Introduction
College athletics have grown to be a multibillion-dollar industry in the United States and are regarded as the top form of entertainment for sports enthusiasts. Given the cultural and institutional expectations in the amateur sports sector, organizational change becomes more challenging as college sports expand in popularity. These change ideas and practices apply to all parts of college sports, from recruitment to intercollegiate athletics to facility management and managing millions of dollars in revenue. Implementing change management methods and initiatives can help higher education institutions earn income and enhance student outcomes. This essay incorporates Kotter’s eight stages that will lead to organizational change in Texas athletic programs by developing strategic change programs that benefit student-athletes today.
Organizational Problem
The problem to address is Coaches allowing athletes to compete with failing grades or no consequences for misbehaving just for the win and teachers will give 70% so that the “good” athletes can continue to compete. The problem nowadays is that many children who participate in sports struggle academically. This discrepancy may jeopardize their chances of attending a reputable university and landing a well-paying career, therefore, in order to play sports, pupils must maintain high grades.
Role Played in the Organization
As the disciplinarian, I will establish a separate Talent Management section focused on attracting and keeping personnel and providing learning and growth opportunities for coaches and athletes. The GOLD program will be a crucial change management endeavor resulting from this. The primary goal of the GOLD program is to involve all coaches and athletes in learning and development activities that match with, and if appropriate, intersect with student-athlete leadership, life skills, and professional development, motivating learning while balancing education and athletics.
Sense of Urgency
Since higher institutions are enormous organizations with an athletic department that works independently from the academic program, a sophisticated change management strategy may be necessary to solve the university’s complex institutional concerns. According to Kotter’s eight stages, large-scale change takes place in phases. An organization may begin to implement change using the first step of Kotter’s plan by instilling a sense of urgency (Tidd & Bessant, 2018). The idea is to get everyone out of their comfort zones and make sportsmen understand the importance of dealing with the scenario (accountable for athletes failing grades and misbehaving in class).
Management must recognize that the impending transformation is necessary and will benefit both them and the business as a whole. (A person should have a minimum grade of C to participate in athletics). Before recommending the necessity, share the present issue with the team and solicit their feedback. After that, please answer all of their worries about whether or not it will work. When the athletes understand that an issue in the organization has to be solved, management can proceed to instill a sense of urgency. Coaches should be open-minded with their athletes and give some information to back up the need for change.
Athletes are frequently complimented for their ability to focus on and achieve a goal because of being devoted to sport and following a strict training plan. Unfortunately, this passion and attention to the sport may frequently be destructive to other elements of life. To be the most outstanding athlete, one should attempt to live a balanced life. Nevertheless, how can athletes strike this balance with so much time spent on sports?
Creating the Guiding Coalition
The second stage of Kotter’s approach is to form a steering coalition, which will determine who is interested in the process. Choose a leader with a varied range of skills and knowledge. Form a coalition with the backing of a leader to persuade all other athletes who are resistant to change. By doing so, the management will be able to gain support from many sectors inside the organization. The coalition must consist of persons at various levels so that all athletes can rely on the group. Creating a guiding coalition entails coordinating a change team to disrupt current culture and install new sociocultural and policy processes.
Developing Vision and Strategy
The next step in Kotter’s plan is to develop a vision and strategy. Creating a vision and a plan enables the organization to generate a good vision. While developing a vision and a strategy, the management should think beyond the box and build a shared aim across the group (Salman & Broten, 2017). In addition, it should consider all input, aggressively reply to doubts and concerns, and consider an athlete’s viewpoint. A clear and attainable objective might assist athletes in comprehending why they are being asked to change. The project is likely to be complex and challenging to understand. As a result, it is critical to develop a clear, simple, and understood vision for athletes at all levels. Creating a vision and strategy may begin after that team has been formed and everyone is aware of the problems and viable paths.
At the most basic level, one can prioritize depending on deadlines, the advantages of the work, or the amount of strain they are under. Prioritization is based on what values or beliefs one needs to accomplish. Whether based on a hunch or a detailed judgment, this method frequently yields the most efficient outcomes. Please use an annual or weekly calendar because it is an excellent way to ensure they do what matters most. Before implementing change, student-athletes have lower GPA scores and misbehavior in class. However, by implementing this change management initiative, all of the previous issues will improve, including achieving better grades and being disciplined.
Communicate the Change Vision
Kotter’s fourth stage is to communicate the change vision. The athletes won’t embrace and support the transformation plan until the vision and initiatives are adequately communicated. The organizational members must take advantage of every chance to explain the vision to athletes and solicit their collaboration and support. Thus effective communication is critical for ensuring that the team knows the vision and how projects and processes may be achieved. For example, initially, in Texas, the status quo methods of doing things were considered hurdles (Coaches not allowing athletes to compete with failing grades); hence, recognizing these obstacles and understanding how to overcome them is critical for change to happen.
Empowering Board-Base Action
The fifth step of Kotter’s stages is empowering board-base action; this entails empowering others by primarily removing obstacles. During the transformation process, reducing barriers and impediments allows athletes to work across silos and make a meaningful effect. To identify the barriers, be open with the staff, determine the challenges that are most impeding the revolution, and then overcome them (Kotter & Rathgeber, 2017). Bring in leaders from the industry to implement the transformation. Reward staff members who contribute actively to the implementation of change. Give students a chance to get real-world experience working in Division I college athletics and leisure services. Moreover, provides interns with an opportunity to study and participate in developing social media content, sports performance programs, sales and marketing services, social media, talent management, and nutrition programs, all of which are relevant to athletic programs. These measures will aid in the Texas athletic program’s overall performance.
Generating Short-Term Wins
The sixth step in Kotter’s sixth step is generating short-term wins because success is the finest inducement (Brecher et al., 2021). Give the workers a taste of achievement as soon as feasible during the transition process. This will motivate them, and the vision will acquire traction. Ask the change coalition team to place more emphasis on immediate rather than long-term objectives. The likelihood of failure is lower when the target is smaller, and by accomplishing several short-term objectives, they can ultimately achieve long-term success. Set achievable short-term goals; consider all of the benefits and drawbacks of the short-term aim and focus on easy-to-hit targets. Continually acknowledge accomplishments, give out rewards, and encourage volunteers to persevere.
Consolidating Gains and Producing More Change
The seventh phase is to consolidate achievements and generate additional change. Change is a long-term process that involves instilling change in the organization’s beliefs, objectives, and culture. To retain momentum after early success, Kotter thinks that the pedal must be pressed harder. As a result, maintaining the change long after it has been introduced is crucial. Most organizations make two major mistakes: being overwhelmed with quick successes (short-term) and aiming for instant success with reference to long-term objectives. Set new goals and track progress on a regular basis. Many short-term victories advance long-term ambition. Ensure that the change leaders and the coalition team in charge work hard to effect organizational change. Increasing credibility will also reinforce organizational structure and processes, as well as investigate what went wrong and what went right quickly following each success or failure. Finally, continue to search for ways to improve and engage industry influencers or stakeholders in discussions about the need for transformation.
Anchoring New Approaches in the Culture
The last step in Kotter’s plan is anchoring new approaches in the culture. Simply changing players’ behavior will not result in an organizational culture revolution. To have a long-term impact, improvements must be anchored and fully integrated into the organization’s core. Change agents and the coalition’s leadership are responsible for instilling cultural transformation in all members and modifying their behaviors in order for them to support and participate in the program. Incorporate the change into the business culture and inform the entire organization. Connect the change to performance outcomes and develop and stick to an exercise regimen. Lastly, integrate process improvements and be receptive to feedback and ideas.
Conclusion
Executing several change techniques in the Texas athletic program will result in cultural expansion and academic achievement. Without a good change management strategy, an educational institution’s productivity, morale, and atmosphere are likely to suffer. Change in management activities at the Texas athletic program will generate several chances for social capital to flourish and for new procedures and ways of thinking to take root throughout the institution. Under the direction of an emotional change agent, the Texas athletic program will enter a new era of success.
References
Brecher, J., Spano, S., Hunter, C. S., & Bernholtz, A. (2021). Athletics, 2021 reissue. Lexisnexis Canada.
Kotter, J. P., & Rathgeber, H. (2017). Our iceberg is melting : Changing and succeeding under any conditions. Portfolio/Penguin.
Salman, Y., & Broten, N. (2017). Leading Change. Taylor and Francis.
Tidd, J., & Bessant, J. R. (2018). Managing innovation : Integrating technological, market and organizational change. (6th ed.). Wiley.
