Please read the response below and respond

My name is Adam Bhagat, and I currently work as a Management Consultant for a global consulting firm specializing in EBITDA/PE and Operations Management Consulting. My role is dedicated to achieving the top client's strategic imperatives by delivering significantly enhanced profits and predictable business performance. I live in Ontario, Canada, with my wife and two kids. I enjoy my spare time reading.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced change on organizations around the world. What have these events taught you about the importance of resilience and agility in creating a sustainable competitive advantage?

The pandemic has disrupted the supply chains, changed the nature of the workspace, financially and emotionally crippled the businesses. The pandemic has further augmented the speed of technology adoption. McKinsey's research has found that globally, the pre-pandemic technology adoption rate was 36%, compared to 58% post-pandemic (LaBerge et al., 1). The rapid shift towards a virtual workspace and significant changes in consumer behavior has taught the lesson that:

• Only the organizations that change faster from inside than the market changes outside will survive (Welch, 2).
• Without change, the firms cannot compete in the global market today (JWI555, 3)
• Change enabling leaders will be imperative for the firms as effective leadership is a prerequisite for an effective change initiative (Kotter, 4).

What roles have you played in change initiatives at work, either as a leader or as a team member, during the last 18 months?

Most of my roles in change initiatives in the past 18 months have been from my previous employer, as I joined my current firm only a month ago and have been in training for the most part. I worked as an Operations Manager at my previous firm. The firm went through significant changes in the past 18 months due to COVID-19. The revenue dropped almost 60% as the firm's major revenue segments- tradeshow, marketing, and event space declined rapidly. I took the leadership role at the firm and played a significant part in the change initiatives which focused on restructuring and reengineering (Kotter, 4).

Restructuring:

• The pandemic forced the firm to decrease the cost due to the decrease in demand rapidly. The annual forecasts became irrelevant.
• I collaborated with the frontline supervisors to develop a staff reduction plan. We developed a three-phase layoff plan resulting in a cost reduction of 35%. I also worked with the Finance and Human Resources team to secure the Govt. assistance on wage subsidies to help protect the critical roles and positions.

• The change was difficult for the employees and the company. Still, everyone understood due to the global nature of the pandemic and the support that Canada provided for employees who lost their jobs due to the pandemic (Welch, 2).

Reengineering:

• The pandemic forced the firm to work differently due to shut down of office. Most of the meetings were white board based in the office with the ability to touch the product.
• Due to lockdown, I worked with the IT department to help launch Microsoft Teams in the company. I developed channels and provided training on their use to help keep the collaboration in the virtual world.
• The organization was able to adapt to the 'new normal. However, many managers reported a lack of productivity due to the inability of the staff to be on site.

What's your perception of how you deal with change, either personally or professionally? Explain.

Change is the way of life; however, it is hard (Welch, 2). There have been occasions where I have been the change enthusiast and a change resistor. Reflecting on my professional and personal life, I can confidently state that if I have been a part of the change from the beginning and know why the change is required, I support the change initiative (Madsen, 5). However, if the change is imposed without taking time to help understand why the change is necessary, I resist the change.

It is critical during the change that employees are aware of the vision and strategy through constant communication. Moreover, it is imperative to empower the employees by eliminating change obstacles (Kotter, 6).