2020-02-01_strategy+business

The study reported that over time, the BCS middle managers formed

three distinct groups, showing that not all middle managers are frozen. Some

were successful in implementing change and, as a result, were promoted; Oral

credited their success to having senior managers who were clear about their roles

and expectations. A second (and the biggest) group was made up of middling

performers, integrating the change elements of their role into their daily business

but failing to get the right support from leadership and therefore underperforming.

And a third group failed. Some left the company, but others dug in and “acted

resignedly in their roles, feeling frustrated.”

The hot buttons for change

Although every transformation program is different, five main areas warrant

close attention if companies are to energize managers and teams. The first two

will kick-start the process, but the remaining three need to be planned for and

happen simultaneously.

1. Pinpoint the problem areas. At PwC, our approach is to diagnose team
   performance from all angles: We look at the formal KPIs that the company
   measures, and assess each team’s operational routines. How do teams
   communicate? How do they approach problem solving? Without a comprehensive
   diagnosis to find out whether it is a technology or people issue that is causing
   concern or stagnation, it won’t be possible to address the behaviors needed to
   bring about change.
   We recently conducted a full diagnosis of a planned automation program for
   a financial-services organization. Senior managers were convinced they needed
   new technology. We used a digital simulation of their process to model the
   impact of various transformation efforts. The results showed that if the proposed
   automation were to be applied on certain processes without preparing the people,
   it would increase the costs of serving their clients.
   It pays to plan the upskilling agenda for managers even before you start the
   transformation process so they have the confidence and skills to implement the
   strategy. Once needs are properly assessed from all angles, the work can begin
   to energize managers and teams and provide them with the skills and tools they
   need to push through change.

42

stra

tegy

+bu

sine

ss^ is

sue^

98

es

sa

y (^)
or
ga
niz
ati
on
s (^) &
(^) pe
op
le