Summary

In study session V you have learnt

• Planning - The process of deciding what needs to be done in order to accomplish specific objectives
• Innovation can also be defined as to bring in something new; make changes in anything established; to bring in something new for the first time
• If change and innovation are going to be well managed, then you need good planning. As a manager, your role in change management is to be involved in that planning; both at the strategic organisational level, and at the operational or day to day level
• A change agent is a person who acts as a catalyst and facilitator, and manages part or all of the change process
• Stakeholders, whether they are employees, other managers, suppliers or customers, can influence how your change programs go, so it's important that you take their reactions into account
• Plan your communication strategy and you should know who you need to communicate with
• Effective, inclusive communication strategies help in Overcoming resistance to change
• The workplace culture may be of three types. One that accept change, one that resist change and one of continuous improvement, supporting change
• One way of dealing with the challenges of change and innovation is to create effective teams.
• Managing risks is an important part of managing change and innovation
• Risk management process involves: Identifying any issue in the change process - that could pose a risk. Assessing the risk - deciding how serious it is. Eliminating or controlling the risk. And finally, reviewing the risk management strategies to monitor and improve control measures and find safer ways of doing things
• In supporting individuals and teams you can use different approaches such as: Listening and responding to the concerns, providing a safe environment for the discussion, coaching and mentoring
• Coaching involves training learners, and encouraging them throughout the learning process and it is offered to individuals and teams with the aim of achieving superior performance or achieving a set goal
• Mentoring is the advice offered to an individual over a period of time; to assist their development and it can be applied successfully in the workplace to increase the capacity of individuals by encouraging the development of their latent or undeveloped abilities