HR’s Strategic Role in Organizational Change

“You can be on the right path but if you sit there long enough, you’re bound to get run over.”

- Will Rogers

People are Fundamental to Effective Change

Current way

(current state)

New way

(desired state)

Processes, systems, requirements

People (attitude, behavior, experience)

People are the key…

People First!

Change is …

Emotional!

Left Brain vs Right Brain

HR as Organizational Architect

. “Architects are not quite engineers and not quite artists, but can converse with both groups – and, more importantly, with the client to uncover needs, wishes, and an overall vision for the space they are helping to create.”

-Dave Ulrich

Functional Responsibilities of the Organizational Architect

Assess the organization’s readiness for change

Build a Culture of Trust

Cohesive Leadership Team

Trust Index

Starbucks

Create a Culture of Change

HR as the Facilitator of Change

Lessons learned from a flight attendant

The Change Leader Model

Self Awareness

Change Leadership

Results Focus

Communication

The Change CurveBEGINNINGTRANSITIONEND

Change is Announced

Time

Com

mitm

ent

Anger Depression

Denial

Immobilization

Testing

Bargaining

Uninformed

Optimism(certainty)

Informed Pessimism

(doubt)

Hopeful Realism

(hope)

Informed Optimism(confidence)

Completion(satisfaction)

Acceptance

Stability

“The Slump”

RESILIENCE leads to ACCEPTANCE

Change Fatigue

85% of employees suffer from moderate to severe Change Fatigue

62% of corporate employees agree that workplace stress has increased in the past two years due to various different factors

This increased stress and fatigue/exhaustion has a significant negative impact on employee performance, belief in their work, and adapting to new things

For every 1% decrease in performance, an average of $6.5 million is lost per $1 billion revenue

Effective Communication

Communication Model

Willing & AbleWILLING, NOT ABLE WILLING & ABLE

• Believe change is beneficial

• See the opportunity

• May not fully understand desired outcome(s)

• Don’t understand role or how they must act differently

• Believe change is beneficial

• See the opportunity

• Understand desired outcome(s)

• Understand role and how they must act differently

NOT WILLING, NOT ABLE NOT WILLING, ABLE

• Don’t perceive value in the change

• Often don’t understand desired outcome(s)…and may fear them

• Don’t understand what they are expected to do

• Do not agree with desired outcome(s)

• Believe they have more to lose than gain

• Know what they must do, but reject it

• Challenge wisdom and value of the change

Low ABILITY High

Lo

w

WILLIN

GN

ES

S

Hig

h

Managing Resistance

LOW INTENSITY MEDIUM INTENSITY HIGH INTENSITY

Discussible, manageableUnspoken, more difficult

to address

Most difficult to surface

and address

Signs • Frustration

• Openly voicing opinions

• Avoidance

• Disinterest

• No opinion

• Actively disengaged

• Absenteeism

• Openly criticizing

Tactics • Communicate more

• Increase employee

involvement

• Lead by example

• Create opportunities to

hear employees’ concerns

• Actively involve

employees

• Recognize contributions &

achievements

• Seek to understand

• Resist moving too quickly

or using force/power

• Mutually agree on

mitigation

Key to successful change Managing resistance:

Change plan components

Developing an effective change plan:

Leadership

Involvement

Communication

Learning

Measurement

Reinforcement

Leadership

Developing a meaningful vision for the future state

Generating energy for change, offering motivation and modeling desired behaviors

Providing consistent messages about the rationale and nature of change, and the associated rewards and challenges

Updating employee on progress throughout the change process

Providing coaching and removing obstacles/resistance

Listening and responding to staff’s spoken and unspoken (body language) issues

Involvement

Employee input

A network of sponsors/champions

Engaging people in the change process

Creating a safe environment for questions and innovation

Communication

Creating a compelling reason to change

Articulating a clear vision of the change

Setting expectations on when and how employees will receive information

Managing employee concerns and fostering the exchange of ideas and information

Being available

Learning

It’s about helping people build required skills and competencies. It’s most effective when:

It takes into account different learning styles

Participants are engaged and understand the value of the effort

There’s ongoing commitment

Its also about sharing the learning with others, including positive and negative

Measurement

Keeping the focus on business outcomes

Establishing current state baseline against which to measure outcomes

Continuous process – discussed throughout

Reinforcement

Linking performance and rewards with change in roles and processes

Clarifying expectations through goal setting and competency definition

Rewarding performance accordingly and retaining high performers

Innovation is…Change!When you feel comfortable sharing your ideas and having open,

constructive exchanges with your manager and peers, you’ll be less likely

to resist change.

Organizations with low resistance to change create room for innovation by having a culture of:

Trust

Transparent communication

Involvement

Engaged employees

Positive interpersonal relationships

Advantages to being Agile

Case Studies

Change plan components

Developing an effective change plan:

Leadership

Involvement

Communication

Learning

Measurement

Reinforcement

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www.blueridgehr.com