People-Driven-Change is based around two principles.
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Principle 1: When you design the organisational changes needed to deliver a transformation, implement strategy or embed new systems, the participation of people from across the business enables you to design fit for purpose solutions that are 'better'*. These solutions will be more likely to deliver the desired business outcomes and commercial results. When solutions that are recognised as making things ‘better’ are rolled out, people are more likely to adopt them into their daily routines. Similarly, involving people from outside of the core team in the design of implementation activity and plans, makes them more likely to be successful.
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Principle 2: Involving and engaging individuals from all levels of the business when designing and implementing change builds belief, advocacy and ownership in the solutions, the activation plans and the overall business vision. This employee commitment accelerates and deepens adoption of the new behaviours driving business impact. Individuals who recognise the importance of what needs to be achieved, and who feel involved are motivated to want to change and to work for the change. They naturally become agents of change and a source of energy which fuels adoption.
Designing better solutions.
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*What ‘better’ means is a big topic, it could mean:
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Easier to carry out
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More efficient freeing up colleagues time for more rewarding work.
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More reliable meaning less mistakes so less hassle and additionally incurred costs
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Clearer ownership of activities and decisions, so less internal conflict.
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More impactful for the client.
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In most cases changes being driven by the transformation or strategy should be better for customers, the business and colleagues (teams, individuals). However, better can’t be harder unless individuals recognise the pay-off is worth it.
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As many books have been written on how to develop organisational solutions, this approach doesn't aim to replace the best practice incorporated into Agile development or other methods. New operating models, processes, systems cannot be successfully developed without the involvement of those who do the work. People-Driven-Change ensures the input needed is gained in a way that captures real world behaviours, barriers and builds ownership of and belief in the organisational solutions and implementation plans being developed.
People-Driven-Change approach through the design process:
1) Understand existing ways of working and identify barriers to the desired outcomes.
2) Identify changes (e.g. revised process, roles or system requirements.)
3) Test the changes e.g process steps, new ways of working and systems. Identify barriers to adoption.
4) Pilot the revised ways of working in teams giving them responsibility for owning the pilot and measuring success.
Task
How
Work with functional experts to design and iterate the new solution capturing the detail of the new ways of working.
Support the piloting teams to ensure they correctly implement the new ways of working, build briefing documents and continue to learn from users to iterate solutions and comms materials.
Work with managers and end users to observe the new activities being completed.
Capture process, ways of working and barriers in cross functional workshops with key stakeholders and through observation of individuals doing the work.
Shows users they are being heard, surfaces barriers to completion and implementation e.g leadership capability.
Design phase allows for the consideration of behavioural design i.e. key activities being made easier and more likely to complete. Unwanted activities or behaviours are made more difficult or unlikely.
Input from colleagues managing the work and completing it provides real understanding and demonstrates a commitment to listen and understand as new solutions are developed.
Why
Enables continued learnings from managers and their teams, delivers multiple small and quick wins, builds
confidence and advocacy, opportunity to capture and share small wins and success stories.
When designing organisational solutions, an understanding of real world behaviours and context is key. It is important because what happens day to day is rarely the same as what's on the process chart or in the role description. Using a combination of working sessions with different formats combined with user observations, enables the capture of what is thought to be happening as people work and what actually happens. This supports the identification of issues, opportunities and barriers to behavioural change. Observation is equally important when testing and piloting new solutions. The participation of people from across the business i.e. from across the functional silos, not only supports the development of the solutions but also enables users and managers to feel listened to and involved. Individuals are likely to feel that they have contributed to the design of the new solutions and are likely to become advocates, supporting the changes as they are rolled out.
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Engage to build understanding and belief.
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One of the major barriers to successful transformation and change is the lack of understanding and belief in the vision for the change.
Barriers may include a lack of:
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An understanding at an individual level of where the business is heading, why, what the end point looks like, 'what it means for me' and 'what the benefits are for me'.
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An understanding of the changes expected at an individual and team level including the behavioural shifts and new skill requirements.
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Alignment at a leadership level regarding the changes, the programme of activity and the benefits.
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Buy in across functions and teams to the vision, the steps to deliver the vision, and the need for the business to change and for individuals to change.
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People-Driven-Change prioritises engagement with teams throughout the design and implementation process. Engagement includes regular multi-channel communication but goes beyond this as it is two-way, creative and inspiring. The active engagement of individuals may take many forms, it may fit around existing communication forums or require additional interventions.
It is always likely to start with the restating of the vision and the benefits of change - targeted at a granular level to the audience involved and aim to bring to life what the business and work will be like post the change. It emphasises the expectations and benefits of the change for both the business and individuals. Visible, senior ownership of the vision and change plan, usually by the CEO, is essential to demonstrate commitment and build belief. Equally, engagement activities are an opportunity for those who participated in the design, testing and piloting of the organisational solutions, to be involved and advocate change. This is even more important in building belief than senior endorsement.
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Involving and engaging leaders and teams during the design, testing and piloting builds fit for purpose solutions and employee belief. This belief results in the accelerated implementation of strategic initiatives and the delivery of business benefits. Whilst there is a cost associated with this activity - mostly time - overall the benefits far outweigh any costs. Belief and business impact resulting from the engagement generates positive employee satisfaction, energy and motivation. Consider the alternative, launching something into the business that isn't seen as better, which isn't supported or owned which is likely to require a greater investment of time, effort and money to embed.