RE-INVENTING ORGANIZATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

Development & validation of a change agent identification

framework

Date: 24 June 2010 Presenters: Steven Teasdale & Marzanne de Klerk

Eskom Holdings Pty (Ltd)

Agenda (1)

Context

• Creating context

• Meaning of change agents at Eskom

• Current change agent identification approach

• Purpose of a change agent network

Technical / detailed content

• Eskom’s current change agent approach

• How do we fit together

• Tools for engagement

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Agenda (2)

• Research project

• Problem statement – rational for research

• Main focus of qualitative research

• Dimensions for identification framework

• Main focus of quantitative research

• Key quantitative results

Reflective / Summary

• Value-add

• Reflective

• Closing thoughts

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CONTEXT

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Creating context

• Eskom is a large sale organisation, currently employs approx. 38 000 employees.

• The Eskom crisis

• Change in leadership created many anxieties across the organisation

• Frequent large scale transformation, impacting many of the population

• Employees geographically spread and therefore a challenge in taking all along with a defined change journey

• Many silo’s relating to various sub-cultures within this one organisation

• Organisational change has become a key focus area over the past few years

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Meaning of change agents at Eskom

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The definition chosen that applies to this research project was the change agent definition of Cheung et al. (2007, p. 9):

“Change agents can be found in all levels of an organisation. They can be leaders, managers or employees. A change agent is someone who supports the need for change, is committed to championing the cause and motivates staff in their respective areas to see the benefits thereof.”

Purpose of a change agent network (CAN) at Eskom

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• Creates ownership and involvement for change within Eskom and specifically for the fraternity undergoing change

• Enables awareness and understanding of the change through communication

• Reduces change resistance by encouraging the work force to understand and buy-in to the need for change and its potential advantages

• Coaches and empowers Eskom and the specific fraternity to make the change effort successful

• Focuses on making change personal

• Breaks change into manageable chunks that are easier to understand

• Facilitates the change effort through building close relationships with the project team, Sponsors, Eskom employees and specifically the fraternity

• Promotes and advocates bottom-up dialogue

TECHNICAL / DETAILED CONTENT

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Eskom’s current change agent network identification approach

• Tried and tested: ADKAR change readiness assessment - employees identified as change agents in cases where they indicated a high level of desire to change

• Currently, there is no assessment tool available to identify change agents.

• A change agent identification tool is in the process of being developed.

• Currently, the most feasible way in which to identify change agents is via

• Nominations from line management,

• Voluntary participations from employees,

• Agreement by line management to act as change agents themselves.

• Employees could volunteer to act as a change agent after their role and responsibilities have been shared with them. Participation in the network should be clarified with his / her manager.

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How do we fit together

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Project TeamProject Team

TargetTargetUsersUsers

TargetTargetUsersUsers

TargetTargetUsersUsers

Target (User)“An individual or group who must

change.” All sponsors and agents may also be targets. For example, targets

include Procurement, Fleet, Warehouse, and Finance personnel

affected by the change.

Executive Sponsor

“An individual or group who has the ultimate responsibility to legitimize a

change.” For example, EXCO / EXCOPs member, and project

sponsors.

Local Sponsor

“An individual or group who has the “local authority” and “credibility” to advocate a change” for a particular site

and/or function. Someone who is responsible for developing and

carrying out implementation plans and strongly supports the change.”

Change Management Team

Change Management Team

Site Change AgentSite Change Agent Site Change AgentSite Change Agent Site Change AgentSite Change Agent

Divisional OEUDivisional OEU

ExecutiveExecutiveSponsorsSponsors

(Initiating)(Initiating)

Eskom’s current change agent network approachHigh-level

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Step 1Identify and

select change agents

Step 2Send

Congratulations &

Welcome letters

Step 9Initiate the

CommProcess

Step 7Distribute

Communicationtoolkit

Step 3Conduct 1st

CAN workshop

Step 11Distribute

temperature check

questionnaire

Step12Conduct A monthlyphone call

Step 13Prepare monthly

report

Step 10Send

bi-weekly communication

Tools for engagement

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Bi-weekly

Communication

January 2008Securing Supply, Sustaining Our Powerbase. January 2008Securing Supply, Sustaining Our Powerbase.

ExcellenceExcellenceExcellence IntegrityIntegrityIntegrity InnovationInnovationInnovationCustomer

SatisfactionCustomer

Satisfaction

ProcurementProcurement & Supply Chain Management Operating Model Project& Supply Chain Management Operating Model Project

Understood. Adopted. Owned.

Change Agent Handbook

Dear Colleagues

Congratulations for being selected as a Procurement & Supply Chain Operating Model Change Agent.

In keeping your finger on the pulse on possible issues and concerns that may arise, you will help the Change Management team to develop suitable interventions to solve those problems, drive communication and ensuring we enter into a smooth transition period.

Please find attached your welcome letter.

A Change Agent Orientation day will be held on the 23rd of January 2008. Please make sure you make every effort to attend. Details regarding this day will be sent to you in due course.

I wish you all the best

Dear Colleagues

Congratulations for being selected as a Procurement & Supply Chain Operating Model Change Agent.

In keeping your finger on the pulse on possible issues and concerns that may arise, you will help the Change Management team to develop suitable interventions to solve those problems, drive communication and ensuring we enter into a smooth transition period.

Please find attached your welcome letter.

A Change Agent Orientation day will be held on the 23rd of January 2008. Please make sure you make every effort to attend. Details regarding this day will be sent to you in due course.

I wish you all the best

Visibility Campaign

Track & Compile CA Report Dipstick

Questions

Monthly Phone Call

Process:

Additional:

Mailing FAQ documents,or calendars etc.

Addressing Issues /Support Requirements

Conducting Workshops

Research project

• Start 2008 a research project was undertaken, where are intricacies of the new buzz word – “change agents “were studied.

• The literature study focused on various definitions of change agents, their roles, responsibilities, personality traits, skills and knowledge elements.

• From the literature gathered a comprehensive qualitative process was followed in order to confirm the above literature and to involve key stakeholders in assisting to develop a change agent identification framework

• A thorough quantitative process was followed in order to test some of the information from the qualitative process

• Sample groups used during the project was all either permanent Eskom employees or consultants working within the Eskom environment at that time

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Problem statement – rational for research

• No dimensions and/or supportive elements have been established in the past that constitutes a change agent identification framework

• At this stage, the way in which change management specialists identify change agents may be valid but there is no formally structured model or framework in place that could guide them when searching for individuals to act as change agents

• To date, a limited amount of research has been conducted on the role of a change agent or regarding possible change agent identification methods (McNamara, 2007)

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Rational for conducting research regarding the role and meaning of change agents and for developing a change agent identification framework are as follow:

Main focus of qualitative research phase

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Dimensions of developed identification framework

• Commitment: The pledge an individual makes to himself or herself to a certain purpose or line of conduct. The individual practices what he or she believes in. Measured by Senge’s (1996) commitment questionnaire.

• Availability: The availability to add an extra role to the day-to-day job of the selected change agent. Key performance indicators (KPIs) of the individual have to be evaluated to determine his or her capacity. An agreement should be reached between the employee and his or her manager.

• Willingness: The free choice of consent or willingness to act as a change agent. Whether or not a person is willing or not to act as a change agent can only be determined after an in-depth understanding on his or her roles and responsibilities. It is the individual’s choice and therefore voluntary to act as a change agent.

• Personality traits:

- Willingness - Influential/persuasive

- Self-awareness - Open-minded

- Assertive - Good listener

- Flexible - Integrity and honesty

- Approachable - Optimistic

- Perseverance - Sociable

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Personality traits measurable via the Occupational Personality profile (OPP)

Main focus of quantitative research

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Key quantitative results

The results indicated that there were no significantly larger improvements in the employee post-test change readiness scores when supported by change agents displaying specific traits from the ideal profile.

However, when considering the negative difference scores found, there were some traits that led to statistically significant smaller decreases in scores – which provides positive support for identifying that trait as important in the profile of change agents.

These personality traits were:

•Phlegmatic personality traits. There was a statistically significant smaller decrease between the pre- and post-test awareness levels only, and not in any other of the four readiness levels.

•Persuasive personality trait. There was a statistically significant smaller decrease between the pre- and post-test knowledge, ability and reinforcement levels when supported by change agents with this personality trait.

•Optimistic personality trait. There was a statistically significant smaller decrease between the pre- and post-test reinforcement levels only, and not in any other of the four readiness levels..

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REFLECTIVE / SUMMARY

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Value-add to Eskom

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• First ever developed change agent identification framework (Locally and internationally)

• Created a platform for future identification of change agents

• Familiarising the business with literature found as well as results in order to extend their knowledge base and equipping them with ways to identify and manage change agent more effectively in the future

Reflective

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• What makes it work

• A dedicated person required to make a change agent network work

• Critical to identify the “right” people

• Reward & recognition (E.g. kpi’s)

• Sponsorship and feedback is key

• Change agent network approach to form part of the change overall management plan

Closing thoughts

The conclusion drawn from the research project and from experiences at Eskom is that there is definitely a need for change agents to become part of the process of managing change, especially in instances where transformation occurs in large organisations and where many employees are affected by the proposes changes, as in Eskom.

This quotation highlights the reason why a change agent can be viewed as the ideal link between the change management specialist and the employees in the organisation.

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“You may be the Pied Piper, but if there is too much distance between you and everyone else, they will never hear the music.” (Cheung et al., p.2. 2007)

Q & A

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