4 complementary areas of expertise to facilitate change:
Change management
Change management has been in vogue for several years to facilitate complex transformations within organizations. Within a PMO or in satellite mode, the ‘change manager’ is valuable alongside project managers and the HR department, whom he supports in a polyvalent and agile manner.
Thanks to its specific methodologies, built in particular around current best practices and the sociology of organizations, the change manager registers current and planned changes, monitors them carefully with a close eye on data and human aspects, carries out analyses and studies, communicates and alerts whenever needed, coaches, facilitates and leads training courses or workshops.
A change manager is indeed kind of a Swiss army knife within project teams… You might as well see it as the acupuncturist of the organizational system: it acquires an overview, identifies the points of tension, refines if necessary via a quick study, then acts with precision so that the energy circulates fluidly again, taking care of the homeostasis of the entire organism.
Whether your organization is about to set sail on a new course or already tossed about on the high seas, I would be happy to be by your side during your transformation process, with an offer that adapts to your evolving needs.
HR & IT project management
Projects are central within organizational transformation processes and often have a strong impact on teams. Similarly, teams can have a major impact on the technical implementation of an initiative.. and potentially knock it out, usually due to the fact that the human aspect has not been sufficiently taken into consideration at an earlier stage.
Within the framework of my interventions as a change manager and certified Scrum master, one of the possible actions is to come and temporarily support the HR and/or IT project team(s), or even take the lead of an entire initiative or workstream, to help remove pressure and promote care.
Professional coaching
We all need to express ourselves, to give meaning to our experiences and contributions, to fulfill ourselves and reach levels of security and rest before moving a little further towards the unknown.. and the unknown tends to take us out of our comfort zone suddenly, for example when a major change occurs at work, forcing us to regularly reshape our perception of the surrounding world.
If you are wondering why business transformation projects can suddenly falter, or even collapse and require rapid rescue, re-read the first paragraph… The human dimension is indeed the wonderful kryptonite of project management and can massively slow down or even thwart a transformation, even if it constitutes the best option overall.
It is part of a change manager role to coach individuals and teams who wish to do so, particularly business and IT functions that contribute to the projects.
Animation of workshops
One of the best ways to integrate individuals and teams throughout a transformation process is to set up spaces for discussion, collective life and empowerment.
Many years ago, I have integrated the facilitation of workshops into my project management activities, including multimodal training and social connection activities. I needed to take the pulse of the involved (and impacted) individuals as much as I needed to benefit from their contributions and sustain a good work atmosphere along the way. The return on investment can be impressive for a low cost.
Some workshop ideas to consider:
- Brainstormings
- Project workshops, intended for stakeholders
- Training dedicated to change ambassadors, delegated trainers and/or users
- Team-buildings
- Weekly/monthly ‘Let’s talk about change’ coffee sessions
- Empowerment sessions using the Mastermind or Adaptative Governance models
- Team coaching
- Philosophical dialogue sessions, to discuss a specific theme and broaden the perspectives in a team
- Expressive workshops to develop one’s creativity and resilience *
We simply need to find the most relevant workshop(s) to support your project and teams.
* = in collaboration with an artist/art-therapist who proposes atypical team activities in his premises in Fribourg.