The Importance of Having Tools at Hand in Steering a Change

‘J’ clearly stated the importance of having tools at hand, but he did not identify which tool, if any, Black has missed. I agree to ‘J’ in relation to the value of having tools at hand in steering a change. Change is a critical process, which requires a good administrative focus on several things and measure timely progress of certain growth metrics. A manager with good tools at hand can take the control over the ‘change’ process, adjust various progress parameters in line with the change and keep abreast with the deadline. However, in the sentence, “create a situation where it would be easy to lose sight of individual aspects of the change “- ‘J’ must have meant ‘not’ to lose, or otherwise, the sentence conveys different message than what he is aiming for throughout the discussion. In addition to ‘J’, I would like to add few more values of having tools at hand when undertaking change. Firstly, having the progress monitoring tool greatly helps the management evaluate timely progress and identify any loopholes that hinder the smooth progress. Secondly, tools provide necessary confidence to the leader in achieving desired goals (Sibbet, 2012). Finally, tools are very effective in taking timely measures against any pitfalls or obstacles. 

Response to the post of T

I agree with ‘T’ that relationship is very important in registering success in a change process, but I do not quite agree that it is a tool. To me relationship is an outcome of communication and empathy.  I would like to see communication as one of the key tools in change management, which the manager or leader can use to get things done or move the overall progress ahead. Therefore, communication is referred to as the key trait of a leader (Gamble & Gamble, 2012). Proper communication can help in creating a bond among all the team members, which is highly important for managing any organization or achieving success in a process. A good communication channel can help employees and management establish a shared environment in which all members feel themselves as belong to the system and offer their best effort in bringing the best result. Proper communication helps the leader in creating a trustworthy relationship with his team members, which can reduce the overall supervision and monitoring pressure. It can help in getting the job done and remaining on right course. This great tool if often ignored, as in the case of Black, for it being abstract or volatile. However, from the perspective of creating a positive, participative and shared environment, its importance is utmost.

References

Gamble, T. K., & Gamble, M. W. (2012). Leading With Communication: A Practical Approach to Leadership Communication. SAGE Publications.

Sibbet, D. (2012). Visual Leaders: New Tools for Visioning, Management, and Organization Change. John Wiley & Sons.