Managing Change
Crises are typically considered a motivator for change. Admittedly, periods of crisis impose significant losses upon organizations. Organizations are said to be in crisis immediately after losing strategic objectives. Crisis manifests in the form of overwhelming immediate and future priorities. These situations often compel organizations to modify their strategy. Ironically, some organizations refuse to bend to the restrictions imposed by a crisis.
Resistance to change and threat rigidity are the two most common causes of indifference to the need for change. On the one hand, resistance is a trait inherent to the human condition. Whenever a situation compromises the status quo and introduces uncertainty about the future, human beings tend to show resistance (Mc-Graw Hill Education, 2017) automatically. Resistance manifests notwithstanding the nature of the expected change. Second, threat rigidity, a scenario where organizations faced with change default to known solutions, is the second most significant barrier to change during periods of crisis (Mc-Graw Hill Education, 2017). Threat rigidity involves the deferment of innovative processes in favor of solutions proven to have worked in the past.
In the year 2016, Southwest Airlines suffered a crippling system-wide technology failure. The organization’s key systems, including its website, went offline for the better part of 12hours leading to flight cancellations (Reed, 2019). In responding to this crisis, Southwest Airlines overlooked the potential of social media in giving disconcerted customers a voice. Hours after the cancellations, the company’s twitter network went offline as it became overwhelmed by requests. A similar mistake in handling clients brought down the company’s Instagram presence.
As a manager, I recognize the crucial importance of open communication channels to the conduct of business. In the Southwest Airlines case, providing an avenue for customers to air their restrictions was one of the critical factors needed to protect customer loyalty. Another critical consideration would be to implement strategies such as preemptive thinking to anticipate and mitigate the effects of unforeseen events such as the present.
References
Reed, D. (2019). As it approaches 50, Southwest is dealing with mature airlines’ kinds of problems. forbes.com/sites/danielreed/2019/02/21/all-grown-up-as-it-approaches-50-southwest-is-dealing-with-mature-airlines-kinds-of-problems/#9636d7a7a7e8
Mc-Graw Hill Education. (2017). Chapter 3: Why change? [PowerPoint]