How do you identify the people who are essential to the transformation of your company?

Cultural transformation, digital transformation, managerial, organizational… Whatever it is, any business transformation requires the support and buy-in of its employees. Among the teams, certain talents will play a central role in the deployment of this profound transformation. But who are these actors of change in companies and how can they be identified?

 

Defining the human resources needed for the transformation

First of all, it is necessary to define the necessary human needs and levers to the project of change. This depends mainly on the scope of the project and the type of transformation to be implemented. It will therefore be necessary to ask yourself a few questions to clarify your expectations and be able to identify the key players in the transformation project : What are the technical, managerial and operational skills required? What are the required behaviors? What will be the commitment expected from each employee?

 

Detecting human potential during scenarios

In order to identify the internal players essential to the transformation of your company, employees must be given the opportunity to reveal their potential, outside the traditional framework. Indeed, a profound transformation implies a great paradigm shift, and an upheaval of habits and landmarks. Thus, an agile and effective employee in a usual environment will not necessarily be so in a context of change.

It can therefore be useful to place teams in a disruptive framework, by organizing, for example, events such as serious games, workshops, seminars abroad, teambuilding activities, inter-company events, etc.

These events will make it possible to assess, in each person, the essential soft skills during a transformation project : adaptability, stress management, conflict management, active listening, communication skills, interpersonal skills, creativity, sense of innovation, open-mindedness, ability to solve problems, etc.

 

Communicating with the HR team

The HR team and the HR Director are essential allies in determining the actors of organizational change.

It is therefore necessary to take the time to discuss with the human resources department to set up an action plan facilitating the identification of key actors of change. For example, it is possible to carry out psychological tests, group exercises, test changes of function, assign multidisciplinary missions, etc. Employees and local managers who welcome these changes such as vectors of opportunity rather than sources of difficulty will be more likely to play a key role in the coming change.

It will also be necessary to communicate closely with operational managers in order to identify their fears, expectations and human needs during this profound transformation.

 

Creating a human ecosystem for your transformation project

Rather than individually identifying the people to be placed at the heart of your transformation, you should first and foremost think about creating a heterogeneous team, with varied profiles and complementary skills.

We can thus identify different types of people to make up the transformation project team:

• Decision-makers (project directors, managers’ managers, executives, etc.): they supervise, deliver strategic orientations and monitor the transformation;
• Change ambassadors : in the field, they motivate the teams, ensure the smooth running of operations, and help to overcome resistance to change and play a role of referent to the management. They are local managers or key employees, designated as ” change management managers “.
• Teams of experts and operational teams, who have the skills (technical, managerial, commercial, financial, legal, etc.) that are essential for the transformation: CIO (Director of Information Services), CFO (Administrative and Financial Director), legal team, integrators, etc.

Other actors inside or outside the company will also be able to make a valuable contribution to the transformation of the company: trainers, coaches (organizational coaching, NLP master practitioner, etc.), sponsors, service providers, key users, etc.

 

However, as these skills are not always available internally, it may sometimes be necessary to outsource them, for example by calling on an interim manager. With 15 to 25 years of experience in senior positions, he is a true expert in business transformation. At WAYDEN, we identify the right interim manager for your transformation and your expectations. Thanks to his or her know-how and sector expertise, he or she deploys all the necessary actions within your company to Succeed in your change management and help you identify the key players in your change project, while ensuring the commitment and motivation of your employees.