Transforming Organizations – By Wendy Heckelman, Ph.D.
Learning pros, ideally, should be involved early to drive change
As organizations undergo transformation, learning & development (L&D) professionals play a crucial role as strategic partners by training and preparing employees to lead and adapt to change. Unfortunately, L&D professionals’ expertise and ability to drive behaviors is not always leveraged.
In an ideal scenario, L&D professionals are involved early in any change initiative, given a seat at the table to contribute their expertise and help prepare the organization’s talent for impending changes. Whether these changes are implemented on a large scale or in smaller, iterative steps, the presence of L&D at the outset can make a significant difference.
All too often, L&D professionals find themselves briefed on organizational changes already underway, leaving them with insufficient time to proactively prepare and upskill the talent pool. Without the opportunity to determine and provide the right training or even evaluate where and how L&D can make a meaningful impact, they may find themselves in a challenging position of working from behind. This situation not only undermines the perception of L&D’s capabilities but also hinders their effectiveness in upskilling talent appropriately and adequately.
To overcome this predicament, L&D professionals must be well-positioned early in the change cycle to ignite critical capabilities required for talent to successfully navigate and thrive during periods of change. By proactively understanding and planning for these essential capabilities, L&D can play a transformative role in empowering organizations to adapt, grow and achieve success amidst any form of transformation.
But what are the core capabilities that L&D needs to understand and train against to support their organization during times of change?
Critical Capabilities for a Change-Ready Organization
To effectively support their organizations during times of change, L&D professionals must possess a deep understanding of the core capabilities required at all levels, from executives to individual contributors.
L&D professionals should be prepared to help leaders do five key things:
1. Commit to Change
L&D professionals recognize that commitment to change is a collective effort. Their role lies in providing individuals with the training and resources to understand the importance and purpose of change. By delivering targeted learning experiences, facilitating open communication and fostering a culture of buy-in, L&D professionals empower individuals to embrace and commit to organizational transformation.
2. Construct a Risk Mitigation Plan
Individual contributors and leaders alike have a unique vantage point that may reveal critical risks in any change scenario. L&D professionals can support risk mitigation by providing training on risk assessment methodologies, decision-making frameworks and strategic thinking.
3. Create High-Performing Teams Focused on Results
The No. 1 challenge for most leaders is keeping their teams engaged and focused on the business during times of change. L&D professionals can equip leaders with effectiveness training that empowers them to jump-start their teams whether there is a restructuring, new leadership or even new strategic imperatives.
4. Coach Individuals Through Change and Transition
As change unfolds, timely and effective coaching becomes a pivotal capability required for successfully navigating the transformation journey; however, it is not the type of coaching that most leaders are used to. L&D professionals play a crucial role in equipping leaders and managers with transition coaching skills, enabling them to counsel and support individuals through the change process.
5. Calibrate to Ensure Success
Continuous evaluation and adjustment are essential in driving successful change. By providing training on data analysis, feedback mechanisms and change measurement techniques, L&D professionals enable individuals to actively participate in evaluating progress, identifying gaps and making informed adjustments to change strategies and execution.
Embedding Change Into Curriculum
L&D professionals possess a unique opportunity to serve as strategic partners during times of organizational change. However, their effectiveness in this role hinges on their ability to position themselves for timely and active participation in preparing their organization for change.
L&D professionals should proactively deepen their technical knowledge of change leadership and agility, recognizing when valuable opportunities arise to incorporate these concepts into core leadership development curriculum, thereby building a bench of change-ready leaders.
Conclusion
In today’s environment, large-scale and incremental changes require agile leaders who can effectively navigate and balance the benefits and potential risks of change. The ability to pivot quickly, adapt nimbly and make sound decisions in the face of uncertainty is necessary for leaders to successfully lead and navigate change. Change leadership is a complex and multifaceted skill that requires a significant investment of time, practice and ongoing effort to develop.
Creating learning solutions that result in sustainable, positive behavior change may feel like a tall order. However, L&D professionals can enhance organizational leadership agility by focusing on strategies that emphasize the mindset, skillset and behaviors that enable leaders to drive and successfully lead change.
Organizations that successfully prepare their leaders to lead and navigate complex change initiatives stand to achieve sustainable competitive advantage and success in the marketplace.
Dr. Wendy Heckelman is president and founder of WLH Consulting. Email Wendy at wendy@wlhconsulting.com.
