WHAT IS ORGANIZATION CHANGE?

ORGANIZATION CHANGE
Introduction
Organizational change may be carried out by Companies for a number of reasons. But prior to implementation of that change, there should be careful consideration of some key issues. First of all, management should examine the reasons why it is implementing that change. In line with that they should also ask themselves what they would like to achieve after implementing the change. (Wallace, 2007) Besides that, they should also asses the impact that that it will have on members of the organization especially to project teams. The manner in which organizational change is implemented should also be analyzed. This is because change done haphazardly or in a forceful manner leads to rejection, dissatisfaction or restlessness among general members of the organization and also members of the project management team. It should be noted that the project management team is responsible for controlling the daily management of the project. These are the people who make small adjustments here and there to suit present needs. They also allocate and plan activities necessary to ensure project completion.

Effects of organizational change on projects and assigned project teams
For any kind of change, there will be some members who will support the idea while others may resist it. Therefore, it is critical for those assigned with the duty of planning for the project to include this issue. There should be substantial resources allocated to a contingency or back up plan in case the change is resisted. This is because all the stakeholders of the Company should be adequately prepared for it. This can be achieved through training, consultation and education. It is very necessary for the project management team to ensure that they have the back up of most of the people in the organization so that the full value of the project is realized. (Blow, 2006)

When an organization is implementing change, it may be necessary to add some new members into the project or it may also be necessary to start up a new project team all together. When there are some new members to the project team, the former ones should update the new ones about their progress so far. They should equip them with all the knowledge necessary to continue with the project. Failure to do so could result in collapse of the project. If a new project team has to take over from the old one, then due feedback should be provided. These new team members should know what takes place and what time it occurs. On top of that they should also be informed about the Sponsors of the project since support from the latter is crucial to the completion of the project. (Warwick, 2004)

Before an organization implements change, it normally analyzes the need for that change. That need is then incorporated into design of the project. This means that organizational change will alter the way a project management team goes about its activities. It is important to remember that when trying to merge the project with the organizational change, solutions should be designed to suit people rather than people made to fit into the solutions. It is always important to prioritize people management when trying to come up with a winning formula in project management. (Wallace, 2007)

During the implementation of organizational change, the project may be slowed down because of hindrances imbedded within the organization. First of all, there may be a lot of bureaucracy within the organization. This implies that the project team cannot engage in initiative tasks since they have to seek approval form higher powers. In addition, they may also grow timid and consequently lack the spirit of responsiveness.

Sometimes, members of the project team may be so comfortable in their positions that they begin feeling secure. Introduction of change within the organization will cause the team to feel as if there is a threat to their secure positions. This case will apply to those project team managers who have to handover responsibilities to others. This usually becomes a problem when the new team is supposed to report later and this old team is expected to continue with operations in the organization until transition occurs. There may be some cases of malice where such team members may feel the need to destroy the project since they will be dismissed any way. Such kinds of mentalities can be eradicated by giving the former project team suitable incentives or informing them about the issue a long way before the change is implemented.

Also, the organization may also face problems when change requires them to dismiss some members of the project management team and leave others intact. This may cause insecurity among members who survived the retrenchment and may reduce productivity or progress of the project. Therefore, it is essential for management to deal with these insecurities before they can continue with the project. In line with this, there may also be cases when members of the team may be trying to avoid risks. Yet risk is an essential part of any change. To deal with this, management within the organization should make sure that they create an organizational culture that is agile and alert to present needs. (Warwick, 2004)

Project team members may start having concerns about the kind of benefits or incentives associated with the new change. Some of them may wonder whether change will make them entitled to new benefits. This can act as an impediment to project implementation if members of the project team realize that there are no benefits that come with the change. Management should therefore ensure that they inform team members about advantages of change so that some of the fears experienced by team members are allayed. (Wallace, 2007)

Sometimes priorities among the project team members may be totally different from the ones necessary to implement change. It is therefore essential to make sure that goals are effectively communicated to project management teams and that the team is capable of adjusting to these new goals. It is also crucial for the project team leader to ensure that the rest of the team has enthusiasm about the change. This same team leader must also ensure that the rest of the team is focused on end results. This will be achieved by continuous reminders of what the end goal is and by adequate control.

There will also be instances when the project team faces a lot of pressure to improve their performance after the introduction of change. It will therefore be necessary for management within the organization to ensure that they tackle this issue effectively. This can only be achieved by laying out all the necessary procedures required for the change and demystifying the process. (Blow, 2006)

Organizational change may also make members of the project management team more competitive. This can be capitalized by organizational management because it motivates members of the team to increase their output. If the organization is able to set goals for the change, then energies will be re-channeled towards the change. This can also be a problem because project team members may shift focus and leave the actual project for which they were assigned.

Conclusion
The first effect of organizational change on the project team management is that it may affect the number or memberships of this team. Some may have to give way to others while others may have to work with new members. This may cause insecurities consequently slowing down the project. Organizational change instills concerns among project management members about the incentives given. They also feel pressured to perform. All these can be dealt with through communication thus avoiding project impediment. Lastly, organizational change affects the way the project management team goes about its activities. Leaders within the management team ought to remind members about end goals and ascertain that all are reading from the same script. . (Warwick, 2004)