Implementing Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Implementing Change - Assignment Example In 1999 with major changes taking place at the national level of government in the form of devolution, local councils were scrambling to 'keep their heads above water'. During this time period, it was evident that each department was focused crisis after crisis within their own department and there was no vision for propelling the city into a cohesively run organisation (Leeds City, 2006, screen 1). Seeing the need for organisational change the leadership of Leeds City Council set about creating a culture of unified strategic direction and bring together all employees to focus on meeting the strategic needs of the city. In order to achieve this, the Chief Executive and his staff focused on development of the Council's Core Values as a first step in the process of organisational change. Once the core values had been identified council's next step was to begin to create the atmosphere conducive to change. In the following paragraphs we will examine how Leeds City Council was able to successful launch a sweeping organisational change and a shift to continuous process improvement. Upon arriving at the council core values the Chief Executive understood that without the support of employees the core values established would be nothing more that words on paper. The next step the executive undertook was to educate and gain acceptance for this move towards organisational change. ... l the "Vision for Leeds" into the culture of the council and ensure management understood 'the council's objectives and the cultural change needed to bring them about' (Leeds City, 2006, screen 1). The Road to Change Before an organisation can effectively make a change they have to understand what change is and what it is not. "The creation of healthy change is about living comfortably with conditions of constant change, and finding ways to create, within those conditions, pathways for accomplishing desired objectives through continuous adaptation." (Discussion, 2005) Understanding and redefining the complexity of this requires a three-fold approach. First, change does not mean we throw away the old, rather we build upon where we are; secondly, change is not finite, we can not view change as something we are finally doing or somewhere we will be - Change is constant; and thirdly, with change there is no return to normalcy. The continual process of evolving, of change, if you will, becomes the constant with the organisation. How we once did things as an organisation is in the past. Kotter and Cohen point out the biggest hurdle an organisation faces when initiating change is not dealing with proces ses or systems, but rather, changing the behaviour of the members of the organisation itself. Once that is accomplished the rest falls neatly into place. (2002) This requires a new way of thinking within the organization, a shifting from old preconceived ideas and notions and a movement towards envisioning and creating the means for this change to occur. The organization transforms itself based on the shifting thought processes brought on by the change. An organization is not the outward faade of the building and internally the hierarchy of management. An

Statement of purpose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Statement of purpose - Essay Example background has heightened my awareness of ethnic diversity, and, at the same time, shown me the basic similarities in thought and values which characterize all people, whatever be their nationality. I am very alive, especially in these tumultuous economic times, to the role that the economy plays in the everyday life of every individual. In this scenario, I am confident that my pursuit of Psychology and Economics will equip me to meld my interest in people, and in the economy, into a set of skills which will enable me to contribute my own share towards the betterment of society. Sometime in the future, I see myself using the English language proficiency I have gained in the USA to make a difference in the lives of Korean children. Despite my time in Korea being confined to summer vacations with my family, I am deeply conscious of my identity as a Korean. I even attribute my love for golfing (I was varsity at golfing for three years at High School), to my ethnic identification with Tiger Woods! I am inordinately proud of the technical prowess, dedication and hard work, which have gone into the making of Korea’s enviable reputation on the world stage as an economic power house. My own parents’ success as business entrepreneurs is living proof of Korea’s strengths. Above all this, I love the culture of personal and family relationships, and the feeling of belonging. Very simply, Korea is home to me! It is where I plan to spend my life after my academic career. That said, I must confess to a deep regret that my knowledge of Korea - its culture, history, art, people, cuisine - is very superficial. I am passionate about my desire to discover myself and my country anew, and explore every facet o f my nationality. Seoul National University’s direct international exchange program is the perfect opportunity for me to continue my academic pursuits in my field of choice and, at the same time, discover my roots as a Korean. SNU’s acknowledged position as the most