change management

Change is a pandemic fact of life… it is coming at us from all directions…

Success as a leader in a modern organisation, government or state enterprise is, to a great extent, about managing complexity; and the often overwhelming challenge is that of managing and leading in a dynamic and constantly changing landscape. It is said that ‘the future is no longer what it used to be’; true words spoken about the conundrum that we face….which is- how to chart a steady and solid course through those waves of change, and also how to ride those waves so that the organisation remains ‘cutting edge’, innovative and able to respond quickly to new opportunities. This against the backdrop of technological advancements, consumerism, increased competition in just about every industry and the exponential growth of the body of knowledge in this age of information makes this task even more of a challenge.

One of the most important priorities in all of this, is to ensure that when processes, systems, products, technologies, markets, and structures change…the people within the organisation buy into what is happening, stay on board and are properly trained and transitioned into the new way. The reality, in most organisations where change is a constant part of the landscape, is that employees often feel disconnected from where and how decisions are made, they are required to ‘do’ and ‘be’ the change, but have had no part in creating it. Typically this leads to:

  • Insecurity, anxiety, a lack of safety
  • A drop in productivity
  • People being afraid to take risks or make mistakes which in turn stifles their ability to think creatively and solve problems
  • People feeling disconnected and confused
  • Change fatigue, stress and burnout
  • Change efforts that are unsustainable and unsupported
  • Insufficient effort being spent on transitioning people, building their change resilience or transferring skills

….all of which have a serious and negative impact on the overall ‘wellness’ of the organisation.

The emphasis in most organisations is all about achieving success (ROI, shareholder value, etc). There is a direct correlation between success and quality results; which in turn are directly linked to the strategy and all activities and projects being successfully delivered. This is where the ‘change effort’ is normally directed. It is focused on delivering a set of outputs/changes that will move the organisation from ‘here’ to ‘there’.

In the rush to get things done, it is our belief that not enough effort is channelled towards creating and supporting a culture which is ready, resilient and excited by change; where people are encouraged to develop a quality of planning and thinking that would initiate change and where they are supported through the process with properly planned interventions and engagement.

Our Approach towards offering change management support

Our approach is to ensure that the change initiatives are leader led, and that through the process, leaders are encouraged to ‘show up’ as vulnerable, open, engaging, visible, curious and supportive.

It is also to ensure that the change effort is supported by a change in the way people communicate with each other in their teams, share ideas, ‘think’ together, plan together, encourage and acknowledge each other.

Lastly it is to ensure that people are supported at an individual level by programmes and initiatives designed to build their personal resilience, have ‘crucial conversations’, and enable the ‘letting go’ of the old to embrace the ‘new beginnings’.

  • First focus is on the leadership team
  • Customised team interventions to build a collaborative and enabling culture that is change ready
  • Building Personal Resilience sessions
  • Letting go and new beginnings workshops
  • Underpinned by regular leadership engagement sessions and ongoing daily communication