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Make it real!

Techniques for transformation –


exploring the practicalities of
“beta codex“ change management

Niels Pflaeging Gebhard Borck


BetaCodex Network BetaCodex Network& gberatung
Presentation originally held by Niels Pflaeging at BBRT Europe Meeting No. 40, October 2007
Edited as white paper in March 2008, updated November 2009
Underlying assumptions of our recent
management model transformation projects

1. Organizations are “systems”. So they have to be transformed as such.


Thus, finance people cannot do it alone.
(And it's actually much more fun approaching change holistically.)
2. A systemic view of the change process:
don't plan too far ahead – follow the energy!
3. “It´s all about human nature”.
Apply “Theory Y” rigidly!
4. Abolishing budgets is 0,5% of the project (and not the most difficult bit).
Creating an entrepreneurial devolved network is key to the “new” model. Which
means changing hundreds or thousands of mindsets.
5. People in the organization have to do this themselves!
The role of consultants and change experts:
give advice, don't make decisions or start “implementing” for the client.
6. Everyone's communication styles and behaviour patterns must change.
Transformation thus requires “people” specialists, coaching and some training.
7. “Mature” cases and the model itself are key to making the vision palpable.
But it is equally necessary to apply more “emotional” techniques and metaphors.
8. “Community” is a foundation to successful implementation, because it
provides orientation – the BetaCodex Network is the cornerstone of this
Techniquescommunity
for Transformation 2 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Using the BBRT online diagnostic early-on

Techniques for Transformation 3 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Knowledge TurnTables –
reaching consensus within large groups
Communicate Listening &
M directly M integrating
3 Focused listening 4
3
Giving feedback
4 1
1 & documenting 6
2 6 2
7 Focused listening 7 Giving feedback
5 & documenting 5
9 9
8 8 Communicate
M directly

7 Focused listening
8
& documenting
• The method creates a playing field 4
5 1
2
within which a highly intensive exchange 9
Focused listening
6
& documenting
among the participants can be achieved –
3
in absence of any kind of hierarchy.
• The participants generate a joint group knowledge and
understanding of the chosen topics and participate actively to
develop new knowledge and concepts for the future.

Techniques for Transformation 4 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Techniques for Transformation 5 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Cognos Performance 2007, Germany
Techniques for Transformation 6 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Cognos Performance 2007, Germany
Techniques for Transformation 7 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Cognos Performance 2007, Germany
Our Iceberg Is Melting book and tools

• Not so much a book… but an organizational change


methodology (Kotter´s 8-step process) and a powerful
metaphor with which everyone in an organization can
relate.
• Based on ample research and Kotters other books, such
as “Leading change”, “A sense of urgency”.
• Archetypes and scenes in the story help to deal with risks
and resistance, and to create a common language within
the guiding coalition.
• Can serve as a basis for internal communication and
“initiative branding”
• Related tools help leading the process and allow for
“measuring the process temperature”
• …
Techniques for Transformation 8 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Techniques for Transformation 9 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Paradigma Leadership Workshop, Apr 2007
Techniques for Transformation 10 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Logoplaste Leadership Workshop, Mar 2007
This is Alice

Techniques for Transformation 11 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Logoplaste Leadership Workshop, Mar 2007
And this is Alice, too.

Techniques for Transformation 12 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
René Reinhold, Paradigma, Oct 2007
Choosing a name for your Beyond Budgeting initiative –
2 examples

Logoplaste, Brazil Paradigma group, Germany

FIRE
Decentralize – Lead - Grow Flexible - responding adaptively to market demands
Preparing Logoplaste for growth Integrated - all involving all organization members
Respectful - in dealing with people and environment
Erfolgreich (successful) - as an organization and as
individuals
Techniques for Transformation 13 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Applying a “Double Helix” change process framework within
transformational ”Beyond Budgeting“ change initiatives
• Change structure
• Change management processes
• Align projects and decision processes with 12 principles
Organizati
onal and the values defined in the case for change
change pr
ocess
2. Neutral Zone 3. Beginning
1. 2. 3. 4.
Create a Pull 5. 6.
Develop Communi- 7. 8.
sense of together a Empower Produce
change cate for Don't Create
urgency guiding under- all others short-term
vision and let a new
coalition standing to act wins
strategy up! culture
and buy-in

1. Ending
• Write the case for change
ual • Build awareness through selective action (e.g.
Individ rocess abolishing budgets)
ep
chang • Win hearts and minds, train for empowering
leadership styles and more transparency
Techniques for Transformation 14 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
This process is systemic and not like “project management“,
but it can be guided and “temperature“ can be taken at any time

Status of the project

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Create a Pull together a Develop Communicate Empower all Produce Don´t
Phase in % sense of guiding change vision for understan- others short-term let up
urgency coalition and strategy ding and to act wins
buy-in

1. There is a strong guiding coalition that sustains the transformation.


2. All over the organisation, “profound change“ is considered an issue.
3. Different groups in the organisation (task forces) already work on specific changes.
Techniques for Transformation 15 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Using metaphors and models to challenge thinking

“The pyramid versus the peach”

Periphery
Mar
ke t
Center

Information Decision

Command

Centralist command and


Impulse control “collapses“ in
Reaction
increasingly complex
environments
Techniques for Transformation 16 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
2. Was meinen wir bei Paradigma, wenn
wir von Beyond Budgeting sprechen?

Techniques for Transformation 17 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
2. Was meinen wir bei Paradigma, wenn
wir von Beyond Budgeting sprechen?

Techniques for Transformation 18 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Committing to a clear case for change

• Writing the “manifesto“


ƒ Series of 1- or 2-day
workshops with a team of 6-10
people (top team is part)
ƒ Document contains 25-35 pages
ƒ May take 3-6 months to write
• Approval
ƒ Top management team
and board approve “business
model“ and “values“
ƒ Leads to “version 1.00“
• Communication
ƒ Discussing and revising the draft version with all members of the organization
ƒ “Twin meetings” + workshops + other communication platforms for discussion
ƒ Workshops on values
ƒ …
Techniques for Transformation 19 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Twin meetings –
multi-faceted learning forums

• When empowering all people


within the organization to act…
• Let's not do it the usual way,
convening everyone, making
grand promises, in command
and control style!
The alternative:
• Two managers from the guiding
coalition (the “twins“) offer a
meeting for open discussion, for no more than 12 participants. Participants sign up
voluntarily. When the list of 12 is full, then it's full.
• The meeting is limited to 2 hours duration, it is totally open with regards to topics.
Anything can be said.
• The 2 moderators are from two different areas from the organization. They should
“present“ as little as possible
• At the beginning, one of the 2 should always be a director
• An unlimited amount of twin meetings can be held…
Techniques for Transformation 20 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Social networking portals as platforms for discussion,
internal networking and “empowered action”

• Example www.xing.com - online


community for professional
networking and networked
communication, 4 mio. users
world-wide
• Platform offers excellent
functionalities for networked
communication („Groups“)
• Cheap or even free service of the
platform
• Documented and hierarchy-free
interaction

Techniques for Transformation 21 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
There are literally dozens of proven change-enabling tools and
techniques that make transformation work…

1. BBRT Diagnostic – in earliest stages


2. Our Iceberg Is Melting book and tools
3. Rapid Business Conference group method
4. Double Helix change process framework based on Kotter/Bridges
5. Metaphors and 3-D sculptures of the model
6. Case for Change writing
7. Social networking forums as communication and work platforms
8. Twin meetings – multi-faceted learning forums

Other concepts:
1. Change process flow to achieve top management buy-in (involving board and owners)
2. Communication tools and channels
3. Change tachometer
4. Leadership development workshop series
5. Knowledge conference for broad-based kick off
6. …
Techniques for Transformation 22 © Niels Pflaeging & Gebhard Borck – All rights reserved
Make it real!

www.betacodex.org

Gebhard Borck Niels Pflaeging Valérya Carvalho


gebhard@bbtn.org niels@bbtn.org valeria@bbtn.org
gberatung.de nielspflaeging.com Betaleadership.com
Pforzheim, Germany Sao Paulo, Brazil Sao Paulo, Brazil

Get in touch with us for


more information about
leading transformation with
the BetaCodex and the
Double Helix Framework, or Andreas Zeuch Silke Hermann Markus Schellhammer
ask us for a workshop az@a-zeuch.de silke.hermann@ markus.schellhammer@
proposal. a-zeuch.de insights-group.de my-online.de
Winden, Germany Wiesbaden, Germany Zurich, Switzerland

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