Brain training

Who is responsible for engaging people across the organisation in a transformation? Who is expected to whip up the enthusiasm of everyone in the business?  Whose job is it to settle worries and concerns? 

Contrary to popular belief, it’s NOT the job of the Communications Team. It’s the responsibility of everyone working on the Programme (Comms just don’t do any other things, that’s all).

This means there’s a key skillset you’re looking to develop in everyone in your transformation team: and not just the out-there interactors, such as the BAs or Comms or the Trainers. Every member of an effective transformation team needs to know:

• How to communicate at a level which is understood by each individual reader or listener. This includes jargon-busting explanatory skills, as jargon is the last refuge of the IT charlatan. They need to be able to pitch their explanations for all levels of knowledge, interest and agendas. One size does not fit all.

• How to make regular references to what the Programme is seeking to achieve, and what the benefits of making uncomfortable changes will be for end-users. They need to do this in a way which is convincing and natural. And yes, this IS code for “selling”! IT people within the Programme must be its best ambassadors and as such have a huge role to play in the engagement piece. 

• How to deal calmly and positively with reluctance and resistance, including excellent listening skills and the empathy to see the situation from the other person’s perspective. Having this type of attention and imagination will make them better problem-solvers and persuaders. They also need techniques for communicating openly and reasonably at all times. They need to be able to lose the battle to win the war. So you may also need to teach patience here.

• How to stay on-message at all times, even when they themselves voted for an alternative solution to the one they are being asked to implement. They need the skills for toe-ing the line in a way which means they do not feel their integrity has been compromised. If this doesn’t happen, the entire Programme is undermined by the Programme “owners” apparently disapproving of the Programme’s content … to people who will be all too ready to listen. 

• How to match their pace to the Programme timeline. Coming from BAU, some team members may not always have had to work against a Programme plan. One-paced people, diligent perfectionists and the easily-distracted may need some time management refreshment if they are to keep in step.

• How to work collaboratively within and beyond the team. Collaborative team-working is the only way you’ll make a complete success of a transformation Programme. It’s certainly the only way to get it out of the door on time. So if your incumbent team has baggage, or a tendency to lone-wolfery, it needs to be persuaded to behave differently. 

A Big Ask?

Yes, quite possibly. You may very well need a programme of education as well as training. Your IT people may need to be educated and persuaded that doing things differently will be in their own self-interest.

So hire a beyond-excellent communication and behaviour trainer or coach, who will begin by creating in the team an appetite for changing their ways. This has to be a person who can get them all to believe that if they make the effort to try the new approaches, their lives will be easier, with less resistance and quicker acceptance of their suggestions. This person will get the team to believe it’s possible to be trusted and valued for their skills and expertise if they behave a little differently.

This is not fairy dust: educators like this really exist! And for the record: building rafts in deepest Argyll in February is one type of team-building training. That definitely isn’t what you need here.

Oh, and also for the record, the Programme Lead has responsibility for being the role model for all this behaviour. Yeah, mmm…. I’m still working on 100% compliance myself…

This article is taken from Uncommon Sense: Alternative Thinking on Digital Transformation

Amazon location: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Uncommon-Sense-Alternative-Thinking-Transformation-ebook/dp/B08KSG513Q

Apple location: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/uncommon-sense/id1536877985