Job Title:          Director of Change                                Department:                Group board

Location:         Group and local businesses                 Reports to:              Group board

The need for this role:

In  2013 41% of executives said they had a resource gap that compromises executing change, but only 8% said hiring the  right skills  was a priority (Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit). Furthermore by resourcing change traditionally with project managers, most solutions almost exclusively miss the opportunity to transform capability and culture concurrently with strategy execution.  As change is at the core of a business’s learning and value add, it follows that strategy execution could be treated like a core capability and silver bullet created and refined through this focal role.  It follows too that “change” does not need to imply major programs, as when a business is quiet this role would be seen as a supportive catalyst to raise the bar and support adding value at business unit level.  The core value of this role is to get the process of change right as an enabler to realise the strategy itself, as well as concurrently transforming management capability and business culture.

There too is a void that needs filling between the strategy and the strategic execution. Strategic execution is far more complex to realise. 65% of the best companies at executing change deliver better financial results than their peers. Icebreaker research has found that there are 2 hidden barriers which prevent companies from thriving suggesting that this is a group level centrally accountable role:

  1. Change in behaviours and roles always start at the TOP. Getting this right defines:
  • The way employees interact with each other and therefore customers
  • The organisation structure and support that executives give to their staff
  • The way supporting teams operate and how effective the teamwork is

You need a catalyst with a complimentary skill set to fill the gap, raise the awareness of and oversee this blind spot, and develop management to enable this to happen.