Reflecting on My Professional Change Story and the Selected Story from the Textbook
Due to the complex business environment, a constant change process is required for all modern companies. Managers should focus on the current organizational processes with an overall strategic goal. Stories presented in the textbook Managing Organizational Change by Palmer, as well as my experience of professional change, give valuable insight into the critical aspects of change management (Palmer et al., 2022). In particular, it is essential to identify separate operations that hinder the organization’s overall progress and prevent it from growing rather than focusing on a broader strategic objective.
Personal Experience
The professional change story I experienced allowed me to develop skills for process optimization. As a professional, I was tasked with multiple activities, including management and execution. All the tasks were difficult to handle as they required attention and various resources.
Additionally, I had to communicate with different people to achieve the objectives set. Even though I was engaged in precise planning of my schedule and prioritizing tasks, the time was often insufficient, negatively affecting the quality. This situation also caused me constant stress, which could result in burnout in the long run. However, I reduced the load by optimizing professional processes and activities. I made a list of priority tasks, breaking them down into smaller steps.
Additionally, I eliminated all operations that did not significantly impact the company. Finally, I began collaborating with other employees to share experiences and avoid doing work from scratch using existing developments. As a result, I significantly reduced the number of work tasks, focusing only on the most important ones.
Starbucks’ Story
Similar issues and lessons are present in the first story, which describes the efforts of Roz Brewer as a chief operating officer at Starbucks. Brewer had several problems concerning operational inefficiency when she joined the business in 2017 (Palmer et al., 2022). Due to the large number of orders in the mobile application, the baristas could not cope with the number of customers in the store. Additionally, employees were spending unnecessary time on non-customer service-related tasks.
Finally, corporate governance implemented several change initiatives and projects at the same time, which reduced efficiency. Brewer decided to focus on three primary areas of activity, including store experience, beverage innovation, and digital business (Palmer et al., 2022). She improved operations by prioritizing simple task quality and eliminating unpopular offers.
Brewer also developed the corporate culture of Starbucks as a public space rather than a coffee shop. She contributed to developing employees’ communication skills and ability to make decisions in complex social situations. These changes allowed Starbucks to attract new customers, improve its corporate image after the scandal, and streamline its operations.
Common Issues and Lessons in Both Change Stories
Both stories present the problem of inefficient operations when employees are occupied with unimportant tasks, which results in a poor overall outcome. The most significant lesson that can be identified from both stories is the determinants of successful change. My experience and Brewer’s story focus on the necessity of analysis of the current state and existing goals. Comparing the present and desired conditions, it is possible to determine problems that prevent businesses or professionals from growing. As Errida and Lotfi (2012) stated, planning is a fundamental step of the change process, which should focus on short-term goals leading to the overall transformation.
Additionally, both stories present a lesson that employees’ willingness and engagement are prerequisites for the change process. Albrecht et al. (2020) underline that employees need to acknowledge the initiative’s benefitsinitiative’s benefits, which should have a direct positive impact on them individually. In my professional change experience, I was motivated to change by an internal desire to decrease pressure. Brewer articulated the need for transformation for their employees, such as simplification of their tasks and improved service quality.
Embedded Lessons from the Starbucks, Sears, and Detroit Stories
The embedded lesson in the three stories presented in the textbook is that the change process needs to start by focusing on the minor details. The overall performance will increase significantly when all the separate activities are fixed and put in order. Managers do not need to focus on the broad picture and general strategic goals.
In contrast, the change process requires eliminating inefficient and simplifying essential activities. Managers should start from the bottom by analyzing every part of the operating process to identify aspects that do not work correctly. Focusing on the overall goals can prevent managers from noticing the most important factors hindering development. Change initiatives should be aligned with the strategic objectives but should be based on the company’s current performance.
Applying Lessons as a Solutions Template for Future Change Strategies
I might use the lessons learned from these stories in the future to guide my change strategies. I will try to identify the overall objective that I want to achieve through the change initiative. Then, I will focus on determining those parts that do not contribute to the development of the goal set. This will help me keep my attention on the importance of details in overall performance and efficiency. I will also apply the lessons learned as a template for identifying essential and unnecessary processes that can be improved.
References
Albrecht, S. L., Connaughton, S., Foster, K., Furlong, S., & Leon Yeow, C. (2020). Change engagement, change resources, and change demands: A model for positive employee orientations to organizational change. Frontiers in Psychology. Web.
Errida, A., & Lotfi, B. (2021). The determinants of organizational change management success: Literature review and case study. International Journal of Engineering Business Management. Web.
Palmer, I., Dunford, R., & Buchanan, D. (2022). Managing organizational change: A multiple perspectives approach (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.