The key to making a change really take hold in a company is to succeed in creating sustainable commitment and implementation capability throughout the organization. Not in the management primarily, but amongst the colleagues that do the operational work. Lotta Ranefall, change leader and partner at Integ Partner, is the catalyst that helps leaders take a step back and employees understand the power of our best contribution. Here she shares what so-called strategy implementation teams are and how they contribute to realizing the strategy of an organization.
A change journey that Integ Partner supports often begins with guiding management to clearly describe the direction the organization needs to move in and what must be the focus for the next 6-12 months.
- At this stage, a clear rationale is articulated for why this transition is necessary.
- Employees are then engaged in a dialogue to ensure consensus on the direction and to allow each colleague to decide if the presented story motivates them to be involved and contribute.
- Once this understanding is established, action is taken to implement the strategy, forming, and activating the so-called strategy implementation teams. The dialogue in the teams focuses on what needs to be done and that everyone’s voice is heard, so that the team’s collective wisdom is utilized to the maximum.
A strategy implementation team is a group of about 10 employees who meet every fortnight. The team consists of employees from the line organization, i.e. those who know the operational work. Together, they decide what their best contribution is to the focus area, how to carry it out – and when their effort can be considered complete. The team accomplishes their task by performing many small activities over a 6-month period. The line manager is also involved and takes responsibility for clarifying direction and focus area, and for providing the group with the conditions they need to constantly progress in the transition.
“The dialogue focuses on what needs to be done and that everyone’s voice is heard, so that the team’s collective wisdom is utilized to the maximum.”
Our best contribution
The effectiveness of a strategy implementation team is based on the power that comes from collaboration and using everyone’s diverse perspectives and capabilities. The activities they decide to take on can be small or more extensive and defined so that at least two employees need to work on them together. Progress is shared every fortnight with the team, who together decide on next steps to complete their best contribution.
As a consultant from Integ Partner, Lotta joins the team’s strategy implementation meetings to support the manager and employees. The dialogue focuses on what needs to be done and that everyone’s voice is heard, so that the team’s collective wisdom is utilized to a maximum. It is also important that the team always pauses and reflects on what they have learned from what worked well and what didn’t go as expected.
“ – Once everyone in the team understands the direction of the transition, what the related goals are and why they are important, there’s enormous power in letting the team decide what they consider the best way forward. What they need and can do and when they as a team have done enough based on what they have at their disposal. Employees then feel that their initiatives and contributions matter, that they can influence their situation,” says Lotta.
Managers often used to step in
The line manager is part of the strategy implementation team meetings to clarify the bigger picture and what’s in focus the coming months. The manager also listens in to the conditions the team feel it 2 needs to be able to act. This can be a challenging role for managers as they often are used to stepping in, making the decisions, and delegating the work. Lotta explains:
“ – My coaching with the manager between meetings with the strategy implementation team is often about helping the manager to understand the power of unleashing the local expertise in the team, to show trust by giving mandate and responsibility. Also, the importance to regularly reflect on what the group needs to stop, start, or continue doing to have progress in their improvement work. It is in the DNA of many managers to step in when things get quiet, when something goes wrong or when something takes ‘too long’. If the manager is always stepping in, either on their own or if someone is constantly turning to the manager for advice and help, the organization itself will never build the stable and trust-based implementation capacity required for real change.“
Committing to colleagues and seeing results is powerful
Change, and momentum, comes about largely because employees decide for themselves what they bring to their team’s best contribution – but also because they share how things have gone since last time with all colleagues in the team. It is much harder to let your colleagues down if you haven’t done what was agreed than it is to abandon your boss.
A common pitfall can be that not everyone in the strategy implementation team wants to be part of the journey. For various reasons, some are skeptical and sit on the sidelines. Over time, seeing the team of colleagues now making their own decisions about how to achieve the transition, what to do, and then carry out activities in collaboration, makes most people see the potential and joy of being involved and contributing.
“ – When most of the team have adopted this way of working and see that things are starting to happen and that they themselves have control over their own decisions – then even those who have been more hesitant and leaned back tend to join what has become ‘the new normal’,” says Lotta.
Integrated implementation capability will never become redundant
It is when the organization itself creates and implements the activities required to make a shift happen that transition takes hold. Such a culture also ensures stable and sustainable capability for responding to change – even if the world around us, leaders and goals change or are replaced. Lotta concludes:
“ – It is when the power of the local expertise is unleashed that real implementation capability is created in the organization. To be part of that journey, to see the development of team members and leaders, and to see how the confidence and drive of the team is constantly growing is the best thing ever!”
Do you want more tips or support with change management? Contact us at Integ Partner and we will tell you more!
