Change Skills over Time Emphasis on
Political Skills
Managerial Skills come to the fore
Individual Focus on skills and competence
New skills start to dominate
Leadership Skills Time
be part of this managing process too. A service director of a machinery manufacturer said, “We recognised some of our people were good people but didn’t have the required capabilities…so we moving them to other jobs roles that better fit [their] capabilities.”
A key lesson: different change skills come to the fore at different times
• Leadership skills are essential throughout, not just at the start Most people would agree that leadership is a critical factor in kicking off a change initiative, but research indicates the leadership must not back off too early and leave the sustaining of change to others.
• Political skills are most important at the start Good leadership alone is insufficient. Paying attention to the political aspects at the commencement of the change initiative is vital if it is to be sustained. Early stakeholder management and political skills are called for.
• Commitment of all individuals can come later For the change initiative to become sustainable the leadership needs to get the commitment of most individuals. However, this can wait in the early stages of the change.
• Management skills become more vital as the change becomes sustained The managerial factor is also important in sustaining the change initiative but notably in the later stages of the process. Managers, including specialists, have an important role in supporting the senior leadership team to ensure that the new ways of working introduced by the change initiative are adhered too.
Conclusion
Recognising where to put maximum focus during the various stages of change is helpful to those dedicated to making change initiatives stick. HR and L&D professionals seeking to build change competence must take on board that sustaining change is a nuanced and varying process, with different skills taking priority as the change programme progresses. Our research findings emphasise that change leaders need to move their energy and focus through different stages of change. This requires flexibility and adaptability, with the ability to switch attention using different skills as the change progresses. HR and L&D professionals need to be flexible, too, in order to support change in varying ways for maximum effect.
Dr. Bob Lillis
is a senior lecturer in Service Operations Management at Cranfield School of
Management Steve
Macaulay
is an associate at Cranfield’s Centre for Customised Executive Development
www.trainingjournal.com September 2015
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