CM Think Tank Notes 06-23-09

Calgary Change Management Think Tank
Luncheon Meeting – June 23, 2009

Topic #1 Communications: What is the role of communications in Change Management (i.e. right people, right strategy, audience)?

· Communications survey process

o Identified that results by group can be extremely different

o Right people at right time BUT also need to be RIGHT process

· Relationship between Internal Communications group and Change Management Projects

o Internal Communications group often takes a very operational view rather than a needs-based approach

o Need to harmonize the efforts/groups

o Often Internal Communications is very formalized in the way communications are branded/formatted

o Involvement of Communication Group can be a political exercise – need to “define the rules” to enable a win-win

· Huge component; people don’t understand what it is and what it is about

· Must be from Executives

· Rename Change Management to “Strategy Implementation”

· Engage Corporate Communications

· Different strategy for “tech” change vs. “people” change

· Formal Communications vs. informal

o Informal/norms not considered (i.e. rumours before facts)

o Assumptions

· The conduit for how change is understood

· Social networking side

o Barriers/gatekeepers

o Significant impact upon formal structures

· Communications needs to increase with change

· Takes on an internal PR function

· Bulletin/newsflash messaging can supplement formal communications and provide stakeholders with more current updates

· Potential to build a community around the change “I belong to the change process” rather than “having it happen to me”

· Engage those affected by change to create ownership rather than being a victim of change

Topic #2 CM in the Org: As a discipline, what are the origins of Change Management and where should it reside within the organization?

Corner #1

· Currently manage in HR

· We feel it should report into COO – support of CEO’s ear of Exec

· Have a “CM” Manager

· Culture of org if it is silo’d – wherever it is it’s hard to be successful

· Must have Exec support

· Need a sponsor that get’s it – must be senior executive

· Depends on how strategic HR is ← depends on reputation

· “Director of Info Mgmt” – holds CM group

· Depends on scope of change – project; operational

· How strategic do you want it to be?
- Where will it get the attention it deserves?

· Report into a CXO for Leadership or Learning üü

· Origins: Organization of labour
- Began with Org Dev, then Org Effectiveness

Corner #2

· Origins: Also IT related

· Needs to be aligned with strategy and origins of need for change

· Expertise of CM on project required

· The type of Change Management initiative determines where it resides

· Accountability at a strategic level – visibility and support for Change Management initiatives

· Change experts
- COE
- Partner with Line

· Line Management – responsible to implement Change Management

Corner #3

· Origins: IT
- or clandestine, under the PM’s skirt

· Where it belongs: OE; HR

· O & G considerations related to HR reputation and capacity. Need HR group process to be robust/mature.

Topic # 3 Current Events: How have organizations dealt with the changing economic landscape?

Toyota: investment in the community

-shifting focus

British Air: donate salary or work a week for free

-tendency to contract. Fear vs. opportunity

Car dealership example of reframing their business

-manageable amounts of work

-efficiency and ability to focus on talent…what people should be doing-reconfiguring

Hiring, screening is much more competitive

Government assistance (bailouts) change the way business is run

-impacts location of plants

-government has input on how organizations are run

-looking to save jobs vs. create jobs

-innovation is critical to survival

-globalization is moving operations overseas

-cutting back on social welfare/benefits

-job sharing becoming more predominant

-efficiency interventions and measures

-reward program-design and development-not designed for success and also under public scrutiny

-individual vs. team

-short term vs. long term incentivisation (sic) prog.

-rigorous regulation-changes the way business is done and accountability outside of organization

Mark’s experience:

-Suncor’s demand for change management is greater in this time of uncertainty

-demand for service in support of employee’s fears and uncertainties

-our company needs to “right size” its change group and then look outside to support change needs as they increase

Topic #4 - How has Change Management changed over the past 20 years?

- Becoming more well researched, theories are less subjective, more robust and strategic

- becoming more realistic and comprehensive

- move through a series of buzzwords: re-engineering and popularizing the concept

- As recently as 10 years ago change management often didn't exist as a discipline

- We're seeing organizations recognize change management as different from IT project implementations.

- Change management theory identified the need for a change management resource but this person's role was often not understood (and thus not valued). The role of change management has evolved and validated this function.

- Measruement has been key in validtating the benefits of change management.

- The scientific research has suggested the integration of a number of fields related to change: organizational behaviour, team effectiveness, etc.

- Demand for transparency has been a driver for change management

- Calgary was on the fore-front in the late 80's and early 90's.

- Technology is much more used.

- Much more global focus (multi-national)

- Cultural Norms

- OD --> OE --> CM

- OD was centralized while CM is more decentralized

- Change accelerated with the technology

- Our parents and how much change they have gone through.