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Articles
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October29
2019
Most agile organisations share these 10 attributes. What about yours?
Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity: those are the characteristics that best describe the world we live in. To outlast the shocks and be successful in the long run, organisational agility is of paramount importance. PMI[1] is making a very clear equation between greater agility and performance, performance and advanced competitive advantage. But what exactly does agility – not the method (AGILE), but the buzzing adjective – mean? It is first and foremost a way of being, characterised by flexibility, durability, velocity and adaptability. It comes as no surprise that Change Management consistently ranks as an essential contributor. We have done the homework for you and put together a list of relevant definitions as a prelude to introducing PROSCI’s 10 attributes of agile organisations. Here are the key takeaways we have captured. “Being agile” across and beyond definitions. Hidden behind the sheer number of definitions of “agile” (as ...
Written by
Vincent PIEDBOEUF -
October15
2019
Making a case for organisational agility (I)
You are obviously very familiar with the term agility, that winning combination of flexibility, durability, rapidity and adaptability. Develop it, and you will prosper. But how many times have you heard that there is no need for CM to build organisational agility, just a change platform and the right aptitude? Such an assertion is both false – like saying “you don’t need physical exercise, just stay healthy” – and fraught with serious consequences. To develop a real organisational aptitude, you have to get better at doing CM, grow more expertise and build new skills across the organisation. In this series, we help you make a case for agility, bringing CM into the equation. Start by reviewing triggers and drivers of change. Changes are growing bigger, multiplying at a faster pace than ever before, sometimes overlapping to the point of saturation. In other words, the time span of ...
Written by
Vincent PIEDBOEUF -
September24
2019
Don't explain what you do, tell them what difference it makes.
No doubt you are all familiar with the following situation. Lots of efforts were devoted to a promising idea. Relying on a perfectly optimised process, the project was effectively carried out. But with a mediocre adoption rate, the initiative proved to be a failure. Meanwhile, fresh ideas emerged and people just moved on, kicking off a new production cycle. There is a palpable feeling of frustration attached to what is perceived as (and probably is) a tremendous waste of time, skills and money. You find yourself saying “why not bring in CM to the table next time?”, only to be faced with a barrage of critiques (“gadget”, “soft and fuzzy”) and doubts (“optional”, “if there is leftover money”). Best-case scenario: CM is last in, first out. You see, the key question is not whether CM should be used or not, but how to capture the people-dependent portion of ROI. ...
Written by
Vincent PIEDBOEUF -
September09
2019
Best practices for integrating "training" programmes into CM plans.
Taking a structured approach to managing the people side of change can boost the rate of project success by a substantial amount. Adoption and usage make a critical difference between getting short-lived results or effective and long-lasting change. Needless to say, training plans play an essential role along the path of implementing reforms or new processes and tools. Our partner PROSCI[1] has identified the key elements to be combined for these plans to deliver the best results. To gauge the efficiency of your freshly implemented programs, this article also lists the most useful tracking and reporting tools[2]. Key contributors to the success of training plans. The exercise of stock-taking of all best practices leaves us with six major success factors. According to PROSCI, “planning and audience matching” is reported twice as often as the other contributors. Planning / design: “Standard” or generic content is the enemy. ...
Written by
Vincent PIEDBOEUF -
June25
2019
Setting up a CMO is the best way to streamline CM across the organisation. Plus, this functional group does not have to be big to deliver great results. Our series discussed why CMOs are seen as a major trend for the coming years and what configuration is best suited for your needs. A recurring question is where the CMO should sit. Here again, there is no single answer. This last instalment identifies patterns based on existing research and most important variables to consider. Overview of CMOs and their main location. More than half of all CM functional groups are located in a single place[1]. By single location we mean that they are usually attached to a specific department or unit, such as the Project Management Office or Human Resources, for the most part. Higher levels of CM maturity tend to translate into more complex setups. Where CM has ...
Written by
Vincent PIEDBOEUF -
June11
2019
How to set up a CMO (II): Functioning, Shape and Size.
If not coordinated, change efforts are bound to fail. Surviving in a turbulent business landscape takes a solid aptitude to manage current and future changes in a consistent way. A permanent unit, or multiple dedicated touchpoints, can give you leverage over other competitors. Now that you know what a CMO is and why it should be part of the effort to future-proof your organisation, it is time to look at all available format options. In this new instalment, we provide you guidance to find the perfect CMO match in terms of functioning, shape and size. There are no blueprint solutions, only strategies! Centralised, hybrid or decentralised? CMOs can take on different forms, ranging from highly centralised to completely decentralised. In-between hybrids are equally valuable options. Each format yields specific benefits, further summarised in the graph below: Centralised: the CMO is located in a ...
Written by
Vincent PIEDBOEUF -
May28
2019
What is a CMO and why you should consider setting one up. (I)
Whether you are currently applying CM to projects or just consider the best way to climb the CM maturity ladder, this series of 3 articles is for you.
Change Management Offices, or CMO, are mushrooming. That said, it is not unusual to come across many variations in formulation. Whatever their name – CM Network, CM Division, CM Team or Enterprise CM …, the list goes on –, all refer to the existence of an overarching functional structure that orchestrates CM efforts across the workplace. Yet, there is no one-size fits-all format. Have you ever wondered what extra benefits a CMO can bring to your organisation and how to set up one that will meet your needs? Whether you are currently applying CM to projects or just consider the best way to climb the CM maturity ladder, this series of 3 articles is for you. In this first post, we go back to the basics and explore the reasons why CMOs are more popular than ever before … and their very raison d’être. CMOs: elevated Change Management. ...
Written by
Vincent PIEDBOEUF -
May13
2019
Background. The effort at regulating capital markets in Europe has brought with it substantial reforms. Implemented in 2017, the “MiFID” (Markets in Financial Instruments Directives) legal arsenal was quickly reinforced with new provisions. In a nutshell, MiFID II seeks to strengthen both external and internal controls / reporting, enhance investor protection as well as market transparency, and reform market structures. As the investment industry is undergoing a major facelift, MiFID presents banking actors with challenges that call for a solid Management of Change. What is at stake is long-term sustainability and readiness for change. A partner of choice throughout the transition, NEXUM has put its expertise to work in a number of ways sampled in this post. The challenge. The implementation of MiFIDII has led private banks to implement operational changes and make strategic choices related to their business model/operating model. These structural and organizational ...
Written by
Veronique DI MARIA -
April29
2019
Helping Senior Leaders spearhead the change with ADKAR
Change must be endorsed, sponsored and communicated properly. Failure to do so will only fuel resistance and lead to more organisational inertia. Conversely, genuine commitment from senior leaders usually produces a ripple effect which drives the adoption rate of change(s) among employees. We may behave as if these things were self-evident but the fact is that leaders have more often than not a poor understanding of their role. When the injunction to be active and visible throughout the project does not translate into actionable steps, it falls on deaf ears. That is when ADKAR® comes into play and why we dedicate a special post on the best and most effective ways to engage leaders. A quick read with practical insights backed by PROSCI’s research and participants’ hands-on experience[1]. Benefits of equipping senior leaders with ADKAR. Sponsorship is the prime source of success. But what it entails often remains ...
Written by
Vincent PIEDBOEUF