Organizational Change

Change is difficult for individuals because it evokes a wide array of emotions. For some change brings energy and excitement while for most, it brings feelings of fear, uneasiness, and stress. With most organizational change, there is typically some resistance and barriers from employees and within the organization’s structure than can impede change. The organization I work for has had three CEOs in the past ten months; a new CEO was hired March 31, 2014. Poor leadership over the past years has caused low morale, feelings of peer injustice, organizational injustice, and poor communication resulting in lack of team work. Change is needed in the organization to improve teamwork and productivity; this begins with communication. Organizations lacking teamwork struggle with morale and the ability to achieve their goals and mission (Stonehouse, 2011).

The change needed in the organization is improved communication between staff. Communication will build teamwork, increase productivity of the organization, and assist in a financially stable organization. Prior to the change of communication, the staff needed to address the hiring of a new CEO. The staff at the organization knew change was going to occur because a new male CEO was hired. In the history of the organization there has never been a male CEO. Staff’s immediate response upon hearing who the new CEO was feelings of uncertainty. According to Borkowski, (2005), "some of the most widely cited barriers are feelings of uncertainty based on the unknown, reduction in personal and need fulfillment, real or perceived stress, loss of status or personal comfort zones, and loss of equilibrium and personal power" (p.382). One staff member said “I’ve been here over 20 years if I do not like him I am leaving in two weeks” (S. Smith personal communication, March 2014). The new CEO was unknown to the majority of the staff; therefore feelings of the unknown were felt. Loss of status was a concern for a few staff members because of relationships with previous the previous CEO. Loss of equilibrium was felt once again by staff due to the changes of a third CEO within ten months. The majority of staff had a history of working in the organization for eight-twenty years. The rest of the staff had only a history of two weeks to three years, so they also experienced the changing of two CEO’s and one interim CEO. All staff felt stress because of the changes. The new CEO brought a change in communication; in the first staff meeting he presented his rules, entitled "Chuck's Rules."

Chuck’s Rules

• Punctuality: Be on time for meetings, assignments and deadlines. You must

communicate ASAP if not able to meet agreed upon deadline.

• Teamwork: All of