You should work on this assignment as you go through the Presentation provided. This assignment reinforces information on the concepts presented this week. Please write in complete sentences unless otherwise directed. Remember to cite your sources.
Part 3.2 Change Vision and Plan Review
Use develop the change vision and plan resource attached
1. A well-composed vision is critical when making major changes. Explain what this statement means.
2. Communication is a two-way process. Communication is a series of loops. A message must be sent and the message must be received. However, the message must also be understood and accepted if you are to achieve results:
o You are the manager of ABC Company. You are planning to change the arrangement and design of the offices and work stations on your floor. This means your employees will have to relocate to another position or space. You know there will be quite a bit of grumbling and unhappiness and even anger regarding these changes. (Some of these people have been sitting in the same place and at the same desk for about four years!) You have decided to be proactive instead of reactive with this change.
o You need to create a short memo that will go to your three-floor managers about this upcoming change. What information do you need to include in this memo?
3. Using the same scenario as above, you plan to have a meeting with the employees on your floor to explain your plan to change the arrangement and design of the floor space. You must make sure that your message is not only understood but accepted! You want to have as little resistance as possible. You might even want to think of some way to motivate and reward these employees if the change is successful and is completed without issue.
o Prepare 5 talking points for this meeting that outlines what you want to say to your employees at this meeting.
o What visual aids might you use in this meeting to illustrate your points and to convince your people to accept this change and to help with this change?
4. Define and describe the term “mentor” as the term relates to a business or professional organization. How can mentors be used to train new employees? How would you go about assigning a mentor to a new employee?
5. If you were to serve as a new hire’s mentor, what would you expect this person to learn from you? How would you help this new employee deal with change?
6. If you were to have a mentor (and everyone should) where you work, what would you hope to learn? How would a mentor help in managing change?
Part 4.2
Use Execute the change plan and Incorporate Change in the Organization Culture resources attached.
1. The first step in the decision-making/problem-solving process is to identify the problem. (We cannot solve a problem unless we know what the problem is!) The second step involves consideration of all the alternatives to the problem. In this step, we weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each possible solution or decision.
Consider a decision that you must make in the near future or a decision that you recently made. What criteria did you use or will you use to weigh the alternatives?
2. Define the term “root cause.” Why is it important to determine the root cause of any problem?
3. Groupthink is a term that we all need to add to our working vocabulary. Groupthink occurs when a group of decision-makers focuses more on just reaching a decision than on making the right decision. It is the “any decision is better than no decision” mentality. Identify and explain one strategy for overcoming groupthink.
4. Groupshift is another phenomenon in group decision making. Define the term groupshift. In your opinion, is groupshift a positive action or negative action?
5. Why should we collect input from employees before we make a decision?
6. Identify and explain one reason why a change plan might fail.
7. Explain why it is important to any change plan to monitor progress and to celebrate success.
