1. Select one of the following tools: the nine steps in Anderson & Anderson’s roadmap for change, Cummings and Worley’s five dimensions of leading and managing change, or the three components of organizational change. Explain how a leader could use this tool in guiding an organizational change. Review several of your peers’ posts. Respond to two peers who did not choose the same tool as you. Discuss the similarities and differences between the tools. Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length

I think a leader could use Ackerman’s nine steps and three spheres of participation to successfully guide an organization through change and to maintain it viable and competitive edge (Anderson & Anderson, 2004, p. 1,2; Godin, 2001). After all, Godin (2001) insists that today’s companies and businesses must be dynamic to accommodate changes, adapt strategies and do so in processual ways. Accordingly, the Ackerman model of change and its continuous circle of interactions is the most suitable.

Since Anderson & Anderson (2004) insist that change embodies “[…]1) Content (the organizational and technical areas you must change); 2) People (the mindset, behavioral and cultural changes required to deliver your content changes); and 3) Process (the actions required to plan, design, and implement ALL of your changes (content and people) in an INTEGRATED and UNIFIED manner)”, the nine areas Anderson & Anderson (2004) detail merely demonstrate how and why these three spheres are connected (p. 2, 3). After all, preparing for change, assessing the internal and external environment, designing the content and the desired state, visualizing and discerning the impacts of the desired changes, planning for implementation, implementing them, celebrating and integrating them to form a new state of the company and the business and continuous improvement should be a part of every business and its daily operations. After all, the daily business environment is subject to expected and unexpected changes both in demands and supplies (Godin, 2001). Meeting and exceeding expectations and celebrating the ways the companies does this are critical.

  1. I think the loss of Steve Jobs as Apple’s CEO will inevitably change Apple. Employees will lack the guidance and experience Jobs had, his analytical ability and innovative, entrepreneurial spirit. Customers will continue to build applications for the iPhone or iPad and Apple will continue to benefit from these people’s efforts (ABCNews.com, 2011). However, competitors do exist, as so applications for numerous devices and platforms. Accordingly, Apple will be hard-pressed to maintain its position within the market.

For investors, of course, all of these losses prove daunting, at best. Faced with decisions about future viability, innovation and even Apple’s ability to adapt and accommodate change, investors have tough decisions. Given the rise in patent disputes launched by Apple and against Apple since Jobs’ death, the problems with its global supply chain and its management, most certainly, Apple will have to change.

How Apple will change under its new CEO, how well Tim Cook is able to develop appropriate content and products, anticipate consumer demand and needs and translate those unmet needs and demands to products, jobs, profits and dividends remains largely unknown. Yet, it he learned anything from Steve Jobs and his style, perhaps, Cook should revisit the Ackerman modal and its dynamic nature. After all, it reflects the environment in which Apple exists.

References

ABCNews.com. (Producer). (2011). Steve jobs resigns as apple ceo. [Web Video]. Retrieved

from

Anderson, L.A. & Anderson, D. (2004). The Change leader’s roundup. Retrieved from

Godin, S. (2001, December 31). Survival is not enough Fast Company, Retrieved from