By Krishna Paupamah
Imagine this scenario.
You hear rumours that the company is about to use new software. You can’t really verify if these rumours are true as there are no notices or meetings from top management about it.
So, you continue to do your work as usual. However, one day, your manager tells everyone in your department that, yes, the current software will be replaced. When asked about the new software and how it will affect daily work, the manager shrugs, “We’ll find out on the day it is released, I suppose.”
You don’t worry as much because you’ve always had the knack of picking up new software, but your colleagues worry. They ask: Will we be taught how to use it? What if we can’t learn fast enough? Will this software render my job obsolete?
Unfortunately, no answer is provided as management remains silent.
Months pass and rumours trickle down. The IT department, which oversees the new software’s implementation, insists that it will help you do your work faster and more efficiently.
However, some of your colleagues aren’t as convinced. They’ve heard from so-and-so that there will be a steep learning curve, that the company has paid too much for it and regrets its decision but it’s too late to back out now. Work will not be easier. In fact, it’s the company’s way of automating certain jobs, so people may be let go soon!
Hearing all these alarming stories is very distracting and motivation plummets. One day, an email lands in your inbox, informing you that the new system will be deployed in two weeks.
On the day software goes “live”, a PDF is issued with instructions on how to use the system.
Frantically, as you try to figure out the instructions and finish your daily work, you help some of your colleagues navigate the new software. Some become angry and refused to use it, saying that it hinders their work.
You can’t help but agree with them. The software added layers of complexity to the department’s current processes.
“Obviously,” you grumble to yourself, “the person who purchased the software had no idea how your department worked.”
What a mess!
In my last column, I wrote about how important it is to include your employees in your transformation programme from the very beginning. This is what can happen when this isn’t done and transformation happens purely “top-down”.
In our example, the people in the lower ranks of the organisation were not asked for their input when new software was being acquired. Worst of all, there was little to no change management. As a result, rumours flew around, employee morale plunged, work suffered, and more people became resistant to the change.
Let’s imagine a different scenario.
This time, our narrator gets wind of the new software through a town hall meeting. The CEO explains the company’s digital transformation programme and what it means to every employee.
They are introduced to members of the “steering committee” that will ensure the transformation meets its goals.
Later, the organisation begins selecting members of “Management Action Teams” (MATs). There are several of these being planned, each tasked to carry out transformation initiatives in a certain area. After a quick interview with a member of the steering committee, you are included in the MAT team to implement the new software in your department.
The MAT meets regularly to discuss how to implement the transformation for your department. You sit through a few demos from software vendors and after carefully evaluating them, the team decides on a software that will best meet the needs of the department. They also decided that some current processes should be modified to be more efficient first.
The company releases regular updates about the transformation programme’s progress. However, worried colleagues still pepper you with questions about the transformation. You assure them that there will be training provided and that management will ensure that everyone will be able to use the software properly when it goes live. You know this because you’re part of the team that created the training materials.
Training begins and the department is evaluated on how ready they are for the new system to go live. It took a while, as some people took more time to be familiar with the system. But after a few weeks, everyone is deemed ready.
The system goes live.
The first day of the implementation had minor hiccups, however, business as usual work was not affected. By the end of the first month, the bugs and problems were ironed out and the department starts reaping the benefits of the new software, which has made work faster and more efficient.
The implementation was deemed a success.
A transformation programme is very different when employees are included in the change process from the start and empowered to offer input on how things can improve. When employees have a say in the change process, they will be invested to see it through.
That’s why I deem change champions so important to the success of a transformation programme. When building something new, it is prudent to involve the people who have to live with the consequences in the initial definition and development.
The next question to ponder on is how to marshal their collective insights and influence for the good of the company. How do you think we should go about doing it? Send your answers to [email protected].
Krishna Paupamah has worked with companies globally to transform their business for over 35 years. He is the Founder and Group CEO of Renoir Consulting. He can be reached at [email protected].
