Organizational change is a process that is put in place in order to facilitate improved efficiency. The process begins with an organizational development strategy. OD Strategy is a plan that shares the process and tasks that implement organizational improvement activities. There are three basic organizational development strategies for change. • Structural Strategies - Change an organization's design through the medication of authority lines, control spans, and the arrangement of work responsibilities. • Technological Strategies - Implement new technologies like computer systems and machinery. • Behavioral Strategies - Use human resources to facilitate change through motivation to increase employee morale. Organizational Intervention What type of OD technique should be used to implement change within an organization? This question signifies the need to consider many variables. There are three broad aspects that concern the OD practitioner in selecting the most effective intervention method. • Potential Results Technique (PRT) - asks the following questions: Will it solve the basic problems? Does it have any additional positive outcomes? • Potential Implementation of the Technique (PIT) - asks the following questions: can the proposed technique actually work in a practical application? What are the actual costs of this technique and the impact of the costs upon the client system? How do the estimated costs of the technique compare with the expected results? • The Potential Acceptance of the Technique (PAT) - asks the following questions: is the technique acceptable to the client system? Is it adequately developed and tested? Has it been adequately explained and communicated to the members of the client system? Process Intervention Skills Process interventions are an Organizational Development skill used by OD practitioners. Process interventions focus on helping the work group become more aware of its own processes that are in place to include the way it operates. It uses this knowledge to come up with solutions. • Group Process - focuses on how a group goes about accomplishing its assigned tasks. o In the group process the following are used to gather information: clarifying, summarizing, synthesizing, generalizing, probing, questioning, listening, reflecting feelings, providing support, coaching, counseling, modeling, setting the agenda, feeding back observations, and providing structural suggestions. Employee Empowerment and Interpersonal Interventions Empowerment gives employees and work groups the ability to make decisions about their work. It also means that the employee and work group will be held accountable for the outcomes of their decisions. Career Life Planning Interventions One of organizational development's responsibilities is to change the organization's climate in order to mesh the organizational goals with the individual's goals. Career development is extremely important in this effort. There are five steps in a typical career life planning program: • • • • • Participant lists out career life goals to include career, professional, personal, and relational goals. The practitioner and participant go over the goals to determine if they are realistic. During this step, priorities are set. Any conflicting goals are identified. The participant makes a list of important achievements, i.e. peak experiences. The practitioner compares the list of goals with the list of achievements to look for any conflict or agreement between the two lists. The participant prepares a detailed plan of action that describes how to get from where they are currently to where they would like to be. Stress Management Stress management is one of the most important skills employees need today. There are eleven major causes of stress in the workplace. • • • • • • • • • • • Technological Change Downsizing Sudden reorganizations or changes in work schedules Competition Lack of participation in decision making Empowerment Conflicts with other people Immediate supervisor Not enough time to do expected duties Violence in the workplace Nonwork-related events Stress Management Interventions Any activity or program that attempts to reduce the cause of work-related stress or helps individuals cope with the negative outcomes of exposure to stress is considered a stress management intervention. There are five main types of stress management interventions: • • • • • Wellness Programs Relaxation Techniques Career Life Planning Stress Management Training Seminars of Job Burnout Additional Materials Review this article for more information on change management strategies. View a PowerPoint Presentation on Intervention Strategies. View a PowerPoint Presentation on Process Interventions. View a PowerPoint Presentation on Empowerment and Interpersonal Interventions.
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