Dealing with changes is today’s most difficult and challenging challenge in business. These ever-changing changes not only challenge us, but also challenge our abilities to provide value to our customers as well as to remain relevant.
This journal was created during my studies for Leading and Managing Organizational Change- LB5234. The managers and supervisors of change must be able to deal not only with the operational, technical and process aspects but also with the human side. This led me to look back at my work history and explore my options for future careers. The majority of my reflective journal was based on the six years I spent in hospitals in Australia and the Middle East. An evaluation of countries where there was or could have been change has been done. This includes the leadership culture and work style of previous managers. Technology has had a profound impact on business and changed the way we do business. Technology has revolutionized the way that business operates today. Henry Ford said it best: “If you do the same thing as you have done before, you will always get what’s been given to you.” Today’s world has many challenges. Businesses must adapt to these changes. Today’s business owners are increasingly interested in learning new skills. Professional skills and working are the core elements of their business. With the view of making a difference in an organization, there are many questions that can be answered.
What can we do to make the world a better place?
Which approach is best to ensure that change happens?
Are there appropriate methods to implement change?
What protection strategies can you use in the event of a change?
Our lecture on Individual Change, which was entertaining and informative, helped me to understand how I can change my workplace. This was clear to me when my position was promoted and I was given managerial responsibilities. I was working in Kuwait for Nino’s Italian Restaurant. The popularity of the restaurant was increasing worldwide and I was promoted to Sous-chef after a long 18 month program of management training and many evaluations. As a result of my promotion, I had to take on more responsibilities. This meant that I was responsible for managing the entire restaurant and communicating with all parties involved. It was a difficult transition from a manager trainee to a sous-chef. I missed many deadlines. However, with the proper guidance of my head cook and the rest of the team, I began to understand the operations better. Slowly, my skills improved and I was able not to be supervised by my head. I felt more confident in my professional life. I also gained a better understanding of how to manage myself. This helped me make decisions that were best for myself as well as the operations at the restaurant. I became more goal-oriented, which allowed me to easily move up the Maslov’s hierarchy. All my hard work paid off. I was offered the Head Chef position at an American concept hotel in Muscat Sultanate of Oman. It was a big leap in my career, as I was given the job of managing an entire restaurant. While managing 20+ employees was a daunting task, I learned more confidence over time. I created a learning environment where employees received training in different sections. This encouraged curiosity and gave them more value. Hard work was rewarded with good pay and promotions. This gave others an incentive to be better and my team was now more skilled, confident, and motivated to do what they do than when I first started working at the restaurant. Next, we’ll talk about the session on “Resistance To Change”
This too was eye opening for me. It allowed me to see clearly the changes I had to make in response to the new work environment in our company. We were able to recruit a new Operations Manager with different methods and means to operate a restaurant. We were taught a lot of Standard Operating Procedures that we had not been familiar with before he arrived. Although it was initially hard for us all to adapt to the new procedures, we soon understood the reasons behind our actions. It has been an integral part in our daily operations ever since. Communication would have made this process easier. The customer is the reason for our payment and any friction in the operations can hinder the overall experience. It is possible to improve communication as well as the process with training and development. It was also due to different leadership styles that I realized the cause. The new chef was more dominant than the Wait staff and their superiors. This balance between the departments improves the customer experience. Unsurprisingly, resistance to change is a universal response. This is not something management wants, but it is inevitable that people involved in the change process will resist it. Many people feel that changing is a threat to their work and could cause them to lose their jobs. Many people feel that this is a major shift away from their current comfort zone. Improved communication is an effective tool to create change. Over the past 7+ years, I was fortunate to have had many great managers. It is a quality I wish to be able to emulate one day. There were many great leaders, who understood how things should be done and gave great examples. However, there were also leaders who talked a lot but did not do much. These leaders were less confident and afraid of failure. Vilas Varghese has been called the best manager. He was creative and knew how to get things done. He was the company’s guest-relations manager, a popular figure among both the employees and the customers. He was always willing to guide and help employees. I learned a lot about the subject and was able to appreciate how important it was to me to embrace change and develop appropriate strategies to help me grow and be a better leader. I am a person who thinks independently and is mindful. However, I don’t see myself at the level that I want. I see myself as an autocratic leader aspiring to be a modern democracy leader.
In conclusion
The subject LB5234- Leading & Managing Organizational Change was extremely helpful and beneficial in helping me to evaluate myself and my previous experiences at work. I gained new insight and skills that have helped me to be a better leader. This subject also helped me see the best way to accomplish my professional deadlines and to adapt to changes in an efficient and effective manner.
I would make use of my strengths and work on my weaknesses so that I’m ready for any future challenges. I was able to use the two assignments as a part this subject to present the theories that we learned during the trimester.
When a problem occurs or something changes, it is important to take action.
Looking for ways to make the change happen at work and making it real
