We live in an ever-changing world. Organizational change, just like personal change, is necessary for an organization’s long-term growth and continued success. Organizational change management refers to the formal processes in which changes to an organization are developed, introduced, and executed.

Having a change management strategy in place is important for both big and small institutions as consumers in Singapore and beyond constantly desire innovative products and services. Businesses are also competing in an environment of constant technological advancement, aggressive globalization, and unpredictable external factors that are volatile and uncontrollable—a key example being the Covid-19 pandemic. As such,  organizations that embrace and prioritize innovation have a greater chance of continued relevance, survival, and profitability.

This blog will discuss the importance and benefits of a sustainable organizational change management strategy and the relationship between organizational change and organizational culture.

Aligning Change Management and Organizational Culture

Both structural and cultural change are two sides of the same coin. Fundamental to any discussion on organizational change is the understanding that the process of innovation does not take place in isolation. Organizations are ultimately made up of the people in them. Logically speaking, the first step to a sustainable system of organizational change is to align an organization’s culture with its vision for change. Therefore, it is necessary for companies to develop a strategy that communicates the intrinsic value of innovation to inform and, more crucially, inspire change in all levels of employees.

Why Might Some Employees be Ambivalent Towards Change?

Employee reservations towards organizational change can be attributed to various factors such as:

1. Lack of communication from upper management. Ambiguity leaves employees feeling left in the dark and apprehensive about changes. Collective culture change cannot be implemented through a top-down approach. While leaders have the authority to mandate compliance, they do not have a monopoly over employee trust, optimism, or commitment.
2. A preference for predictability over risk. Healthy risk-taking is necessary for individual and corporate growth. If enterprising behavior is consistently disregarded or even penalized, employees may be disenchanted with innovation in favor of complacency with the status quo. Employees might not understand the necessity or value of change.
3. Traditionalist experts discriminating against innovation. Innovation may not always be a priority in traditional leadership, but it can be molded. Our consultants have extensive knowledge in adult education pedagogy which equips us with the necessary skills to shape mindsets and address reservations towards innovation across all hierarchal levels.

What Can Motivate a Change‑Averse Organizational Culture?

The ultimate goal of any change management project is to go from implementing organizational change to establishing an organizational culture of change—a commitment to innovation that is not surface level but deep-rooted and sustainable. Certain factors can help with aligning organizational culture with organizational change. These include

• An accountable and transparent upper management committed to change
• Encouraging and incentivizing sensible risk-taking
• Prioritizing personal development alongside organizational growth
• Investing in “human-centered” innovation
• Having a realistic understanding (by analyzing) the gap between desired change and actual change

Successful organizational change takes many weeks and months to execute and does not come without growing pains. There are no shortcuts to a sustainable system of organizational change. Time, money, and people will have to be reallocated and the importance of change openly and frequently communicated. However, it is arguable that the greatest cost to an organization would be to not realize the value and need of change in the first place. To that end, having in place an effective change management strategy that aims to lay the foundation of a smooth process to reaping the fruits of a more productive, creative, and dedicated workforce is of fundamental importance.

Get in touch with Capelle Consulting to find out more about how we can assist your organization with effective change management.