In Our Textour Iceberg Is Melting Kotter Provides A Story

In Our Textour Iceberg Is Melting Kotter Provides A Story Based Scena

In our text Our Iceberg Is Melting , Kotter provides a story-based scenario of a situation needing a change intervention. Review the reading from our text and state how Kotter’s last four steps (5 through 8) were applied in the story (two paragraphs), and then reflect on an organizational change effort that you are familiar with from the past (you can use the same organizational change effort you used for Module One) using Kotter’s last four steps (5 through 8) to diagnose the strengths and weaknesses of the change effort. Make sure to include what was done well, what was done poorly, and what was lacking in the change effort (two paragraphs, for a total of four paragraphs).

Paper For Above instruction

In John Kotter’s paradigm depicted in the book "Our Iceberg Is Melting," the last four steps of his change model—steps 5 through 8—are crucial for solidifying and anchoring the change within the organization. Step 5, "Generate Short-Term Wins," was exemplified by the story’s characters celebrating early successes, which helped to build momentum and reinforce the belief that the change was possible. Recognizing achievements motivated the team and helped diminish resistance, fostering a sense of accomplishment that encouraged ongoing effort. Step 6, "Consolidate Gains and Produce More Change," involved leveraging the credibility of initial wins to tackle more challenging areas of the organization. The story illustrated how characters used early victories to push through doubters and motivate broader participation, which is essential for sustaining momentum and ensuring the change became embedded in organizational routines. Step 7, "Anchor New Approaches in the Culture," was demonstrated by the characters emphasizing the importance of new behaviors becoming part of the organizational culture, evidenced by shifts in norms and attitudes towards change. This anchoring helped prevent regression to old ways by reinforcing new practices through ongoing support and leadership alignment. Lastly, Step 8, "Institute Change in the Organizational Culture," was portrayed as the characters institutionalizing the new approaches through policies, traditions, and shared values, which secured the long-term sustainability of the change.

Reflecting on a personal experience with organizational change, I recall a restructuring initiative in a mid-sized manufacturing firm. The effort initially succeeded in implementing new technological processes, but its long-term sustainability was questionable. Applying Kotter’s last four steps reveals both strengths and weaknesses in that change effort. The organization did well in generating short-term wins by quickly demonstrating the benefits of new technology, which helped garner initial support. However, what was lacking was a focus on consolidating gains; management failed to reinforce the new procedures consistently, leading to confusion and inconsistent application among staff. The organization also fell short in anchoring new behaviors into the culture, as old routines persisted, and resistance from long-standing employees slowed full adoption. Furthermore, the change lacked systemic embedding, such as updating policies and norms to reflect the new way of working, which compromised the initiative's sustainability in the long run. Overall, this experience highlights the need for continuous reinforcement and cultural integration to ensure lasting change.

References

Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading Change. Harvard Business Review Press.

Cameron, E., & Green, M. (2015). Making Sense of Change Management. Kogan Page.

Burke, W. W. (2017). Organization Change: Theory and Practice. SAGE Publications.

Appreciative Inquiry. (2013). Willingness to Change. https://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu

Hiatt, J. (2006). ADKAR: A Model for Change in Business, Government, and Our Community. Prosci.

Holian, R. (2017). The importance of cultural change in organizational transformation. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org

Burnes, B. (2017). Managing Change. Pearson Education.

Kotter, J. P. (2012). Accelerate! Harvard Business Review, 90(11), 44-58.

Prosci. (2020). Best Practices in Change Management. Prosci Research Report.

Cameron, E., & Green, M. (2012). The Power of Appreciative Inquiry. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.