14 - Maximizing Workforce Efficiencies with Effective Change Management

Summary

A survey conducted by the Conference Board in 2000, which polled 5,000 U.S. companies shows that less than half of all workers in different age groups and income levels are satisfied with their work. According to Towers Perrin HR Services in an article published in 2004, employees in a number of European countries share one disturbing trend — deepening dissatisfaction with their work experience and disenchantment with their company'smanagement. Likewise, having worked with over 300 Asian organizations, I have experienced a trend of growing dissatisfaction among the workers and a decline in workforce productivity. To improve workforce productivity, I recommend that corporate leaders address the three critical challenges facing organizations today:

1. 1. Change the mindsets of the workforce as well as the leaders themselves;

2. 2. Eliminate the sense of complacency in the workplace, and;

3. 3. Address the issue of unproductive competency in people. I propose that leaders do this through developing and utilizing change management skills.

WHAT IS CHANGE MANAGEMENT?

Change management is the process of initiating changes within an organization aligned to the external environment to enable it to stay relevant, efficient and competitive.

The core of change management is changing the mindsets of people to get them to accept or initiate changes to enable the organization to achieve its goals effectively and efficiently

Defining Mindset: Mindset is the state of mind that is influenced by the beliefs of person, which in turn determine the thinking, feeling and action towards a certain situation that requires change.