MBA 755 – Reflections on Module 6 Concepts
What is it that appears to make implementation of a renewal strategy so difficult?
In general, the need for change is one of the biggest challenges. People do not like change and renewal almost always requires a change in the way things are done. Also, renewal often requires a stab at the unknown… will the new strategy truly be what the customer wants and reinvigorate the company?
Which of the identified implementation pitfalls have you observed in your own experience with organizations?
One of the biggest pitfalls I’ve seen is a failure to give due diligence to a process or strategy. Oftentimes, decisions are made by one department without consulting others to see the impact. A great example came from a previous employer. Their marketing determined there was a great product to be released to the marketplace. So marketing undertook a big R&D initiative and came up with this outstanding product idea. Marketing sold the idea to executive leadership. The product was going to do great things for the company… but no one bothered to pursue engineering’s testing for the long term. The product ended up failing more often than it operated… and the company ended up with a huge recall and product refund on their hands. If all departments had communicated strongly, this may have been avoided.
How did the pitfalls impact the overall outcome of the change implementation?
As mentioned already, the product ended in failure. There was no renewal achieved from this “great” new release.
What elements of the implementation process seem particularly relevant to your own experience?
One of the biggest areas where I see a need is to develop strong communication plans. In my current organization, when changes are to occur, there is lots of communication to answer the five “W”s. The employees know why something is happening and are not left out. In implementing a new direction, I see the communication of these changes being the most critical step. If employees are educated as to why a change is being made, in most cases they are more willing to work with that decision.
How does communication fit into implementation planning?
See my previous response. When there is a lack of communication, people become suspicious of everything and will often not perform up to the task.
Which aspects of change theory seem particularly useful during renewal implementation? Why do you think so?
One of the biggest is a need to get away from complacency or to address the “irritant”. Something is not working as it is, so the need to fix it or recreate it becomes stronger than the need to maintain it. This leads to renewal.
What could you do differently as a result of your learning in implementing a change in your own organization?
Develop better communication materials. Better inform the entire team of why a change is being implemented. Also make sure everyone on the team recognizes their importance in the change process.
What strategy did your team decide to adopt during the renewal stage of the simulation?
We focused on an enhancement strategy in order to provide better value to our loyal customers. We also adopted the generic strategy of being the best cost provider.
How did the strategy work?
Quite well, as we had the highest shareholder value among our competitors.
What concepts from the course did you see reflected in the game play?
Mostly the ability to use conceptual tools in order to see how our options would play out. The ability to think through our strategy and it’s ramifications were very beneficial.
What could your team do differently if you were to play the simulation again?
Mostly focus on better understanding of operations required to maintain product. We were somewhat inefficient in estimating the facility and employee capacities needed to produce the product.
MBA 755 – Reflections on Module 5 Concepts
What trend and pattern information does your organization pay attention to?
The market trends that have the most effect on my current organization are those in the steel market and petroleum products market. Our products are made mostly from steel, therefore trends in that market will have the largest effect on our bottom line. Many of our products are also filled with products derived from petroleum refineries, such as propane or helium. Any problems in these markets will also have the most effect on our production.
Could scenario planning be effectively used in your organization?
Scenario planning has been and is efffectively used in my company. It provides a means to be proactive and have an idea of what decisions might be necessary in the future.
In what ways could you personally use scenario planning?
Personal life scenario planning is somewhat accomplished by reviewing potential needs in the event of unexpected illness, injury, or death. Insurance planning is often done as part of this planning where one looks at “what if this happened?” Would my spouse work or not? Would the kids get a college education? What if my house burned down? And the list goes on and on… By looking at these potential scenarios, I can better plan for the future.
What do you see as the principal disadvantages of employing the scenario approach to strategic planning?
The biggest disadvantage in my opinion is that you can never simulate everything. There is always a “people factor” involved, and people are dynamic. Thoughts, wants and desires change. People change. And there is no software that is yet sophisticated enough to run through every possible human reaction.
MBA 755 – Reflections on Module 4 Concepts
Which of the change models you were introduced to seems to make sense to you? Why?
Of the three that we reviewed, the empirical-rational model and the normative-reeducation model both seem to make the most sense. I agree with the assumption that people, for the most part, are rational thinkers. If an idea for renewal is presented with the understanding that the idea just “makes sense” from a rational thinking perspective, people are generally going to work to achieve the idea for renewal.
What criteria seem to be particularly appropriate for use in selecting an option for organizational renewal? How could your choice of criteria vary if the organization was a non-profit? A unit of government? A for-profit enterprise?
In my opinion, the most important criteria to consider is how the renewal fits in to the company mission and vision. Even if an idea is new and invigorating, if it is totally against the plans for the company, it really serves no purpose. This holds true for all sectors. Other criteria that can come into play include the capabilities and resources of the company… can it handle the renewal effort? What kind of costs will be involved with rolling out the renewal? Will they be recouped in the process? What are the people in the company like in terms of change acceptance? Will they adjust or fight? Finally, is the renewal effort one that is sustainable?
In what ways does the renewal stage apply to a project instead of an organization?
Projects have lifecycles similar to that of organizations. A project has a creation phase and goes all the way to completion, if it’s a successful project.
Projects can often get stalled along the way, though, by many internal and external factors in the business. Just as an organization may need renewal of its products to keep going, so also a project may need methods for rejuvenation. Finding ways to encourage those involved in the project to get back on track may require looking at multiple sources for renewal, just like an organization’s renewal.
What are some other ways to make the renewal option choice other than by comparison against pre-selected criteria? Under what conditions may these ways be preferable?
Sometimes it could simply be a “gut-feeling”, although it’s not recommended. Sometimes a renewal option could also be forced on the business, either by merger/takeover or possibly a change in command. In a situation like this, power is used to force a renewal option, whether or not it has been tested against any other benchmark. This may be a preferable scenario in the situation where a company is failing because of poor leadership and the new leadership does not have time to review options. They are simply brought in as change agents and have a plan of what must be accomplished.
What traps await the renewal option decision maker?
Preconceived ideas. The decision maker needs to utilize tools available to him/her in order to review all aspects of the decision before it is made. Making a decision because it is a preconceived notion without having all the facts can result in failure of the renewal plan.
How does the process of making renewal options apply to your own life?
In terms of my business, I am involved with some marketing functions. We have product lines that are quite mature and require refreshing every so often to interest new customers. Having a proper perspective on renewal can definitely provide me with better insight when reviewing new marketing ideas.
As to personal life,pursuing my MBA is one way of having a renewal option. It will allow me to create a transformational strategy, giving me a way to introduce a new product to new markets.
MBA 755-Reflections on Module 3 Concepts
How could you use a Renewal Options diagram to better support the mission of your present organization?
The purpose of the diagram is to help brainstorm new ideas for renewal. It can help you think through potential options for approaching renewal strategies. For me personally, this diagram is so overly busy, I have difficulty using it to come up with any ideas. If it were simplified in some way, it might be easier to utilize.
When thinking about your own organization, which renewal choices seem to the most relevant?
Enhancement and reframing strategies are the two most relevant potentials. These strategies allow us to take existing products and introduce new value or new markets to the products.
What factors define a realistic renewal choice for you?
Financials are the most important factor. It is important to determine what a renewal choice is going to cost and what return on investment it will provide. Infrastructure needs to be reviewed to determine if it can support the needs of renewal without significant capital expense. Also important will be if the renewal choice meets the long term goals and objectives of the organization.
What could be the best way or ways to communicate renewal options to organizational leaders so that they are really heard?
In my organization, the way to communicate options or any business proposals is to have all the details well researched. Bringing an idea to the table with all of the possible financials is important to getting an idea heard. The executive team wants to know how the bottom line is going to be affected.
What practical uses do you see for situational analysis in your life?
Situational analysis can always be beneficial to looking at all aspects of an issue. It provides a means to look at multiple solutions to determine which is most effective.
MBA 755-Reflections on Module 2 Concepts
What long term trends are likely to significantly impact the industry your organization is in over the next three years?
My business is heavily controlled by the various metals markets. Steel, copper, and nickel are some of the primary drivers. As the steel market goes up or down, the volatility has a large impact on our margins and pricing. The trend for steel is hard to predict. The volatility of the market will definitely drive our overall performance.
How could you use the force field analysis tool in your own work life?
The force field analysis allows me to review upcoming market possibilities. Potential product offerings can be reviewed by using this tool so we can determine if the product meets the needs of consumers and the needs of our business. It will help us know if we are making decisions that will grow our business in the future.
How would you go about making a business case for renewal in your own organization?
Using a force field analysis would help identify opportunities. Then, one of the biggest things to do would be a value chain analysis. Reviewing all the elements that are a part of the business chain and analyzing the impact of change/addition. This would be the starting point, drawing up the presentation for the business case… taking a new idea and showing the effect it would have on renewal.
What items would show up as being both urgent and important if you constructed an urgency versus importance matrix related to organizational renewal for yourself? Important but not urgent?
Current issues that would be in quadrant 1 are crises that are affecting the business. The industry is recovering from a recent shortage of helium which affected one of our large selling products. Other elements that are affecting right now are meeting key retailer mandates for technology implementation. Quadrant 2 activities include pursuing backup suppliers for key products such as helium. This is a prevention option in order to not be risking business if another industry shortage takes place.
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This blog was originally created as part of an assignment to track my MBA journey. Hope you enjoy...
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