Please read and respond to the post below

I hope that everyone had a great holiday. I look forward to connecting this week to discuss culture after change initiatives.

Do you agree or disagree with Kotter's current view? Explain.

Prior to reading Chapter 10 of Leading Change, I was inclined to disagree with the view of cultural changes needed to occur after the change initiative rather, I initially believed that shift in culture should be concurrent with the change initiative to support the change process and employee mindset (Kotter, 1). However, after completing the readings and understanding the rationale explained by Kotter that is, change in culture comes last for the change initiative to demonstrate that the previous ways of doing things is undesirable I now agree with Kotters current view (1). Furthermore, there is a key step in Kotters model empowering broad-based action that requires the right organizational structure to be in place. To that end, that change in structure might result in employee turnover to leverage people who can support the change, and this step is critical to occur prior to supporting a new culture. Finally, if the cultural shifts occur at the same time as the other steps in the change initiative, there is risk of employees becoming confused about the cultural values of the organization, which could inhibit empowerment.

Share an example from your own professional life where you have seen cultural norms support or impede progress.

Earlier in the class, I shared an example of a complex organizational change in which new strategic positions were created to facilitate cross-functional collaborations. In completing this course, I now understand that the strategic positions were created as part of the change initiative during the empowerment step to support the change initiative and cultural shift moving forward (Kotter, 1). Once all steps were completed, including empowerment and the subsequent steps of generating small wins and consolidating gains to amplify the change, the change initiative was much better positioned to support the cultural shift of more cross-functional collaboration. The right leaders were in place to consistently message the vision and change and the evidence was in place to demonstrate that this change is the best approach forward vs the previous approach.

What actions must leaders take to foster a culture that sustains changes that have been made?

Leaders must take consistent action to sustain a change, which in turn fosters the new culture. These actions include demonstrating the results of the change, talking about the change, and supporting succession and roles (Kotter, 1). Firstly, to demonstrate results, it is valuable to hold town halls, meetings, and small group sessions showing the data, results, and wins from the change. Leaders must also discuss and reinforce the change as part of the everyday language of the organization while empowering their employees and managers to continue to advocate for and champion the change. Furthermore, HR systems for rewards and performance management, as well as employee differentiation, must be in place aligned to the change (JWI 555, 2). Finally, and one that I believe is especially important, is that leaders should consider succession and turnover to ensure the right people are in the roles to sustain the change (Kotter, 1).

Jennifer

1. John P. Kotter. 2012. Leading Change.
2. JWI 555. Week 9 Lectures Notes. Building a Culture that Supports Chang