Identify reasons for resistance and evaluate the appropriateness of the responses made.

 

The resistance occurred because the senior staff in the policy team felt threatened and attacked. The senior staff had already been using the skills and capabilities that had been collected over the years (Dawson et al., 2017). This situation led to a buildup of tension, and the team put up resistance, which caused delays. The decision to involve individuals who were experienced in change management was appropriate because they would know how to manage such resistance. In addition, the nonpartisan position of the Agent made decision-making more objective and easier.

What were the strengths and weaknesses of the approach adopted by Agent, and what would you have done differently?

The Agent chose to obtain information through an anonymous survey, engage employees through training and workshops, and involve them actively in the change process (Dawson et al., 2017). This decision offered advantages because it established a concrete and objective need for change that would be communicated to the stakeholders. It also led to collaboration from the staff members, thus reducing resistance. The only weakness is that it consumes more time and resources, delaying the change process further. However, I would have taken the same approach because cooperation and conviction from other stakeholders are essential for successful change management (NCVO, 2020).

Do you feel Acres was right to disband the change team after the annual review?

Acres was right to disband the change team after the annual review because the implementation process was already complete. The Agent’s approach to driving the change already had all employees on board, making it easy for them to now partake in its reinforcement in the organization. Retaining the team would have no specific benefits for the organization. The primary responsibility was to set up procedures and cultures that ensure the change is ingrained into the organizations’ activities and culture (Dawson et al., 2017).

Is this a collaborative approach to change? Discuss.

This can be termed as a collaborative approach to change because it involves the main stakeholders in the process of change. It gives the stakeholders an opportunity not only to understand the change but also to get involved actively. This reduces resistance and increases the opportunity for successful management (Dawson et al., 2017).

Critical Aspects

Communication

Communication from the case study is a critical aspect of change. It informs the stakeholders about the necessity for change, the process, and the benefits. The communication process also helps the team obtain opinions from external and internal stakeholders. The change management team’s decision to communicate allows them to gain an understanding of the type of obstacles they are likely to experience, as well as the community’s expectations (SHRM, 2022).

Collaboration

Collaboration during change implementation is critical for success. Through collaboration, an organization can achieve various milestones with minimal resistance (Dawson et al., 2017). To achieve cooperation, it is critical to make employees feel that they are part of the process. Making them feel like agents of change is key to ensuring they conduct activities that push for success.

Engagement and involvement

Change managers who communicate to stakeholders and take them through the process of understanding the process face minimal resistance. The stakeholders show collaboration because they are involved and engaged in the process (SHRM, 2022). Their understanding of the intended change is manifested in their willingness to adopt active roles and responsibilities.

Assessments

The process of identifying each of these critical aspects was guided by their impact on the government agency’s process of change. Communication in the case study sets a significant precedent for the management of the change. Through communication, the Agent gets the employees to understand the process and accept it through active involvement. In addition, communication yields additional practices, such as training, to ensure that any doubts that could lead to resistance are eliminated.

Collaboration played a critical role as well, leading to successful change management. The employees took part in the process of change. The collaboration was yielded through initial communication. ‘These workshops not only enabled the Agent to gather information about the key issues faced by staff, but it also provided important opportunities for generating ideas and establishing more inclusive conversations. By doing this, staff was made to feel part of designing the solution, of being