Change has become inevitable for many organizations in this era of globalization. Leaders have to devise strategies of overcoming challenges that affect their companies for firms to withstand competition in the market. However, in the process of implementing change, barriers emerge from internal and external forces that may cause organizational failure. Nevertheless, influential and team leaders navigate the challenges in time by harnessing strategicleadership qualities. The change affects employees, and they are the primary barrier to a successful transition to success.I managed resistance to change at XeroHospital by understanding why employees resist change and involving employees in making decisions that would affect them during the transition process.

The primary advantage of managing change is that it prepares the firm and its leaders for handling future challenges.The number of deaths occurring from medication errors has been increasing in the recent past, calling for an intervention to address the issue. The primary intervention to save the public image of the hospital and improve service delivery at Xero Hospital is to employ retired nurses in the intensive care unit (ICU) and introduce mandatory training programs for new nurses.This decision will only succeed with the proper implementation of change management.  Angonese and Lavarda (2014) define change management as a successful transition of the organization and its team to a desirable future state. Unfortunately, employees are often comfortable with their current state.This makes them see change as a threat. Leaders are disappointed when they learn that employees are resisting decisions that mean the welfare of the organization.

Some factors that make employees resistance to change emanate from the organizational level, while others are external. As a result, the leader has to understand the nature of the factors before delving into the change process. When implementing change at XeroHospital, I will analyze internal factors to understand anticipated challenges. Others include insufficient resources and shortage of financial resources.External challenges may emanate from the government’s regulation activities and customer satisfaction. Nevertheless, change is compulsory and has to happen for the firm to maintain its competitive position in the market.

As a team leader, I will respond to challenges instead of reacting to problems that emerge during the change process. Reacting impedes successful transition and maximizes issues. On the other hand, responding to challenges is an active process as it involves deciding careful consideration of alternatives.I will start by analyzing and understanding the reason why employees may resist change. This initial step will help my team prepare for potential challenges in implementing change.Pierterse, Caniels, and Homan (2012) explain that some of the reasons that cause opposition to change arethe loss of employment, fear of the unknown, poor communication and engagement, and organizational culture. Employees see change as an interruption to normal operations.

Change is a collective process. Team leaders do not cause the change to happen. They influence change by harnessing the abilities of employees and other agents within the firm and beyond.Once I have understood the main challenges and reasons why employees will oppose the transition to improve productivity, I will delve into implementing change.Change is a gradual process that seeks to yield a long-term outcome. While the decision to recruit retired nurses to work in ICU will help solve short-term problems, we do not intend to depend on retired nurses. The hospital seeks to create a vibrant workforce of trained and competent nurses to maintain a competitive advantage. The successful implementation of change in this stage will help the firm cope with competition and deliver quality services in ICU facilities.

To manage resistance, I will engage supervisors and other top-leaders to inform them of the new intervention to address the issue.Yilmatz and Kilicoglu (2013) explain that employees resist change because of poor communication. I will notify the top managers within the hospital about the problem and the need to address it. Proper communication is a powerful strategy as it minimizes the spread of rumors (Paycor, 2014). The next step is to form a task force for addressing the problem and informing the team of challenges that we anticipate. Seeking the views of the team and keeping communication open enhances collaboration with the team and other stakeholders. We will convene a meeting with nurses to discuss the issue and seek their suggestions. We will also share our opinions and explain to them why training programs are essential for them and the hospital at large. The purpose of involving them in decision making is to make them feel part of the change process and minimize opposition.

Sometimes the firm will engage external service providers to address resistance to change.We will take our nurses to a benchmarking tour in some of the hospitals that have implemented the training program. Additionally, we will assure them of their job security once they have completed the training program. To make our staff advocates of change, we will keep channels of communication open and create a suggestion box where they post their views.Additionally, the first group to complete the training will host a meeting to tell others what they have learned and how they have benefitted from the program.Schuler (n.d.) explains that celebrating victories increases the rate of response from employees. The change management team will assess the impact of the program and compile a report and publish it in mainstream media. All employees will be awarded a salary increment once they have completed the training.

I think that the most difficult challenges will be to engage external stakeholders.External stakeholders such as patients and trade unions may impede the successful implementation of this program. We may not be in a position to engage each customer why we are making changes, but we will use mainstream media and our social media platforms to inform clients why we are changing our operations. We will also write to trade unions to tell them why we are employing retired nurses and the need for exposing nurses to compulsory six-month training.Additionally, the new program may impact the financial performance of the hospital. We will inform the nurses that they will be on payroll during the period of the study to help them pay for training programs. This decision is a financial burden,and the board may not approve of it.

Employees are the primary setback to change process in organizations. They see change as an interference with the traditional method of working. Nevertheless, change is mandatory for the success of the firm. The change management team will succeed by analyzing factors that may cause nurses to oppose change. The team will engage nurses and external stakeholders by explaining to them why there is a need for change and how the new program will affect them. Once implemented, the new program will yield positive impacts on the organization and the whole team.

References

Angonese, R. &Lavarda, F. (2014).Analysis of the factors affecting resistance to changes in managementaccounting systems.VIIANTCont Congress, 25 (65), 215-226. Retrieved from http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rcf/v25n66/1519-7077-rcf-25-66-0214.pdf

Coetzee, M., Visagie, J., &Ukpere, I., M., (2015).Responding to change management in a large organization from the leadership angle.Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5 (2014), 827-837. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Wilfred_Ukpere/publication/271848418_Responding_to_Change_in_a_Large_Organization_from_a_Leadership_Angle/links/54d4bd2d0cf2970e4e638e94/Responding-to-Change-in-a-Large-Organization-from-a-Leadership-Angle.pdf?origin=publication_detail

Overcoming employee resistance to change in the workplace (2014).Paycor.Retrieved from https://www.paycor.com/resource-center/change-management-in-the-workplace-why-do-employees-resist-it

Pieterse, J., H., Caniels, M., & Homan, T. (2012). Professional discourses and resistance to change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 25 (6), 798-818. Retrieved from https://www.ou.nl/Docs/Faculteiten/MW/artikelen%20Thijs%20Homan/PIETERSE%20CANIELS%20AND%20HOMAN%202012%20-%20JOCM%2025(6).pdf

Schuler, A., J. (n.d.). Overcoming resistance to change: Top ten reasons for change resistance. Retrieved from https://uthscsa.edu/gme/documents/chiefres/Change%20Leadership/Overcoming%20Resistance%20to%20Change.pdf

Yilmaz, D. &Kilicoglu, G. (2013).Resistance to change and ways of reducing resistance in educationalorganizations.European Journal of Research on Education, 1 (1), 14-21. Retrieved from http://iassr2.org/rs/010103.pdf

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