Organisational, mindset transformation

07 Jan, 2022 - 00:01 0 Views
Organisational, mindset transformation A well-managed workplace culture fuels innovation and encourages employees to perform to their highest level and contribute meaningfully and purposefully

The ManicaPost

Sifikile Tsongo
Post Correspondent

Organisational transformation comes in the form of a new initiative, a merger, an expansion or a shift into new operations.

 

It entails reshaping employee mindsets.

The current work place is dynamic and forever changing, forcing employees to change with it.

 

As the organisational culture shifts, it also changes the business climate.

This has a bearing on the needs of business units that are in the midst of transformation.

 

A well-managed workplace culture fuels innovation and encourages employees to perform to their highest level and contribute meaningfully and purposefully.

Consolidation of internal departments, a shift in operational processes, the alteration of management, expansion into new territories are all part of organisational transformation which may occur due to national regulations, audits or mandates, among other things.

It affects a department, a division or the entire enterprise.

Mindsets, on the other hand, contain both intellectual and emotional elements that affect individuals’ perceptions and actions.

An individual’s unique mindset is indicative of that individual’s personality traits.

 

When employees share frames of reference and priorities, it reveals the organisational culture.

 

Therefore, organisational transformation entails re-shaping mindsets.

Transformational change

This is through trial and error because the company operates in the unknown.

 

This is challenging because the future state is unknown.

 

It requires new mindsets and behaviours.

Transitional change

This replaces the old with new items.

 

It requires designing and implementing a new state such as re-organisation, simple mergers or acquisition and creation of new products.

Development change

This type of change aims at improving the status quo, for example skills, processes, team development and problem solving efforts.

Re-framing

Re-framing is the reshaping of a person’s priorities to shift their mindset.

 

It helps an individual to view matters differently through re-framing.

 

New options are made possible.

Steps for re-framing

1. Deal with the context and content of interpersonal commitment.

2. Re-define individuals’ views in a way that shades a positive light.

3. Reset individuals’ priorities.

4. Respond effectively to reactions on reframing attempts.

5. Confront the most likely individuals to achieve success in transformation.

Pre-requisites for organisational transformation

1. The need for a paradigm shift such as from traditional ways of leadership to co-creative leadership.

2. The need for multi-dimensional support such as the use of key dimensions stated below

Depth of change — It should involve major shifts in the mindsets of organisational members to alter their views of the organisation.

Pervasiveness of change- the extent of change throughout the organisations, sub units, sub systems and levels.

Organisational size- the size of the organisation has a bearing on the change required.

 

The organisational complexity and stage development is a contributing factor.

3. The need for a participative design process by creating the mission statement, identifying functions of the system, developing processes for the doing work and organising the structure to do work.

4. The need for a new leadership – Transformational leadership requires the ability to encourage and facilitate the formulation and implementation of the vision.

Initiating transformation

Decide what you will change.

 

Accumulate evidence, to gain influence for an idea.

 

After that take action by developing practises.

 

Provide specific practical ways to put an idea into everyday use.

Start thinking differently, recognise why you are thinking that way.

 

Create an expression such as a talk or a written piece and then encourage the implementation of your idea.

 

Push through difficulties.

Make different choices about change.

 

Choose to do something to move towards change, exercise the power of practise.

Pay attention to your change. Look out for progress towards change.

Please note that you have to expect a backlash, this can be an intense negative response.

 

This indicates that people are taking the idea seriously.

Tools for organisational mind-set transformation

Leadership mindset and style sets the overall tone for organisational culture and performance.

 

Common leadership style of command and control does not work in transformational change.

Organisational leadership defines goals and the specific roles and responsibilities that should be accomplished, hence leadership should establish a performance metric and set of expectations for the entire organisation.

Changing senior executive management almost entirely during turn-around situation changes the mindset at the top.

Co-creative leadership enables constant learning and course correcting and changes.

 

It entails massive information dissemination in the entire organisation.

 

Co-creative leadership enables easy integration of plans across the organisation and moving as a team to the unknown with trust.

Attributes of a co-creative leader

Puts the priority of the larger organisation first.

Shares information about the case of change, the change strategy and the future state design.

Smoothly integrates change initiatives across the organisation.

Operates with clear roles and accountabilities.

Shares power and authority as such maximise participation and involvement so that the whole system mobilises the change collectively.

Removes unnecessary hierarchies or barriers to performance

Co-creative leadership involves people working together across the organisation to produce results that serve both the individual people and the business.

It is a good catalyst for successful transformation.

Implementing behavioural changes

To encourage transformation, the workforce should give their input, workers should be encouraged to build a case for change and determine the vision of the new state.

Place a wider representation of people on the change leadership team.

Give them authority to design the local change for improving their work.

Employee groups can be used to identify customers’ requirements for organisational transformation.

Measuring the organisational culture:

Organisational culture influences the success for change strategies, it provides awareness of the extent to which organisation members are willing to accept change.

Organisational cultural assessment is likely to determine the root cause of problems that impede stronger performance.

Benefits of organisational transformation

It is a motivator to employees,

The organisation can respond faster to customer demands,

It helps to align existing resources within the organisation,

Organisational effectiveness and efficiency is maintained or improved,

Employee performance increases when staff feel supported.

Sifikile Tsongo is a psychologist and a lecturer at the Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences. She writes in her personal capacity.

Share This:

Sponsored Links

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey

This will close in 20 seconds