Sustainable Transformation

(CLP) Programs

Appleton Greene corporate training programs are all process-driven. They are used as vehicles to implement tangible business processes within clients’ organizations, together with training, support and facilitation during the use of these processes. Corporate training programs are therefore implemented over a sustainable period of time, that is to say, between 1 year (incorporating 12 monthly workshops), and 4 years (incorporating 48 monthly workshops). Your program information guide will specify how long each program takes to complete. Each monthly workshop takes 6 hours to implement and can be undertaken either on the client’s premises, an Appleton Greene serviced office, or online via the internet. This enables clients to implement each part of their business process, before moving onto the next stage of the program and enables employees to plan their study time around their current work commitments. The result is far greater program benefit, over a more sustainable period of time and a significantly improved return on investment.

Appleton Greene uses standard and bespoke corporate training programs as vessels to transfer business process improvement knowledge into the heart of our clients’ organizations. Each individual program focuses upon the implementation of a specific business process, which enables clients to easily quantify their return on investment. There are hundreds of established Appleton Greene corporate training products now available to clients within customer services, e-business, finance, globalization, human resources, information technology, legal, management, marketing and production. It does not matter whether a client’s employees are located within one office, or an unlimited number of international offices, we can still bring them together to learn and implement specific business processes collectively. Our approach to global localization enables us to provide clients with a truly international service with that all important personal touch. Appleton Greene corporate training programs can be provided virtually or locally and they are all unique in that they individually focus upon a specific business function. All (CLP) programs are implemented over a sustainable period of time, usually between 1-4 years, incorporating 12-48 monthly workshops and professional support is consistently provided during this time by qualified learning providers and where appropriate, by Accredited Consultants.

Executive Summary

Sustainable Transformation

Organizational Transformation planning is a process of developing a strategic plan for modifying an enterprise’s business processes through the modification of policies, procedures, and processes to move the organization from an “as is” state to a “to be” state. Change Management is the process for obtaining the enterprise (or business) intelligence to perform transformation planning by assessing an organization’s people and cultures to determine how changes in business strategies, organizational design, organizational structures, processes, and technology systems will impact the enterprise. The objective of organizational change management is to enable organization members and other stakeholders to adapt to a sponsor’s new vision, mission, and systems, as well as to identify sources of resistance to the changes and minimize resistance to them. Organizations are almost always in a state of change, whether the change is continuous or episodic. Change creates tension and strain in a sponsor’s social system that the sponsor must adapt to so that it can evolve. Transformational planning and organizational change is the coordinated management of change activities affecting users, as imposed by new or altered business processes, policies, or procedures and related systems implemented by the sponsor. The objectives are to effectively transfer knowledge and skills that enable users to adopt the sponsor’s new vision, mission, and systems and to identify and minimize sources of resistance to the sponsor’s changes.

In today’s rapidly accelerated global marketplace, companies have no choice but to adhere to the challenges. The world is shifting fast. Senior executives and management teams are aggressively seeking to transform their company in order to survive, compete and achieve. Processes are being reengineered and costs are being reorganized. Unfortunately, most leadership groups lack a proven system to approach the challenge. A management team will most likely agree on what a good business plan looks like, but when an organization is faced with a large-scale transformation, opinions vary greatly. Teams struggle to agree on both direction and outcomes and it becomes challenging to find a common ground for moving forward. When faced with organizational transformation, the ability to collaborate, integrate systems and coordinate with all levels of the company is critical for survival and long-term success. Respected management author John Kotter proclaims that, based on evidence, most transformation efforts fail. Organizations often experience a brief period of improved performance, only to return to the status quo. This creates uncertainty about future transformation efforts.

An organization must implement strategies that will sustain their competitive advantage. However, to maximize transformation efforts, they must learn how to align leadership and all employees with the new ways of conducting business to sustain the transformation. Organizational transformation is a permanent commitment to improve quality, customer service, development and participation in all levels of the company. Senior management plays a critical role in an organization’s transformation efforts. Leaders model the way and set the direction and provide the vision of the company. Leaders motivate employees to overcome the obstacles between what occurs today and what needs to occur in the transformation for the future. Leadership teams must inspire all levels of the organization to “want to” work toward the new outcomes and create a new future for the organization. Wanting to change and actually implementing change are two different things. Transformational change happens at the core of the organization and has the potential to radically change the organization from the inside out. In order for transformation to become reality, the details are of the upmost priority. It’s about resources, timelines and budgets. It’s about creating a vision for the future that has sustainable outcomes. Transformation efforts bring energy to the organization in the way of improvement and revitalization. Creating an effective vision is the first step towards organizational transformation.

A vision is an organization’s response to the consistently changing environment. It must be compelling, shared by all members in the organization, and inspire action. Senior management is critical in creating a vision with these attributes. The leader’s vision and resulting strategy help the organization chart paths to new territories and challenges the organization to pursue opportunities that redefine the future. A leader inspires commitment to the vision and energizes individuals to action. If everyone is energized, but doesn’t know what to do, transformation will not occur. In addition, if everyone is energized but follows their own vision, transformation is impossible. This is where a strategic plan is key. Once a vision is created and communicated, it’s necessary to evaluate how the current reality is relative to the vision.

Transformation requires a road map to chart direction and track progress. Without a road map, an organization could end up anywhere or nowhere at all. Without a strategic plan, a company is put at risk in today’s competitive environment—anyone can become your competition at any time. The strategic plan includes analysis of an organizations strengths and weaknesses. Executives must look for opportunities for results, as well as threats to the current system. Translating the strategic plan into action is where most organizations fall short. Employees are inspired to reach the future, but are unsure of where to start. The management of change should not be more complicated than the actual change being implemented. People need to know how the change fits with other priorities in the company, and also the urgency of the specific change. Employees must be involved in the transformation process, but management must provide unified leadership. It’s the responsibility of senior management to prioritize efforts during the transformation process. If employees are left to choose for themselves, they will undoubtedly fall back into the old patterns. Assigning priority helps individuals prioritize new initiatives by first understanding the reason for needing to transform. Organizational transformation must create a process where those performing the work are directly involved in improving the work. Skills must be enhanced to support the improvements, and management must create a healthy company climate that supports individuals’ ability to achieve established standards. Senior management has the task of articulating a compelling vision for what is possible in the future. Employees must be emotionally committed to spend the necessary effort for successful transformation. Employees who see a direct relationship between what they do and the value they bring to the organization have a greater understanding for the need to change. The implementation process requires that everyone understands the exact way in which his or her contribution is critical to achieving the overall vision. Leadership’s role in the process is to focus the organization’s attention on the next challenge and the right initiatives to solidify the established vision.

Curriculum

Sustainable Transformation – Part 1- Year 1

1. Part 1 Month 1 Organization Design
2. Part 1 Month 2 The Environment
3. Part 1 Month 3 Business Strategy
4. Part 1 Month 4 Core Process
5. Part 1 Month 5 Corporate Structure
6. Part 1 Month 6 Business Systems
7. Part 1 Month 7 Business Culture
8. Part 1 Month 8 Performance Results
9. Part 1 Month 9 Business Leadership
10. Part 1 Month 10 Acknowledge Approach
11. Part 1 Month 11 Communicate & Engage
12. Part 1 Month 12 Prioritize Programs

Sustainable Transformation – Part 2- Year 2

1. Part 2 Month 1 Leverage Technology
2. Part 2 Month 2 Cultural Pride
3. Part 2 Month 3 Informal Influencers
4. Part 2 Month 4 Organization Management
5. Part 2 Month 5 Create Urgency
6. Part 2 Month 6 Powerful Coalition
7. Part 2 Month 7 Create Vision
8. Part 2 Month 8 Communicate Vision
9. Part 2 Month 9 Remove Obstacles
10. Part 2 Month 10 Short-term Wins
11. Part 2 Month 11 Build Change
12. Part 2 Month 12 Anchor Changes

Program Objectives

The following list represents the Key Program Objectives (KPO) for the Appleton Greene Sustainable Transformation corporate training program.

Sustainable Transformation – Year 1

1. Part 1 Month 1 Organization design
   The Transformation Model is the framework we use to help leaders understand their organizations and also guide a successful redesign. The model reduces the complexity of an organization to eight key variables that must be understood and aligned for a business to be successful. Alignment implies a holistic or systems point of view that finds the best “fit” between all organizational elements. Paying attention to and understanding these variables will result in major improvements in customer service, quality, efficiency, cycle time, profitability and satisfaction of employees.
2. Part 1 Month 2 The Environment
   Organizations, like all living systems, can survive only to the extent that they maintain harmony with their external environment. This includes being sensitive to the evolving needs and perceptions of customers, understanding changes occurring in technologies, knowing your competition and understanding the legal, social and political climates. Most organizations eventually die because they fail to maintain a responsive attitude towards their environment.
3. Part 1 Month 3 Business Strategy
   There are two parts to strategy. Business strategy is a set of conscious decisions about how the organization will add value to customers and distinguish itself from its competitors. It also includes performance targets and strategy for growth. A well-developed business strategy tells the organization where it is going and guides it like a ships rudder in a stormy sea. An Organization strategy is the “being” or character of the organization. It has to do with who we are and not just what we do. It includes the mission, vision of the future, values and guiding principles. A clear organizational strategy helps transform a company or office from a normal work place to one that inspires people and brings out their best.
4. Part 1 Month 4 Core Process
   This is the flow of work through the organization. It is the sequence of events or steps necessary to get a product out the door or deliver a service. This also includes the technology and resources (equipment, software, space and materials) required to produce a deliverable. Core business processes are, or should be, the focal point around which all other business unit activity is organized. Understanding, streamlining and properly supporting core business processes is the central job of any organization.
5. Part 1 Month 5 Corporate Structure
   How people are organized around business processes. It moves beyond box charts to understanding the boundaries, roles, responsibilities and reporting relationships among people. It is a sort of template that determines not only relationships but coordination of tasks and allocation of resources around business processes. The proper question about structure is not whether it is the right one, but whether it fits with the rest of the organization (core process, strategy) and helps rather than hinders performance.
6. Part 1 Month 6 Business Systems
   Systems are the inter-related sets of tasks or activities that help organize and coordinate work. Examples include recruiting and selection, training and development, how people are promoted, communication/ information sharing, decision making, how people are rewarded, planning/ goal setting, personnel policies and procedures and performance feedback. Systems are usually standardized and cut across the whole organization. They are often “owned” by management or special support functions. The most effective systems are often the simplest.
7. Part 1 Month 7 Business Culture
   Culture is how the organization really operates. It consists of the leadership style, worker attitudes and habits and management practices that make up the distinctive “personality” of the organization. It is like the air that permeates everything and is both cause and effect of organization behavior. Culture mirrors the true philosophy and values that the organization actually practices. As such, it is a measure of how well an organization has translated its philosophy (organizational strategy) into practice.
8. Part 1 Month 8 Performance Results
   What is the organization’s current performance? Results define the success or health of an organization and are therefore the starting point for understanding how well the organization is functioning. Results indicate where the organization is strong and what it needs to keep doing, as well as where it is weak and what it needs to change. Everything is tied to results. Not being clear about current or future results is like being lost at sea; even knowing where you want to go, you don’t know how to get there.
9. Part 1 Month 9 Business Leadership
   Leaders drive success. They set goals and monitor results, scan the external environment, define vision and strategy, design (consciously or by default) the infrastructure of the organization, develop people and build culture. However, traditional assumptions, roles and practices of leadership are no longer adequate to manage in today’s complex world. Successful leaders are changing their assumptions about work, organizations and people to build collaborative, more responsive organizations.
10. Part 1 Month 10 Acknowledge Approach
    How are you changing? More than 50% of companies change by continuously aligning business models with their overall strategy. Others transform through more localized, or project- or process-specific efforts. It’s essential that HR take the lead in devising the change approach and establishing a plan for executing it.
11. Part 1 Month 11 Communicate & Engage
    To mitigate resistance, HR should engage in a consistent, 360-degree dialog with everyone impacted by the change. That means speaking with employees across the organization so they know why change is vital to the business and how it will affect their roles, career plans, and compensation.
12. Part 1 Month 12 Prioritize Programs
    HR can orchestrate successful change by playing a central role in coordinating employees’ change-related workloads so they do not become overwhelmed. This requires careful planning as HR delineates a clear beginning, middle, and end for the transformation. Building in milestones and success metrics can create added momentum for change.

Sustainable Transformation – Year 2

1. Part 2 Month 1 Leverage Technology
   Transformation may require moving people quickly into new roles, often with rapid shifts in career paths, training requirements, and compensation. HR systems need to be agile in response—capturing these changes and giving employees the information they need to evolve with the business.
2. Part 2 Month 2 Cultural Pride
   Culture can be thought of as the unwritten rules for how people interact and get things done in your organization. It dictates how a change will be implemented, regardless of what’s in your plan. HR should highlight cultural factors that make employees proud of the changes occurring, so they can in turn become champions of business growth. In this post we highlighted HR’s Role in helping to facilitate large-scale transformation by harnessing the power of culture.
3. Part 2 Month 3 Informal Influencers
   Sometimes, it’s the hallway conversations in a company that make a significant difference in the outcome of a change program. Highly connected people are often at the heart of the change process, regardless of their official positions. HR can identify these informal leaders and work with them as cultural change agents to build support for change.
4. Part 2 Month 4 Organization Management
   HR is uniquely qualified to facilitate large-scale transformation by communicating consistent messages through multiple channels across the organization. Everyone from entry-level employees to middle management to the C-suite needs to be engaged, knowing what to do to make the change initiative a success. They also need to understand that HR is there to support them as they make the transformation.
5. Part 2 Month 5 Create Urgency
   For change to happen, it helps if the whole company really wants it. Develop a sense of urgency around the need for change. This may help you spark the initial motivation to get things moving. This isn’t simply a matter of showing people poor sales statistics or talking about increased competition. Open an honest and convincing dialogue about what’s happening in the marketplace and with your competition. If many people start talking about the change you propose, the urgency can build and feed on itself.
6. Part 2 Month 6 Powerful Coalition
   Convince people that change is necessary. This often takes strong leadership and visible support from key people within your organization. Managing change isn’t enough – you have to lead it. You can find effective change leaders throughout your organization – they don’t necessarily follow the traditional company hierarchy. To lead change, you need to bring together a coalition, or team, of influential people whose power comes from a variety of sources, including job title, status, expertise, and political importance. Once formed, your “change coalition” needs to work as a team, continuing to build urgency and momentum around the need for change.
7. Part 2 Month 7 Create Vision
   When you first start thinking about change, there will probably be many great ideas and solutions floating around. Link these concepts to an overall vision that people can grasp easily and remember. A clear vision can help everyone understand why you’re asking them to do something. When people see for themselves what you’re trying to achieve, then the directives they’re given tend to make more sense.
8. Part 2 Month 8 Communicate Vision
   What you do with your vision after you create it will determine your success. Your message will probably have strong competition from other day-to-day communications within the company, so you need to communicate it frequently and powerfully, and embed it within everything that you do. Don’t just call special meetings to communicate your vision. Instead, talk about it every chance you get. Use the vision daily to make decisions and solve problems. When you keep it fresh on everyone’s minds, they’ll remember it and respond to it. It’s also important to “walk the talk.” What you do is far more important – and believable – than what you say. Demonstrate the kind of behavior that you want from others.
9. Part 2 Month 9 Remove Obstacles
   If you follow these steps and reach this point in the change process, you’ve been talking about your vision and building buy-in from all levels of the organization. Hopefully, your staff wants to get busy and achieve the benefits that you’ve been promoting. But is anyone resisting the change? And are there processes or structures that are getting in its way? Put in place the structure for change, and continually check for barriers to it. Removing obstacles can empower the people you need to execute your vision, and it can help the change move forward.
10. Part 2 Month 10 Short-term Wins
    Nothing motivates more than success. Give your company a taste of victory early in the change process. Within a short time frame (this could be a month or a year, depending on the type of change), you’ll want to have some “quick wins” that your staff can see. Without this, critics and negative thinkers might hurt your progress. Create short-term targets – not just one long-term goal. You want each smaller target to be achievable, with little room for failure. Your change team may have to work very hard to come up with these targets, but each “win” that you produce can further motivate the entire staff.
11. Part 2 Month 11 Build Change
    Kotter argues that many change projects fail because victory is declared too early. Real change runs deep. Quick wins are only the beginning of what needs to be done to achieve long-term change. Launching one new product using a new system is great. But if you can launch 10 products, that means the new system is working. To reach that 10th success, you need to keep looking for improvements. Each success provides an opportunity to build on what went right and identify what you can improve.
12. Part 2 Month 12 Anchor Changes
    Finally, to make any change stick, it should become part of the core of your organization. Your corporate culture often determines what gets done, so the values behind your vision must show in day-to-day work. Make continuous efforts to ensure that the change is seen in every aspect of your organization. This will help give that change a solid place in your organization’s culture. It’s also important that your company’s leaders continue to support the change. This includes existing staff and new leaders who are brought in. If you lose the support of these people, you might end up back where you started.