Case preparation Organizational Change Planning and...

Case preparation - Organizational Change: Planning and Implementing Teams at AAL and IPS Analysis context - â€Å" Organizational Change and development† Major Players and Issues - Aid Association for Lutherans Insurance Product Services department of AAL Richard Gunderson, CEO AAL Jerry Laubentstein , Department Head, IPS Team members of IPS Discuss the Issue: The Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL) is a large fraternal benefit society with a large insurance business. The insurance business is handled by the Insurance Product services Department. During the period starting in 1985, AAL and the IPS department specifically, went through an organizational metamorphosis. IPS was originally a traditionally functioning, hierarchal†¦show more content†¦PLANNED CHANGE 1. Unfreeze - This was so interesting to read about. The â€Å"unfreeze† phase took a lot of courage especially since this was not a company in crisis. Although concerns were mentioned, nothing really stood out as a motivating factor to induce fundamental change. So - the consultant Bob Janson, helped to coagulate the feeling of guilt through finding the â€Å"Positive Dissatisfaction† within the organization at AAL. I was engrossed reading about the snapshot in time they created by performing structured interview through a diagonal cross section of the company. Through the interviews, the gap between where the company wanted to be and where it really was became clear. They used this as a tool to work on the employees and get them on board with the planned organizational transformation. Through the process of change at the corporate level, the inclination for restructuring at IPS grew. It was fully supported by the new management team. IPS had several concerns around w hich to formulate the reason for change. They set some broad parameters, which they then designed into a detailed plan. Communication became the most important thing at this point, which they struggled with for a while, due to the sheer size of the department in terms of head count. During this communication effort, the rationale for change, minor