Leading Strategic Change and Business Strategy Case Study

Leading Strategic Change and Business Strategy - Case Study Example (2003) suggest, strategic change can move beyond merely the formulation of strategy by a consideration of the whole process from planning through to implementation. Change management does involve "managing" and thus control, but also the realization that change is often an organic process that develops in unexpected manners. Baloqun's most important idea, one that moves beyond traditional change management, is that it should move beyond the "formulaic" and "linear" process that has previously dominated the models. Context-specific analysis is an interesting variation on the normal modeling process, as it seeks to enable the manager to see that which is specific to her company rather than that which fits into the models. The change kaleidoscope involves dissecting the possible ramifications of change, while always keeping in mind the overall strategy that is in place. The manager must develop what Baloqun refers to as "change judgment": that is, the ability to understand the critical features of a specific change context. The important element here is to recognize what is and what is not possible within change implementation. A manager involved in change management first needs to be aware of what exactly is happening at the given moment within the business, and then needs to be able to extrapolate possible outcomes based upon that awareness. The first premise of planning is having as much knowledge as possible. The type of planning which is now occurring has changed radically from that envisioned in the traditional business model. As John Byrne puts it, "gone are the abstraction, sterility, and top-down arrogance of the old model." (Byrne, 1) Now managers in the most successful corporations are part of a system in which "today's gurus of strategy urge companies to democratize the process", and they do this "by handing strategic planning over to teams of line and staff managers from different disciplines." (Byrne, 1) Often young, junior managers who are noted for their creative thinking are teamed with near-retirement, senior managers who essentially have nothing to lose and so can tell it like it is. So from the most junior to the most senior manager there is a role, both for planning within their own specific area of the business, but also for constant consideration of how that may effect longer-term and more far-reaching plans. This is the democratic and enrolling type of leadership that is increasingly seen as the most successful in the modern business environment in which change is constant. Planning is perhaps the central role of all managers, because all the other functions flow from it and must always consider their relationship to it. A business without a plan has no future, and so all the other functions will be redundant. Organization within a business is essential to planning: in one sense it is one of the tools that may be used to realize a plan. Organization is divided into two basic areas: control/co-ordination of tasks, and the management of information flow within the company. Management of tasks and deciding what information needs to be collated and to whom it should go is essential for business growth, particularly for the vital task of leadership development. Organization involves investing in "human capital, the most important asset inside of organizations today." (Carter, xi) Managers, especially at the highest level, must organize the tasks of their