The world is undergoing different transition; these translations require organisations to align themselves with the changes in the world; changes in an organisation are in processes, products, line of business, ownership, employees among others. Change aims at improving current business conditions, adopt a different strategy or a different way of doing things; it can emanate from internal or external forces:
- Internal forces
Internal forces lead to change in an organisation when new systems or processes have been developed in-house to meet a certain objective within the organisation. It may range from different issues, which may be micro and affects a single section or may be macro that affects the entire operation of an organisation; such changes include new strategies, change of management, change of teams, and change of line of business, change in resource combinations among other internally generated changes. The main aim of internal changes is to enhance better way of doing things and create a competitive edge.
- External forces
Different changes taking place in the market and the economy of operation may force a business to change; in most cases, the change is in the efforts of adopting new mechanisms and systems of doing things to enhance competitiveness. A firm has nothing much that it can do to influence external factors forcing a change in its processes; an example of external force that can lead to need for change in modern days is technological development and increased consumer rights awareness. They will force a company adjust its ways to fit the changes.
Whether change is internally generated or not, the following are the objectives of change:
- Improve current working condition and strategies
- Adopt a different-better way of doing things
- Make new combinations of resources in an organization
- Adopt new technology
- Change of business, target market, production formulae, management, job schedules, job description among others
- Have a different human resource management system, computer system among others.
Change management is a process where the management learn, understand and critically think about alterations they are supposed to make in an organization. However, for an effective change process, change should not be imposed to employees but they should be involved in the change system.
When undertaking a change, the employees are the immediate people who will be affected and thus they need to be engaged from the earliest stage. In this fiercely aggressive business world, the goal of most firms is to establish distinctive or unique capabilities to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace through utilising the most of their core competencies.
How can a team influence an organization?
An organisation requires both human and physical resources to attain it set goals and objective. Management should develop teams blended with different talents, experiences and personality for an effective tapping of intellectual property in a company’s human resources. Teams define the destiny of a firm since they are the ones that see projects completed within the stipulated deadline in an effective manner.
As teamwork in different sectors, they develop better systems and methods of performing duties; the result is an efficient company which is goal oriented. However, for teams to be of benefit to a firm, they need to be managed effectively; and ensure that team leaders understand team dynamic s unique to his/her team; when making decisions, it is important to consult all team members but the leader should understand that he/she has the role of making the final decision.
Teams do not always act for the good of a company; the close interaction and understanding of each other can create tension in an organisation in case they feel their needs are not addressed. Teams can offer resistance to change if not well prepared for change. They may offer a challenge to change management in an organisation; they can easily influence each other.
What happens when teams do not work?
When teams fail to operate effectively, it is the start point of company failure; a company cannot meet its goals and objectives if the teams are not collaborating effectively.
A company with weak teams that do not function effectively, it is likely to suffer loss of business from high cost of production because of inefficiency. When companies sell their goods expensively, then customers will be less willing to buy from such companies. “Charity begins at home”, if teams in a company are not functioning well then the company reputation will be distorted.
What are factors in team success?
For a successful team, the following are the main characteristics:
- The team have a common destiny where they work for the interest team goals and objectives
- Roles are well defined and each member understand the role to play
- They are open and truthful, they work with integrity and have good communication skills
- They have good listening and make decisions through consensus, at the same time respecting each other
- They have good conflict management skills and express feelings openly; they do not have grudge among each other.
- They collaborate with each other and aim at sharpening each other’s skills and expertise; the overall goal is to the benefit of a company.