STORIES & SOLUTIONS FOR THE MODERN BUSINESS USER

Implementing large scale change can be challenging. Implementing change with a unionized workforce can be daunting if not managed properly. Labor unions carry a tremendous amount of power and can alter the course of a change initiative if not carefully managed. Historically speaking, the relationship between unions and management has always been contentious – especially during contract negotiations. While organizational leaders may find unions difficult, they must remember they are there for a reason. Labor unions ensure their members have fair working conditions, fair wages, benefits and work hours, and a safe place to work. Keeping this in mind, successful change with a unionized workforce requires intentional actions designed to engage and inform while providing a forum for union leaders to participate in the process.

Not too far in the distant past, the economy was going gangbusters. Companies were thriving, the stock market was at the highest of highs, and unemployment at an all-time low. In 2020, this all changed. The COVID-19 pandemic rocked our world.

Navigating change management in any sector presents challenges such as maintaining employee engagement or training and communication. Regardless of sector, the overarching goals of change management are to increase the likelihood of project success and minimize risk and disruption. Implementing change management in the public sector does, however, come with some unique challenges.

“Cloud is not the future – it’s now. It’s an enabling force for business evolution that goes beyond technology, allowing organizations to more efficiently and effectively reengineer the company’s corporate strategy.” -Goodburn & Hill

Our VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) environment got a little more VUCA recently with the Coronavirus pandemic. Those of us not on the front lines in hospitals, grocery stores, and other essentials businesses are most likely working from home and doing our part to flatten the curve.

Tableau

Tableau is an interactive data visualization software. Its drag and drop functionality empowers users from all technical skill levels access to the ability to drive actionable insights traditionally buried within stale reports. Generating visual cues, Tableau quickly identifies critical narratives spread across averages to outliers. Tableau capabilities include drill-through features which allow users to easily shift granularity levels, hover over tool tips which detail notes that provide guidance around the information users are consuming, and forecasting compatibility built within the tool and the access to pull in other advanced programs such as R and Python code.

We’re a Yelp nation and want to hear what our peers think about everything from restaurant reviews to products on Amazon. It is no different at work. Senior leadership rolls out a new project and people want to know what it’s really about. They want to know the dirt and they want to hear it from the peers who they think have an inside perspective.

On this St. Patrick’s Day, we reflect on the luck of the Irish!  Roman philosopher Seneca said, “luck happens when preparation meets opportunity,” and this could not be more accurate for organizational change management. The more you plan, manage, and align the more likely you are to realize your business goals in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

In today’s business technology landscape, organizations across all industries are growing increasingly dependent on digital innovation initiatives to achieve internal and external goals. At the top of the list, 52 percent of IT decision-makers report the primary objectives for digital innovation within their organizations are improving operations and business procedures.

Large organizational changes, like an ERP implementation or upgrade, affect many people and processes. When not handled correctly, these changes can lower productivity and morale. The Avaap Organizational Change Management (OCM) team offers some words of wisdom on how to avoid project heartbreak when initiating organizational change in this special Valentine’s Day treat.