Change is healthy, and it is needed in various organizations as they address evolving needs in the market. However, implementing change successfully is a major challenge facing different organizations in contemporary times. One of the major issues commonly involved with organizational transformation is resistance to change. People are wired to resist the unknown, and the underlying concept behind the change is a departure from the normal and known to something new that might or might not work as planned. Therefore, employees are mainly resistant to change because it would affect the way they conduct their day-to-day affairs.
In extreme cases, conflicts might arise among employees because some might be supporting the initiative while others are opposing. Another issue is preparation, as organizational transformation requires elaborate and meticulous planning. Therefore, change leaders should plan carefully to ensure that they address all the underlying issues and seal the majority of the loopholes that could be exposed in the process. Additionally, the change process is subject to setbacks, both foreseen and unforeseen. No system or process is foolproof, and thus those involved in organizational transformation have to anticipate any form of setback that might arise along the way.
Lack of proper communication is also another major barrier to successful change management. Employees are likely to speculate and spread rumors about how everyone would be affected by the proposed change, and thus without effective communication, leaders are likely to fail. Finally, employees might fail to embrace organizational transformation, which ultimately leads to failure.