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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