The experience of many managers charged with leading a change process or strategic initiative is that the strategic intent or goal(s) are not translated into operational practice fast enough. Examples of projects where our clients are experiencing this challenge include:-
* | Roll-out of an ERP system such as SAP or J. D. Edwards. |
* | Significant organisational re-structuring. |
* | New business establishment, new markets and/or products. |
* | Integration of culture and business processes during and after a merger or acquisition. |
The full potential of the new system, process or project does not move beyond the project plan unless new skills, understanding and commitment are effectively embedded into the organisation.
Factors that prevent this "embedding" process typically include:-
* | User training on IT systems or new products and technology is often provided by the vendors of the system/technology. These vendors are generally experts in their content field, but their skills do not lie in skill transferral. |
* | Linked to this, skills and knowledge are retained by the vendor who leaves the organisation after the "implementation", and these skills are not retained in the workplace. |
* | A new way of working is often only understood as far as clarification of new or changed roles, but this does not translate into actually being able to work differently. |
* | Training programmes typically do not deliver a full understanding of the total business process (both in concept and in detail) that a person impacts on (and vice versa). This results in silo thinking and errors because people do not understand the "up" and "downstream" consequences of their actions. |
* | Training is often treated as a "once-off" process, that may be repeated in the same format (eg. "refresher training"), but does not specifically and consciously develop people's skills to carry on learning, or adapt to and initiate future changes or enhancements. This ability to continue learning, without more and more content training, is crucial in fast-paced and changing environments. |
Our contribution to your organisation's strategic investment in change can include:-
* | Developing an overall conceptual design for large scale skills development initiatives to deliver organisational change. |
* | Designing and producing training materials and processes in any content area. |
* | Training and coaching of in-house experts and managers in your business to deliver the training. |
* | In some cases, training your staff directly, particularly in areas of coaching and learning skills. |