Change Management Case Example

The Project

• The restructuring of a 250 person technical organization.

The Problem

• A restructuring led to the merger of several independent technical units into one large organization.
• Leaders and managers described their organization as fragmented and disconnected.
• Employee morale was low.

The Process

• An integration process was initiated to merge the units into a single large functioning organization.
• Facilitators worked with leadership to create an implementation team vital to maintaining the momentum of the integration process. Every unit and level was represented on this cross-functional / cross-level team.
• Facilitators designed initial team meetings to minimize power differentials and create a culture that valued each member’s thoughts and experiences.
• A series of small and large group meetings were held with the entire organization to surface discontent, define challenges and gather improvement suggestions.
• One of the primary tasks of the implementation team was to stay connected with employees and gather timely and relevant data. This data was synthesized and reported back to leadership with recommendations.
• The implementation team provided biweekly updates to the entire organization that communicated progress, success stories and opportunities for employee involvement in the integration process.

The Results

• The implementation team model created an integrated approach to change management that resulted in increased communication and collaboration between the units.
• Managers began to form a mental model for how the units within the newly configured organization would interact and function.
• Anecdotal evidence indicated an improvement in employee morale.