Leading IT Transformation – Workshop 7 (Change Leadership)

Appleton Greene

The Appleton Greene Corporate Training Program (CTP) for Leading IT Transformation is provided by Ms. Drabenstadt MBA BBA Certified Learning Provider (CLP). Program Specifications: Monthly cost USD$2,500.00; Monthly Workshops 6 hours; Monthly Support 4 hours; Program Duration 24 months; Program orders subject to ongoing availability.

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Learning Provider Profile

Appleton Greene

Ms. Drabenstadt is a Certified Learning Provider (CLP) at Appleton Greene and she has experience in Information Technology, Information Governance, Compliance and Audit. She has achieved an MBA, and BBA. She has industry experience within the following sectors: Technology; Insurance and Financial Services. She has had commercial experience within the following countries: United States of America, Canada, Australia, India, Trinidad, and Jamaica. Her program will initially be available in the following cities: Madison WI; Minneapolis MN; Chicago IL; Atlanta GA and Denver CO. Her personal achievements include: Developed Trusted IT-Business Relationship; Delivered Increased Business Value/Time; Decreased IT Costs; Re-tooled IT Staff; Increased IT Employee Morale. Her service skills incorporate: IT transformation leadership; process improvement; change management; program management and information governance.

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MOST Analysis

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Mission Statement

Every new initiative requires good leadership. IT transformation is a challenging task and undergoing such a huge change in an organization requires efficient change leadership. Change leadership is a very important factor in deciding how successful and sustainable the transformation will be. Employees are often skeptical about, and even resistant to, change. Good change leadership is able to influence them positively and build enthusiasm. They generally use personal advocacy and a compelling vision to motivate others and build a robust platform for change. Change leaders are the ones who initiate the process. When they see an opportunity for improvement, they make a compelling business case and communicate the same to the employees. Only when employees see a common gain that benefits everyone in the organization will they be more engaged in the process and a good change leader understands this. After this, the change leader builds strategies for change and lays out a clear action plan that is communicated to all levels. Employees understand what they are working towards. The change leader also addresses questions and concerns to ensure that everyone is on the same page and the common goals, as well as success, are defined from the very beginning. Lastly, executing this strategy is the most challenging part for a change leader. Assigning the right people to the right tasks, breaking down big projects into smaller more attainable goals, developing metrics to measure progress and success, but at the same time trusting employees’ capabilities and giving them enough freedom to make decisions within their capacity is what execution requires. A good change leader is able to execute the transformation plan with minimum friction.

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Objectives

01. Sense of Urgency: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
02. Compelling Change Story: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
03. Employee Reaction: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
04. Vision and Values: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
05. Communication is Key: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
06. Training Programs: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
07. Company Culture: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. 1 Month
08. Visualize the Journey: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
09. Measure the Change: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
10. Create Wins: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
11. Align Performance Management: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
12. Lookout for Inconsistencies: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month

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Strategies

01. Sense of Urgency: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
02. Compelling Change Story: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
03. Employee Reaction: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
04. Vision and Values: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
05. Communication is Key: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
06. Training Programs: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
07. Company Culture: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
08. Visualize the Journey: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
09. Measure the Change: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
10. Create Wins: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
11. Align Performance Management: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
12. Lookout for Inconsistencies: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.

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Tasks

01. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Sense of Urgency.
02. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Compelling Change Story.
03. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Employee Reaction.
04. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Vision and Values.
05. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Communication is Key.
06. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Training Programs.
07. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Company Culture.
08. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Visualize the Journey.
09. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Measure the Change.
10. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Create Wins.
11. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Align Performance Management.
12. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Lookout for Inconsistencies.

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Introduction

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The Role of Change Leadership is Changing

Previously, when we heard the term ‘Change Leadership,’ we used to think of it as a skill designated for a select few, such as Top Management or Change Managers. However, in today’s fast-paced and disruptive corporate climate, this is no longer the case.

A lack of change leadership as a competency across the board, from individual contributors to management, has lately been discovered to be one of the main frustrations and obstacles typically faced while adopting new ideas or changes. One component was always most important in every successful or unsuccessful project; it came down to ‘Change Leadership.’

Change is happening at an accelerated rate in today’s disruptive business climate, requiring us to respond faster and better than ever before, especially when it comes to IT transformation. This can only happen if we are empowered and equipped with the change leadership competencies and mentality to navigate change in our spheres of influence nimbly and effectively.

Many contributors fail to take responsibility for their role in successfully leading and driving towards the intended objectives for their jobs, projects, or the company because they assume that the leadership position is strictly reserved only for the ‘leader.’

However that is no longer the case; the capacity to lead and respond to change is now a key competence required of any leader, innovator, manager, project manager, change practitioner, or team member who wishes to make a meaningful difference in their career or business.

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What is Change Leadership?

For many years, Higgs and Rowland’s definition of change leadership has been the most popular: “Change leadership is the ability to influence and enthuse others through personal advocacy, vision and drive, and to access resources to build a solid platform for change“.While this is a great definition, in today’s VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) world, where change is fast-paced, constantly disrupted by advancing technology, and a complex socio-economic environment, we need a definition that best describes our new paradigm and the critical role of change leadership that transcends ‘position’ and ‘title.’ This shift in paradigm, as well as the key competencies required of change leaders, are encapsulated in the following definition:

“Change Leadership is the ability to influence and inspire action in others, and respond with vision and agility during periods of growth, disruption or uncertainty to bring about the needed change.”

(Yvonne Ruke Akpoveta)

Change leadership necessitates the ability to be imaginative and forward-thinking, as well as the agility and responsiveness to our ever-changing corporate environment.

As a Change Leader in IT transformation, you’ll need to be able to do things like:

• Influence and lead people, including peers and other leaders.Anticipate and respond to change with agility
• Collaborate with others and communicate effectively
• Demonstrate empathy and build trust with others by putting people first.
• Maintain momentum and remain focused in the face of adversity.
• Keep the team and coworkers engaged and empowered by bringing them together.
• Identify and overcome change hurdles while keeping the overall picture in mind.
• Willingness to take chances and be original, creative, and decisive
• Establish a vision and enlist the help of others.

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How to Be a Successful Change Leader

Great Change Leaders Focus on People & Process

One of the most difficult challenges that modern businesses confront is implementing successful change. In our fast-changing environment, the strategic need to change is often clear: our firm will not prosper or last unless we do things differently.

At its most basic level, change leadership entails collaborating to develop a shared understanding of the changes needed to carry out the strategy, as well as the best ways to do them. Despite the resources invested in developing chang