A left-brain, logical mind and a very private person, I don't really put much emotion into my journal. No wonder one of the trainers for the LPM said that I write very differently. On checking my CVAT profile, he understands and actually like the way I write the journal - true to my profile.
Change is a constant in my life - personal and work. I can write a book on my life.
This journal will not be a slide by slide, gesture by gesture account of the lessons in class. I will not reflect on what the trainer gesture, what she wear, what the other coursemate wear or eat. The journal will be my personal reflection, the change that is incurring within me, ME...not anyone else!
For organisations to improve, continual improvement has to be implemented Isn't this also applicable to a person? If we don't improvve/change, we will be left behind; the world is moving forward!
Though I like Kotter's 8 step model, this is good for organisation, for personal use, I believe reflection is better. A leader should practice reflection regularly: reflection-on-action and reflection-in-action.
The challenges that a leader and the management will face in implementing continual improvement process will be:
Resistance by employees, beacause they fear losing their job and the status symbol they have attached to what they have been doing (in a way they are the 'subject matter expert')
There may be upheaval in work processes and work stations. Anything that is unknown instil fear.
Most of the challenges a leader face basically stemmed from fear and lost of control. To allay these, as a leader, I will have to regularly communicate and update team members on the process. Besides giving them the update, I will elicit feedback from the team members. Some may have better suggestions on improving the work, process or system. I will acknowledge and show appreciation for their feedback.
Meetings or informal group discussions will be held regularly to facilitate easier phasing in of the change. Definitely we will like to end the meeting on an agreement.
I am an advocate for learning organisation and lifelong learning. As a leader, to help in easing the pains of the implementation of improvement/change, I will rope in the training department to contextualise training for new jobs. To encourage the team members in relearning, awards or certifications will be given to employees who attend training and complete each module.
The management will have to foster a conducive environment for the employees' training and development to deal with the change. All communication channels should be open to the team members. Any change/update should be disseminated as early as possible.
In one of my past working place, a French International Bank, the CEO is very supportive of the employees' learning. He hired a French tutor to teach interested employees who want to learn French language. It was conducted after work in the office. It is paid for the company. This was a double win strategy. Some companies who do not have training departments sent their employees to CET for training. I feel that they are genuinely doing it for the employees' sake. Because the training fees can be claimed from the government , and usually after the training they bond the employees for at least a year. URGH!
I feel that before the message of the change is good for the organisation, a leader should always put herself/himself in the member's perspective, ask: WIIFM. What's In It For Me! Then she/he will know how to facilitate and help the member deal with the change.
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