What you will study
One of the first challenges of change is that it is by nature unpredictable and uncertain as everything that is related to the future must be. We cannot guarantee that what we predict will unfold in the way we plan nor when other factors or events will intervene that we did not foresee. We certainly cannot predict the reactions or actions of other people – our colleagues, our customers, competitors or other stakeholders. As we change, or plan to change, they are doing the same thing. In this sense everything is shifting and moving making it impossible to be precise or certain.
This uncertainty means that people have different reactions to change. You may embrace change, see it as an opportunity to improve the situation. You may plan rationally and logically to make a transition or major transformation that makes complete sense to you. However, as a manager you probably recognise that change often fails as a result of the inability to take others with you on the journey.
Other people’s reactions to change may be negative. Change that is not asked for, or welcomed, or well planned for, is stressful and unsettling. You may even encounter active resistance to change. These and other situations are common in our workplace and so this course looks at change from the perspective of managers in organisations and makes some suggestions on how to deal with these particularly challenging situations.
How change arises, how we describe it, and how people respond to different types of change are explored using a range of models and techniques. As a manager or prospective manager, it is highly likely that you will be expected to play a role in the successful design, implementation and embedding of change programmes. This requires you to have some alternative strategies, a range of skills, some knowledge of how it is done well and a menu of techniques to draw upon in order to be more successful as a manager of change.
In this course we explore what drives change, the different types of change, where the barriers and boundaries are to be found and what managers can do to understand and manage these in the context of their own organisation.
There are consequences for organisations that fail to change, those that try to change but fail, and those that are constantly changing. In fact, very many change programmes fail to produce the benefits they set out to achieve. There are many reasons why change can fail. You will be introduced to how some organisations innovate and continuously improve their operations successfully and the crucial role that managers play.
This course is intended to help you to think critically about change programmes in your own organisation and devise strategies that are more likely to make you a successful change manager by applying new skills and models to your own specific context. The strong link between course learning and your work practice creates relevant, enduring and transferable outcomes. It requires no more than 25 hours of your time in total, over whatever period suits you. Register online today and start tomorrow – no need to wait!
The course features the distinctive strengths of The Open University (OU) from its years of expertise in work-based learning:
- The convenience of accessing its clearly presented and sequenced materials, activities and support whenever suits you and wherever you have access to the dedicated website – if you prefer, you can print key materials to work on them offline.
- The support of an expert learning adviser who can clarify study materials, answer questions and help you relate the course to your specific needs.
- A work-based activity helping you to connect the course to your individual and organisational context and needs. A learning adviser will review your work-based activity and provide personal feedback.
- Certification of completion from the OU for those who complete the course. You can use this to demonstrate your continuing professional development (CPD) activity to your employer and/or professional body. (NB The course does not carry academic credit points.)
You will learn
After completing this course you should be able to:
- describe a significant change that has arisen in your organisation and explain what is driving that change
- understand the nature and implications of different types of change
- apply a number of approaches to identify potential barriers to the change you are managing
- critically evaluate change programmes to identify effective and less effective management approaches in a given context
- identify strategies that can help make you a more effective change manager in future.
Vocational relevance
Successful completion of the course enables us to recognise your achievement of the course learning by issuing an OU certificate that you can use to document your commitment to continuing professional development in your personal portfolio, or to provide evidence to employers or professional body.
Professional recognition
Successful completion of the course enables us to recognise your achievement of the course learning by issuing an OU certificate that you can use to document your commitment to continuing professional development in your personal portfolio, or to provide evidence to employers or professional body.
Learner support
Expert, confidential learner support is available when you need it from a learning adviser, who will respond to you direct within 24 hours. Other support is available via the course forum, library, StudentHome website and computing helpdesk.
Work-based activity
The work-based activity for this course has been designed as an integrated ongoing activity that you submit at the end of your study. It will allow you to reflect on your learning and how to use it in your professional work.