Identifying the actors essential to the transformation of your company

Whether it be cultural transformation, digital transformation, managerial transformation or organisational transformation, any business transformation requires the support and buy-in of its employees. Certain talents in your teams will play a central role in the deployment of a profound transformation. Who are these actors of change within your company, and how can you identify them?  

Define the human resources needed for the transformation

First and foremost, you need to define the human needs and levers required for the change project. This depends mainly on the scope of the project and the type of transformation to be implemented. You will need to ask yourself several questions to clarify your expectations and be able to identify the key players in the transformation project: what technical, managerial and operational skills are needed? What behaviours are required? What commitment is expected from each employee?  

Detecting human potential through role playing

In order to identify the internal players that are essential to the transformation of a company, employees must be given the opportunity to reveal their potential, outside the traditional framework. Indeed, a profound transformation implies a major paradigm shift, and a disruption of habits and reference points. Thus, an agile and efficient employee in a habitual environment will not necessarily be so in a context of change. It can therefore be useful to place teams in a disruptive environment by organising, for example, events such as serious games, workshops, seminars abroad, teambuilding activities or inter-company events. These events will allow you to evaluate the soft skills that are essential for your transformation project: skills such as adaptability, stress management, conflict management, active listening, communication skills, interpersonal skills, creativity, innovation, open-mindedness or problem-solving skills.  

Communicating with the HR team

The HR team and the HR Director are essential allies in determining the actors of organisational change. You must take the time to discuss with the HR department to draft an action plan that will facilitate the identification of the key actors of change. You could, for example, conduct psychological tests, organise group exercises, test function changes or assign multidisciplinary missions. Employees and local managers who welcome these changes as vectors of opportunity rather than sources of difficulty will be more likely to play a key role in the upcoming change. You should also communicate closely with operational managers to pinpoint their fears, expectations and human resource needs during the profound transformation.  

Create a human ecosystem for your transformation project

Rather than individually identifying the employees to be placed at the heart of the transformation project, the first element to consider is the creation of a diverse team, comprising different profiles and complementary skills. Different profiles can be identified to form a transformation project team:

• Decision-makers (project directors, managers of managers, executives, etc.): they supervise, deliver the strategic orientations and monitor the transformation.
• Change ambassadors: they motivate teams on the ground, ensure smooth operational progress, help overcome resistance to change and act as a reference for management. They are local managers or key employees, designated “change management managers”.
• Teams of experts and operational teams who possess the skills (technical, managerial, commercial, financial, legal, etc.) needed for the transformation: CIO (Chief Information Officer), CFO (Chief Financial Officer), legal team, integrators, etc.

Other internal or external players can also make a valuable contribution to the company's transformation: trainers, coaches (organisational coaches, NLP master practitioners, etc.), sponsors, service providers, key users, etc. However, as these skills are not always available internally, it may occasionally be necessary to outsource them by enlisting the support of an interim manager, for example. With 15 to 25 years of experience in high-level positions, these specialists are real experts in business transformation. At WAYDEN, we identify the right interim manager for your transformation and your expectations. With their interpersonal skills and sector expertise, they can instigate all the necessary  actions within your company to ensure the success of your change process, and help you identify the key players in your transformation project. They do this while ensuring the commitment and motivation of your employees.