Change management in general and CX transformation specific is one of the biggest CX issues in the world; Failing transformations, change saturation, frustrated CX teams. Call 2 action! I followed several Harvard courses about (change) management, became a Prosci ADKAR certified change practitioner and started together with Tamara Rolman CCXP a Masterclass Personal CX Leadership. For your inspiration; In this blog you’ll find my findings and recommendations for driving effective management and driving effective CX change management. Content. 1. Observations with CX transformations; IT-Change, Business-Change and Change Leadership. 2. The fundamentals, what is effective management? 3. And what is effective change management? 4. Put CX transformation into practice and next steps.

Content

1. Observations with CX transformations; IT-Change, Business-Change and Change Leadership
2. The fundamentals, effective management
3. Effective (CX) change management
4. Put into practice
5. Next steps

1. Observations with CX transformations; IT-Change, Business-Change and Change Leadership;

In 2009 I started my boutique consultancy in customer centric business. CX transformation assignments with the development and implementation of; On one hand, a Customer centric business strategy, “The end”. Depending on the context and starting position; A CX strategy, providing guidance for insights, metrics, design. At the other hand, technology “A means to the end”. Depending on the CX strategy and starting position, the deployment of tools like; CRM, CX Journey management and AI.

In this article my findings and recommendations for driving effective management and driving effective change management for both adaptive CX changes and technical CX changes.CX transformations are in a sense a blend of a IT-Change (CX technology), Business-Change (the development of competences like lateral thinking for breaking down the silos) and Change Leadership (effectively managing the change, example behaviour).

Spectrum CX transformation, adaptive changes and technical changes.

• Adaptive changes. This kind of changes typically require a collective effort and a cultural shift in values, beliefs, attitudes and approaches.
• Technical changes.This kind of changes made in response to clearly defined issues or challenges. Solutions are relatively straightforward, and the leaders or experts within an organization can usually address them without consulting the rest of the company.

Adaptive changes and technical changes requires different approaches. A lot of changes exist of an adaptive change part and a technical change part. These parts requires different approaches for each of them. The biggest failure of leadership is to treat adaptive challenges the same like technical changes.

Observations

I have worked with companies in Europe, US, Canada and Middle East with CX challenges. Regions, countries with – and even states per country – differences in religion, culture, the way of doing business and leadership style. My observations – regardless of the mentioned differences, the kind of business and the size of the company – I experience on a high level the same patterns around the globe with CX transformations;

• IT-Change part. This kind of changes has quite a strong maturity; Cloud based solutions offered with a SaaS model. An Agile approach makes it easer to provide businesses with the right solutions and tooling. Nevertheless, a fool with a tool is still a fool. For a successful usage, on top off the IT-Change a business change is required. Even for standard IT solutions like MS-Teams!
• Business Change. In a sense, depending on an adaptive change or a technical change; Adaptive, a cultural – company wide – shift. Technical, for example a new way of working with a new tool based on a new (CX) strategy. In my observation, the business change is for both type of changes often just limited to provide the Subject Matter Experts with – IT related – training. There is not a coherent change approach including the related Change Leadership.
• Change leadership. In a sense, example behaviour, active sponsorship. My observation, managers and C-suite are to busy and often paying limited or no attention to the CX change.

Underlying, in random order, on a high level issues like silo thinking – especially the IT silo and Business silo as a blocking issue for a successful digitalization -, unsatisfied customers and unhappy employees. Change saturation because changes are not managed effectively.

2. The fundamentals, effective management?

Before we jump into effective change management, one step back and let’s have a look: what is effective management? After all, effective management is the fundament for driving successful change management. Without effective management, running a successful change is often very hard.

In-effective management is:

• Micromanagement
• There is no (process) ownership
• There is not a culture of taking responsibility or addressing issues

In practice, this is quite often the case with long-established businesses. Bottom line, chaotic business operations. It is a grey area between senior, middle management and operations. Not able to respond effective to (nowadays fast) changing circumstances. A bad starting point for an effective change management: “we have to change, but we don’t have time to change”. Change saturation? Is this real the case or is it driven by failed changes in the past.

Effective management is:

A clear administrative division on a strategic, tactical and operational level:

• Strategic level? The board of directors/ senior Leadership: Set and led the strategic vision with alignment with the business objectives.
• Tactical level? Middle Management: executing the strategy at the operational level, ensuring that departmental goals aligned with the CX and overall strategy. Liaison between senior leadership and frontline employees.
• Operational level? Operational managers: running the daily business.

Spectrum effective management

3. Change Management?

In-effective change management is:

• Just using a change management methodology without taking care of the human side of change; Instead of – with a lot of sheets- explaining the change with a Powerpoint presentation, approaching the staff with empathy and having a real conversation of their concerns and thoughts about the change.
• Just provide with some training.

Effective change management is:

In the mix, science and art. Science, the use of an elaborate change management methodology. Art, observations, empathy and listening.

Looking at Prosci ADKAR for Change management on Strategic, Tactical and Operational level:

• Strategic level? Sponsor role based on Prosci ABC; A. Active and visible participation throughout the project. B. Build a coalition of sponsorship. C. Communicate, support and promote the change to impacted groups. Again, Leadership.

 

• Tactical level? Change management role based on Prosci CLARC. C. Communicator. The people manager builds Awareness of the need for change with their team. L. Liaison. People managers engage with and liaise between their employees and the project team, providing information from the team to their direct reports. A. Advocate. As an advocate, people managers influence Desire to participate and support the change. R. Resistance Manager, people managers influence an employee’s Desire to participate and support a change. C. Coach, the coach role focuses on developing Knowledge on how to change, as well as Ability to implement required skills and behaviours.

 

• Staff? Prosci ADKAR model. A change journey for the staff through Awareness (Of the need for change), Desire (To Participate and support the change), Knowledge (On how to change), Ability (To implement required skills and behaviours) and Reinforcement (To sustain the change).

More information, Prosci.com

4. Put into practice

Depending on the context and need for change. Establish effective management as a first – change management – step. A very well pave for driving successful change management. Or combining change management for establishing effective management with the first part of the CX change.

• For an adaptive CX change situation, a comprehensive – top down and organization wide – change management approach.
• For a technical CX change situation, depending on the situation a change for a department with a bottom up approach or top down approach.

Three examples.

1. Situation, a lot of complains and poor results.

Pattern. In my experience, a lot of miscommunication. E.g., between sales and production. A typical example of silo thinking.

Approach. An adaptive transformation towards a culture of lateral thinking/ company wide collaboration. Start with a change strategy plan for an effective collaboration on strategic level following by tactical level and staff. Connect all the departments by means of end 2 end customer journeys and facilitate the journeys with CRM tooling.

2. Situation Chaotic operations.

Pattern. In my experience, working and get caught up in the day-to-day treadmill of existence due to current events and stress. There is no room to zoom out and having a view of the the situation with a broader outlook.

Approach. In my experience, a mix of an adaptive and technical change. With an Agile approach, determine and solve the key processes which are frustrating the operation in a real bad way. In which these processes are not automated and facilitated by technology. Fix the processes and facilitate with the right technology, start small. For the adaptive change part, a long term company wide change to an operation with peace and overview.

3. Situation. Not a clear overall and customer strategy.

Pattern. Short term money driven operations. It is not clear what the company is about.

Approach. A mix of an adaptive and technical change, depending on the starting situation:

In all examples, a bad or negative bottom line and unsatisfied customers and employees. At the other hand, a opportunity for CX; a necessary change to long term money, turnaround to drive a distinctive business with CX.

In all examples, a structured change management approach – like Prosci ADKAR – with a good balance between science and art is required. With an integral approach for the IT-Change, Business-Change and Change Leadership.

Plus, in addition personal leadership on all levels! Strategic, Tactical and Staff. Together with Tamara Rolman we have developed a Masterclass “ Personal CX leadership”.  Personal leadership for example having the courage for addressing the issues.

5. Next steps

What is the CX change challenge? Analyze the current situation with for example a root cause analysis, avoid to jump in solutions! Determine the adaptive change part and technical change part. Create a change management strategy for both parts. Use an Agile approach; divide in small steps. Nowadays a big change approach often is no use.

A change of inside out thinking towards an outside in approach? Add Journey management and personas to the change management plan! Secure C-level buy in before to start with the change management plan.

A walk of 1000 steps start with the first step(s). Step out of the comfort zone and make the first steps. Look for quick wins and celebrate successes! Good luck with your change challenge!

In case you want to reflect on your challenge, please let me know.