Why does experience matter in organisational change?

Have you ever pondered the significance of experience in organisational change? Join me for a moment to explore the challenges of implementing and adopting change. In today's fast-paced world, the pace of change within business organisations continues to accelerate. While technology often acts as the catalyst for these shifts, their impact extends far beyond the digital world.

Liisa Taipale

13.5.2024

Have you ever pondered the significance of experience in organisational change? Join me for a moment to explore the challenges of implementing and adopting change.

In today's fast-paced world, the pace of change within business organisations continues to accelerate. While technology often acts as the catalyst for these shifts, their impact extends far beyond the digital world. From altering social norms to reshaping governance structures, the effects of change are diverse and far-reaching. The exact change is always somewhat unknown, but we know that it often impacts the whole organisation. 

Let's talk about experience. When it comes to managing these chains of change, there's no substitute for seasoned expertise. We're talking about ensuring that these changes hit the mark, propelling us forward instead of holding us back.

This message is directed towards organisational leaders, tasked with steering their teams towards strategic objectives.  Even the best leaders need a guiding hand for managing change, am I right?

I still remember the first times I gave presentations on a major transformation program. We had prepared a comprehensive deck of slides on timetable, scope, roles, and responsibilities, you name it. Even some Q&A, questions and answers were documented. Did it go well? Not in my opinion. I ended up being devastated. I was not prepared to face what I experienced as a hostile approach by a few members of the audience. “You guys must be lunatics”. “This is never going to work”. I felt I was thrown under the bus by my management. Eventually I got carefully picked up from the curbside and gently put together by experienced leaders, who knew what I was going through. It was a tough lesson for sure, but the same learning experience could have been made easier with more proactive coaching.

Awareness and understanding of the need for change are essential ingredients for success. Embracing change systematically and transparently is key to navigating it in a way that allows people to perform better and feel motivated about it.

Change methodologies, which have been developed though careful research and collection of best practices, bring structure and act as great toolkit for consultants and the client organisations. But what makes sense to you might not necessarily click with your colleagues, as I experienced firsthand. Understanding the nuances of change - that's where the real magic happens.

Read also: What is wrong with organisational change management?

At Midagon, we've had the privilege of supporting clients across various roles and phases of change management. From program management to project execution, our focus remains on guiding organisations towards tangible business benefits. Drawing from our collective experience, we understand the complexities involved in change management. 

Real-life experiences

Let's not overlook the importance of effective communication in driving change. By engaging stakeholders and fostering collaboration, we can ensure that everyone is on board and working towards a common goal.

In my earlier-mentioned case, I turned the table by approaching the “naysayers” to understand their concerns. We established a truly respectful working relationship. With this, I do not mean a respectful, distant, but rather a close relationship based on mutual trust to find a solution that addresses their concerns.

I reached out to my fellow Midagonians to learn about their experiences. One concrete example comes from project work. The leadership had a good understanding of the big picture, assuming hardly anything would change. Hence, no specific change management actions were, from their view, required. The past communication with leadership had been fragmented, with very little relevance to their daily business-as-usual operations. At the same time, the end users were extremely concerned and fearful about the change. They had a long list of details but lacked an overall picture from their point of view. 

In this case, we worked on two approaches. Firstly, we collaborated with the client’s subject matter experts and prepared a consolidated view of all key changes in the entire process chain and how those would impact the organisation. This improved the transparency of the leadership in recognising and acknowledging the changes. The leadership’s engagement improved throughout the program. Secondly, we facilitated the sharing of the new solution and processes for each end user’s responsibilities. They were able to familiarise themselves with the “to-be”, identify the changes, and assess the impact. The fear of the change was reduced. What we brought into the picture was our experience on how to address the different stakeholder groups and what they truly need to understand.

In interim leadership or specialist roles, we may come across either ambiguity in the organisation or friction between the teams. Our expertise and experience help us in our daily interactions to ask simple questions, those that team members themselves may not feel comfortable to raise. This way we can collectively clarify the goals and make those more concrete for different systems or process areas. 

Read also: Midagon Project Management White Paper: Business Benefits Realisation

Change is what prevails

With the required skills and expertise on board our client organisation has an opportunity to mature and acquire new skills and competencies along the different phases of the change program. Let’s acknowledge that continuous learning does not originate solely from technical systems or process training. 

With our working experience and corporate values, we naturally create a safer environment to go through the challenges and achievements of change and explore shifts in perspective. You should use the opportunity to leverage our outside-in view to assess your organisational change readiness. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a fresh-faced newbie, there's always something new to learn, and we're here to guide you every step of the way.

I invite you to embrace change as an opportunity for growth and transformation. With our guidance and expertise, together we can navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities that lie ahead.

Thank you for reading, and let's make some magic happen!