All posts in February 2019

Change management and the employment of a change management dashboard is to ensure a smooth and controlled transition of change. The dashboard is a helpful tool for keeping information and making it easy to refer to.

Often in a business or organization, change is required in order to improve and develop. The survival and success of a business is partially dependent on how efficiently it can adapt itself to change. The business environment is constantly evolving and shifting and it is to a business advantage that it can adjust itself well enough to handle these changes.

Change management is essentially a framework or strategic plan on how to handle the transition of change from an existing system to a new or improved version of it. The smooth transition of systems is vital to maintaining the stability of an organization.

A change management dashboard could contain the main objectives of the changes being instituted to a system. It can be configured to display the information related to the progress of the changes being made and rate how well the changes are being done. This helps change management focus on the areas that might be delicate or sensitive to change and make the necessary adjustments to make the shift of systems easier.

A dashboard often is made up of metrics and reports, charts that show the progress on key performance indicators. It is a good way of keeping systems centered and focused on achieving its specified goals in the most efficient way possible.

Change is not always easy for companies that have long established their systems but have to now change them in order to remain relevant. Competition between companies fuel constant change and evolution, continuous improvement is need to stay ahead in the industry. This is why change management is important. It keeps the transition process on track and within the control of the companys management levels.

Change management dashboards are useful to this purpose, keeping the strategic plans for change and transition aligned to the goals of the company. It is an immediate report on the progress and effectiveness of the new system versus the old one.

It is imperative that the metrics used on a change management dashboard are accurate and also flexible. It can sometimes be quite hard to predict how an old system would react to being replaced or upgraded to a better or improved version. Being prepared for almost any foreseeable complication provides a company with readied resources and back up strategies should a difficulty arise.

In order for change management to work, it is imperative that all the individuals and groups involved have agreed to the change and are willing to institute them. Support from all levels is key to the successful transition of change. Everyone must be on the same page in order for a strategy to succeed.

A change management dashboard presents in clear and understandable terms exactly where the company is at present. It can also display the desired future of the company and the stages it has to undergo before it can reach that goal. Change management dashboard is a tool used to drive improvement and guide its progress towards measurable and achievable goals.

AUTHOR
Dr. Kenneth J Troon DBA MBA BBA

So you have good qualifications and good experience, you have seen it all, done it all, surely this entitles you to have a moral right to every good quality vacancy which comes along? Well, no it doesnt of course. No individual has a divine right to preference over other candidates and those who genuinely believe that they should are probably suffering from delusion. This is also somewhat of an arrogant attitude to have.

The fact is that someone with inferior qualifications and less experience may ultimately be better for the vacancy.

Employers tend to be less impressed by candidates touting past experiences and past achievements as justification for employment and more impressed by candidates who are well prepared, who research the vacancies professionally and prove not only how much they want the position, but how well suited they are for it.

The right candidate for the job should make it very easy for the employer to hire them!

We can learn a lot from perusing through a candidates CV, the candidates choice of education, professional qualifications and positions they have been employed in. They way in which the CV is written also tells us a great deal, whether the candidate is willing to take credit for achievements which were not really theirs to claim for example.

A CV which has been developed in a generic format clearly illustrates that the candidate just sends the same CV out for all vacancies.

Whether there is commitment to ongoing self-development or whether it is just something that the candidate did ten years ago. The candidates references are also important both in terms of whether they just about do what is required or whether they go that extra mile.

The fact is that candidates should be targeting the positions that they want.

They should be conducting significant research into both the position they want and into the respective organization and industry. They should develop a unique CV for each position for which they apply. They should prepare a detailed report and presentation leaving the employer in no doubt that they are head and shoulders above any other candidate who may apply, but this should be achieved by demonstrating substance, not by offering the employer empty boasts or promises.

Taking the time to implement a detailed professional career management strategy with a few positions that are tailor-made for you, will be far more productive than sending generic CVs out to thousands of employers when it will be somewhat obvious to them that you have not really put any thought or consideration into your application.

Many candidates just send their CVs out indiscriminately as attachments to standard or even blank emails and in the unlikely event that an employer actually contacts them they will invariably have no knowledge or understanding about the vacancy at all. It naturally follows that if you are unable or unwilling to put any effort into the development and implementation of your own career, then how much effort are you likely to put into the job if the organization employs you?

The list that follows here features the key critical career skills which we at the Academy of Business Strategy feel are important for a candidate to possess if they are going to succeed with their careers.

CRITICAL CAREER SKILLS (CCS)

1.Specific skills and experience rather than generic and the ability to target specific vacancies professionally.

2.A methodical approach to career planning and development.

3.The ability to be proactive rather than reactive.

4.An ongoing commitment to self-development. The more we learn, the more we realize how little we actually know!

5.Modesty and professional courtesy. The former portrays confidence and the latter conveys peer respect.

6.Preparation is everything. Thinking on your feet, while necessary at times, is always reactive by nature. Good preparation invariably avoids having to do this.