Question

LDR 615 Organizational Development and Change Entire Course In a paper (1,000-1,250 words), address the following: 1) What is the objective of the Great Game of Life (GGOL) program? 2) Should Simmons implement the GGOL? Why or why not? Give at least two reasons based on the case study for your position. 3) How did the Charlotte’s Pride video influence your position on the use of GGOL to change Simmons? 4) Assuming the GGOL will be implemented, regardless of your position, what steps would you take to ensure positive results? Include at least three steps and stages of implementation. 5) How might the GGOL program affect the managerial or employee culture of Simmons? 6) How can the emotional elements associated with change be managed and or leveraged? Support your position. Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. This assignment uses a grading rubric. Instructors will be using the rubric to grade the assignment; therefore, students should review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations for successful completion of the assignment.

Answer 1

GREAT GAME OF LIFE (GGOL) PROGRAM    

The Great Game of Life (GGOL) is an excellent change program whose major activity is to foster individual growth to assist individuals to arrive at better decisions to live a better life through making a better decision to choose growth over fear. It is an important program that aims at teaching employees hot to reach their full potential on an individual level first and then they will be able to reach their full potential collectively as a team. It is a program, which encourages team building exercises and group solving in the work environment.

Simmons ought to have implemented the Great Game of Life (GGOL) program because it has great benefits that will positively affect the individual and the organization. The first reason that I believe that Simon should implement the GGOL program is due to the fact that the program focuses the change management in the individual initially. It believes that the person will see the benefits of the changes on their own personal level and then they will be inspired to change their work environment as well. For example it reminds me on build a brick wall is strong overall due to the fact that each brick is individually strong (Anderson, 2012). Next, I believe that Simmons should implement GGOL is due to the fact that it encourages team work among the employees and between the managers and the employees. Furthermore, the GGOL program builds trust in the organization and it is essentially to any organization growth and survival. The physical events were designed to accomplish team building as well as to encourage individuals to go beyond their own self imposed limits. The participants were to have a direct experience of exceeding their own experiences and expectations of what they-and their group members could achieve.

           

Charlotte Pride video was an amazing example of how a little faith and investment can change an entire work environment. The Charlotte plant had very poor working environment that was by a poor leadership style by the plant manager and supervisors. The leaders had a perception that they had to have a dictatorship style approach in order for the leaders to listen and obey their work orders. The plant manager was the first to dive into the program because he knew that something had to be done about their work culture and the GGOL sounded like the right solution. The plant manager leadership style changed from a dictatorship leadership style to a more engaging leadership approached and the employees responded accordingly. A few employees were making plans on leaving the company before the GGOL program but they decided to stay after they saw the change from the manager. The program changed the relationship in the plant into a team building environment that went on to become plant of the year in 2001. Hence, this is a great example of how the program can inspire individual leaders to improve themselves and encourage team building exercise and projects.

The GGOL is a great program to implement but with any program, they must be effective ways of implementing the program successfully in the organization. I would impose the three steps in order to successfully implement the GGOL program based on Kotter 8 step change model. It requires the creation of sense urgency. Hence, in order to create some change in the work environment, it must be required and accepted by majority of team members. Therefore urgency and willingness to seek the change must begin with the managers first and then to the employees. One must talk honestly to the employees concerning the required change and welcome their input as well as suggestions. Stakeholders and customers are also a good source to strengthen the argument for change and sense of urgency

1. Create a vision for the required change. A clear and concise vision is necessary to selling a vision to any person or organization. A vision simply allows everyone to understand why they are being asked to do something and how you expect it to be completed. A vision provides a short insight into the future and what the end will look like after implementing the change. Finally, a strategy must be developed to complete the vision from the start to the end.
2. Remove obstacles. Thus, to successfully implement any change, it is important to identify the obstacles or resistance which may hinder a successful program completion. Any guidelines that will hurt the program implementation must be done away with or mitigated. Programs can change and team members can be counseled concerning why change implementation is required at the workplace. In addition, there is possibility of leadership change if the leaders are against the change but if they are supporting the change, then they should be openly rewarded.

The GGOL program affects the relationship between the employees and the management through encouraging teamwork as well as relationship building. Before, the GGOL program was initiated and implemented, most workplace settings had poor communication skills and low employee morale at their workplace. As a result, it is a program that created change in the individual managers and employers first and then spread throughout the workplace (Klarner, 2011). In addition, if the culture support a positive attitude towards change, it is more likely that the working environment will become successful at it trade, customers will get great products and services. In addition, employees are likely to stay with the company because they benefit and enjoy the company. However, the only negative effect is any resistance to change that will more likely come from some team members.

            There are instances where emotions will come into effect, especially when dealing with organizational change or any type of change for that matter. In addition, change is not an easy element to deal with and it can become quiet stressful in various situations. Hence, the more drastic the change, the more stress and emotions is effective counselors and team building exercises. Counseling will allow the employee to express their concerns and feelings towards the change and how they believe it will affect them. In addition, team building exercises is regarded as an effective way to get the person who is involved and who might be experiencing any form of emotional distress because of the change.

            In summary, any organizational change has never and will never become easy thing to sell in any organization, so it is necessary to have effective programs in place to ensure that change is easier in the workplace. The Great Game of Life (GGOL) is such a program because it focuses on the individual change first and then spread towards the entire working environment. Thus, there must be effective ways and means to deal with emotional distress during the change. GGOL is a great program that is used adequately can transform a poor work environment into a competitive organization.