Change Management Simulation
Change management simulation
As CEO and founder of Spectrum Sunglass Company, I want to bring a change in the company that can make the company and its products more environmentally sustainable. To do that, I need to convince 20 managers at Spectrum to adopt my initiative in 96 weeks. And I used 85 weeks to reach that goal. Here’s what I did.
At the beginning, I want to let them be aware of this initiative as soon as possible, so my first 3 choices are to issue e-mail notice, walk the talk and hold town hall meetings，and I thought that would be a good way to start. But result is not good at all, no one seems to be affected, at that moment I noticed how difficult it is to bring a change into the company, no one wants to move from their confortable position, and they would pay no attention to what I said, I need put more devotion into it. After wasting 5 weeks, I start to conduct private interviews with 4 top managers to let them know this change project and to see what their opinions, the first conduct makes 6 people enter the awareness stage, and I got 4 different opinions. Then I spend week 6 to get consultant’s support and makes one person into the interest stage, because sometimes outside experts can gain the attention of organizational member better than internal authorities can. At week 8, I privately confronted the resister Andrew Chen who is the general counsel of the company, trying to persuade him since he plays such an important role in the company, but I failed, I think it is because I still have nothing to show him that I’m right, maybe after a short-term win of this change he may change his mind. At week 9, I conducted private interviews and got 5 people enter the awareness stage and 1 person enters the interest stage. And at week 10, I told a “success” story to 3 people, because I think the example of other companies that benefit from sustainability would make them interest in this project, and it turned out to make 1 person enter the interest stage and 1 person enters trial stage. Then I used private interviews and “success” stories alternatively though week 11 to week 15, because both of them took only one week to complete, so this would be the most efficient way to lead people into the awareness stage and make this awareness into interest, it turned out that I’m right and I successfully bring 9 people into awareness stage and 6 people into interest stage. And so far all 20 managers have been aware of this change project. At Week 16, I provided internal skill- building to show those who are willing to change the way to adopt this project, and I made 1 person enter the trial stage. At week 18 I decided to issue an e-mail notice, by now they should pay some attention to the context of this e-mail, and it made 1 person entered the interest stage. At week 19, I conducted a pilot project, hoping to achieve a short-term win that can nourish faith in the change