Discuss the below post:
Post 1:
Creating a sense of urgency: Leaders will be made aware of what may be coming for the organization in the future. I would identify the consequences the organization is facing if changes were not made; doing so will bring forth motivation to make and act upon positive changes. By building a guiding team we will assure that our members are dedicated to the each change or strategic plan; this will help to make sure the change is successful. By developing a vision and strategy the organization will have a plan in place allowing the team to stay on track. Communicating the vision change will assure the team members have the same goals and working towards the same outcome. This will allow a better chance for success as everyone is working together. Empowering broad-based action will allow the organization to take what has been working and run with it, while eliminating what is not working; allowing room for additional changes. When plans are working for the organization, creating short-term wins will help to keep team members engaged and their motivation high. I would do this by offering rewards to the team, such as a lunch in or extended breaks when sales were higher during specific sales. According to our textbook, don't let up means that "leaders need to continue to engage their employees in the change and to sustain and broaden the chance efforts as appropriate throughout the organization" (London & Mone, 2012, Section 5.4). I would hold a short meeting, relaying how the plans are working for the organization and allow team members to give their input; this will assure members are fully engaged. Making the change stick is essential for plans that are working. If having strategic sales through the month brings in new and existing customers there will be an increase in retail sales; if this is the end result than it is vital to continue to implement sales regularly..
The desired outcome is to bring in new and existing customers by offering attractive sales and lower prices, which will help overall retail sales. By applying Kotter's eight steps towards leading the organizational change, leaders within GameStop can assure they are on track and have a dedicated team working towards new goals.
post 2:
There was a time not too long ago when we as children would play board games for entertainment. Games like Monopoly, Scrabble, Yahtzee, and Clue were commonplace in many closets of our youth. With that being said, these games are all Hasbro Brands and this company is facing impacts caused by a changing marketplace. There is a way that change could be introduced and sustained and that is by using Kotter's eight steps toward leading change.
In this scenario, Hasbro will be left behind in the marketplace if it does not introduce change management that will enable itself to enter the market of on line gaming or introducing gaming applications that can be used on PC's and on smartphones. According to marketwired.com (2012) "One issue which could become overwhelming for more traditional games is the rise of children using smartphones and tablets". Because of this, change is necessary. In Kotter's eight step approach first a climate must be created for the change, London & Mone, (2012).
The three parts in creating the need for change are creating a sense of urgency, building a guiding team, and developing a vision and a strategy. In creating a sense of urgency it is imperative that the idea of implementing electronic games be "sold" to the top executives that would in turn get the buy in from the board of directors. Once the board of directors has given its blessing, the executive in charge of the change would build a team of leaders that understand that this change is for the best and that are excited and driven to implement this change. The vision and strategy would be formulated and planned during the strategic planning phase.
The next phase in Kotter's approach is "Engaging and enabling the whole organization" London & Mone, (2012). This stage encompasses communication the change vision, empower broad-based action, and creating short term wins. It is important that communication be very clear and the leadership team has to be able to answer all questions pertaining to this vision to maximize confidence and cooperation from the workforce. According to London & Mone, (2012) "Leaders need to provide a clear target or vision for the organization's future, and to ensure there are clear strategies that show employees how the vision will be achieved. This would be the time that the vision of electronic games is best for the company and best for each individual employee and to let the workforce know that they will be empowered to make decisions and come up with new ideas in the process. Recognizing short term wins will need to be in place and not just when finishing this vision. Short term wins should be recognized as milestones are met throughout the change process. I have witnessed and utilized recognizing short term wins and it has helped to keep employees focus on the overall vision and has helped to keep them committed to the change.
The last phase in the change process is implementing and sustaining change, London & Mone, (2012). This phase includes not letting up and making the change stick. If at this point leaders think that everything is great and stop verifying that the change is effective, the whole effort could be lost with a return to the status quo. Energy is needed at this step to continue to motivate and show the workforce the benefits of the change.
Showing the employees the difference in the contributions to their 401k's after the implantation of electronic games compared to before the change could be one way to show the benefit of not only embracing this change but sustaining it. The desired outcomes of this change would be a gain in market share and penetration into a market in which Hasbro has not entered.
Guided Response: Analyze several of your peers' posts. Give advice to at least two of your peers suggesting any approaches you have found that may prove to be helpful in conducting their adaptive work.
post 3:
The adaptive work for Macy's was to downsize during the challenging economy of 2009 while outpacing their competitors all year long. Macy's was down but less than all of their competitors and that is what remained their focus at that time period. In times of negative sales, take market share from all competitors because they have been around for more than 150 years. When times are bad, how do you get through? How do you position yourself when the consumer comes back? Brands must be strong putting you in a position to do business successfully. How do you remain competitive? How do you make sure that value is a crystal clear message? How do you represent the fashion driven? The answer is simple, to make sure that they are just thinking through their sales. With Macy's, it is all about the impact customer that helps Macy's look at "capital" in terms of forward building along with renovations for a strategy to make sure they continue to move forward. The desired outcome is to make sure that they are marketing both a combination of the brand itself and the advertising of products and services. Focus on brand marketing not just price or drive for a promotion is key to this action being successful. (London & Mone, 2012) states, the gap in adaptive leadership can be measured by the extent to which organizations problems that reflected conflicting sets of values are resolved to the satisfaction of all parties. Macy's must deliver a level of service that will capture the customer in the long run.
post 4:
Sears has been a leader in the typical brick and mortar industry for many decades. However, in today's ever changing consumer world, Sears has struggled to keep that edge that many of its competitors has gained and now sees them as frontrunners in the industry. Many times a company has to look within themselves and find out what needs to change to be successful. Leaders have to help change what is failing or needs improvement in order to turn things around and rejuvenate a once top of the line retail store. Our text states that "leaders energize and mobilize followers to face and resolve problems, and leaders and followers share a joint responsibility for success." (London & Mone, 2012) From what I see, I think the culture within Sears needs to change.
Sears needs to look at their stores and analyze what type of leaders they have for their departments and the staff they oversee. Overall, if Sears profits are not what they used to be, we should look at the culture because initially it is what the consumer's experiences are that dictates the success of the store. I would first look at the overall store appearance. Is it dated? Is it organized? Is it inviting to the eye? From there, I would look at the personnel and say are they giving the customers the excellent service they deserve. Are they friendly? Are they helpful and positive? I would go and be a secret shopper just to get a first-hand feel of the experience I would receive. From there, I would talk to the leaders in the store and their teams and talk about my experience and ask them to be involved in what they think needs changing. If there are bad attitudes or older views of how the store should be run, then I think there needs to be further discussion with upper management about personnel changes or change training to promote more positive results so that it extends to the customers. This also applies to department managers as well. If they are the problem, then they are not guiding their teams with the same type of motivation and vision that we may feel needs to change. I would want the leaders and their teams to incorporate change and to think outside the box. I would also want them to motivate each other and constantly think of the customer experience. I would encourage them to take risks, communicate those risks as ideas to their managers so they can be talked about and evaluated to see what we can implement. I would want to see positive changes overall for the stores with appearance and customer service. If we can find the best ways to make that happen and be consistent with all the stores nationwide, then I think it is a turn in the right direction and making sure it stays that way.