Implementing Management Change

               The three most important principles to implement when managing change are planning, measurement, and support structures. It is extremely important to plan during change because, as Lynda Rogerson (n.d.) states, “a clearly defined vision of the end result enables all the people to define the most efficient path for accomplishing the results”. You need to know what you are aiming for before you start shooting. Scenario planning would work well in this situation because it would identify early warning signals that the turn-around may be experiencing problems and would define what steps you wanted to take if any type of shifts (economically, politically, technologically) were to surface. Manager should be careful not to treat scenarios as forecasts however. 

Measurement is the second important principle that I feel is necessary during change because managers can set milestones, both short and long, which is essential in tracking progress. If you are reaching your goals when you planned, you know that you are on the right track. You must put into place a specific way to say whether you are failing or not. As a manager, you would want to make sure to put an exact timeframe into the goals, for example, sell 500,000 units to stores by November 15^th.  Knowing exactly what the goal is more clearly defines the objective for employees and consistently meeting goals is good for employee morale.

A support structure is the third important principle that I chose. People are very resistant to change because they are creatures of habit. Helping employees to work through the fears they may have during a change is one of the best ways to help them weather the storm. Managers can provide counseling, new skill training or a little bit of paid time off to allow employees stress level to decrease. Reiterating to employees that you are there to support them is very important during times of change. 

References

Rogerson, Lynda. (n.d.). Twelve Principles for Managing Change. Retrieved of January 24, 2011 from http://www.lynco.com/12prin.html