| The present era is of intense competition, | | | | about any change for betterment, efforts are |
| increasing complexity, high uncertainty, and | | | | made to create a sense of ownership amongst |
| marginal profits. Meeting the challenges | | | | the employees of the organization. Such |
| posed by such an environment is only possible | | | | sense of ownership can be created through a |
| through team work, concerted effort, | | | | number of measures, such as (a) creating a |
| innovation and adaptability, which traits are | | | | spirited, innovative, learning environment |
| non-existent in the organizations having | | | | where people are continuously looking for new |
| conventional multi-layered hierarchical | | | | ways to satisfy customers, and have the |
| structures. The answer lies in bringing | | | | liberty to experiment their innovative ideas; |
| about change to remain competitive. | | | | (b) affording small personal favours to |
| Accordingly, leading and managing change has | | | | employees, and caring about their well being; |
| become a key responsibility and one of the | | | | and (c) decentralization and delegation of |
| success factors for leaders and managers in | | | | various functions to grossroots level, which |
| most of the progressive organizations | | | | essentially means that the employees should |
| world-wide. Organizational change, however, | | | | be given more autonomy to take initiative and |
| is a complex process involving multiple | | | | calculated risks when needed, without getting |
| interrelated aspects of an organization; | | | | the permission of their seniors and without |
| changes in one part of the organization often | | | | any fear of reprimand. |
| have profound effects on other parts. | | | | |
| | | | Empowered and talented workforce is the prime |
| In any organization in general, and in those | | | | ingredient of organizational success. A |
| with conservative management environment in | | | | critical feature of successful teams is that |
| particular, any change effort invites | | | | they enjoy a high level of empowerment or |
| resistance from various directions, most | | | | decision making authority. New knowledge |
| importantly from within, because the managers | | | | based firms are flat in hierarchical |
| feel threatened to lose power, whereas most | | | | structure, where employees not only can |
| of the work force have the fear of losing the | | | | operate with minimal supervision and take the |
| job or some of the benefits in a changed, | | | | right decisions at the right time at their |
| efficiency-based, result-oriented work | | | | own, but also have a degree of freedom in |
| environment. Therefore, for successful | | | | managing their professional growth. The |
| transformation efforts, a holistic, | | | | managers provide an enabling environment |
| people-focused approach encompassing formal | | | | wherein the employees can select appropriate |
| aspects such as structure and systems, as | | | | training courses for themselves to enhance |
| well as informal aspects, such as culture, | | | | their capabilities and skill level. The |
| communications, employee welfare, etc. is | | | | managers assume more of a leadership, |
| needed. | | | | coaching, and mentoring role and provide |
| | | | employees with resources and working |
| Over time it has transpired that traditional | | | | conditions they need to accomplish the agreed |
| hierarchical "command and control" | | | | goals of the team and the organization. |
| organizations have been unsuccessfully | | | | |
| struggling to gain an edge over their | | | | Form the above discussion, it trickles down |
| competitors, whereas comparatively | | | | that remaining competitive in any business in |
| progressive organizations with flatter | | | | the present day business environment is |
| structures, which involved their employees | | | | possible only through change to keep pace |
| during the conceptualization, planning and | | | | with the changed realities, and the change |
| implementation stages of change, succeeded in | | | | can not be effective without the involvement |
| achieving far better results to meet the | | | | and empowerment of the employees of the |
| growing demands for quality and flexibility | | | | organization. If the employees feel good |
| through popular change brought about through | | | | about themselves, they are more creative and |
| empowerment of its employees. The desired | | | | productive, and they do not work hard because |
| results form change can not be achieved | | | | they are required to, but because they want |
| without the involvement and ownership of the | | | | to. In other words, employee empowerment, |
| change by its employees. Therefore, it is | | | | can be and should be used as a vehicle for |
| imperative that before thinking of bringing | | | | change to achieve the desired results. |