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Free content for food for thought. Read our latest blog articles, we have a lot to say.
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Articles
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May04
2018
4 Cultural traits about Danish people that explain their odd behaviour
If you do business with Danes, you will encounter cultural traits that are quite peculiar to basically everybody else. The Danes themselves are not likely to be conscious about these traits as cultural awareness in Denmark is generally low. In fact, only 5% of Danes have high cultural competencies, while 66% and 29% have low and average cultural competencies respectively. However, there is a good reason for this. Historically Denmark has been an enclave where homogeneity has been valued. It has been quite common for immigrants to assimilate into Danish culture as a ‘requirement’ for social survival. Therefore, the Danes have been less exposed to other mindsets than most other cultures and have not had the opportunities to develop the competencies needed to manage cultural differences. This has two foundational consequences: Danes have limited knowledge of other cultures. Danes have limited awareness of how their behaviour is ...
Written by
By Anna Balk-Møller -
May02
2018
People analytics & Change Management is a new power couple
People Analytics is maturing fast. 2017 in particular was a stellar year if the published cases, presentations at various people analytics conferences and interest from the wider HR community is suggesting anything. However, for this trend to take a more permanent grip, it must in my view be recognized as an area of importance across the wider organisation, something it is not currently. An answer to this is to look in another direction – a new avenue. A third avenue I see people analytics used in primarily two areas; 1) making better (evidence-based) HR decisions and 2) solving business issues. The first includes a wide array of things from improving on internal people reporting and scoreboards, engagement surveys to creating predictive models for turnover, talent performance, recruitment success or assessing leadership training and innovation processes. The second area uses people data to answer questions such as “How to ...
Written by
Morten Kamp Andersen -
May02
2018
Mistakes you want to avoid when implementing Change Management in a culturally diverse setting
In a study by Prosci on practices in change management, 84% of respondents rated cultural awareness as being important or very important when managing change. However in the globalised business market, it can be argued that national cultures have decreased significance as a factor of importance. If a product or service equals a client’s needs, the interest of overseeing cultural and linguistic differences takes priority. Though that might be the case in some areas of business such as negotiation, it is not the case with change management. The main reason is that change management, is an exercise in appealing to individuals or groups of people. For this we need to consider human factors, such as cultural preferences. So, the question is, how do we address cultural diversity to successfully manage change? Mistake #1: Global English is not the cure for cultural deviance As internationalisation has become ...
Written by
Anna Balk-Møller -
May02
2018
A Change Management Office (CMO) is the most powerful lever for excellent Change Management in an organisation. By far. And it matters. Because, you are six times more likely to succeed in your projects when you conduct excellent Change Management. CMOs have different forms, different maturity levels and different focus. Some CMOs are set up with a narrow focus of e.g. helping projects with communication and training, whereas others have a broader perspective as e.g. assist Change Management across the whole business, as well as being part of the strategic dialogue during the scoping phase of the project. One way to approach the building of a CMO is to start with the purpose. The vital purpose of a CMO is, naturally, to support projects in successfully achieving their objectives. But we advise creating a Vision & Mission Charter for the office. This will define the office and the ...
Written by
Morten Kamp Andersen -
April26
2018
Storytelling is worthless without a proper theory
Storytelling is rightly hailed as a must-have competence in people analytics. In my own competency model, it is one of the six core competencies all analytics teams must have. Other models do the same. Compelling arguments about the value of good storytelling are being made. To put it in clear terms; master it or beat it. Don’t get me wrong; it is important. But my point is that storytelling requires the presence of a theory to be successful. If you do not have a proper – i.e. a plausible and documented – theory behind your data, storytelling can do more harm than good. “A theory is an explanation. A theory takes a blizzard of facts and observations and explains, in the most basic terms, what the heck is going on”. Angela Duckworth Grit – the power of passion and perseverance I could not have put it better myself! And funnily enough, this ...
Written by
Morten Kamp Andersen -
April26
2018
CQ is essential for motivation and reinforcement of change
Utilising cultural intelligence (CQ) to choose the right incentives to motivate and reinforce change will increase the chance of successfully changing an organisation. It is not rocket science to adapt drivers and incentives to the cultural setting. It’s just that doing it without the thought of the cultural setting can lead to counterproductive results. It is one month after ’golive’ of a new system in your company. The change managers have left and you’ve celebrated the successful implementation. Though everyone has received the proper training and heard the key messages the recommended 5-7 times, system reports reveal an unacceptable number of workarounds. New projects are already in the preliminary phases and the focus is shifting. Still, you acknowledge that reinforcement efforts must be taken up a notch to realise all the benefits of the project. But how is reinforcement most effective? Changing human behaviour requires a process: ...
Written by
Anna Balk-Møller -
April26
2018
4 most interesting findings about change management maturity in Danish companies
Nexum has conducted a unique survey to measure and analyse change management maturity in Danish companies, to be able to better understand how companies use change management to ensure project success. Additionally, we wanted to identify patterns with those doing it the best which would enable us to pass on advice and best practice on how to best reach change management maturity. The rate of change is expected to continue to rise. Thus, change management is as relevant as ever. Five and three year strategies are being replaced by one and two year must-win battles as the external environment is simply too unpredictable for the longer perspective. Companies will therefore launch even more projects with even tighter deadlines and which are even more business critical. Change management is the process, tools and techniques to manage the people side of change to help projects succeed and achieve required objectives. ...
Written by
Peter Harbo Clausen -
April23
2018
Getting started with Change Management: Prosci’s Five Tenets
Status quo is a dangerous place to be. In our fast moving world, organisations are pushed in the back to adapt and transform. But dealing with change takes intention and structured actions. Rushing headlong from one activity to another can only make things worse. That is where Change Management comes into play. As a context-specific approach, it requires a sound understanding of the reasons driving change and of its impact on the people. Only then can Change Management plans be properly rolled out. Here are Prosci’s Five Tenets of Change Management to help you get off to a great start. 1 - We change for a reason. There are three states in the change process: for simplicity the « current state », the « transition » and the « future state ». Whatever the words, change is always driven by a reasonable expectation that the future will be better than the present. Triggers ...
Written by
Vincent Piedboeuf -
February27
2018
"How to": Integrating Change Management and Project Management
When it comes to implementing a project or a set of projects, Change Management (CM) can make a big and lasting difference. Unless you have extra cash burning a hole in your pocket, you have to make sure everyone is on board. The simple truth is that the highest-quality technical solution may be a crash if not fully embraced and adopted by the people. Integrating CM and Project Management (PM) is all about bridging the gap between instalment and proficient, broad-based usage. PROSCI calls « unified value proposition » this combined effort to achieve sustainable change and improve the overall performance of the organisation. On a more general note, binding CM and PM may further advance the agenda of a discipline too often seen as peripheral or fuzzy. Project leaders have a knack for structures and processes, but so do CM practitioners. For CM teams, a unified value proposition means entering ...
Written by
Vincent Piedboeuf