Ent 601 Week 6 Response

Week 6 Blog Response

Change in any organization requires leadership. When one is trying to implement change that will produce a positive outcome for customers, owners, and ultimately the employees of an organization, there can be resistance. The authors list four reasons that enacting change will be challenging. “Cognitive, limited resources, motivation, and politics” can prevent your new strategy from being fully implemented. Include the possibility of limited resources, and your plan will fail. It takes a strong leader to move beyond these challenges. The authors of “Blue Ocean Strategy” call it “Tipping Point Leadership.”

There are many aspects to “Tipping Point Leadership.” Because many in an organization may not be motivated to change, the reason for the change may need to stare them directly in the face. Because some within a company fail to see the long term plan in their role, they may not see the threats. Ultimately they could lose their job if the competition is on the heels of the industry leader who employs them.

Limited resources are another issue that could prevent the success of the strategy. The authors discussed how to overcome this problem earlier in the book. Consideration of unnecessary activities will help reallocate resources. Are there tasks or processes that are not necessary? Stopping these activities could allow for human resources or financial capital to be reassigned to areas that will move your new strategy forward.

Enlisting someone who can be a positive influencer among employees may make a difference in motivation, according to the authors. They also can let senior management know who is resisting change so that they can take appropriate action.

They also mention that the spotlight should be on everyone. The New York Police Department is an example in this chapter. Precinct leaders each had their new crime numbers highlighted at weekly meetings when the City of New York was enacting strategic changes in policy. Having their crime numbers out in front of everyone proved how well or not so well, they were implementing the strategy. I never thought of it this way, but that may be the reason employees in a sales organization can usually see each other’s numbers.

The authors warn against following conventional wisdom and catering to the majority of employees. Strategy implementation requires paying attention to those that have “disproportionate influence.” These are usually people in an organization that does not have a lot to gain from strategy implementation. A good leader will bring them to the realization that they are an integral part of the strategy and need to implement their part for the greater good of the company.

Mauborgne, R. And Kim, C., (2015), Blue Ocean Strategy, Harvard Business Review Press, Boston, MA, ISBN 978-1-62527-449-6