ADVANCED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR

INFRASTRUCTURE: OCTOBER, 2017

Assignment 1: Individual Submission

For this assignment, please prepare a write-up on a change that you have been a part
of or seen from very close quarters. You should use the 7-Stage Change Framework
(Understand; Enlist; Envisage; Motivate; Communicate; Act; and Consolidate) to
prepare an account of the change experience. In your story, please describe which of
these stages were carried out well or done poorly, and what the consequences were on
the change implementation.
A set of bullet points are given below as a check-list to help you think about the various
aspects of the change. It is NOT expected that you will address each one of these
points. They have been given only to guide the thinking process. Present a rich story of
how the change was planned and executed and the role that key leaders played, rather
than as a set of answers to the points on the checklist.
Suggested word limit: About 2500 words. Please upload your report on LMS by the due
date. The report carries a weight of 50 % of the course grade.

What led the organization to initiate this change? To what extent was it proactive or reactive?
If it was proactive, what were the aspirations, and who articulated these, and how? If it was
reactive, what were the factors that triggered the change effort?
How was the decision made to initiate the change? How was the need for change for change
diagnosed? Who were involved at this initial stage? Was there a formal or informal effort to
scan the external environment or carry out an internal organizational diagnosis?
How much were the employees and other key stakeholders aware of the external trends (for
example, market forces, competitive pressures, technological trends or other factors)? Were
any of the following used to collect information from key stakeholders: interviews; surveys;
focus groups; benchmarking; meetings with employee groups/ other stakeholders...)?

Who was the key Change Leader (CL)? What qualities (e.g. abilities to motivate people;
create and communicate compelling vision; empower people through supportive and
empathetic communication; and management skills to plan & execute) did the CL possess?
How did the CL go about enlisting the support of a core team? How did he/ she identify the
people whose support was needed? What were the political dynamics that needed to be
managed? How did the CL manage these?

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 Did the core team have people with position power; expertise; credibility; leadership and
management skills? How were these people influenced and brought on board? Did CL have
to negotiate with any individuals or groups to gain support?

How was the vision for change created? Did the change team create a participative, rigorous,
and open process for developing the vision? What was your roadmap for change? How broad
or specific was it? What internal and external factors did the change team consider in arriving
at this decision?

How was the challenge of moving employees from their comfortable ways achieved? What
was done to make employees understand the organizational and personal consequences
associated with status quo? What information sharing was done to show the need for change?
Were there meetings, visits, seminars, or workshops to create a sense of urgency? What were
some interesting and innovative ways in which people were persuaded to support the
roadmap for change?

What communication strategies were used to create clarity on the change vision and actions
required? What was done to address anxiety and loss of certainty? Were there stories or
visual signals that emphasized the need for change? What was done to communicate key
messages across the different levels and functions?

What structures, systems, procedures were changed to facilitate change? What new roles
were created to implement change?
Were any steps taken to foster some quick wins to sustain momentum?
How did you ensure that the changes were executed within time and cost objectives?
What was done to sustain peoples focus and energy during change? What additional
resources had to be provided? How did you generate these? What new tools, skills or
capabilities were created for executing the changes? Why?

How did you learn from your experiences during the change process? What was done to
consolidate the gains and institutionalize the change? How did you create an organizational
knowledge base that could help you in future with these types of changes?

What kinds of leadership roles were required during the change process? Who played these
roles? What did you learn about leadership from this change experience? What would you do
differently if you could back in time and start all over again?