Tell me about the state of play at IAG and your role in addressing this.
IAG was at the forefront of rolling out large transformational change programs over a relatively short space of time. For our leaders, the impact on our people and customers was very clear.
Within this environment, there was a genuine need to understand the accumulative effects of change, audience impacts, and timings. This information would enable leaders to prepare for and effectively deliver and embed change.
We began investigating platforms to efficiently capture change impact data that was easy to use and relatively inexpensive, with automated reporting. The Change Compass met these requirements.
How did you introduce this to the organisation?
In the context of the change environment at IAG, we wanted to capture a true reflection of the volume and complexity of change impacting each business area to enable meaningful dialogue with leaders about how to effectively deliver and lead through the change.
By appointing heatmap coordinators within each business unit, we drove accountability for input and maintenance within business units. This underpinned the notion that each team was responsible for leading their change while maintaining the quality of the data.
This enabled teams to present a holistic change view to key leadership groups within governance forums.
What has been your journey so far?
We’ve been using the Change Compass for over a year and we’re constantly evolving how we use and manage the tool to drive decisions and actionable insights.
We’ve worked hard over the last year to demonstrate the value to the business when it may have easily been perceived as adding more work to reporting cycles.
With data now enabling leaders to show a heatmap for both employees and customers; leverage insights; and drive governance conversations between Business Performance, HR, Communications, Change and Program Delivery teams we are building great momentum.
These conversations help guide decision making and build a network of key teams who are clear on how this work contributes to IAG strategy while driving change management, engagement, communications, and initiative sequencing.
What value have you seen so far?
While we are still at the front-end of how to utilise the Change Compass fully, we’re starting to see benefits.
There are many conversations focused on how we can keep the data current and relevant. This enables Business Units to start using the information to improve how they are delivering change, not just at the initiative level but at a wider business portfolio level.
The Compass is starting to form a useful proxy to bring together professional disciplines in governance conversations and decisions.
One of the emerging themes across IAG is the need for us to be much more effective at how we deliver change into the business in a way that recognises the capacity of the people to accept change – the Change Compass helps guide this thinking.
What’s next?
Having established the rhythms and routines, we are now focused on how governance sessions and key groups leverage data and insights beyond the heatmap.
We want to enable leaders to use the Change Compass to help inform how they lead their team through change – by using the data to implement specific mitigations and ultimately deliver more effective and sustainable change.
Most seasoned executives will agree that implementing a strategy can be a lot more complex and challenging than the formulation of the strategy. If you read articles on strategy implementation you will find a myriad of factors to keep focused on including resourcing, prioritisation, tracking, program management, etc.
However, the one discipline that is under-leveraged in strategy execution is change management. You may ask why? A lot of change managers are hired to focus on one specific projects, whether it be rolling out a new system or introducing a new product. Many understand the skill set of change managers as focusing on developing communication and training plans.
When we look deeper into what is needed to successfully implement a strategy and the work approach of a change manager, you will see that there is significant synergy. Change management is also concerned with planning and managing not just one but a multiple of changes. In fact, best practice companies use a portfolio approach to manage a suite of changes.
Here are some of the ways in which change management naturally complements strategy implementation:
Change vision
One of the most critical parts of implementing a strategy is how we bring stakeholders along the journey. Typically, senior managers will ‘dream up’ the strategy in a closed room, and then try to roll this out to the rest of the organization. Alternatively, a consulting firm may be hired to design a strategy that may stay on the shelf and never becomes implemented.
The change manager’s approach is to design the strategy formulation process by bringing concerned stakeholder groups together to build consensus and buy-in. The classic change commitment curve shows that the more you involve someone throughout the process, the more they will develop a sense of ownership and feel that it is in their interest to make the change successful.
A typical change management approach would also encompass clarifying the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of the strategy in a way that makes sense to the audience. Is the end state clear? What is the role of each stakeholder in making this a success? How do we position the end state so that it arouses the ‘head’ as well as the ‘heart’ so that people can connect to it? Connecting to people emotionally is key to engagement.
Understanding the impacts of the change
A strategy usually involves a set of initiatives or changes that the business would like to focus on to achieve their goals. A lot of organizations jump straight into planning and implementing the various initiatives before understanding what the total impact is on the various parts of the business, and the impacts on the customer.
Having an integrated view of what the impacts will mean to each part of the organization is key. This integrated picture can be leveraged to provide a clear, cohesive and integrated set of messages and expectations to that part of the organization that will guide their change process. And depending on the change, what the Marketing department will focus on may be completely different compared to the Human Resource department. Having an integrated picture means that we are able to help employee join the dots around what the strategy and the various initiatives mean to them, versus just a set of independent projects. In this way, creating meaning for the overall change helps with engagement.
The change manager’s approach would be to focus on mapping on the various impacts on stakeholder groups, including the customer. The impacts would consist of people and organization impacts, process impacts, and technology impacts. In this way, we are able to understand and architect what changes we are making across the board before we begin the journey. This will also ensure effective sequencing, prioritization and alignment before jumping into initiative delivery.
Capabilities required to support the strategy
A typical change approach would involve looking at the capabilities required to support the strategy. A big part of change management work is analysing the requirements of implementing the change (in this case a set of initiatives to support the strategy), and formulating key capabilities required. Capabilities may be developed using a range of approaches, including hiring functional specialists, conducting learning sessions, or coaching. The Change Manager will formulate learning needs analysis, and then formulate appropriate learning interventions. For significant capability development programs, competencies frameworks may need to be set up.
Capabilities may need to be acquired rather than developed. In this case the change manager would look at how to ensure that the talent acquired can fit in smoothly in the current culture of the organization. Team development sessions may need to be conducted. This includes whether the capability is acquired through acquisition, or key talents were hired into the organization.
Engagement and communication
Ineffective engagement and communication can make or break a strategy. A significant portion of strategy implementation needs to be spent on engagement with every layer of the stakeholder impacted. Change impacts conducted will help to inform what kind of engagement is required with what stakeholder group. This includes the severity of the impact, the duration of the impact, why the stakeholders may be concerned, and how critical they are to the success of the strategy, etc.
The change manager will then design the right governance processes to ensure that key stakeholders are in the loop and embedded within the decision-making process. In addition to this, the change manager will craft a communications plan to target various stakeholder groups, with targeted messages, and using a mix of communication channels to get the message across. An effective communication approach would also include designing the right feedback mechanisms to ensure employee feedback is proactively incorporated.
Measurement
A key success criterion for implementing a strategy is measuring the progress of implementation to understand where the organization is at. It is common for change managers to devise change readiness assessments to measure and test where each part of the business is at. These assessments are conducted throughout the implementation period to understand any changes in readiness and track overall progress. The assessment can in the form of interviews, surveys or ratings by selected stakeholders. Other measurements include training attendance, competency attainment, and communication effectiveness of various channels utilised.
The most important part of charting the implementation of the strategy is measuring the impact of the change. Best practice calls for detailed capturing of change impacts on each part of the organization in a visual way to aid understanding. This includes heatmaps and reports on what the implementation roadmap will mean to the business. The change impact based heatmaps are critical to allow effective planning to balance the need to drive the strategy forward, and balance the business-as-usual activities so that the business is still able to perform.
Effective reporting should call out resourcing impacts, whether there is too much going on from a rollout perspective, potential re-sequencing opportunities, and the overall pace of change within the implementation roadmap. The data should enable effective conversations in terms of how effective the planned roadmap is in reaching strategy objectives and whether the right pace and velocity of change are being planned.
Change leadership
Last but not least driving an effective strategy requires effective leadership skills. The work of the change manager involves assessing existing leadership qualities, including understanding any gaps and challenges. These may be addressed by capability programs.
The change manager also normally takes in working with the sponsor of the change, in this case it could be a member of the c-suite on his or her change leadership skills. Some examples of effective skills include the ability to articulate the end state in a way that the audience can relate to and be enthusiastic about, ability t listen and empathise with employee groups, ability to identify and resolve any change obstacles, the ability sense check and pivot as needed (agility), and the ability to delegate and hold others accountable for achieving prescribed targets.
– Analyse change impacts to the whole system: people, process, technology.
– Map out the impacts of current and planned strategies to better sequence and plan the change
– Look at the capabilities required in the business
– Engagement and communications, involving key players in developing the strategy
– Measurement – business readiness and indicator tracking
– Change leadership is driving traction and behaviour change
– A strategy contains a set of initiatives – the key is to formulate a picture of what will be changing and be able to sequence and prioritise things to design the roadmap effectively
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A lot of organizations think of change management as something that can be outsourced to change managers or project managers. In this view, a piece of change can be managed as a project so that the rest of the business can focus on its business-as-usual activities.
What a lot of organizations do not realize is that managing change is an ethical obligation. How a company manages change can fundamentally impact its human rights record and its adherence to ethical practice standards. This includes the impact of its decisions or the way it engages with its employees, partners, suppliers, and customers.
This is especially important for a lot of financial services firms that have been under close scrutiny by regulators for ethical business conduct. In Australia, the banking royal commission has been focused closely on the ethical practices of banks and insurers. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) which is the law enforcement body, has been investigating unethical practices of various financial services organizations. This commission has unleashed a deluge of fresh complaints and admissions about misconduct in the finance sector. Most of these are centered around impacts on customers.
Ethics and change
Let’s explore more about ethical practices during change. Let’s take one example – Ethical practices during re-structuring. A typical process goes like this. The senior managers meet to discuss and come up with the organizational structure changes required. Sometimes, a few of the middle managers may provide some input into this process. However, overall the process is kept secret to ensure that none of the details are disclosed to employees. The Human Resources function will be involved throughout the process.
Eventually, when all the details are finished and finalized, the organization would typically conduct a town hall, a call, or a meeting to go through these changes with employees. A short 2-3 week period will usually be given as a ‘consultation period’ to obtain employee feedback. However, in most cases, these changes are already a done deal irrespective of employee feedback.
In this very common case facing nearly all organizations, the employee as a stakeholder group is designed to be disadvantaged in that it lacks the power of information and it lacks the power over the ability to actually participate in decision making. It is also no surprise that most employees in this situation will experience stress and anxiety. Some will even choose to leave. Others may have their roles made redundant.
Yes – in this scenario, the organization needs to take into account a broad range of considerations including what is good for the shareholders of the company, what is good for the business, and what is good for customers. However, organizations often overlook the fact that both employees and customers are stakeholder groups that need to be consulted when there is a significant change being planned.
Involving these stakeholder groups makes sense from a change management perspective because this engagement enhances buy-in and ownership in terms of what is changing. It also makes sense in terms of the organization’s ethical obligation to involve stakeholder groups so that the process does not negatively disadvantage them.
This does not mean giving away the decision-making accountability. However, it does mean a more inclusive decision-making process that is collaborative and achieves better engagement and understanding, and therefore a more ethical approach.
Organizational standards
Many organizations have called out ethical principles in leading change. In a document titled “Achieving structural change” 2007 the Queensland state government of Australia defined social inclusion as an approach that is inclusive so that people do not feel ‘shut out’. Social inclusion is “people wanting to participate as valued, appreciated equals in the social, economic, political and cultural life of the community”.
The Coca-cola European Headquarters very recently published a ‘Human Rights Restructuring Guidelines’ in June 2018. Under ‘Structural changes and mitigation of adverse effects on employees’ some of the points include:
“As early as possible, initiate a process of identifying the potential impact of business restructuring activity on employees, including human rights impacts”
“In general, we should be committed to using available means, as appropriate, to ensure meaningful cooperation with employees …..in order to mitigate adverse effects of restructuring decisions on employees”
So far we have been using the example of organizational restructuring. However, the same ethical principle of social inclusion and engagement also applies to other changes that may have less quantum of impact. Change initiatives include anything from implementing a new technology system, changing a process, introducing a new product, changing a customer policy, or a new marketing campaign.
We need to apply the same ethical principle to any of these changes. Change Managers will already call out that these are basic change principles they already use. For many organizations, this may be a wake-up call that identifying the change impacts and engaging with those impacted is not a nice to have, but an ethical obligation for any ethical organization.
Multiple changes
Most organizations are not experiencing just one change initiative, but a series of changes that overlap one another. The obligation and challenge for larger organizations are how to assess the change impacts on employees and customers across the board, versus initiative by initiative. From this view and understanding of the collective impacts, the organization can then form a better plan on how to effectively engage, involve, and inform the impacted employee and customer groups. Using an online tool to form a visual of the impacts of multiple changes on these stakeholder groups is a great way to use data to plan effectively. The Change Compass is one example.
To conclude, organizations need to think hard about their ethical practices, not just those impacts on the customers but also on employees. When we think of human rights and social inclusion we usually think of disadvantaged groups such as minorities. However, the principles are just as applicable in a change context. How do we ensure that organizations are accountable for their ethical practices toward employees? Many forward-thinking organizations are already starting to take note and have committed to formal standards and practices to adhere to.
Ray and Charles Eames, legendary mid-century designers, developed creative processes remarkably aligned with modern agile methodologies. Their approach emphasised iteration, resource respect, and systems thinking, offering valuable lessons for today’s project teams facing complex delivery challenges.
This guide explores five key Eames principles and their direct application to agile project delivery. Change practitioners and project leaders gain practical insights to enhance iteration, stakeholder engagement, and systemic success.
What Agile Principles Did Eames Champion?
The Eames duo’s design philosophy prefigured agile concepts by decades. Their methods focused on practical experimentation, collective wisdom, and holistic systems. These are core tenets of contemporary agile delivery.
These principles translate directly to project environments, improving outcomes across technology rollouts, process changes, and organisational transformations.
1. Not Reinventing the Wheel: Leverage Collective Experience
Eames avoided starting from scratch, instead building on proven materials and techniques. Agile teams benefit similarly by tapping organisational knowledge rather than isolated innovation.
Practical Applications in Agile Delivery
Previous rollout lessons: Review past implementations of similar products or services to anticipate adoption challenges and success factors.
Stakeholder group insights: Consult colleagues experienced with specific audience dynamics and communication preferences.
Solution design patterns: Adapt approaches proven effective in prior technical or process solutions.
Timeline strategies: Apply scheduling techniques refined through previous deadline pressures.
Learning intervention successes: Reuse effective training content, delivery methods, and evaluation frameworks.
This principle prevents redundant effort while accelerating delivery through proven foundations.
2. Continuous Testing and Learning: Iterative Refinement
The Eames process featured constant prototyping and feedback, mirroring agile’s iterative cycles. Every team member, not just designers, contributes to this learning loop.
Change Management Testing Examples
Message validation: A/B test communications with target audiences to measure resonance and engagement.
Learning content trials: Pilot training modules with sample groups, gathering feedback on structure, clarity, and delivery medium.
Impact assessment accuracy: Validate change impact analysis directly with end users rather than proxies alone.
3. Respecting the Materials at Hand: Understand Your Resources
Eames emphasised the importance of recognising the capabilities and limitations of available resources. In agile project delivery, this means deeply understanding people, systems, processes, and stakeholder capacities.
Applying Resource Respect in Agile Projects
Assess team skills and system maturity before designing interventions.
Adapt project plans based on stakeholder readiness and local constraints.
Support change leads in gauging the ability levels of different groups to absorb new processes.
Tailor communication and training to maximise relevance and effectiveness given resource realities.
This approach builds realistic, sustainable change strategies aligned with organisational strengths and challenges.
4. Generating New Perspectives and Ideas Through Play and Fun
The Eames valued play as a creative catalyst, fostering new ideas and fresh perspectives. Agile teams benefit from incorporating elements of play, fun, and experimentation into their work.
Practical Ways to Embed Play in Agile Delivery
Run hackathons or innovation sprints encouraging out-of-the-box thinking.
Design team-building activities that mix fun with purposeful reflection on project goals.
Use gamification techniques to increase engagement in learning and adoption tasks.
Foster a psychologically safe environment where experimentation and mistakes are accepted as learning opportunities.
Play enhances creativity, collaboration, and morale, supporting higher-quality outcomes.
5. Eventually Everything Connects: Embrace Systems Thinking
The Eames stressed seeing the broader picture and understanding how various elements interlink to form a larger system. This mindset is vital in agile delivery, where dependencies and impacts extend beyond single teams or projects.
Systems Thinking in Agile Projects
Map connections among processes, systems, communications, training, and branding to ensure cohesive delivery.
Identify how multiple change initiatives intersect and impact shared stakeholders or resources.
Help stakeholders understand how different initiatives support broader organisational strategies.
Use system maps and visualisations to support planning, risk assessment, and communication.
This holistic awareness prevents siloed work and promotes integrated, effective change.
Implementation Roadmap for Eames-Inspired Agile Delivery
Applying These Principles in Modern Projects
Quick-Start Actions for Teams
Conduct knowledge audits to capture previous rollout experiences across the organisation.
Schedule regular testing cycles for communications, training, and impact assessments.
Map resource capabilities and limitations during project kickoff planning.
Plan quarterly innovation sessions incorporating play and experimentation elements.
Create visual system maps showing project interconnections and dependencies.
Building Organisational Support
Train change leads in resource assessment and systems thinking techniques.
Establish cross-project knowledge sharing forums.
Integrate Eames principles into agile training and certification programs.
Use success stories to demonstrate ROI from iterative testing and collective learning.
These steps embed timeless design wisdom into contemporary delivery practices.
Cultural Considerations for Success
Overcoming Common Barriers
Success requires psychological safety for experimentation and leadership support for non-traditional approaches. Traditional organisations may resist play-based innovation, requiring champions to demonstrate tangible benefits first.
Scaling Across Teams
Start with pilot projects showcasing measurable improvements in delivery speed, stakeholder satisfaction, and adoption rates. Use these case studies to expand practice organisation-wide.
Measuring Impact
Track metrics like iteration cycle time reduction, stakeholder engagement scores, knowledge reuse rates, and cross-project collaboration frequency to validate principle effectiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What makes Eames principles relevant to modern agile delivery? Their focus on iteration, collective wisdom, resource respect, creativity through play, and systems thinking directly addresses contemporary project complexity and delivery challenges.
How do you implement continuous testing in change management? Use A/B testing for messages, pilot training modules with user groups, and validate impact assessments directly with end users to refine approaches iteratively.
Why is systems thinking essential in agile projects? Modern initiatives rarely operate in isolation. Understanding interconnections prevents siloed work and ensures cohesive delivery across multiple changes.
How can teams incorporate play into serious projects? Run hackathons, gamify learning tasks, and design team activities blending fun with purposeful project reflection to boost creativity and morale.
What is the first step in applying ‘not reinventing the wheel’? Conduct knowledge audits capturing previous rollout lessons, stakeholder insights, and proven solution patterns across the organisation.
In 1977, Ray and Charles Eames, celebrated for their iconic mid-century furniture, embarked on a cosmic journey. Their creation, “The Powers of Ten,” takes viewers from an ordinary picnic on Earth to the edges of the observable universe, showcasing the vastness and intricacy of our cosmos. Beyond its cinematic wonder, this film offers profound insights into change management – a journey of continuity and transformation. Let’s embark on a parallel voyage, learning valuable lessons from the Eames masterpiece. The link to the famous 9-minute video can be found here.
The Power of Change Management Components
Change management, much like the universe depicted in “The Powers of Ten,” encompasses a multitude of components. Let’s explore these components and understand how they relate to effective change management.
Continuity and Change
In “The Powers of Ten,” we witness the dynamic interplay of continuity and change. Just as our universe maintains its constants while evolving, organizations must strike a balance between what remains unaltered and what must adapt. This balance is essential for effective change management. Identify the periods when your frontline staff are pivotal, align your change strategies with these busy phases, and ensure that new initiatives consider these high-activity periods.
Understanding Cultural Context
In “The Powers of Ten,” every frame reveals shifting perspectives. Similarly, when communicating change, acknowledge the diverse lenses through which employees view your messages. Understand their cultural contexts and adapt your approach. One-size-fits-all communication often falls short. Tailor your messages to resonate with various audiences, fostering greater acceptance and engagement.
Cross Collaboration through Context
Change flourishes when change drivers collaborate effectively with change receivers. Drivers must provide vision, intent, resources, and leadership, while receivers offer feedback, support, and behavioral adjustments. Successful collaboration relies on a deep understanding of each other’s contexts. Learn why changes are necessary, how to implement them, and what they require. Acknowledge the cultural context of those impacted by the changes, a crucial aspect often overlooked.
Data-Driven Decision-Making
Statistics reinforce the importance of change management. According to a study by Prosci, organizations using a structured approach to change management are 78% more likely to meet or exceed their project objectives. This statistic underscores the need for a strategic, data-driven approach in change management. Make informed decisions, assess the impact of change initiatives, and use data to guide your strategy.
Stakeholder Engagement and Communication
Effective change management relies on robust stakeholder engagement and clear communication. Just as “The Powers of Ten” engages viewers with its visuals and narration, your change initiatives should engage stakeholders through well-crafted communication strategies. Ensure all stakeholders are informed, involved, and heard throughout the change process.
Leadership and Vision
In the Eames film, the journey from picnicking on Earth to exploring the cosmos required a guiding vision. Similarly, successful change management necessitates strong leadership and a clear vision for the future. Leaders must inspire, provide direction, and motivate teams to embrace change.
“The Powers of Ten” is more than a cinematic masterpiece; it’s a guide to navigating change within your organization. Embrace continuity while ushering in change, acknowledging the diverse cultural contexts of your employees. Facilitate collaboration through shared understanding, and maintain a sense of curiosity as you traverse the ever-evolving landscape of change management.
Take your first step into change management’s cosmic universe. Book a weekly demo with us to learn how to navigate the challenges and opportunities effectively.
