Preparing managers of today for leading organizational changes tomorrow
“I decided to join this course, because I have many challenges in my business environment and I was in need to prepare for these challenges with good strategic planning. This program put all the knowledge that I need in one place.” - Salih Mahmod (Iraq) who joined the 5-day executive Change Management program last week. Due to the current circumstances, the program was taught online.
Change is a constant factor in today’s business world. Organizations constantly have to adapt to their external environment, but also make changes to their internal organization. This can put extreme demands on employees, who can act either as a barrier or catalyst for successful change initiatives. Managers have to decide on the direction of change and guide their organization through the process of transition. Dr. Geert Heling, Professor of Organizational Behavior at MSM, designed the program to equip (potential) leaders with the managerial skills and capabilities to lead organizational change processes.
Fundamentals of Organizational Change: Trends, Concepts, Tools
The first day dealt with fundamentals of organizational change. Prof. Heling explained the role of strategy, vision and organizational mission as important factors of achieving organizational effectiveness. During the day participants were challenged to connect the content with their own experiences, in several exercises.
The Diagnostic Cycle
The next day, the participants learned all about the purpose of diagnosis to identify the problem an organization is facing and to determine the causes. Prof. Heling emphasized the role of diagnostic tools and how the choice and application of diagnostic tools can affect a change effort. Several tools were applied to make the learnings relevant for participants’ own practice.
Culture & mindset
Day three of the program focused on the relationship between organizational strategy, the structure and culture, the latter being an important element in the change process. If the culture of an organization is not closely aligned with the company’s strategic goals, leading an organizational change is not easy. In the afternoon, the different characteristics of change leaders and their influencing styles were discussed. For Alwyiah Abdlfattah from Jordan indicated that particular this part of the program was very beneficial for her current role: “My role in my organization is to improve and develop the operations by re-engineering processes. Without cooperation of the employees, I will not be able to implement changes. That is the reason why I decided to participate in this course to learn how to deal with managing the impact of changes and how to let the employee understand, accept and then commit. Otherwise the people’s resistance will be the biggest challenge to success and to achieving the desired goals.”
Change Dynamics: Managing the Process
On the fourth day, the participants were introduced to various topics related to a change process. They gained insight into design issues, phases of transition and change dynamics. Furthermore, they learned about resistance in a change process. Regardless of how well companies manage a change, there is always going to be resistance. Prof. Heling shared his knowledge on how to overcome resistance in order to implement change effectively.
Designing & Implementing the Change
The last day of the program, the participants explored the different steps for designing and implementing a successful change. As a round-up, all the topics addressed were brought to an integration. A full week of intensive learning culminating in a practical set of learnings, ready to be applied in real life.
Adebowale Yusuff (Nigeria) considered the Change Management program as very useful: “I chose to join this course because I want to bring about a change in my organization and at the same time be more knowledgeable on the topic in general. The program was very good and well packed”. Alwyiah added: “It was a great experience and I believe that during the course I learned the needed tools and concepts, that will help me to achieve my organization goals of improving the performance by implementing the needed changes.”
For Salih the Change Management program was organized at the right time: “It was the perfect time to take this course in November, because I use to review and develop my organization strategy every year in December. I will be using the course methodologies to deeply understand my important objectives, to find mechanisms to measure it and transfer it into actions.”
Would you like to join the Change Management program as well?
The next 5-day Change Management program will take place from 19 – 23 April 2021. In case you would like to join, make sure you apply before 19 March 2021.
About MSM’s executive education programs
In today’s rapidly changing world, it is important for leaders and professionals to keep their knowledge and skills up to date and relevant. Investing in executive education is investing in your future. At MSM, we embrace this lifelong learning approach! MSM’s hands-on executive programs, led by thought leaders and business experts, provide a practical and action-oriented learning experience and are designed to have an immediate impact on performance.
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