Effective Change Strategy

SELF-SELECTED PROJECT ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

OVERVIEW
Developing as effective change agents incudes not only our continued education in effective change strategy, but it also requires us to help lead effective change. The Self-Selected Project is designed to address these two critical areas by either completing additional research about change or practicing change implementation by creating a training seminar in change. Read through the requirements of both options and consider which would be more beneficial to complete. This project will allow you further tailor your learning in the course and help you develop your leadership of change initiatives.

INSTRUCTIONS
The Self-Selected Project Assignment must meet the standards of the current edition of the APA manual for in-text citations, references, headings, grammar, spelling and mechanics.

The assignment will be submitted in two parts:

1. Quiz: Self Selected Project: Topic Submission
2. Self-Selected Project: PowerPoint Assignment or Self-Selected Project: Literature Critique Assignment

QUIZ: SELF SELECTED PROJECT: TOPIC SUBMISSION
OVERVIEW
To begin the Self-Selected Project, you will submit your preference for either completing a literature critique of a book of your choice or completing a training presentation on a change initiative of your choice. For Self-Selected Project: PowerPoint Assignment, you will develop a presentation that simulates a change implementation meeting. The presentation will be created in PowerPoint and the details can be found in the assignment instructions. If selecting this option, present the change idea/industry selected for approval. For Self-Selected Project: Literature Critique Assignment, you will prepare a literature critique of a book of your choice, and the details for this can be found in the assignment instructions. The book selected must be submitted for approval.
INSTRUCTIONS
To complete the Quiz: Self Selected Project: Topic Submission:
• Select either Self-Selected Project: PowerPoint Assignment or Self-Selected Project: Literature Critique Assignment.
• If you select the PowerPoint Assignment option, provide a brief paragraph that contains the organization in which you are suggesting the change, the change needed (what will the change be?), and rationale for your proposal. The submission should be no more than 75 words.
• If you select the Literature Critique, provide an APA reference that includes the bibliography information and a brief rationale for your selection (no more than 50 words).
SELF-SELECTED PROJECT: LEADING CHANGE POWERPOINT ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
OVERVIEW
Research continues to show that change is often met with resistance. Thus, to lead change well, we need to consider ways to help those are apprehensive to embrace the change. One technique to help with this is to communicate change well and help others see the reason for the change and their role in the change. By selecting the Leading Change PowerPoint, you are building your communication skills by creating a change strategy that would seek to accomplish several of these critical needs, from casting a vision and creating a sense of urgency to outlining specifics of how the change will occur.
INSTRUCTIONS
The student will develop a presentation that simulates a change implementation meeting, in which the presenter’s organization is about to undergo strategic change (Note: this presentation must be a different change initiative than the one explored in the Change Scenario Assignment).
The presentation will be created in PowerPoint and will present the following content in the slides. Each numbered item below should use the bolded wording as the slide’s heading (do not include the descriptive material that follows). You may use more than one slide for any particular aspect, but must include, at a minimum, the following slides with their headers.

1. Introduction: Provide introductory information.
2. Issue in Need of Change: Describe the organizational issue in need of change.
3. The Change Initiative: Present a clear description of the change that is being suggested.
4. Change Rationale: Explain the rationale for the selected change strategy.
5. Anticipated Issues and Challenges: Describe the issues and challenges to be addressed and how to overcome them.
6. Change Action Plan: Detail the action plan to be followed.
7. Conclusion: Finish with key concluding thoughts.
   In addition, the PowerPoint must integrate these artifacts (additional slides):
   • Organizational Hierarchy: Use a hierarchical illustration to show change oversight and reporting.
   • Communication Plan: Include a chart that marks key communication elements for the team leading change.
   • Responsibility Matrix: Include a chart that notes key activities and those responsible and those in support.
   • Timeline: Show a visual of the timeline change process.
   • References: Include a reference slide, in APA format, at the end.
   Each PowerPoint deck must include no fewer than 15 slides.
   • The slides must have descriptive narrative in the notes section of PowerPoint to explain the bullet points of the slide.
   o Do not use bullets in the notes section- use narrative paragraphs. This should be more than 1-2 two sentences to provide context to the slide.
   • Cite relevant research that helps justify the change process and techniques used.
   At least five references (within 5 years) must be included and one of them is to be Kotter’s text in addition to peer-reviewed journal or trade references. The change idea/industry selected must be from the approved topic in Module 3: Week 3.

Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.

Suggestions for effective PowerPoint presentations:
• Do not use complete sentences in your slides; avoid paragraphs.
• Use no more than 6-8 bullets – using no more than 6-8 words per bullet.
• Use “key words and phrases” instead.
• Explain the slide’s content within the note section.
• Do NOT use bullet statements in the notes section.
 
SELF-SELECTED PROJECT: LITERATURE CRITIQUE ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
OVERVIEW
There is a plethora of change literature in the marketplace today. Some works explore change from a personal or psychological perspective. Others describe change via experience or present a blueprint of how change should be implemented in organizations today. Of course, some combine elements from all of these to address change. One thing is certain – there is much to be gleaned from the expertise and experience of others, especially those who have been successful in today’s volatile business environment. By critiquing a noteworthy book on change, the project will help you glean these lessons while also seeing how such ideas compare and contrast with other thoughts on change in the literature.
INSTRUCTIONS
The student will prepare a literature critique of a book of the student’s choice. The book selected must have been submitted and preapproved. For this option, the student will read and analyze a book that explores organizational change. The book must be substantive and be directly related to organizational change. The book can reflect theory (e.g. Lewin), practice (e.g. Peter Drucker’s Managing in a Time of Great Change) or be biographical/descriptive (Howard Schultz’ Onward).
• The student will develop a 6–7-page critique of this text [plus a title page, abstract, and reference page(s)] evaluating the content in light of personal experience, current research, the course texts, as well as the Christian worldview.
• The paper will require a title page, abstract, and reference page.
• A minimum of 8 scholarly references, all course texts, and the Bible must be included. The critique will adhere to the following outline:
• Title page
• Abstract
• Body (6–7 pages)
o Introduction of the paper [2-3 paragraphs – provide a high-level overview of the paper (please use the title of the paper as your “introduction heading”)]
o Section 1: Summary of the Text (no more than 1–2 pages). This is a high-level, summarized overview of the book. Who is the author? What’s at the heart of the book? How does the book support organizational change? What are the key points?
o Section 2: Content Evaluation – Compare and contrast the central tenets of the book with personal experience, current research, the course texts, and biblical wisdom.
o Conclusion (2-3 paragraphs – provide a high-level recap of the paper)
• References

Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.