Abstract
Abstract
Rolling out and implementing new policies in a corporate environment is often seen as a challenging task. This situation stems from the array of hurdles it must overcome to reach and, more importantly, be implemented by each and every employee. This article deals with a very lucid and easy to replicate model on how to get the same done correctly every time, if not at the first go.
Introduction
One of the key elements in ensuring corporate governance is the alignment of employees to the defined policies.
On joining an organisation, employees, by way of habit, accept the laid down policies and rise to the expectations. In other words, they internalise the policies in word and spirit. In order to implement a new policy, these internalised policies have to be unlearnt and the new approach has to find acceptance. This is where the role of an HR Leader comes into play.
The implementation of a new policy or a process would lead to a domino effect which, if categorised, would be dissemination of the information, interpretation of the information, response to the information and finally internalisation. These key reactions or feedback are then to be responded to, to make the employee understand how he or she will benefit from this and the organisation too, on an overall scale. This task lies with an alert and proactive HR Evangelist. Under the able guidance of the HR Leader, the HR team can therefore spring into action and take forward the onus of training focus groups on implementation exercises.
There are some basic guidelines to be followed that will have your co-workers follow your tracks:
Conditioning
Most theories work on the principle of Conditioning. Even before a new thought is to be shared with stakeholders, the HR mediator needs to roll out teasers within active groups. Dormant groups usually listen to the voices that speak, that is, activators. These restless employees need to envisage that they are ‘the privileged lot’ who have received the first-hand information of the upcoming ‘Change’.
Once the team members are given subtle hints, they automatically tend to look forward to the Change, which is definitely a positive sign. Even bad news, if broken down systematically and shared, can lead to a low impact.
Buy-in of Core Team Players
The second most important task at hand for the HR mediator is to ensure a buy-in from the core team. Every function has a core team that drives initiatives and they should be able to clearly understand your motive and accept the policy change as one that will add value to everyone. Once you have convinced them, half the battle is won.
Teasers to Continue
Meanwhile, eye-catching teasers should be introduced. These teasers should be scheduled in a systematic manner. Occasional announcements in the beginning, and as the date of introduction and implementation draws closer, the frequency of these teasers should increase. A mention or two in Open Houses, in the board room and in the cafeteria will go a long way in adding to the anticipation. Slowly, but steadily, you adeptly tune the team to an ‘expectation frequency’ level.
A very common example is that of the entertainment industry. They send out teasers of movies that are scheduled to be released approximately 2 months down the line, and these small scripts are riddled with moments that gently increase the curiosity in the minds of the viewers; the anticipation builds and finally when the movie releases, people in huge numbers swarm the theatres. This is the effect of a teaser—now you know how the word was coined in the first place.
Identification of a Process Owner
The successful implementation of a process, a project or even a policy rests on the able shoulders of a driver. She/he needs to be an influential person with great people skills and be adept at communication. This individual can be anyone who has the necessary skill set and a person who is in complete agreement with the said policy. The HR team should involve all its resources in carefully identifying the process owner. Success in this aspect will near ensure the success of the implementation.
Implementation at the Ground Zero
Your focus should always be rooted to the ground. Most of our policies actually affect those working on the shop floor, a generic term used in all industries. There should be pocket-sized trainings conducted at regular intervals in the presence of the process owner; in fact, the schedule for the same needs to be prepared by this person.
Evaluation
A routine evaluation of the implementation would be required to review if the concept that was formulated in a board room has been accepted and duly practiced by every last employee. Easy to use checklists are the most convenient when complex processes need to be broken down to smaller bite-sized bits. You may consider a checklist for the process owner as well to assimilate and evaluate the implementation’s status.
On-the-spot evaluations do actually work and the results maybe tremendous. A chance to showcase them at the board room would be the final icing on the same for the process owner. This positive feedback would definitely encourage the rest to put in a good show.
Audit Findings
The success of your implementation would reflect in your audits. The stepwise documentation of the progress, bottlenecks, nonconformities and subsequent improvements would go a long way in ensuring that the policy goes down to the last person. These findings can indicate any missed step or process and can very efficiently plug all the leaks.
Rewards and Recognition
‘Brains, like hearts, go where they are appreciated’. It’s been an age-old, accepted fact that people by default tend to go the extra mile when they are duly recognised and rewarded. Reward and recognition stands today an inch over money when it comes to being a reason for leaving an organisation.
Therefore, go all out to appreciate the team behind the scene and make every moment a memorable one. There are plenty of ways to appreciate team members that could easily be thought up.
Citing an example of a win-win situation when the above guidelines are applied:
Change in shift timings of workers in an automobile company
This change would definitely not be seen as a positive sign and would disrupt work–life balance of the factory workers. However, it would raise the company’s stake in the market by 2per cent and bring overnight recognition as a market leader.
Now, run your mind through the steps (detailed above) and you shall slowly but gradually experience the transitioning shift of change and, therefore, implementation. The steps, if followed systematically, will surely have your team very efficiently roll out the most difficult of policy changes.
Any new concept needs to be eased into a system smoothly and the success of the same would depend on the web strategy created by the Person of the People—The CHRO and implemented alongside the entire HR team.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
Author’s Bio-sketch
She later relocated to Kolkata in 2001 to join Rabindranath Tagore Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS), Kolkata—Devi Shetty’s first hospital—and later moved to AMRI Hospitals, Kolkata, as the HR Head. In the year 2006 she relocated to Gurgaon, where she had the opportunity to work with two well-known brands—Artemis Hospital, the Apollo Tyres foray into healthcare, and later with Columbia Asia Hospitals, Palam, Gurgaon.
Her stint at Columbia Asia is etched as the longest career span for her, ranging over 7 years, wherein she grew from a Unit HR Lead role to that of a region, and later moved to become General Manager HR for the group.
Annie is now heading the Human Resources at Sahyadri Hospitals Limited, Maharashtra, as Group Head HR from 2018.
She brings to the table the experience of nearly 2 decades, which has been enriched with the blend of having worked across the country and beside diverse team members. Her background in Psychology has given her an edge in understanding people dynamics and resolving challenging situations. She has recently been also invited as a jury member for the NHRDN—Prof Ram Charan Young HR Icon Awards (Professional Category).
She is a Psychology graduate from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, and has completed her MBA in HR from Rajiv Gandhi University, Bangalore.