“The times they are A-Changin” to quote the 2016 Nobel prize winner in Literacy – Bob Dylan.
The pace of change in 2017 seems to have sped up or is it just me getting older? I guess my good ol’ Mum was right – after you turn 40 the years seem like mere months. But let’s not get morose, we are heading towards Autumn and it is crazy busy – lots to do – people to place – places to go.
Instead of giving you the year that was from our Change Management Practice, I wanted to sing the praises of Change. Seeing it done well – is something to get inspired about.
Working with a variety of organisations whose maturity around change is at both ends of the spectrum I can honestly say that “the value of change” is still not understood. When you meet a Change practitioner who has successful implemented a cultural reform of a megalithic, bureaucratic, boys club, and this organisations has gone on to win the Australian Employer of Choice for Females, and one of their leads to win an Australian of the Year – you know this Change stuff is not just “Training and Comms”!
Change Management, when it has the backing (and hopefully reports into) a CEO or Senior Executive, has the ability to change the bottom line. Through a cohesive and supportive culture, which sees an increase in retention of their internal staff, increase in their customer base, increase in profits, and become an employer of choice going forward. It is not just a dream, but reality. However it can only be done by a committed Leader who knows that this takes time and wants to leave a legacy that any new Leader wants to continue – not rip apart and try make their own stamp.
On a smaller scale, and something that can be seen within months, is the change of a team’s culture and behaviours. We had a client that had a disjointed and flat team. No one knowing what they actually were there for and finding they were not valued by other business units. Within six months of putting in a number contracting resource whose mandate was to educate not just the business but mentor and coach this team, the manager saw an increase in energy levels, engagement and trust within his team but also respect from the broader business. This team is now being requested to help – a change that was made quickly and is measurable and sustainable.
So to round off my Change Management wrap up – times they are a-changin my friend and guess what – this is a good thing !
This article was first published on my LinkedIn account.