Final answer:
The key to successful change management is balancing short term operational needs with long term strategic vision. The phrase completes as 'short term' for immediate efforts and 'long term' for future goals, considering the dynamic between easily changed elements and stable, lasting ones.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the most important activities of change management is selecting and prioritizing the optimal change(s) to undertake at any time, balancing short term operational needs with long term strategic vision. The correct option is a. Short, long. This involves assessing which changes will benefit the organization immediately and which will contribute to its long-term success and stability. Change management must weigh factors that are a. short term and easily changed against those that are d. long term, stable and not easily changed to effectively navigate an organization through its evolutionary path.
This decision-making process is crucial because it includes consideration of both the micro and macro perspectives. The micro perspective might focus on managing immediate, operational aspects that are more susceptible to change, while the macro perspective deals with the overarching strategic direction that is intended to be enduring and stable. Challenges such as polarization, where people or groups divide between two extremes on an issue, must be managed by seeking a balance between short-term needs and long-term goals. Successful change management will also require collaboration, as indicated by the give-and-take necessary in domestic policymaking. Additionally, identifying achievable and appropriate changes is integral to the process, where setting realistic goals and planning how to accomplish them is a key step.