To be competitive in today’s business environment, every organization has to embrace change and be able to change with the current trends. Managers need to communicate to their staff the introduction of a new change in the organization and how the change will affect them (Costello, 1994). Organizations fail in implementing new changes and innovation if the approach is not correct and the organization staff has not been well communicated and educated of the impending changes (Cave, 1994). The managers need to inform the staff on the organizational objectives and the need for change and innovation in achieving the organizational goals and objectives.
Any change process in an organization requires serious planning by the managers especially on how it will be implemented to achieve the intended purpose. Change should not be classified as being big or small, as any change will raise operational concerns and present a number of challenges to the organization such as creating more demand for time and other resources for its implementation (Costello, 1994). Managers need to identify and address any problems that may pose a challenge in the implementation of the proposed change. Today, some of the challenges in implementing change are the employees resisting the change, more resources needed to implement the change, an organization with employees in different geographical nations (Cave, 1994).
Failure in a new change means it will be more difficult to introduce new changes to the staff in the organization. The managers need to possess the necessary skills to effectively manage new change and ensure the change is actualized. Effective management is necessary; managers need to clarify the purpose and the process necessary for the change to be effected. They also need to inform the staff on the effects of the change on the organization and why it is necessary.
There is a need to engage some of the staff that will be affected by the change and attempt to seek more opinions on the new change. Managers will then proceed to allocate the necessary resources for the implementation of the change. For a change that has substantial effects in the organization such as layoffs, more production, more work among others, a manager will be required to appropriately inform the staff and ensure the staff is prepared and proper training and planning is put in place (Blackard, 2000). There is a need for support from both the staff and top management as the initiation of change can create a lot of issues and a number of concerns. There is a need to employ constant clarification, persuasion, discussions and planning for intended results (Cave, 1994).
When Major health provider X attempts to introduce the use of electronic medical records, the staff opposes the changes. When changes are introduced, such as is the case in the introduction of electronic medical records by X, staff in an organization can react either as resistors, champions of changes, or can opt to respond as sheep. The resistors are staff who are worried about the effect of the change negatively on the organization and to them as individuals.
The managers to manage this, should be able to address their concerns and inform them on the need for change and clarify how the change will affect them and the individual. Proper training on electronic medical records is necessary to ensure there is less opposition to the program and clarification that the program shall not in any way have a negative effect but will have an overall improvement in efficiency for the organization (Costello, 1994).
The human resource department has a huge role in ensuring new changes in the organization are implemented smoothly and all the staff participates as is expected of them. The human resource department is today involved in strategic planning. When an organization needs to implement an essential operational change, the organizational human resource plays a crucial role in the achievement of this (Cave, 1994). Knowledge of the talents and ability of the employees as well as potential employees has an effect in determining the success and failure of the organization. A major role the HR department can play is in workforce planning, where the Hr department ensures they have the best staff for the organization who have the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure organizational success.
The HR department should also be involved training and development of the employees to ensure they are ready for the implementation of the new change (Blackard, 2000). The employees need to be assisted so that they are in a position to improve their performance. Necessary is ensuring they are motivated and equipped with new skills necessary and focused on the need of the future of the organization. Also important is for the human resource department to build trust and ensure there is constant communication with the employees to build a better relationship (Costello, 1994).
For medical provider X to succeed in implementing electronic medical records in the organization, it must appreciate the role played by the human resource in the achievement of the overall organizational objective. The organization must appreciate the need for staff participation in the planning and implementation of the change. It is the role of management to ensure the change is effected and thus need for proper guidance.
References
Blackard, K. (2000). Managing change in a unionized workplace : countervailing collaboration. Westport, Conn: Quorum.
Cave, A. (1994). Managing change in the workplace : new approaches to employee relations. London: Kogan Page.
Costello, S. (1994). Managing change in the workplace. Burr Ridge, Ill: Irwin Professional Pub./Irwin Press.