Framework 146 People Strategies

Introduction

This framework explores 5 strategies for accelerating leaders commitment to transformation and stakeholder engagement and adoption.

Change is like a 3-legged stool, ie

i) content (includes structure, business process, structure, technology, human resource practices, etc)

ii) people (linked with change management, dealing with the cultural dynamics, relationships, understanding the change, network champions, stakeholders, how to get ownership/buy-in and develop change)

iii) process (designing the journey of change; understanding where you are today and where you need to go; includes governance, communications, action plans, engagement, decision-making, technology (about its use); journey of change, ie things that need to happen to make the change occur)

It is best to design and integrate the content, people and process so that stakeholders get ownership, ie they wanted it.

Many traditional strategies designed to promote change are unsuccessful as they don't integrate content, people and process.

NB Technology is a double-edged sword as it can both hinder, eg threatened jobs, etc and help change, eg make jobs easier.

These people strategies were developed to handle the following challenges:

- leaders thinking that change is about the organisation, not them (leaders need to take ownership of the change process, ie it is not just for others)

- lack of willingness for leaders to develop themselves as role models and champions for the change

- lack of alignment between leaders on the needs of the organisation (need to have a coherent, united leadership position, not leaders with differing ideas of what the organisation needs)

- leadership style is contrary to where the organisation needs to go (too much command and control style)

- lack of attention to culture as a key driver of change (some leaders unfairly regard culture as too 'touchie-feelie', not tangible; this issue needs to be addressed at the start the change process)

- stakeholders are feeling threatened or disenfranchised about the change (stakeholders not engaged)

Five strategies focusing on people

i) develop leaders' self-mastery (ie develop leaders' ability to see, transform and expand their mindsets, ie requires a paradigm shift in mindsets; need to understand how and why they think way they do by

        a) realising that they have a mindset, ie like fingerprints, they are unique;

        b) understanding how the mindset impacts perceptions of reality, decisions, results and other people (it is the basis for how you feel, think, behave, etc)

        c) seeing their mindsets in action (understanding the ramifications of their mindsets, ie what worked and didn't work plus the reasons)

        d) developing self-mastery skills to transform mindset in the moment first and then later in general (so that people are the best selves and are conscious of what they are doing)

NB When a leadership team goes through self-mastery, they become a unified team committed to development, modelling and constructive course correction)

Self-mastery model

(source: Linda Ackerman Anderson, 2022)

ii) lead co-creatively (leads on from self-mastery like paradigms mindset changes and involves unleashing human potential through leadership; it happens by

    - co-creating (a way of being, relating and working that brings out the best in ourselves and others

    - working for the collective best, ie on behalf of what is best for the overall good of the transformation, organisation, community, etc; aiming for the best collective outcome

    - self-reflection (leaders need to be willing and invested in looking at how they lead today, such as command and control, and be willing to change themselves individually and collectively.)

Key elements of co-creating

    - learning how to empower others with responsibility so that they have ownership
    - sharing power, and decision-making plus deepening and broadening engagement
    - creating partnerships so that working together across boundaries overcomes silo conditions
    - learning to listen with an open mind, ie don't get defensive
    - learning to model a culture of trust, ie 'walk the talk'
    - making corrections when needed, ie needs to be done quickly and with an open mind.

The diagram below shows that everyone wins with co-creation

(source: Linda Ackerman Anderson, 2022)

iii) ensure leadership commitment and alignment (being leadership role models for the change
    - all leaders overtly commit to the transformation process and outcomes while continuing to lead daily operations, ie leaders have to wear 2 hats, eg operations and change
"...transformation must be owned by leadership as theirs to lead successfully..."
Linda Ackerman Anderson, 2022

This should not be delegated; need to realise that they are in charge of making change successful.

Ways to do this

     - senior management agree (ideally in writing) to model and be accountable for the change
     - need to document the reasons for the change, its scope, it impact, etc
     - identify and explore mindsets, especially those who have the potential to resist the change
     - senior management to cascade the above throughout the organisation
     - supported by suitable training, retreats, etc as required
     - continue to review and modify as required
     - recommit to the process as required.

NB change can take years.

iv) directly address culture (pursue cultural change like business results; culture is a 2 edged sword, ie it can support or be an obstacle to the change; need
     - a holistic approach
     - need to tailor approaches to different sub-cultures in the organisation
     - reinvigorate change leadership community as required

NB Definition of culture
"...is a mindset of an organisation, the pattern of widely shared assumptions, beliefs, and values that form the basis of people's ways of being, relating and working, and the organisation's interaction with its environment and its success within......culture is to the organisation as mindset is to the individual. It is the human dynamics played out at scale.."
Linda Ackerman Anderson, 2022

      - develop a wide network of change culture champions or advocates (not cultural police) from across the whole organisation; they can be used to cascade information downwards and send feedback upwards
      - understand the cultural implications for different change initiatives and develop strategies to handle and embed them into the organisation from the start of the process
      - realign work processes and functions to reflect and support the new culture and have people empowered and accountable for this
      - continually monitor and review all realigned activities so that they are reflecting new ways of doing things.)

v) engage stakeholders to maximise commitment (stakeholder engagement
"...the more people wrestle with the relevant issues, make decisions, give input, take action, own results, the more committed they become..."
Linda Ackerman Anderson, 2022

Engagement is more than asking questions, it is task driven.

Options for doing this for relevant stakeholders
      - encourage inputs on the current situation and projected outcomes (includes challenges and solutions)
      - for solutions asked for inputs on design suggestions
      - quest feedback on impacts, implications (costs, technology, resources, etc), etc of challenges and solutions
      - continually review and monitor performance by asking for relevant suggestions, etc to achieve improvement.

NB Many places and opportunities to use engagement by stakeholders; need to know who to ask and what type of engagement is best, ie surveys, face-to-face, focus groups, interviews, etc.

Engagement leads to ownership and action.

(source: Linda Ackerman Anderson, 2022)

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