Read this paper and write its conclusion into one paragraph:

Company background, industry and culture

The company for this brief and video is a mid-sized holding group who, over the past few years acquired five independent businesses, all related to petroleum storage. During this time, no efforts were undertaken to integrate any of these companies, leaving each with legacy management in place. The culture or more appropriately five cultures are entrepreneurial, operating in their interests including often competing against one-another which creates confusion in the marketplace.

Identify the problem you want to address and why it is important

The problem this change initiative addresses is to integrate the five companies into one. One brand, selling solutions rather than just products or services so that we increase our value to customers Through this effort, we can offer customers turnkey solutions not currently provided by our competitors or us. This change initiative is vital to simplify customer interactions, increase capabilities of each operating location, providing solutions and maximizing employee, stakeholder, and shareholder value.

Describe your change initiative according to Kotter’s eight-stage framework.

What is your change vision and why is it important?

My change vision is to create the dominant industry player within five years by combining our successful standalone companies in ‘One Brand’ a single entity focused on providing customers total solutions rather than products or services. ‘One Brand’ will streamline the flow of technical information, equipment, and human resources improve our responsiveness, make it easier for customers to do business with us, improve quality and fuel 20% plus growth in revenues each of the next five years at current margins or above. To enable ‘One Brand,' we’re investing heavily in a single new ERP system and on employee training to deliver solutions focused on customer needs. Together we can be ‘One Brand,’ the industry leader and creator of great value for our customers, employees, and stakeholders.

How will you create a sense of urgency?

I will create a sense of urgency by laying out the challenges of growing revenues at 20% plus per year and by highlighting the consequences both positive and negative for achieving these targets. Also, we will change to quarterly employee reviews stressing accountability for results.

How will you create a guiding coalition?

A guiding coalition for this change will have to be made up of differing levels of managers, supervisors, and employees because the change will affect all levels we will need input from each level to help push the change effort early on. Each coalition member must come with expertise and credibility with a mixture of those with position power and others with leadership qualities. Coalition members must have shown a high-level of interest in seeing change and an interest in seeing how far we could go with ‘One Brand.’

How will you communicate the change vision?

We will be using a mixture of communication techniques on a frequent basis through multiple channels and take into account the 10X rule, understanding that there will be no way to over-communicate until long after we see early wins help fuel more change. Also, the use of stories, especially early success stories in this change will help to gain acceptance of the changes and build momentum.

How will you empower employee action?

Empowering employees is to be addressed using each of John Kotter’s four requirements of removing structural barriers: through cross-functional, cross-company project teams. Providing training: cross-training all employees on delivering each of our solutions. Aligning systems to the vision: ERP and HR systems will be standardized and upgraded. Dealing with troublesome supervisors: the project lead and champion will take swift action to resolve resistors.

How will you enable and create short-term wins?

We have identified several short-term projects that have opportunities for creating quick wins. These projects with early win potential will get started right away and receive additional help from the project lead and the guiding coalition so that we capture the improvement possible, show positive results to all employees while slowing down or silencing critics.

How will you consolidate gains and produce more change?

One of the ways we are going to consolidate gains will be to celebrate success along the way, making sure we make plenty of noise when things go well and highlight how those changes are propelling us to our change goals and beyond. Senior management will be involved in praising the wins, reinforcing their commitment to change and continuing to show their commitment by walking the talk through their daily activities.

How will you anchor the new approach to the company culture?

Anchoring this new approach will be accomplished by a combination of walking the talk and by continual reinforcement of the company mission and behaviors. Tying incentive compensation to operating in the true spirit of ‘One Brand,’ through our new net promoter score indicating customer satisfaction, as well as the accomplishment of revenue and profit target, Senior leadership will also reinforce the new approach in all of their communications to show how ‘One Brand’ isn’t a fad instead it is our new standard way of doing business.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

Response to Ron In developing a sense of agency Ron needs to provide a more compelling reason why th... View the full answer