Introduction
A code of ethics outlines the responsibilities, behaviors, interactions, and all other aspects that have the potential to affect organizational performance. Some departments at Company X have been operating without effective policies detailing the moral obligations of administrators. This gap has the potential to affect the overall profitability of the specific firm and undermine the quality of services and goods available to the targeted customers. The formulation and introduction of a formal code of ethics in the selected department is critical if the company is to continue recording positive results. The outlined steps and action plans are proposed to implement such a change in accordance with Kotter’s 8-step process.
Change Implementation
This change process seeks to introduce a code of ethics that will guide, regulate, and control workers’ behaviors and engagements. The new policy, if implemented successfully, will create new opportunities for employees, including a favorable working environment, improved productivity, and respect (Sittrop et al., 2021). The possibility of obstacles and resistance support the use of the steps outlined in the sections below. Leaders’ involvement remains critical if the department is to deliver desirable results and make the code acceptable to all workers.
Creating Urgency
The selected department lacks a code of conduct that has the potential to guide and inform employees’ behaviors. This gap makes it impossible for those in leadership to punish individuals who engage in inappropriate activities. While some workers might be contented with the current status quo, a challenge exists that has the potential to disorient the level of involvement. Top leaders would need to create a positive environment whereby all workers acknowledge the need to transform the situation. Key initiatives to undertake during this phase include educating employees about codes of ethics and their relevance in organizational settings (Sittrop et al., 2021). Managers should discuss the threats and predicaments new employees face due to the recorded gaps. Key stakeholders need to be aware of the requirements and how they will support industrial performance.
Developing Change Team
The success of this change process depends on the strength and ability of the developed team. The company needs to establish a good team characterized by leaders with adequate competencies, qualifications, and authority. A professional in the area of ethics and morality will play a significant role during this phase. The team leader needs to have executive powers if he or she is to coordinate the process and support the acquisition of adequate resources. The inclusion of employees from the department will ensure that the concerns of more people are addressed (Sittrop et al., 2021). After establishing the team, the members should define the intended aims, have a common understanding of the challenges, identify performance metrics, and consider ways to track progress. The leader will identify measures to monitor emerging issues throughout the project period and solve challenges.
Developing Vision and Strategies
Members of the formulated team will develop a practical vision and outline key procedures to achieve the intended results. The professionals will need to merge such objectives with the wider mission of the company. These aspects will support the best framework that will support the initiative. The team leader needs to ensure that the core values and attributes of the change remain understandable (Mogogole & Jokonya, 2018). The members will outline key aspects of the change process and its overall importance for the department.
Communicating Change Vision
The manner in which the department leader communicates the developed vision to the workers has the potential to impact the success of the change. The involved leaders and partners will need to educate the targeted followers about the process and its possible benefits to them. The change agents will encourage employees in the department to be involved during the period. Such individuals will make timely decisions, raise emerging concerns, and borrow acceptable behaviors from their leaders (Errida & Lofti, 2021). The project leader will communicate the vision continuously until all individuals are informed. The professional will identify areas of confusion and tackle possible uncertainties.
Removing Obstacles and Resistance to Change
The absence of a code of ethics in the selected department explains why most of the workers might be opposed to any form of change. The move to introduce such a policy could make some employees uncomfortable since the move will challenge the existing status quo. The document will outline new procedures for accountability, integrity, and professionalism (Laig & Abocejo, 2021). These issues explain why most of the individuals might remain opposed to the proposed change. During this stage, the established change team will complete defined activities to achieve the intended objectives.
To minimize or overcome resistance to change, the agents would need to consider several strategies. First, the leaders will offer timely communication and guide workers to present their grievances. Second, the change agents can align the existing departmental processes to the proposed code of ethics. Third, a detailed plan for rewarding individuals is recommendable depending on their overall level of responsiveness (Errida & Lofti, 2021). Fourth, the involvement of all key stakeholders would be essential to minimize chances of resistance. Fifth, team members would need to work hard to support the change process and eventually make it successful. These initiatives are essential and capable of reducing challenges that might affect the project.
Creating Short-Term Goals
In most cases, employees will be unwilling to support processes that lack short-term and attainable goals. The change team should define tasks and guide different followers to identify their specific undertakings and focus on the best ways to deliver results. The creation of such aims at the beginning of the process will ensure that the participants remain engaged and supportive. Errida and Lofti (2021) argue that short-term objectives or wins are essential because they allow workers to execute them more efficiently. To support the success of this step, the team members will outline short-term goals and their respective cons and pros (Laig & Abocejo, 2021). This strategy will allow the followers to devise better strategies to achieve the intended outcomes. The team can assign specific roles to individuals based on their competencies. The professionals will make it possible for the beneficiaries to support the code of ethics and start to embrace the policy.
Keeping Momentum
This step is instrumental towards guiding and encouraging workers to start experimenting with the introduced guidelines. The change agent will consider the best ways to track the progress made and make timely recommendations. The leaders will encourage followers to stop celebrating or ignoring the presented policy initiatives. The most important attribute is to create the best environment whereby individuals start appreciating the code of conduct document. The experimentation of such a framework is essential to identify success and sources of failure (Laig & Abocejo, 2021). The leaders will remain engaged in an effort to identify key areas for continuous improvement. Timely analyzes would be recommendable to determine the responses of the workers in the specific department. The change agent can go further to examine how other units at the company perceive and support the change process.
Making the Change Stick
The successful implementation of the proposed change means that the selected department will have a code of ethics to inform employees’ decisions and actions. The change leaders will be keen to ensure that most of the workers continue to follow and embrace the introduced policy document. To ensure that the framework becomes part of department, the agents could consider the use of reward systems and norms that resonate with those of the wider organizations. The professionals will continue to educate more employees about the document and the advantages it delivers to them (Mogogole & Jokonya, 2018). The consideration of additional development and training programs would be essential to guide workers. This approach will equip them with the necessary skills for completing their roles and interacting with each other in accordance with the new code of ethics. The leaders will identify key challenges hindering the continuous adoption of the presented practices. Such an approach will ensure that the selected department gets a policy document that has the potential to improve the overall level of professionalism.
Conclusion
Kotter’s 8-step process is a tested framework that has made it possible for more companies to implement organizational change successfully. The adoption of this model will guide the involved agents to introduce a code of ethics and encourage more employees to support it. The phases outlined above will work effectively to minimize barriers and overcome any form of resistance. The change process will encourage more workers to complete their tasks in a professional manner, maximize respect, and eventually transform organizational performance.
Reflection Paper
The completed exercise has equipped me with numerous competencies for implementing change at the organizational and personal levels. The insights gained from Kotter’s model are capable of supporting my professional goals in various ways. Specifically, these three steps obtained from the framework will always form an integral part of my career: creating short-term goals, overcoming obstacles, and making change stick (Sittrop et al., 2021). In my future organization, I will identify short-term goals that have the potential to support the outlined vision. Such aims will work synergistically to make the firm successful. Additionally, such ideas will guide me to overcome barriers to success, such as poor time management, failure to engage in lifelong learning, and lack of vision. I will collaborate with different professionals if in an effort to improve my competencies. The final step of making change stick will guide me to embrace emerging ideas and make them part of my professional philosophy.
Similarly, the outlined three steps resonate with my personal experiences and community involvement. Whenever interacting with others and pursuing my goals, it becomes necessary to develop objectives. I always identify specific steps to deliver the ultimate result. These practices echo the guidelines Kotter presents in his model. People encounter diverse challenges whenever transforming their lives or pursuing new ambitions. Failure to tackle them means that the anticipated goals will be unrealizable (Laig & Abocejo, 2021). The insights gained from Kotter’s model will encourage me to find practical solutions and alternatives to emerging barriers. I will read widely, interact with experts, or identify evidence-based strategies to overcome barriers. Finally, the final step of making change stick plays a significant role towards enhancing my personal goals and experiences. I will experiment with new ideas and ensure that they become part of my personal philosophy of life. The concept of lifelong learning will ensure that such developed values, skills, and ideas influence my decisions, personal experiences, and goals positively.
References
Errida, A., & Lofti, B. (2021). The determinants of organizational change management success: Literature review and case study. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 13, 1-15. Web.
Laig, R.B. D., & Abocejo, F. T. (2021). Change management process in a mining company: Kotter’s 8-step change model. Journal of Management, Economics, and Industrial Organization, 5(3), 31-50. Web.
Mogogole, K. E., & Jokonya, O. (2018). A conceptual framework for implementing IT change management in public sectors. Procedia Computer Science, 138, 835-842. Web.
Sittrop, Danny, S., & Crosthwaite, C. (2021). Minimising risk—The application of Kotter’s change management model on customer relationship management systems: A case study. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 14(10), 496-515. Web.
