Presentation of a Change Management Plan

Skills used: Teamwork, research, cross-cultural communication, boardroom-style communication		Client: Company Board of Directors (simulated by class lecturer)
Tools used: Microsoft Powerpoint, Microsoft Word		Deliverables: Powerpoint Presentation.
		Results: Delivered presentation to class lecturer.  Received High Distinction.

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We were assigned a hypothetical case study of a long-standing company that had the unfortunate dilemma of requiring change from long-standing ways that no longer worked and, to do this, had brought in a team of outside consultants to manage the steps of change.  Even though this was a ‘fake’ case study, it was clear that the case study could have drawn on any one of a number of companies had faced this dilemma.

In planning our change management plan, we opted for a specialisation strategy, allowing us to negate the damaging effects of change on employee retention, and developed a comprehensive means of ensuring that employees who did wish to stay, and employees who wished to innovate, could each be brought into the company’s future.

We then developed a culture change program (adapted from James Belasco’s work), led by the CEO and management team, that included: explaining why change was happening, building the impetus for change through communication and change workshops, training for the knowledge of how to change and the ability to implement new behaviours, and ensuring that reinforcement of this new culture occured through communication and HR architecture.  After this, we planned a organisational restructure from command-and-control style to a more efficient matrix style, and planned a training and development program that would allow employees to meet changing consumer requirements and upskilling for the new technology required, focusing on marketing, CRM and manufacturing.  Finally, a communications strategy was designed in order to explain changes (that included no loss of jobs) and minimises employee concerns (and union problems).

Working on this was challenging but, thanks to my fellow group members, extremely productive. Drawing on my experience, I was nominated to be one of the two presenters for this 20min presentation, focusing on the culture change program and the training & development program.  I was able to learn from a diverse field of students, most of whom working in project management or human resources themselves during the project.  The lessons I’ve been able to take from this presentation are lessons that I have used through my degree, and will continue to use in the future.  We received a High Distinction for this presentation.

Links:

• QUT Business School
• MGN505: Consulting and Change Management
• Lecturer: Dr Brad Jorgensen