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Articles
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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 -
April02
2019
Are you familiar with these 5 role-based skills in CM?
We have already written extensively about the holistic nature of CM. Change never sits on the shoulders of one single person. There are all sorts of roles meant to ensure a smooth transition to the future envisioned state, ranging from those more specifically dedicated to building CM capacities across the organisation (i.e. leadership sponsors, steering committee) to those involving practical CM implementation (leaders, CM practitioners, project teams, managers, collaborators). If you are not familiar with the skills attached to major roles in CM, here is a short outline. CM maturity comes at a cost and it certainly is closely related to the development of individual aptitudes. # Leadership. Sponsorship is everything. In fact, it is the number one success factor of any change initiative and by a long stretch at that, since it is 3 to 4 times more important than any other factor. Being Active and visible ...
Written by
Vincent Piedboeuf -
March19
2019
What our client says about us. “If change management is not embedded in your organisation yet, Nexum puts in place the means for you to start building it on a solid foundation.” “Result-oriented and flexible, consultants work as if they were part of the organisation. They offer honest feedback to help people evolve.” Background. Our customer is a folding carton solution provider who operates several plants in various countries. In order to compete harder and maintain its position in the market, this company is initiating a transformation programme. The key objective is to develop a company-wide single approach. Improvement of the leadership culture is therefore central to the project as the organization seeks to make its processes more efficient and boost performance. The existing operational framework is scheduled to change. Along with creating a stronger Sales Team, the transformation programme includes developing a customer orientation strategy ...
Written by
Sybille VAN STEENBERGHE -
March05
2019
Changes coming soon? What to discuss with Staff.
Being faced with a barrage of questions from anxious and defensive employees is certainly not a pleasant experience. Nor will letting things spin out of control under the highly misleading claim that change is not something to be discussed, only enforced. Resistance is the byproduct of a lack of awareness among employees[1]. Our partner PROSCI has collected most frequently asked questions and concerns and how to properly address them. Preparation is key. Here are a 5 key messages and a few guidelines we believe may greatly help approach open-ended or face-to-face discussions with confidence and determination. Business reasons or the “why” WE change. “Why is change happening now”, “what if we don’t change” and “what the rush” are just a few questions that fall under the heading of “business reasons”. Dialogue is key in mitigating the effects that a sudden sense of urgency may trigger. The effects of ...
Written by
Vincent PIEDBOEUF -
February18
2019
Making the most of the digital turn with Change Management (II)
Digitalization is a long and above all holistic process. It takes a deep-seated reform that goes beyond technology to embrace new working routines and business culture.
“If a company’s leaders are taking a technology view of digital transformation, they are doing it wrong.” George Westerman, MIT researcher and co-author of Leading Digital. In our previous article, we set out to explain how the digital turn disrupted the global economic landscape and why it is urgent to jump into the bandwagon or risk losing to smaller and highly reactive entities. Digitalization is a long and above all holistic process. It takes a deep-seated reform that goes beyond technology to embrace new working routines and business culture. At stake is customer experience excellence. In this second instalment, we tell you how to play your cards right. Key factor 1: Leadership and vision Hiring a Chief Digital Officer “won’t fix it”. Nor can a single person bear the weight of transformation, be (s)he the CIO, Marketing or IT Director. If the Board of Directors ...
Written by
Antoine WOUTERS