The Role of the Change Leader

Change leaders make sure they do certain things in planning and managing organizational change. Successful change leaders take responsibility for:

• Understanding the need for change
• Assessing the organization's readiness for change
• Designing strategies for increasing change readiness
• Managing the scope and speed of change
• Understanding stakeholders needs and their intellectual and emotional responses to change
• Communicating the purpose and direction of change
• Using communication to build commitment to change
• Understanding and dealing with resistance to change
• Creating a change management strategy and plan
• Demonstrating sound change management skills
• Making sure change initiatives are aligned with strategic direction
• Helping the organization learn from change
• Keeping change initiatives on track.

7 Reasons HR Is Often Misunderstood

-Susan Hertfield-

I don’t pretend to speak for every HR department worldwide, but the HR staff I know are committed to both their employees and their company. They avoid causing employees pain. Here are reasons why employees might perceive the situation differently.

• The HR staff person is caught daily in a balancing act between the role of employee advocate and the role of company business partner and advocate. And, no, the employee doesn’t often see or understand that the HR person is playing two roles.
  
  They gauge the HR person by their affect on the employee’s need. As an example, the employee wants HR to make an exception for him; the employee doesn’t realize that an exception for him begins to set a precedent for how the company must treat other employees – employees who may be less deserving of an exception.


• All information about employees is confidential. Even when the HR staff person handles an issue, whether the issue involved disciplinary measures or just a conversation, the steps taken and the outcomes are confidential.
  
  An HR employee can tell the complaining employee that the issue was addressed. Because of employee confidentiality, they cannot reveal more. This can leave the complaining employee believing their issue was not addressed. (The outcome of a formal, written complaint, as in sexual harassment charges, is disclosed.)


• HR staff members need documented evidence that a problem exists. Witnesses are helpful, too, as is more than one employee experiencing the same problem. It is difficult to take action based on one employee’s word, especially if the other party denies the problem.


• What an employee may see as unreasonable behavior on the part of a manager or another employee, HR may find within acceptable bounds of organizational behavior and expectations. The employees may have a personality or work style conflict. The boss may supervise an independent employee more closely than desired. HR can talk with all parties, but often, no one is wrong.


• When an employee doesn’t like her job or work goals or experiences a conflict with her supervisor’s management style, HR can’t always find the employee a new job. Additionally, because of the cost of employee onboarding and training, the organization is likely to have policies about how often an employee can change positions. Indeed, proving yourself in the current job is the fastest path to a coveted new job.


• HR doesn’t know about the promises you say your manager made to you about a raise, a promotion, special time off, or a rewarding assignment, unless the promise was documented in your performance development plan.
  
  You are welcome to complain to HR if you have addressed the issue with your manager. But, the end story is likely your word against the manager’s word. Is it possible you misunderstood your manager? If not be wary about promises made – when he has demonstrated he doesn’t keep his promises. Work with HR on an internal transfer.


• HR is not always in charge of making the decision. In fact, the decision you don't like may have been made by their boss or the company president. Good, company-oriented HR people won't blame other managers publicly for decisions with which they may disagree. And, they won't bad-mouth the decisions of their boss or other company managers, so you may never know where the decision was made.

So, an unresponsive, unhelpful HR office that avoids helping employees with their problems is not always the case. (Though I know from my readers that such organizations do exist, let's hope they're rare.) There are legitimate reasons why HR cannot fulfill every employee's wishes.

If the HR staff listens, communicates actively, and informs the employee why a decision is made or an action not taken, employees are much less likely to write asking how to solve their HR horror stories. This information should help your HR staff be less misunderstood by employees.

A Typical example of Leading Organisational Change

ISSUES /TRENDS

• Low operations efficiency



• Low productivity



• Lack of creativity / ideas from shopfloor/frontlines



• Lack of competencies

TYPES OF CHANGE

• Development Change

CHANGE DRIVERS

• Acquisition of new capabilities



• Retention of Intellectual Capital

STRATEGIC PRESSURE POINTS (SPP)

a. Organisational Capabilities:

- To roll out a Small Group Activities (SGA) to complement Six Sigma initiatives

- Train executives and supervisors who are assigned as SGA Team Leaders on the subject of Continuous Improvement Tools. e.g. 7 QC Tool, QCC projects.

b. Coordinating System

- Introduce and implement competency based recruitment and selection tool for new talent.

c. Culture

- Launch creativity and innovation month in year XXXX . And, to reward to those who give new/good ideas.

CHANGE EQUATION = A+B+C > Z(R)

A = Individual/company/group level of dissatisfaction of the status quo

• 360 degree involvement of staff on the idea generation



• Company wide 10% OPEX reduction exercise

B = Shared Picture (Vision)

"To be the leader in healthcare in the market we shoose to serve"

Strategy

1. Roll out SGA programs



2. Launch creativity and innovation program



3. Introcude and implement competency based recruitment & selection of new talent

C = Acceptable / Doable (1st action steps)

1. Industry benchmarking on productivity



2. Training on SGA for leaders and members



3. Formulate creativity and innovation reward/incentive for excellent and doable ideas from employees



4. Establish core and leadership competency framework

Z = The Cost (Finance, time, Stress)

1. Formation of SGA Team at shopfloor - matrix reporting



2. Innovation month (cost of executing the program)



3. Cost of SGA training



4. Cost of establishing Core and Leadership Competencies framework

8 Steps to Transforming your Organisation

1. Establish sense of urgency


2. Forming an powerful guiding coalition


3. Creating a vision


4. Communicating the vision


5. Empowering others to act on the vision


6. Planning for and Creating a Short-Term Wins


7. Don't Let Up - Consolidate improvement & producing still more change...


8. Make it stick - Institutuionalizing New Approaches

The Process of Change

Unfreeze;

Analyze current situation

• Remove resistance



• Motivate change

Change;

Introduce new bahavior

• Manage control



• Manage transition

Refreeze;

Stabilize new practice

• Manage power



• Institutionalize change

Dealing with Resistance to Change

• Working with stakeholders



• Conduct stakeholders analysis



• Dealing with response to change (Intelectual and emotional)

Individual Resistance

1. Denial



2. Resistance



3. Exploration



4. Commitment

Steps in Intellectual & Emotional Response to Change

1. Listen



2. Explore & Evaluate



3. Make a Decision



4. Take Action

Building stakeholders support through communication

1. Share the change vision



2. Build understanding



3. Clarify personal meaning



4. Build commitment

Note:

We need to establish COMMON GROUND RULES or FRAMEWORK for your team

Change Management Skills:

• Adaptability



• Strategic focus



• Results Focus



• Foster Collaborative Approach



• Facilitate Openness & understanding



• Encourage learning

Note:

Facilitating Openness & Understanding requires an ability to;

1. Be prepared and focused



2. Hear in all



3. Clarify the message



4. Confirm the message



5. Move forward

Leading Organisational Change -1

Types of change

• Evolutionary adaptation




• Development change




• Transitional change




• Drastic change




• Transformational change

Change drivers

• Environmental factors




• Marketplace factors




• Technology




• Customer needs




• Business diversification




• Expansion




• Need for increase profitability




• Acquisition of new capability




• Retention or acquisition of intelectual capital

Strategic pressure points (SPP)

• Business Strategy




• Organisation Structure




• Organisational Capabilities




• Culture




• Coordinating System

Note: A SPP is a change that impacts in a significant way at least 2 of the above characteristics.

Change Equation is A+B+C > Z(R)

A = Individual/organisation/group level of dissatisfaction with the status quo

B = A clear and shared picture of better future

C = Acceptable and doable 'First Action Steps'

Z = The cost (Financial, Time, Stress) of making change

R = Resistance level

What characterises effective leadership in the middle to senior levels in Organisation

Based on research findings by Joan Bragar

The 3 primary qualities of leadership needed for steering organisations through periods of turbulence and uncertainty:
1. Taking personal responsibility for initiating change
2. Creating a vision and strategy for the organisation
3. Trusting and empowering others

Important conclusions from the research findings:

• Without leadership, organisations falter in times of change


• Leadership is critical from the boardroom to the shop floor


• Positions and title bear no relationship to leadership performance


• Leadership involve interdependence more than individualism


• Leaders inspire others to take on leadership tasks


• Outstanding management skills are an essential component of leadership


• Leadership is contextual. Effective leadership is grounded in an extensive knowledge of business environment, and intimate understanding of the industry, company, and work group, and strong sense of organisation's strategy, culture and values.


• Practical experience in conducting leadership training


• Leadership is not a style, it is action

The study pinpointed the 20 practices in 4 distinct areas which correlated most highly with leadership performance and that could be taught most effectively, and they were tested for relevance and impact with individuals in over 100 large companies

INTERPRETING

The first set of actions helps leaders interpret the conditions, internal and external, to their organisation, that affect them and their workgroup. These practice include:

1. Seeking information from as many sources as possible


2. Knowing how your own work supports the organisation's overall strategy


3. Analysing how well the members of the group work together


4. Knowing the capabilities and motivations of the individuals in the workgroup


5. Knowing your own capabilities and motivations

SHAPING

The next group of practices enables leaders to shape a vision and strategy to give meaning to the group work:

1. Involving the right people in developing the workgroup's strategy


2. Standing up for what is important


3. Adjusting plans and actions as necessary in turbulent situations


4. Communicating the strategy of the organisation as a whole


5. Creating a positive picture of the future of the workgroup

MOBILISING

Leaders use these practices to mobilise individuals with ideas, skills and values around a common mission by:

1. Communicating clearly the results expected from others


2. Appealing to people's hearts and minds to lead them in a new direction


3. Demonstrating care for the members of the workgroup


4. Demonstrating confidence in the abilities of others


5. Letting people know how they are progressing towards the group goals

INSPIRING

1. Promoting the development of people's talent


2. Recognising the contributions of others


3. Enabling others to feel and act like leaders


4. Stimulating the thinking of others


5. Building enthusiasm about projects and assignments

Note:

Joan Bragar is the Founder and Principal of Boston-based workplace consulting and leadership coaching practice.

The 4 Imperatives of Great Leaders

Inspire TRUST:
Great leaders create personal credibility and earn the legitimate TRUST of others.

Clarify PURPOSE
Great leaders work effectively with others to create a clear and compelling purpose that is focused on customer needs, strategically aligned and financially viable.

Align Systems
Great leaders build the organisation's capability to consistently achieve its goal, attract and retain talent, improve work processes and develop intense customer loyalty.

Unleash Talent
Great Leaders tap the full potential of the individual, respecting the four dimensions of the whole person. If leaders neglect any of these four need areas, they turn people into object that must be managed, not motivated, controlled, not unleashed.

Source: Franklin Covey

Building a Great Organisation

To build a great organisation, you need great leaders and effective people who execute the organisation's mission with excellence.

• Great leaders who inspire trust are essential. Without them, there is no vision of where to go; Nor strategy nor systems for getting there. But great leaders are not enough.


• Effective individuals are essential. Without effective people, the organisation is destined for mediocrity or worse. But effective individuals are not enough.


• Without a shared process for focusing on and executing the organisation's mission, the most inspired and capable people fall short of greatness. But with such a process, great people can build something important and enduring.

In summary...

Great Leaders are leaders who:

1. Inspires TRUST


2. Clarify PURPOSE


3. Align SYSTEMS


4. Unleash TALENT

Effective Individuals are indivuduals who:

1. Are FOCUSED and DISCIPLINED


2. Are TRUSTWORTHY


3. Possess good BUSINESS JUDGEMENT


4. Are PROACTIVE in ATTITUDE and ACTIONS


5. WORKS well with OTHERS


6. Are GOOD LISTENERS and COMMUNICATORS

Institutionalised Focus and Execution: Organisational processes and disciplines that create CLARITY, COMMITMENT, TRANSLATION, ENABLING, SYNERGY and ACCOUNTABILITY

Organisational Greatness is an organisation that possess:

• Sustained Superior Performance


• Loyal Customers


• Engaged EMployees


• Distinctive Contribution

Source: Franklin Covey

Delivering "HR with attitude" in 2010: UK HR's finest hour? (XpertHR - Employment Intelligence)#more

Delivering "HR with attitude" in 2010: UK HR's finest hour? (XpertHR - Employment Intelligence)#more