Question

Discuss two examples of why change episodes fail? Why is it important for social workers to critically monitor and evaluate change efforts?

Answer 1

Two examples of why the change episodes fail are:

• Absence of clear communication lines among the team
  • If there is no clear communication lines established across the system, then the change plan will not be executed well. The team will have lack of clarity of the aspects which need to be taken care of. Miscommunication and confusion among team members will lead to ineffective change management process, which is bound to fail.
• Change process not aligned with the culture of the system
  • If the objectives of the change process, is not aligned with the culture and value system of the organization, it will be a temporary change and will not last long in the company. For a change to be effective, it must be in alignment with the culture and value system of the organization.

It is important for the social workers to critically monitor and evaluate change efforts as:

• Constant monitoring helps in identification of any deviations from standard process at an early time
• Problem solving gets facilitated
• Costs involved in the change process are kept minimal
• The change is long-term oriented
• The effectiveness of the change process can be evaluated and improvements can be incorporated