Session on Change Management for MBA Students

Embark College held a Change Management session to students in the MBA program as a module in Strategic Leadership and Change. Mr. Diwash Thapa, the Managing Director of Talent connects, facilitated the session and was aimed at imparting some practical knowledge to the students in how to estrange change in an organization. The program was meant to enhance the knowledge of students on change management by relating theory with practical leadership skills. Mr. Thapa started the session by elaborating on the concept of change in modern organizations by pointing out that change is an unending factor that is usually complicated. Based on his professional experience, he expounded on how leaders are very crucial in leading organizations through the process of transitioning, be it due to growth, restructuring, technological development, or market forces. Students could receive insights to comprehend human and strategic aspects of change beyond conceptual frameworks by his insights. The meeting discussed the most important aspects of effective change management, such as communicating with the leader, aligning with the stakeholders, and the organizational culture. Mr. Thapa emphasized the significance of expectant resistance and its control with the help of transparency, empathy, and inclusion in the decision-making process. Real-life examples were presented to show that change programs can be successful or fail depending on leadership strategy and organizational preparedness and thus enable students to apply academic principles with business real-life situations. Interactive discussions were a significant aspect of the session, and students were actively involved in it by questioning and case-based reflections. The issues of guiding teams through uncertainty, the need to balance short-term performance with long-term change, creating change-ready organizations were discussed. Mr. Thapa offered practical information on how the future leaders should develop resilience and adaptability in their teams, and the module supports the similarity to the professional practice. Towards the conclusion of the session MBA students developed a better idea of change management as a strategic leadership challenge, but not a strictly operational process. The session helped them to be more critical in examining change initiatives and think of the leadership behaviors needed in effecting change. It also challenged students to compare their personal leadership styles and readiness to introduce change in the complicated organizational practices. This session was a valuable addition to the learning outcomes of the Strategic Leadership and Change module and the emphasis needed by the Embark College on experiential and industry-oriented education. It is through the academic industrial relationships that the institution has remained committed to equip the MBA students with practical knowledge and leadership insights that they will require in their journey of adaptation to change in the dynamic business world today.