Change initiatives, by their very nature, generate some form of conflict. Some conflicts may be a natural expression of resistance to new circumstances that take people out of their comfort zone. Other conflicts arise when employees feel alienated, threatened, or unsupported in what they are being asked to do. In some situations, the conflict may become so serious that it poses a larger threat, as stakeholders compete for positions or even plot to sabotage the entire change initiative. Post your initial response by Wednesday, midnight of your time zone, and reply to at least 2 of your classmates initial posts by Sunday, midnight of your time zone.? 1st response Hello Professor Bodam and Classmates, Paula JWI556-Leading Change by Putting People First-Week-9-Lecture-notes Jennifer J. Fondrevay, (May 21, 2018). Change Management: After a Merger, Dont Let Us Vs. Them Thinking Ruin the Company. Harvard Business Review 2nd response Hello Dr. Bodam and class, There are several steps HR leaders can take in these situations. Two from this weeks lecture notes that I find to be very effective are as follows (1): · Being aware of the most common types of conflicts that surface during change initiatives will help keep you from being blindsided. · Taking preemptive actions based on early warning signals makes it a lot easier to manage a potential conflict rather than fix a problem that has escalated into an all-out battle. By taking these steps you are not only identifying potential conflicts, but actively taking steps to get ahead of the curve before they happen. Ultimately, there are always going to be mishaps and conflicts in business, but the true mark of an HR professional is how they prepare and react when the rubber needs to hit the road. There are a lot of things that you can do, including calling out the potential of others, making failure a learning process, focusing on effort not just skills, and actively working against complacency (2). The contingency of losing your job or having it changed always exist in business. One of the most important aspects of HR is being able to drive change while simultaneously having employees overcome those fears. In companies where that fear is prevalent and dominating there is ultimately going to be a stall in the efficiency, productivity, and growth of the company. This down to the road ultimately leads to failure. One of the most effective ways to minimize tensions between old competitors is to reinforce the idea of our company versus their company. The us versus them mentality can make an integration extremely difficult to navigate and pull off effectively if not resolved (3). Executives are responsible for crafting that vision and laying the groundwork for pulling everyone together as one team, but I feel like the real work here is done by the mid-level management. The mid-level management are going to be the ones with the boots on the ground and are going to have the best opportunity to minimize the tensions and foster a culture of togetherness. Thank you, Blake Bryant References: 1. Week 9 Lecture Notes. 2. 3. https://services.hbsp.harvard.edu/lti/links/content-launch Purchase the answer to view it
