To facilitate growth, every organization has to undergo the process of change at some point. Changes could be aimed to accommodate the employees to a different working format or to eliminate the problems that are undermining corporate efficiency. When considering the proper organizational behavior for a company, one often looks for answers on the internet. The Internet offers many ideas, but it is often difficult to discern reliable and unreliable information. To benefit from the instructions, one has to be able to process the available data and identify whether or not it applies to the situation at hand. The object of this paper is to take an article found on the internet and analyze the organizational behavior practices it offers.
The first organizational behavior practice offered in this paper is a practice of planning for change (Levis, 2016). Usually, the process of planning identifies the problems or setbacks that hinder the company. The change is meant to target these problems and eliminate them. This advice is rather general and vague. Still, it could be applied to multiple situations. To deal with various organizational drawbacks, they must be identified first. The planning process is the first step for any kind of action.
The article promotes a system of positive feedback to assure the growth of the employees (Levis, 2016). This system is meant to replace the practice of having annual evaluations. I believe this is a very good idea. Yearly evaluations do not motivate the employees beyond meeting a certain bar that is set from one year to another. Positive feedback, on the other hand, would promote voluntary growth that would not feel forced. A healthy spirit of competition could be incorporated into this practice.
Group thinking is another idea suggested for facilitating positive change. It suggests uniting the employees by introducing a common goal and purpose to achieve better results (Levis, 2016). While I agree with this idea, I feel like the employees should not become too familiarized with each other. Too much familiarization could lead to unhealthy working relationships and bad habits where certain employees cover for the other peoples’ slack. Another danger presented by such unity would be in the possibility of the workers forming a brotherhood of some kind to promote their interests while disregarding the interests of the company.
Measuring change is an essential organizational behavior practice. Without the possibility to measure change, it is impossible to figure out whether or the change was successful. The article proposes surveys as a primary method of doing so (Levis, 2016). It is good advice. If the changes were successful in addressing the underlying problems, they should result in a net increase in the company’s performance. However, it must be noted that not all changes lend immediate results. Often, it requires some time to pass for the positive effect to become apparent. The opinions of employees are important source feedback. However, it is unreliable. To utilize these opinions to assess the situation, one must make sure they are reflecting the actual state of affairs in the company, rather than saying what they think the leaders want them to say. A degree of familiarity and trust between the employers and the employees is necessary for this effort to succeed.
References
Lewis, J. (2016). Organizational Behavior Practices That Foster Positive Change in the Workplace. Web.