Planning for Effective Changes in an Organization.

Oludotun O. Odunmbaku

College of Aviation, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

MAVM 601: Leadership in Global Maintenance Organizations

Prof. Mark Reimann

February 05, 2023.

 Methods for Effectively Communicating Change in a Maintenance Environment
Share the Vision and Get Your Team to Believe.

To effectively communicate change in a maintenance environment the team needs to

believe there is a need for change in the first place and they need to be aware of what changes are

going to be. Every stake holder in the organization needs to know exactly what the change is,

why it is needed, and how the team plans to achieve it. According to Kouzes and Posner (2017),

this stage can also be known as enlisting others. Kouzes and Posner (2017) explained that this

stage is very critical for the implementation of change in the organization. Furthermore, they

emphasized that building support for a unified purpose is important for motivation throughout

the change process. In enlisting others, leaders should seek to identify the individuals who may

not fully support the change and try to give them an in-depth explanation of the vision and the

importance of going through with the vision.

Another method to effective communication of change is listening to the comments and

concerns from employees in the workplace. What are their thoughts about the change? Is there a

change they would rather see? Are they in support of the change and why? In aviation

maintenance, it is always important for leaders to seek the input of the maintainers as they

attempt to enlist them in the proposed changes. Questions such as how the changes will impact

maintenance activities, productivity, and the working environment in the organization should be

addressed. In addition, during the process of the change, it is important for leaders to appeal to

more personal or ethical values; thus, leaders must have some knowledge of their followers’

personal and ethical beliefs. Foltin and keller (2012) explained that when leaders explore a

personal or ethical approach using Emotional Intelligence (EI), followers are more inclined to

accept the change. The use of EI in communicating change is an attribute of transformational

leadership.
Creating an Inclusive Plan

As explained earlier, for the change to be effectively communicated, the team needs to

believe in the process. It is not enough to have a vision, having an inclusive plan is also an

important for the leader to acquire support from his team. Inclusivity is a big factor of change in

both small and large organizations; workers want to be part of the process and they want to feel

like they are an important part of the organization, and this will drive their motivation to see the

project through. According to Issah and Zimmerman (2016), change cannot occur without a plan,

and it is important for leaders to create an opportunity for their members to be engaged and

modify the project plans if they have ideas. Especially in aviation maintenance where the work

being done on the hanger floor is not always reflected in the planning offices, it is important to

have maintenance representatives whose job is to advice and relay information to the maintainers

conducting maintenance activities on the hangar floor. The maintenance representative,

essentially, serves as a link between the project team and the maintenance environment. Of

course, suggestions will need to be reviewed thoroughly to make sure they will be beneficial to

the success of the proposed change. Issah and Zimmerman (2016) explained that this stage is

important because if not properly executed, some individuals may feel isolated, and it may lead

to lack of support and failure of the project before it even kicks off.

What is in it for Me?

Personal benefit is another method to effectively communicate change. According to

Issah and Zimmerman (2016), the success of change in any organization is dependent on the

willingness of the employees to change. When employees do not feel a need to change because

they are comfortable with the current status quo or for other reasons, it becomes hard to convince

them that a change is required. Personal development, opportunity for financial growth, or a
reward for change may be a good way to effectively communicate change and motivate

employees in the organization. Leaders can set rewards for the change they seek to initiate in the

organization. A good example is a creating a safety award for who follow safety regulations and

keep a clean workspace during and after their maintenance activity. This will be a good starting

point if the goal is to increase safety in the organization. Using rewards as motivation is one of

the characteristics of transactional leadership.

Leadership Characteristics that are most Effective when Planning and Addressing Change

in an Organization

Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is an important part of planning and addressing change in the

organization. Managing change in a maintenance organization can be very overwhelming and

will require an emotionally intelligent leader to work through the numerous internal and external

changes that are bound to occur. According to Foltin and keller (2012), EI is the ability to

identify and manage emotions of both you and your team and channel such emotions to

positively influence communication, motivation, and teamwork while maintaining a productive

outlook. Very often, organizational transformation modifies the character of the organization and

disturbs stable employee relations; thereby, causing a sense of confusion and instability

(Azzopardi 2004). It is important to note that in aviation maintenance, production never stops

even when changes are going on in the work environment. Foltin and keller (2012) noted that

there are 5 integrated domains of EI, all of which are important to implementing effectively

change in the organization. The EI domains include self-awareness, motivation, self-regulation,

empathy, and social skill. In addition, EI can also be effective in managing resistance to change

which may include employees not wanting to leave their current roles for a more reformed

position if it will involve taking on more responsibilities. Issah (2018) indicated that rational and
irrational resistance to change should be expected in every organization. They further explained

that by using EI and social skills rational resistance which is based on feelings of non-

involvement can easily be addressed, whereas irrational resistance is more difficult to address

since it is often based on contentious reasons. All the domains of EI are required of leaders if

they are to make important and effective decisions in the organization.

Good Decision making

Decision making is another crucial aspect of planning and managing change in the

organization. Implementing change requires making a handful of important decisions correctly.

Decision-making is the process whereby an individual, group or organization reaches

conclusions about what future actions to pursue given a set of objectives and limits on available

resources (Russo 2014). Making one bad decision can have a ripple effect with great

ramifications on the deliverables. For example, take the expansion of a maintenance hangar to

accommodate more maintenance activities. For this type of project, leaders in such organizations

must make sure the planned expansion does not affect on going or scheduled maintenance

activities that may cause delays in productivity which may affect availability of aircraft for flight

leading to loss of customers and unpleasant financial implications for the organization. It will be

wise to plan such expansion for a period where there is minimal maintenance going on. In

addition, the project may also be divided into two phases to accommodate ongoing maintenance

activities. By splitting the project in half, the maintenance team can continue their work in one

section of the hanger while the expansion can be ongoing in the other half. Or better still a

temporary maintenance hangar can be constructed to support maintenance activities till the

expansion project is completed. Leaders need to carefully review the various options available to

them before making their decision. Decision making does not only apply to the daily operations
of the organization, it also important to personnel movement, production control, and roles and

responsibility allocation. It is important for leaders to have enough resources which will allow

them to make informed decision. Knowing the strengths and weakness of the team or the number

of resources available for a project are examples of informations vital to making informed

decisions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important that leaders looking to implement any type of change in an

organization needs to be fully equipped for the process. No leadership method is perfect; thus, it

is important for leaders in aviation maintenance to identify what type of leader they are, figure

out their strengths and weakness while also identifying possible reactions and hindrances to the

proposed change they plan to bring. After making all the initial research they can begin to

introduce their proposed changes to the team, ask for comments and opinions, and make

necessary changes to the plan. The reaction period is very important to making vital changes to

the plan for the organization. During this process, leaders will be able to use the comments and

opinions from the team to draw conclusions about their team strength and team dynamics. The

information acquired during this stage will go a long way in successfully implementing their

plan. Characteristics such as EI, resilience, good communication skills, inclusivity and good

decision making are vital attributes that must be adopted by all leaders irrespective of their

leadership type; it is all about having foresight and finding the best ways to deal with situations

when they arise.

 References
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Issah, M., & Zimmerman, J. (2016). A change model for 21st century leaders:The
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