The purpose of the assignment is to gain first-hand experience in trying to get another person to change.
Action Steps:
1. Select a subordinate, colleague, friend, or family member-someone you know reasonably well.
2. Identify something you think this person should do differently that would be beneficial to the person or your organization, but might be difficult to do. For example:
o If it is someone who works for you, you could address a work pattern where you would like to see improvement or development.
o If the person is a colleague at work who doesn't report to you, you might mention something you would like them to do to help you or your area.
o If the person is a friend or family member, you might identify something they could do that would be personally beneficial.
Keep in mind that the object of this exercise is to experience what it's like to try to change someone else's behavior. It is not necessary to identify something substantial or overly personal, and we are not asking you to select a topic that might stress your relationship or disrupt your home or work life.
3. Create a plan for how to talk with the target person. What will you say and how will you say it? Consider the issues discussed in the lectures for this module, e.g., can you convey a sense of urgency, communicate the "why" for this request, and create an emotive case for change before explaining the intellectual reasons?
4. Meet with the target person and execute your plan.
After you've had the conversation with this person, create a 3-5 page paper in which you do the following:
1. Describe the situation, your action plan, and the results of executing your plan.
2. Discuss how you felt about asking this person to change. Did it make you nervous or uncomfortable? What was your greatest fear about doing this?
3. Describe how the person responded. Was there resistance, surprise, appreciation? Do you think he or she will actually follow through? Why or why not?
4. Discuss what you could have done differently to increase the chances of success.
5. Describe how you typically respond when someone asks you to do something differently.
Your assignment should follow these formatting requirements:
Be typed, double-spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12) with one-inch margins on all sides
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are excluded in the required assignment page length.
The following are specific course learning outcomes are:
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in organizational change and culture.
• Write clearly and concisely about organizational change and culture using proper writing mechanics.