SHRM CP and SCP - Business - Consulting Process/Change Management

Managing the Change Spectrum

* Resistant (20-30%) - Fear of unknown * Neutral (40-60%) * Welcoming (20-30%) Perceive Benefits

group decision-making tools

* SWOT analysis * Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) * Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) * Force-field analysis

Individuals may deny the reality of the change.

A firm has just announced a major reorganization to its employees. Which is most likely to happen first after the initial shock of the news? -Employees will surrender to the change and try to define their own places. -A major exodus of key employees will occur. -Employees will suggest adaptive strategies. -Individuals may deny the reality of the change.

Understanding of the organization's business and environment

A high-potential member of the HR function wants to develop consultative skills. The HR director notes that the individual has a natural talent in analyzing problems and in establishing relationships with others. What other skill or knowledge could the individual develop to support the consultation role? -Building trust with others -Technical expertise in business processes -Knowledge of legal requirements -Understanding of the organization's business and environment

Build commitment within the team to the changes and reinforce it regularly.

A manager has discussed the need to increase team output, identified the needed performance levels, and planned to acquire necessary technology, develop new processes, and train HR staff. What else does the manager need to do? -Build commitment within the team to the changes and reinforce it regularly. -Prepare an alternate course of action if there is resistance to the change. -Develop a rationale for the change in early communications with senior management. -Implement the plan and then monitor and control its implementation.

Attitudes and perceptions

After recent activities such as downsizing, an organizational restructure, and the creation of a new business model, management believes the company is now set for renewal. As HR works with management to increase employee support of the changes, which critical issue should be the initial focus? -Skills and knowledge -Job requirements and design -Aptitude and ability -Attitudes and perceptions

Gain management commitment to necessary investments and changes.

An HR consultant wants to recommend implementing a quality-oriented strategy that will increase revenue for the organization. Which would be the best first step to implementing the strategy? -Gain management commitment to necessary investments and changes. -Train work units in new quality assurance procedures. -Develop a rewards system that is aligned with quality results. -Implement quality assurance practices in all parts of the company.

Progressive approach to change

Change originates at the top and is broadcast to the entire organization. Individuals slowly change with added information

Involve employees in creating the solutions needed.

Due to changing customer needs, a company plans to cut 60% of its capacity and invest heavily in leading-edge technology. This will mean a major realignment of procedures, which will affect over 75% of employees. How can management ensure acceptance of these changes? -Provide the company's mission statement to all employees. -Involve employees in creating the solutions needed. -Require that all managers agree with the company's value system. -Ensure that the organization's core values and behaviors remain stable.

Use input from the managers to create a best practices guide and meet with them individually to offer support or answer questions.

How can HR best partner with managers to implement a newly developed performance management tool? -Have the CEO clarify to managers the consequences if they fail to complete employee evaluations in a timely manner. -Offer to fill out the forms for managers the first time so that they can review HR's work and see how they should be completed. -Require managers to fill out their new evaluation forms and submit them to HR to be checked before reviewing them with employees. -Use input from the managers to create a best practices guide and meet with them individually to offer support or answer questions.

Talking with those opposed to the change to understand their concerns

In an effort to enrich jobs, management wants employees working at one of three assembly stations to complete the entire assembly job and put their names on the finished product. About half of the employees are resisting the change. Which is the best course of action that HR should recommend to address the resistance? -Talking with those opposed to the change to understand their concerns -Training everyone and making the change as soon as possible -Instituting positive reinforcement policies for those who welcome the change -Piloting the program for those who are supportive of the change

Organic approach to change

Relies on independent centers & multiple origins of the change within the organization. Points of origin can be at any level.

Cascade approach to change

Relies on top-down sequence with complete change at each level

Cost-benefit analysis

Through a recent company-wide survey, a large number of employees expressed interest in using cross-divisional teams to address organizational challenges. Which analysis should the HR business partner use to win management support for a pilot program? -SWOT analysis -Multi-criteria decision analysis -Cost-benefit analysis -Force-field analysis

Force-field analysis

Type of analysis designed to analyze the forces favoring and opposing a particular change that can influence an outcome in either a negative or positive manner. These factors are listed and then assigned weights to indicate their relative strengths.

8 contributors to implementing change

Unfreeze 1. Create a sense of urgency. 2. Assemble a strong guiding team. 3. Provide a clear vision. Move 4. Over-communicate. 5. Empower action. 6. Ensure short-term successes. Refreeze 7. Sustain progress and build on achievements. 8. Institutionalize.

Lewin Model of Change Process

Unfreezing, Moving, Refreezing

Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA)

identifying all the relevant costs and benefits

consulting model

4 steps include: 1. Define the problem 2. Design and implement solutions 3. Measure effectiveness 4. Sustain improvement

Ensuring regular and ongoing communication with employees

A company is ready to begin a major change initiative. Which is the most important role HR can play? -Questioning whether the change is actually needed -Counseling people who are upset by the change -Assuming responsibility and accountability for implementing the change -Ensuring regular and ongoing communication with employees

Force-field analysis

An HR consulting team wants to better understand the odds that a particular initiative can be implemented successfully. What tool is designed to support this analysis? -Multi-criteria decision analysis -Force-field analysis -Delphi technique -SWOT analysis

Give more weight to client references that describe customer service experiences.

An HR manager decides to use multi-criteria decision analysis when selecting a new recruitment firm. Based on discussions with staff, the manager sets as a priority a recruiting firm's responsiveness to the staff's questions and requests. How can the manager increase the likelihood of finding the right kind of vendor? -Require extensive recommendations from existing clients. -Ask different functions to provide descriptions of "quality" job candidates. -Give more weight to client references that describe customer service experiences. -Include response time to job openings in the service level agreement.

Complete an environmental scan.

An organization is considering restructuring its sales function to align its salespeople against key vertical markets. HR is charged with exploring this initiative. What should it do first? -Communicate the change to the organization. -Complete an environmental scan. -Communicate the change to customers. -Schedule a meeting with salespeople.

Establishing cross-functional brainstorming groups

An organization promotes teamwork as a core value. Which would be the best way for an HR manager to model this value for the rest of the organization? -Implementing a mentoring program -Establishing cross-functional brainstorming groups -Scheduling workshops on teamwork -Encouraging subordinates to take leadership roles

vertical market

B2B customers that compose a particular industry, such as the health care industry.

Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)

Decision-making tool in which a team determines critical characteristics of a successful decision; a matrix is used to score each alternative and compare results.

Force-field analysis

HR meets with team leaders to analyze the pros and cons of a suggested change. As a group, they brainstorm on factors that could influence the outcome of the change in both positive and negative ways. The factors are assigned weights in order to quantify the pros and cons and assist the leaders in their decision making. What type of analysis is the group using in this situation? -Force-field analysis -Cost-benefit analysis -SWOT analysis -Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)

By finding another alternative that will not take advantage of employees but will meet sales and customer needs

Sales has made an unrealistic commitment to a customer. In order to meet the commitment, the CEO suggests that all salaried employees work ten-hour days, six days a week, for a minimum of one year. How should HR respond? -By supporting the CEO's decision but suggesting that sales not promise so much in the future -By implementing the schedule and rewarding those people who go the extra mile -By finding another alternative that will not take advantage of employees but will meet sales and customer needs -By implementing the schedule but disassociating themselves from it

Sustaining the change in the organization

What do the final stages of Kurt Lewin's and John Kotter's models of change management primarily focus on? -Emotional effects on stakeholders -Providing a clear sense of the future -Tools to implement the change -Sustaining the change in the organization

During initial management discussions of the proposed change

What is the best time to involve HR when a major internal workforce change is being introduced into an organization? -Only when specifically called upon by management to consult -Once the change has been implemented and is fully operational -During initial management discussions of the proposed change -After management's announcement and disclosure of the change

Influencing and affecting management's view of organizational change

Which action best illustrates HR's strategic role in an organizational change initiative? -Monitoring and ensuring compliance with change -Dealing with resistance to organizational change -Influencing and affecting management's view of organizational change -Instituting radical changes in the organization

Ensuring that employees have input into change alternatives

Which approach should help the change process go more smoothly? -Telling employees that change is critical to the organization's survival -Having representatives from senior management announce the change -Assigning HR lead responsibility for the change initiative -Ensuring that employees have input into change alternatives

Communication difficulties across borders and time zones

Which obstacles to accomplishing a successful change to a new enterprise management system are unique to a global firm? -Complexity of these information systems -Communication difficulties across borders and time zones -Unexpressed management support for the decision -User resistance to the new system

Explain the benefits of the initiative to the team.

Which should an HR leader do after learning that some HR team members question the necessity for the project? -Keep the team focused on the overall goal of the project. -Solicit individual feedback from each team member. -Explain the benefits of the initiative to the team. -Ask for other suggestions or alternatives from each member.

J-curve

a chart where the line plotted falls at the beginning and rises gradually to a point higher than the starting point, forming the shape of the letter J. It reflects a phenomenon in which a period of unfavorable returns is followed by a period of gradual recovery that rises to a higher point than the starting point.

environmental scan

an analysis of outside influences that may have an impact on an organization

SWOT analysis

identifying internal strengths (S) and weaknesses (W) and also examining external opportunities (O) and threats (T)