mix of skills that provides the basis for the change. The team leader is expected to identify committed individuals with the right expertise and competence, bring together with a primary aim of enhancing a good teamwork. An efficient team significantly aids the process of change by improving the communication between the members of the group and further gives the director a chance to influence the mindset of the members to make them ready for the change (Rodd, 2012). Moreover, building great team assists in eliminating conflicting interest among the team members. The director should put more focus in making the members have a common goal of ensuring successful change implementation. There are various team building activities that should be deployed by the leader to achieve better results. Such activities include passing of vital information to members, decision making and activities aimed at improving trust. Notably, confidence is essential for successful change implementation and therefore the leader should put emphasize on developing trust between among the members (Keen et al., 2005). Providing Resources to Remove the Obstacles Change is prevalent in the profession of early child development and therefore adjusting to the constant transformations is vital for survival (King et al., 2009). However, effective change execution comes at a cost. It is the responsibility of the leader to avail adequate resources needed for the change process. As such, it is prudent for the director to make a budget detailing the total costs of all the materials required for the change process and organize with the management to solicit funds. Mainly, Change management process include expenditures such as expenses incurred when organizing training and seminars aimed at creating awareness of the needed change. Moreover, the team building process is a cost center that needs significant attention (King et al., 2009) Importantly, the leader needs to do a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis. The breakdown is vital as it shows whether the change is of significance to the organization. For a change to be viable, the benefits associated with the cost should outweigh the expenses incurred in effecting the change. As such, the leader should ensure that only the sustainable modifications are executed (Lines*, 2004). Rewarding Team Members More often employees feel motivated when they are complimented for the efforts that they make. Consequently, the leader is obliged to ensure motivation of the team members by congratulating colleagues and rewarding them accordingly. Additionally, motivated employees more often improve the change process by offering the support necessary for the change process to be successful hence limiting the chances of resistance. For instance, the directors can consider rewarding the members in the presence of the children and their families (Grant, 2013). Organizational Norms Vital in Ensuring A Positive and Effective Process of Change. Organizations are made up of people with various talents and skills resulting into different cultures in the group. The culture of an organization is vital in the change process as it determines the views and shared beliefs of the workforce of the institution. Essentially, before executing a change process, the management should analyze the culture of the association to identify the various areas and customs that need the transformation to aid the anticipated change process. Thus, it is noteworthy that the shared beliefs have a significant influence on the response of the teachers, families, and children to the proposed changes (Jansen, 2000). The following are some notable improvements on the organizations culture that will significantly enhance the change management process. Opening Channels of Communication Since communication is key in the change process, the management should put emphasize in improving the communication channels (Andrade, 2016). An organizations message system is majorly composed of formal and informal communication channels. The informal network is more often referred to as the grapevine communication system and is vital for passing information to the employees. Depending on the culture of the organization, the management officials should open up more communication network and ensure a balance between the two channels of communication. There must be a perfect flow of information between the educators, learners, and the families involved (Burnes, 2015) Developing a Learning Environment A thorough examination of the employees is vital to determine whether they have a learning culture. In some situations the educators and the families involved are not always ready to absorb new ideas, they genuinely believe and trust their current techniques. As a result, in some circumstances, the National Quality Framework applies external pressure for change through strict regulations that stipulate financial penalties for institutions that do not comply (Fenech et al, 2008). To avoid such forced change implementation, the leader should put great emphasize on improving the learning culture in the organization. The various stakeholders need to have a mindset that accommodates change and ready to learn new techniques and tactics. Moreover, the environment should provide a platform that allows the members to express their opinions and share their valuable ideas freely. Improving the value of learning allows the intended change to be implemented positively and efficiently. Conclusion The process of change is unavoidable in the profession of early childhood development. To cope up with the dynamic nature of the occupation, the various stakeholders should pay close attention to the effective change management. Accordingly, the leaders of the teams must comprehensively understand their roles in managing change and perfectly plan for the process of the expected change. The culture of the organization should be shaped to develop a favorable environment for the process of modification. 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