As Heraclitus, a Greek Philosopher said some 2500 years ago: “There is nothing permanent except change”. This is not a new concept yet we continue to think of change management as a unique speciality. Why? We know change is constant so do we ask all candidates during the interview process to describe the last major change they experienced and how they handled it? Do we expect ALL employees to be prepared for anything to change and set an expectation that the organization will change and to continue being successfully employed they need to:
- Be open to a new approach
- Willing to adapt as expected
- Open to new processes, programs, and changes
- Own their response to changing conditions
- Accept that change is a parallel path with an organizational responsibility and individual willingness
Adaptability is defined as the ability to adjust to new conditions. This is a competency that should be the price of admission for organizations for all employees. While this might be unrealistic, organizations can move towards this scenario by asking candidates about their openness to change and providing a path to build this competency as part of all employees’ orientation to the organization. It may be unrealistic to only hire employees with high proficiency in adaptability but maybe focus on hiring employees with a willingness to change, even if there is a skepticism or even hesitancy around their ability to adapt.
I often wonder why change management (OCM) continues to be a separate workstream that often requires hiring external consultants or has inexperienced resources. Is there an unwillingness to invest in building the competency, an unwillingness to be direct with employees and explain that changes will happen and you need to adapt or move on, or is it just because investing in training and communications is not a technical or software investment so the cost does not garner attention at the executive level. Let’s consider where to get started.
Changing the Landscape
This concept can apply to any type of project or change but we see this often in system implementations especially those that require certain stakeholder groups to take on new responsibilities such as employee and manager self-service or where HR or managers will be expected to make data driven decisions using new analytics or reporting tools. There is often resistance due to perceived lack of time or lack of skillset. But again, neither of these are new decisions and at some point an organization must take a position and make a clear statement on intentions and expectations.
A key requirement to take this approach is leadership support and an open-mind. One way to create this is to start by reviewing lessons learned from past projects, org restructures, or any changes to practices, processes, approach, or strategy. Gather insights into what worked, what did not work, and what changes lasted over time. The effort to listen and learn could open eyes and create an environment with an openness to explore a different approach. This does not need to be a lengthy process because data could be gathered via interviews, focus groups, and a survey. With a planned approach with the end in mind, the output could become the road map for where to start.
Next Steps
Consider this scenario as if the competency is like any other. It is not unusual for organizations to review skills or competency profiles as they relate to the strategic plan and then adjust profiles to begin to build or buy the talent necessary to implement the strategy. The next step is to define where that new skill should be woven into expectations across the employee lifecycle.
Does your organization have a skills framework? Where would YOU start?
#skills #OCM #changemanagement #HXM #Analytics #Employee Experience