Q 3
Explain the value of organization learning in the management of strategic change (25 mks)
Organizational Learning can be interpreted in terms of a continuum from progress from no learning stage to the complete learning stage. No learning stage is characterized by rigidities, insensitive approaches, or closed attitudes towards sharing realities and experiences. On the other hand, the full learning stage characterizes openness, flexibility, and adaptability towards the changing events or experiences. There are several forces or mechanisms which contribute towards the establishment of learning organizations.
Elements of Organizational Learning
Organizational Learning is an ongoing process that produces everlasting changes in several areas due to integrated initiatives.
Organizational Learning involves three main subsystems: The first subsystem is acquiring new inputs and its analysis. The new inputs may include any change within the organization, organizational structure changes, or technology. This stage characterizes innovation in the organization.
The second subsystem involves retaining the newly acquired input, and the successful retention would largely depend on how effectively the new input is integrated with the existing processes. This subsystem can be regarded as the implementation stage of Organizational Learning.
The third subsystem involves stabilization and usage of the newly acquired inputs in an organization’s day-to-day processes.
Organizational Learning results in improving the capabilities of an organization for further learning on its own.
Mechanism for fostering Organizational Learning can be analyzed in five different categories.
Organizational Flexibility and Experimentation
Flexible organizations have improved capabilities in addressing the problems or issues by identifying newer alternatives or various possible solutions. Organizations that remain open for experimentation and trying out newer methodologies enjoy an edge in the competitive battle and are more profitable. For promoting organizational flexibility and experimentation, the following mechanisms may be used:
Invite experienced practitioners or experts who have met success at work by implementing change in the organization. Ask them to share their experiences with a few selected representatives of the organization.
Encourage employees to use their problem-solving abilities to address various issues and apply their creative minds for tackling various problems, even if they may not get success every time.
Provide positive reinforcements in the form of rewards to the people who use new approaches for solving a problem and achieve success in it.
Review performance periodically and hold periodic meetings for sharing the objectives and experiences, successful initiatives, and outcomes of various experiments.
Organize seminars and workshops for raising awareness on the new changes and successful initiatives.
Teamwork and Mutuality
Teamwork and mutuality are one of the major pre-requisite for promoting organizational learning. The following mechanisms may result in establishing an environment of collaboration, mutuality, and team support:
Sharing of experiences, new ideas, and innovative approaches both within the organizations and other organizations.
Create task forces to realize mission-critical goals, implement new projects, review the project success, and communicate a shared vision to the organization’s employees.
Review the progress of new initiatives or projects by holding periodic meetings headed by senior management officials. Top management can play a crucial role in integrating objectives, building internal synergies, and fostering a collaborative environment for implementing change successfully.
Contingency and Incremental Planning
A contingency approach to planning or incremental planning fosters organizational learning. Contingency planning improves organizational preparedness in identifying alternative solutions for proactively addressing problems of varying nature. The mechanisms can lead to contingency planning:
Detailed plans reflecting the contingent approach can be prepared. Time-bound goals can be defined but should equally include the best possible alternatives.
Learning gets reinforced if new initiatives are integrated with the existing processes or practices.
Record the learnings derived from new experiences and continuously review performance and improvements which take place as a result of effective planning.
Create task forces and encourage groups to identify alternative approaches and solutions for implementing a change.
Competency Building
Organizational Learning requires strengthening of desired competencies, which can be done in the following ways:
Competency building can be done by inviting experts or practitioners to share their experiences or best practices and encourage people to endorse change.
Organizing seminar programs and representing employees for participating in external training for acquiring new skills or competencies.
Creating task forces for communicating shared goals to the people involved in the change process, implementing pilot projects for achieving pre-defined change objectives in several areas as per the top management plans.
Establishing Temporary System
Temporary systems in the form of task forces or groups or pilot project groups are formed to achieve quick outcomes/decisions involving various aspects of change. The advantages of a temporary system have been provided below:
Diverse viewpoints or decisions can be obtained from the members representing cross-functional, interdepartmental, and inter-regional backgrounds.
Time-bound objectives can be fulfilled as a result of which the tasks can be completed faster.
A temporary system facilitates an objective-oriented approach for addressing the problems of diverse nature.
A temporary system encourages risk orientation and an independent outlook for solving complicated issues.
Temporary systems are a flexible framework that can be created or dissolved as per the changing requirements.
Q 4
Leadership is not about title, but about purpose Discuss (25 mks)
A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. A leader can lead by example through the following:
Teamwork
Leaders establish goals, while teamwork involves adopting those goals and sharing the objectives as a shared agenda. Setting goals using SWOT techniques, adopted successfully by many companies for years, can be done by management or a combination of leader and team. Leaders who practice participative management often prefer to set objectives in collaboration with their team. Using input from team members, these leaders decide on the goals with full agreement from the group.
Communication
Throughout history, the greatest leaders have also been motivators to encourage others to work toward a common goal. This ability to motivate has largely been a result of solid communication skills. Managers must prioritize and hone their communication skills to successfully guide their teams and drive overall productivity. Throughout history, the greatest leaders have also been motivators to encourage others to work toward a common goal. This ability to motivate has largely been a result of solid communication skills.
Problem Solving
Today’s leadership responsibilities and roles aren’t limited to delegating and management. Instead, problem-solving is an important skill and a crucial role for leaders to take on when it comes to effective leadership. Problem-solving is the essence of what leaders exist to do. As leaders, the goal is to minimize problems, which means we must be courageous enough to tackle them head-on before circumstances force our hand. We must be resilient in our quest to create and sustain momentum for the organization and the people we serve. Being a successful leader doesn’t mean that you don’t have any problems. Rather, it means that you know how to solve problems effectively as they arise. If you never had to deal with any problems.
Critical thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally; it includes engaging in reflective and independent thinking. A leader with critical thinking skills can understand the logical connections between ideas, identify the relevance and importance of arguments, detect inconsistencies or mistakes in reasoning, and make proper decisions. To be a good critical thinker, you have to be able to gather information and assess the relevance of these options. How critical are they to the situation, and which piece of information will impact the problem at hand? How probable is one consequence over another? Which assumptions can you rely upon, and what are the ones you should question? All of these are important questions that help people refine their judgment and make thoughtful decisions.
In conclusion, leadership is the accomplishment of a goal through the direction of human assistants. The man who successfully marshals his human collaborators to achieve particular ends is a leader. A great leader can do so day after day, and year after year, in a wide variety of circumstances.
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