What Does It Take to Create a Real Internal Change Capability

For most (if not all) organisations, the reality of being able to manage change effectively is now considered as a core competence, and an article in the Accenture Outlook Magazine a couple of months ago looked at the best way to approach this need

“We realised that we could no longer rely on occasional ad hoc programs to help us cope with organisational change. It had to be something we were good at across the entire company and at every level, all the time. That insight—from an executive with a European energy company—reflects how corporate thinking about change management has evolved in recent years. Managing change is now more than a “project”—that is, more than an initiative that is planned, staffed, delivered and then disbanded. It’s about continuously managing a portfolio of multiple, overlapping change initiatives—a much more challenging objective.

Meeting that challenge requires the creation of an internal change capability, a special kind of enduring expertise and professionalism in understanding and managing change. But how should such a capability be structured and operated? Staffed? Developed? What does the operating model look like? In some cases, enterprises may find it helpful to distribute change expertise across multiple business units. In other cases, a global and centralised change management “centre of excellence” may be more appropriate. Ultimately, the effectiveness of the overall change capability depends on choosing an organisational model that is the right fit for how the enterprise operates.

The idea of establishing a specialised change team within an organisation is a sensible one, and for many executives is attractive as it is a good demonstration of how they are responding to the need for managing change. Left on its own, however, there is a risk that such a team (whether dispersed or centralised) could fall within the 'stroke of the pen' category, which is where a person in a senior position authorises and 'signs off' a new system / capability / resource, which ultimately does not address the issue at hand. 

One reason for this is that these initiatives don't address the reality of 'behavioural change' within the wider organisation (be that 20, 200, 2000 or 20000 people). While helping everyone in the organisation to be more personally prepared in terms of the mindsets and behaviours they demonstrate during change is not straightforward, it is where ultimate value lies when it comes to coping / managing / excelling in periods of transition. FranklinCovey's approach to support these outcomes has been to codify the core 'human elements' when it comes to dealing with change, and the feedback we received from a recent participant group gives a sense of how well received this input can be        

• “I found it unique in giving me skills to think about how I think of work"
• “The teaching gave a true reflection of the present situation in the re-organisation of the (our business)"
• “It was very thought provoking and empowering"
• “It provided insight into aspects which are not always obvious, often small but very important”
• “Evoked a sense of empowerment for me and my potential influences”
• “I could relate to this and it has created a valuable self-awareness within me and the power to choose what lies within”
• “Session was insightful, informative and very helpful in creating ideas of how to effect a change”
• “There are parts that have inspired me to be a ‘transition person’ and have an awareness of the impact I can have either in a big or a small way”
• “I would recommend this as many people within (our industry) feel very powerless and demoralised at present. I doubt that many within (my organisation) think like this. FranklinCovey's method / model would aid these people to see their worth and release their power within their organisations”.
• “I have enjoyed learning more about how and why I behave and the revelations behind how I can become more effective. Very relevant (within our Trust), especially when trying to engage others in undertaking certain behaviours and activities"
• “At a personal level this can help make me more positive, thus making others more positive"