Learner Outcome: Design ICT systems for an organization to track flexible work arrangements and report related metrics.

Course: INMGT 750 Organization Development | 3 cr. | Fall 2024

Artifact: 

In fall 2024, I took a course called Organizational Development, where I investigated the inner workings of a business process and proposed an Organizational Development (OD) intervention. To accomplish this, I examined the organization’s structure, performance metrics, and opportunities for improvement. I then created a current state process map, performed a force-field analysis to evaluate readiness for change, designed a future state, and developed a change management plan. I concluded the project with my ideas for measuring the intervention's impact on the company's operations. The linked paper describes each step of the project, which I then used to summarize the information and present it with the corresponding PowerPoint.

Work sample:

Flexible Work Arrangement (paper)

Flexible Work Arrangement (PowerPoint)

Self-Reflection:

What did you learn?

I learned about the practice of organization development and how to lead both internal and external organizational change. This included gaining knowledge about OD theories, models, process, research, and the application of OD principles. I learned how to develop and lead change initiatives that enable organizations to be more strategic and competitive.

I gained hands-on experience using Kurt Lewin’s Force-Field Analysis to evaluate the chance of success for a change initiative. This tool maps factors, communicating the causes of resistance by looking at Driving Forces (positive factors supporting change) versus Restraining Forces (negative factors resisting change).

I also learned to use Kurt Lewin’s three-stage change model (Unfreeze, Move, Refreeze). This model is praised for its simplicity and its focus on the psychological aspect of change. Effective change requires weakening restraining forces or strengthening driving forces to reach a tipping point. I learned how to take a structured approach to rolling out change by managing the human element across the three stages: preparing the organization (creating urgency, building buy-in), the implementation (learning new behaviors, navigating uncertainty), and the final refreezing stage (reinforcing new policies and integrating practices into culture).

How did you learn this?

I completed a project throughout the semester that involved designing information and communication technologies systems for an organization to track flexible work arrangements (FWA) and report related metrics.

My organization development intervention was designed to improve the FWA process at my workplace, which enables employees to work remotely or hybrid instead of fully onsite. The current state of this process is not streamlined; it includes steps in both ServiceNow and Workday. Issues like untracked configurations, unupdated address fields, and data disconnects between job requisitions and employee profiles were common. My goal was to make the process more automated, less frustrating, and more likely to be followed by employees to ensure accurate metric reporting and policy enforcement. To understand the workflow, I began by interviewing the subject matter expert and process owner.

I used Kurt Lewin’s Change Model as the overarching structure for the entire project, addressing both technical and human elements. This model consists of three main steps: Unfreezing, Moving, and Freezing.

Stage 1: Unfreezing. The goal here was to prepare the organization by identifying issues and building motivation for improvement. This involved reviewing the structure and culture of the organization and the intervention department, analyzing performance metrics, and documenting key challenges and opportunities. I created a current state process map and identified stakeholders who were either directly involved in the process, serving as change advocates, or providing necessary input.

I used the force-field analysis tool during the Unfreezing stage to evaluate the organization’s readiness for the change. This tool is commonly used for decision-making surrounding a change. I defined the change objective, identified the driving forces and restraining forces, assigned a numerical strength score to each, and evaluated the totals to determine which forces to focus on improving. This visualization helps determine whether the change is likely to be successfully implemented or if the project should be postponed.

Stage 2: Moving (Transition/Change). The goal was to implement the intervention and actively manage the transition. This required defining a vision statement, strategic plan, initial KPIs, and designing a future state process map. I then developed a change management plan, which included the communication strategy, resistance management, training, evaluation strategies, potential risks, KPI refinement, and implementation into the production environment.

Stage 3: Freezing. The final step was to solidify the changes and make them part of the organizational culture. This involved designing the Monitoring and Evaluation component, where I created a table of KPIs and measurement methods to accurately measure the impact of the intervention on the company's operations.

What were some challenges that you overcame?

One challenge was understanding the details of the workflow, including who does what, when, and how different systems interact. I overcame this by meeting with the subject matter expert multiple times and taking extensive notes. Creating a process map in Visio also helped me visualize the workflow.

Another challenge was determining which steps were working well versus those that were not, identifying limitations, and assessing the feasibility of technology-based efficiency improvements. This included balancing the value versus the effort required for any proposed change.

A final challenge was developing the change management plan, as I did not have a lot of experience creating this at the time. Dealing with the psychological factors of change - communicating benefits, building readiness, creating training, managing resistance, and developing evaluation strategies - can be tough. I overcame this by taking it one step at a time, getting clarity on what would improve and what was being asked of people, as this communication is crucial to preventing project failure.

How will you apply this information in the future?

I am now able to apply the full cycle of organizational development to my current and future roles, enabling me to assist the organization with process improvement. I possess the foundational knowledge of popular change frameworks and how to execute each step: identifying challenges and opportunities, determining organizational readiness for change (using the balance of supporting versus resisting forces), mapping the current state, and envisioning a desired future state. I am now able to use a comprehensive change management plan to successfully roll out organizational change, and I understand the importance of the final step: monitoring and evaluating the change after implementation. The finished paper and PowerPoint demonstrate my ability to synthesize complex process information, present it clearly to leaders, and provide actionable recommendations for informed decision-making and next steps.

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