A Message from Ujima Donalson, POD Director
The next month will bring its fair share of challenges and triumphs as Workday becomes a workplace reality. Organization-wide, this new system and its related processes will be quite an adjustment, and in response we need to be stellar change managers. Not only do we need to keep current with any communications we receive and ensure our team members are receiving the information, training, and resources they require, we need to guide and support people through this transition.
As noted in the Autumn 2016 issue, we recently updated the change management content for Level 1 of the Strategic Leadership Program to include John Kotter’s eight-step model. Kotter’s model is highly valued and widely used for good reason. Personally, I appreciate its applicability to many different types of change as well as its straightforward guidance.
At this stage of the Workday implementation, we’re in the midst of Kotter’s steps four and five: “communicate the vision” and “empower others to act on the vision.” If you’re fuzzy on why the University is moving to Workday or what steps you can be taking to support your team, please consult the Workday article in this issue or visit the HRPM site to get up to speed.
The sixth step is fitting for the immediate future: “plan for and create short-term wins.” Consider how you can celebrate the success of your employees as they adjust to new Workday processes. What kind of special acknowledgement can you give when your payroll coordinator processes payroll or your HR administrator enters information about a new hire in Workday for the first time? What can you do for employees when they begin entering their time and leave into the new system? Don’t let these milestones go unnoticed.
Summer will bring us to steps seven and eight: “don’t let up (build on the change)” and “make it stick (institutionalize the change).” We will need to be vigilant to make sure the new system is being embraced and that members of our team are working to resolve challenges or problems rather than giving up or finding workarounds.
Remember that mastering change requires commitment from all involved. I hope this issue of The Leading Edge will provide valuable information and support for you and your team.
