Assignment Details

Change is part of the game. Leaders must set the vision and navigate the challenges of implementing change. Effective leadership requires you to harness both the minds and hearts of employees to enable change to occur and take root in the company's culture. For this assignment, you will identify one change management need within your company or from a company you previously worked for.

You will create a plan for a change initiative, describing it in your Business Brief and presenting it in your Change Vision Video. Think of your Business Brief as a summary document that could be used as a reference by the Board of Directors and think of your Change Vision Video as your pitch to the Board members to gain their support for your initiative.

Business Brief (2-3 pages)

Identify a needed organizational change and your perceived employee resistance to the change. Then utilize the first six (6) elements of Kotter's eight-stage framework to create your plan for the change initiative. Write a Business Brief that summarizes your change initiative plan in 2 to 3 pages.

It should be written in a professional format and include a cover page, as detailed in the Formatting Requirements section below. Use the prompts below to guide you:

1. Provide a brief background of the company and its culture.

2. Identify the problem you want to address and explain why it is important. (I will send you this bolded info, once assigned)

3. Describe your change initiative according to Steps 1 through 6 of Kotter's eight-stage framework. Provide answers to each of the following questions to create this description:

• How will you create a sense of urgency?

• How will you create a guiding coalition?

• What is your change vision and strategy?

• How will you communicate the change vision?

• How will you empower employees to take action for this change?

• How will you create short-term wins?

Professional Formatting Requirements for Business Brief:

• Include a Cover page containing the title of the assignment, your name, professor's name, and the course title and date

• Include a References page, showing all your sources

• The Cover page and the References page are not included in the required page length

• Double-spaced, professional font (Times New Roman or Ariel), 10-12 font size

• Headings are used to identify main topics and subtopics

• Paragraphs are separated by a single space

Below are my last 2 work submissions that tie into this assignment.

1st Submission

In this discussion, we focus on the vision for your own change initiative. Use the questions below to develop and refine your vision statement:

What is your vision for the change initiative you have chosen for you Assignment 2 project?

The word vision connotes something grand and mystical, but the direction that guides successful transformations is often simple and mundane.... (Kotter, 2012). The vision is enhancing the core system to create not only a seamless member experience; but, an employee and department to department experience as well. This will open the door for more up to date operational procedures and cross training.

Why did you choose this vision?

Allegacy has always strived to what is right for our members. That includes giving to the community, innovative efforts, and market penetration. I chose this vision to align all the above initiatives.

How can you use the EVM tool presented in this week's lecture to help you further refine your vision statement?

Expanded Vision Matrix

Strategic

To be at 250,000 members by 2020 and align new core system by May 2019. Financial Increase deposits by 3 million to offset lending capabilities and lower interest rates for our members.

Operational

Streamline operational processes in one location for most efficient training, retention, and procedures. Organizational

Cohesively bring the organization into systematic alignment for sales, service, strategy, and operations.

How much alignment to this vision do you feel is already in place, even if it is not well articulated yet?

Recently, we have experienced a huge change in alignment when the CEO announced this week that we will be going with Fiserv as now new core system.

Most of the organization is very excited about the; however, some are leery of the new system. They feel as though because they already know work with what we already have, why change. This will also require a sense of urgency around updating procedures and files.

What steps are needed to communicate the vision and align stakeholders around the change initiative?

1. State the Problem - provide information on how and why are current system is not effectively working for what direction we are going in.

2. Provide the Solution - state that we have acquired a new core conversion system

3. Tell the Story - Explain the importance of the new system and how it aligns with not only the direction of the company, but member development as well.

4. Call to Action - Describe the importance of organizational support as a whole and gain commitment on moving forward.

Reference(s)

Kotter, J. (2012). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press.

Bowdie, P. (2013). Four Steps to Communicate Your Vision.

2nd Submission

Now that you created a vision for your company, it's time to communicate it. Using guidance from Kotter Chapter 6, identify two different stakeholders from different departments and explain how they will be impacted by your proposed change and what's in it for them. Your message should:

• Be understandable by everyone affected

• Explain the rationale for change

• Address the "What's in it for me?" question

• Clearly communicate the danger if change is not made

Stakeholder 1 - AVP, Retail Banking

The Assistant Vice President of Retail Banking is directly responsible for the guidance of sales, service, and operations amongst the financial centers. He oversees all functions of how branches coordinate with other departments to ensure a smooth member experience. The AVP analyzes data goal setting, job requisitions and placement count, and overall growth determinations.

The core system change would not only cut operational time in half, but allow him more direct time in the branches. With 33 percent of direct management staff being new, it is important for the AVP to in the branches coaching, aligning the Annual Operation Plan (AOP) with set goals, and being a direct player in results driven techniques.

Aligning the AOP flows into Kotter's mindset of keeping things simple and using repetition of the vision. All new staff is from the banking world and are new to the nature of credit unions. It important to ensure that the culture the credit union sets forth is not being overtaken by forceful sales tactics and robotic approaches.

Statistical data is very important in this position. Without this change countless man hours are put towards reports and calculations of data that are not up to date. Example, this month reports will show information from May. This affects proper coaching towards activities and behaviors of achieving goals. A more accurate system would relieve quite a bit of stress and provide more current and accurate data.

Stakeholder 2 - Supervisor, Learning and Performance

The L and P Supervisor is the overseer of all training in the organization. This includes web, module, and classroom. In this position she works directly with each area of the organization to ensure compliance, regulations, and any additional new updates are effectively taught and/or updated. She also manages all trainers and new training projects set forth by the Executive Management Team or Board of Directors. Honestly, she is one who the organization needs to be a quick adopter of this new core conversion system because she has the ability to shape and mold the core conversion experience.

Vision is usually communicated most effectively when many different vehicles are used: large group meetings, memos, newspapers, posters, informal one-on-one talks (Kotter, 2012). As the L and P Supervisor, these vehicles are discussed with her and her opinion is greatly valued.

Along with the new core system and conversion strategy there will be new implementation of what the member experience should look like. What is in it for her? It is because of this upcoming change that she is getting her wish of revamping our sales and service strategy. The core conversion is the gateway to the plan she presented and requested a few years back.

If the L and P Supervisor resist aligning with this strategic move it could result in an ending that could be detrimental to her career growth within the organization. Simply put, if she does not fall into alignment, a promotion to member only could be given.

Because her position is at the center of influence for all staff members, the organization will see it as a must have for adaptation to the core conversion. An additional danger would be ineffective training to employees, thus overall negatively affecting the member ship experience. This could result in lower sales and service metrics causing the organization not to achieve goals that correlate with AOP.

Reference

Kotter, J.P. (2012). Leading Change. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.