Change management must for today's organization

Change can be a time of exciting opportunity for some and a time of loss, disruption or threat for others. How such responses to change are managed can be the difference between surviving and thriving in a work or business environment. Change is an inherent characteristic of any organization and like it or not, all organizations whether in the public or private sector must change to remain relevant. Change can originate from external sources through technological advances, social, political or economic pressures, or it can come from inside the organization as a management response to a range of issues such as changing client needs, costs or a human resource or a performance issue. It can affect one small area or the entire organization. Nevertheless, all change whether from internal or external sources, large or small, involves adopting new mindsets, processes, policies, practices and behaviour. Irrespective of the way the change originates, change management is the process of taking a planned and structured approach to help align an organization with the change. In its most simple and effective form, change management involves working with an organization's stakeholder groups to help them understand what the change means for them, helping them make and sustain the transition and working to overcome any challenges involved. From a management perspective it involves the organizational and behavioural adjustments that need to be made to accommodate and sustain change.

Companies need to be flexible and innovative in the ways in which they deal with the unfamiliar situations they often find themselves in. We are in a time of great change. The reality of yesterday proves wrong today, and nobody really knows what will be the truth tomorrow. The steadily increasing complexity of the world is asking too much of us. How can we - as individuals, as well as organizations, prepare ourselves for an uncertain future? Through creating our own future. Change management means empowering organizations and individuals for taking over their responsibility for their own future. This paper describes the Challenges of Change faced by today’s managers and how to cope with these challenges and lead the organization