Evaluation Of Change Management Models

The first Change Management Model I have decided to evaluate is Kubler- Ross, Change curve. This model describes the five emotional stages a team can go through when going through a transformational change, these are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I find this model is very accurate in helping us to identify each team member’s emotion stage, they may experience it when changing their role or the service they work in. This model helps you to realise that each team member may not be at the same stage, some members may go straight to acceptance and in this case may not need much engagement and support as the others. It also helps you to identify the ones that are finding it difficult and helps you to put more focus and extra engagement, you may be able to help them to the acceptance stage. This stage can be difficult to manage due to you trying to meet their needs and prioritise this as effectively as possible but without making other members of the team feel left out or disengaging due to information overload. I think this model can also help us to forecast/ predict a dip in productivity that may result in not meeting our usual targets. This helps us to plan ahead and inform our Directorate or CEO that there may be a decrease and explain why it may be lower than usual due to team morale and the launch of the new service. It also helps you to map out times where it would be beneficial to offer your teams incentives “little wins” to help keep them engaged. The main point from this model I have found very informative is the mention of depression. I think this is the most important emotion you need to support your staff through. You never want a member of staff to feel like this with a job change and we need to make sure that everything is in place to support them through it. The only negative points of this is that it only pinpoints emotion and not all aspects you may find when dealing with a strategic change. I think overall this model is very good for the basic overview of the team’s emotions.

The second model is Kotter’s 8 step change Model. This model I interpret as more of a business engagement tool than an emotional tool like Change curve. This model identifies 8 steps that helps you with the “starting blocks” for a successful engagement model to help support you through the process with internal and external stakeholders when looking and developing and implementing a new project. Create urgency, Form a powerful coalition, create a vision for change, communicate the vision, remove obstacles, create short wins, build on change, anchor the changes in a corporate culture. Each section provides a key focus and skill in developing a service change, for example, concrete foundation (fully prepared), clear communication, understanding your team, who are your strong leaders, being able to identify who will be able to help drive the project. Being organised and prepared, having a clear plan and vision, strong clear communications, making sure everyone understands and has interpreted it correctly. Utilise the key workers to help drive positive responses for the project and help to get teams engaged and on board and to be able to inform you of constraints/obstacles. Transparently between teams and managers, listening to people’s concerns and addressing them. Problem solving, identifying and rectifying any potential situations/threats to the project, resolving them as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Creating short term wins to help build momentum, support for the project and help to build team morale. Assertive, analyse and adjust the project as needed to make sure it is fit for purpose and is performing as planned and then enforcing, making sure the new service is embedded in practice by the team members.

This model helps you to utilise the team and focus on the project as a whole and different types of engagement techniques not just on emotions. It’s a very rounded model and one I would look to use when next working on a strategic change.

The Hierarchical structure is important within this curve model as with any organizational change, it will be the top hierarchical to the middle who will decide and agree the change before informing the whole chain. Within this change it will be a mix of both clinical and non-clinical from a hospital organisational view. When discussing the start of a strategic plan, we make sure that there is a representative from each specialty from directorate management to senior nurses and consultants. Each area has its own Hierarchical structure and when implementing change the team will often discuss their views with other specialities that also fall into the same chain/ structure point as them. It is important for all members within the hierarchical structure to support the team or meet and discuss with them to show complete transparency from the top of the change to the bottom. It will help engage and motivate them sometimes the main reason for team members not to engage is they feel left out of the “loop” or feel the management structure is not telling them everything and keeping things back from them. Complete transparency is key with any organisational change and this is why I find the change curve a visual process for any management or transformational team to look into and use, it helps to show when there needs to be more engagement. It helps you to pre-empt how the teams will feel and for us to act before there becomes an issue or disengagement.

Functional structure, within my organisation we use this model when a new member of the team starts or if we have gone through a directorate re-structure. I find the functional structure a better visual for people to see where they are on the hierarchy, directorate and sometimes in the organization’s structure. I find these as useful as a mindmap as it is easy to use and navigate around, they are also clear and informative for staff. I think it is important to have one of these from an organisation point as it helps you to identify who to contact when a member of staff is off. They hold a lot of information and due to the layout each area is structured the same, which helps stop confusion. This is also very good to have when you are looking to make a service change as you are able to see who you already have in the service and adapt their roles into the new service. It is also good for a reference for teams when you are making a service change as a “before and after” to help show and visualise how the changes will look. It also helps you to see the key people you need to link in with when looking to make a service change. Overall I think the functional structure is very informative and noncomplex, this structure is a technique I will continue to use and adapt within any new service. This would fit the Kotter’s 8 stage model, as it helps you to identify the members of the teams that you would be involving within the projects or would be affected by the change. You would know the team you need to build and who you would need to help drive or support the project.