Page 284 - Managing Change in Organizations

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Programmes of change
the new vision and working up both a new business model (in outline at least)
and an implementation task.
Regional management teams were tasked to work on the various systems
which would need to be realigned, making proposals to a project team. The proj-
ect team was led by a main board member and reported directly to the board.
Each regional management team was represented by the team member deputed
to drive forward its own alignment work. A senior HR manager from the group
was appointed project director on a two-year secondment. The team had a num-
ber of consultants involved and through them involved other consultants via a
focus group process. There was also outside membership in that project team.
The first task of the project team was to define the competence model. It did
so via an open process, seeking inputs from consultants in the field and looking
at other experience outside the business. Its initial formulations were then tested
via panels (internal and external people), focus groups and regional conferences.
As the project team was undertaking this work, the regional team alignment proj-
ects acted both as inputs to the process (via the project team process and repre-
sentation of the regional team member) and took value from the work on the
development of the competence model.
The competence model developed; the project team now turned to develop-
ment of the consulting skills workshop. Several very important decisions were
made before any attention was devoted to content.
First, it was decided that the regional teams would find (from among themselves)
the members for the pilot. Also, it was agreed that those participants would
become the tutors on the consulting skills workshop once it rolled out – accept-
ing that workloads meant that other consultants would also become involved as
tutors downstream.
Second, a database was designed to support the workshop and activity follow-
ing the workshop. Participants were committed to making three-month reviews
of progress with the new model. In addition a process of best practice exchanges
was created using the database and focused activity at regional level incorporated
in the existing performance management process.
In outline, then, let us look at some features of this change architecture:

1 Direction from the top is clear enough. The board went into strategy-forum
mode to work up a new vision and then worked that up into a new business
model and implementation plan.
2 The project team is clearly accountable to the main board. Its chair is a mem-
ber of that main board. It utilizes members of the regional teams. The regional
teams work on alignment projects, which in turn are linked into the work of
the project team.
3 Regional team members both pilot the consulting skills workshop and become
tutors on the roll-out. Thus the company defines its new approach, develops
it and works on the changes directly. Outsiders play a role but in that of pro-
viding benchmarking, advice and questioning – they are not central to the
achievement of change.
4 A well-established process of follow-up is put in place. In particular the data-
base is used to leverage best practice and to target follow-up. It is vital to the

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