Analysis Of A Sense Of Urgency By Dr. John Kotter

Step 2 is forming a powerful guiding coalition. Leadership will have to be on board and on the same page in regards to the change. Kotter and Cohen reveal the core problems people face when leading change. Their main findings are that the central issue concerns not structure or systems but behavior and how to alter it (Farris, 2008). The success of the changes will depend on the ability of the managers to show their commitment to change and motivate the employees to do the same. Without any process to track the implementation, the change can also fail.

The United States Army is a complex organization made up of several commands and managed by different command levels. The U.S. Army is an organization different from that of a business in many unique ways. Specific examples of these differences include: financial reporting, disciplinary review procedures, and tactical operations. Although different in many ways, the Army shares many similar characteristics of a normal profit business. Army personnel are managed by supervisors arranged in a command structure similar to that of a business hierarchy. The Army will also encounter internal and external factors that could impede or enhance operations. As such, planning, organizing, leading, and controlling must be used by managers appropriately

The situation in today 's Army is clearly much different from what existed years ago. Many changes have occurred, moving the Army 's EO program from a strictly educational and training initiative to a multifaceted management program with clear goals and objectives. These goals and objectives are also an integral part of human relations and are nurtured and developed through a professional military education system.

Many higher ranking leaders may unintentionally make them feel disregarded because of this. When a new Airman joins my team it can take them months to open up and begin expressing their ideas. However, change is on the horizon- a year ago our Medical Wing developed an ‘Innovation Center’. All ranks are encouraged to attend a nine day Innovation Center course where they can openly share their ideas to improve our organization. Providers sit with technicians and Generals rub elbows with Airmen to learn Lean management and work together to develop improvement strategies and plans.

Foreword by Spenser Johnson: One the surface, the story of this book appears to be a fable that is relatively easy to grasp, but it does subtly impart an invaluable lesson on change. The book covers John Kotter’s Eight Steps to bring about successful organizational change and can be equally useful for a high-school student as it is for a CEO of a multi-national organization.

The United States Army has implemented models called the Troop Leading Procedures (TLPs) and the Operations Process in order to facilitate a commander 's capacity to effectively and efficiently organize a task. When these models are executed together, they create a framework for leaders at various levels to excel in any situations they might encounter. Understanding the significance of the relationship between these models requires an in-depth understanding of each of them specifically. Each step of the Troop Leading Procedures contains numerous factors which reflect upon the other steps as well as the entire Operations Process. Likewise, each aspect of the Operations Process profoundly influences the decisions made throughout the TLPs. When applied together correctly, the Operations Process and Troop Leading Procedures provide a structure for strong and adaptable operational leadership.

The task of maintaining the Army’s equipment can be daunting at times and implementing such principles as TQM and TPM can seem impossible. The military is involved in a constant tug of war between elements within the organizational leadership level, and between organizational and strategic levels as well. While the Army has one priority, to fight and win this nation’s battles, the method of getting there can be clouded or skewed between the levels of leadership. These competing priorities, in many cases, place emphasis on one thing and then quickly switch to another, thus causing confusion and more importantly contempt at the lower levels.

Taking the initiative and being proactive increases efficiency for both individuals and units. The type of initiative can and will change based on the situation but every leader must be able to act. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I take it upon myself act. I correct my soldiers of their deficiencies. I recognize them for their achievements. I ensure they are always ready to attend boards. I ensure they are putting forth the effort in physical training. Taking initiative helps mitigate reactive behaviors which increase a unit’s

Organizations must respond to their internal and external environment. Therefore, organizational success heavily relies on leaderships ability to manage change. Unfortunately, many leaders struggle to effectively lead change initiatives. In fact, Ashkenas (2013, para. 1) reported 60 – 70% of organizational change initiatives fail to meet their objectives.

You also must form a powerful coalition and create a vision for change. This begins with strong leadership and effective communication skills in order to communicate your vision. Another step in the process is to remove obstacle or barriers that may block or prevent change from happening. You must also motivate the team along the way by creating short term goals, building on change and anchoring the changes in corporate culture. Kotter put an emphasis on step one which is creating urgency for change. You must be convincing and open when presenting this change to your team to gain their support. It is important to give scenarios, show the benefits of making this change and the drawbacks of not making the change.

This course has taught me a lot in terms of initiating and managing change, and Kotter’s eight-stage process is a very useful approach when it comes to making changes within an organization. This course has helped me strengthen my skills in overcoming barriers that tend to get and make it difficult to

According to Kotter (1990), “Leadership seeks to produce organizational change by: developing a vision of the future and strategies for making necessary changes; communicating and explaining the vision, and motivating and inspiring people to attain the vision.”

The book The Heart of Change shows the practical side of the theories that are taught in the course textbook. It presents stories of successes and failures based in the application of concepts discussed in Organizational Behavior and Management and in class. Although we talked about several different concepts the ones that are evident in the examples in The Heart Of Change are the more progressive and individual centered approaches. The leadership characteristics that are important to successful change in an organization are those that are espoused in the transformational theory of management. It makes sense that ideals in line with the transformational management theory

The purpose of this paper is to use the course concepts to expand upon the topic of leadership styles. I will define leadership and management; explain how the two play a role during organizational change management and how this information can be used by practicing managers. Lewin’s change model combined with Kotter’s eight step change model will be used to present an understanding of and emphasize the importance of leadership through the stages of change.

The Leadership at Microsoft has evolved from an innovative driving force of the technology industry into a force opposed to effective change by becoming the personification of an obstacle. Five ways that leadership can present barriers to change are for them to be disengaged, falsely urgent, complacent, lopsided, and siloed (Kotter, 2015). Overcoming these types of obstacles and following fundamental change practices are the only way to implement and efficiently manage change in an organization regardless of the size.