Empowering for change – building capability in an internal workforce

"Change is the only thing that is the absolute."

- John Feldmann 

Change is everywhere – not only is more changing than ever before, the rate at which it is happening is also changing.   

In this context, government leaders and managers face the critical challenge of not only adapting to evolving policies and public expectations but also empowering their teams to embrace change as a fundamental part of their work culture.  

Building change capability within teams and across the workforce is essential for fostering resilience and innovation, ensuring that organisations can navigate uncertainties effectively.   

Those who have attended a workshop with me recently will have heard me say that Change Fatigue is an outdated term that can no longer be used as a reason to avoid change. Change is happening.  What are you doing to build resilience and agility in your workforce?   

By cultivating a proactive mindset and equipping employees with the necessary skills, leaders can not only manage change better in their areas, but also transform challenges into tangible opportunities. 

What is change capability anyway? 

It means thinking about the ability of the workforce to effectively and quickly pivot to shifts in policies, regulations, and other organisational events. It encompasses a range of competencies, including the readiness to embrace new technologies, the agility to respond to unforeseen challenges, and the capacity to implement innovative solutions that improve service delivery.   

It is for government, as they not only comply with policy, world events or other changes, they are also keeping up with digital change and ever-increasing public expectations. By embedding change capability, government leaders can help equip their teams to navigate complexities and drive meaningful progress.   

It’s about finding solutions that allow teams to work differently – not adding more to their workloads when something changes.  

Key Strategies for Building Change Capability/how do we know we have strong change capability. 

Our model can help you to think about all the elements of a strong change capability:  

At the centre of the model is (of course!) leadership  

• When considering how effective this is in a change capability sense look at the way your leaders handle change in the organisation and the extent to which they actively sponsor change  

• Is there a clear and inspiring vision, delivered authentically? 

• Is there alignment across leaders and are they trusted to guide the organisation in the right direction? 

• Are there unhelpful siloes that mean you cannot quickly understand and adapt to changes?  

• Is there a clear understanding where decisions are made and by whom?  

A resilient and adaptable workforce 

• How adaptable is your workforce as an aggregate of all of the moving parts you have to deal with? 

• Do teams engage with their networks well, both horizontally and vertically? How commonly do you share information knowledge and lessons?  Is help available? 

• How well do you understand the skills and knowledge that will be needed to deliver in the workplace of the future? This may (or almost certainly will) be different to the skills you have now. How will you bridge any gaps? 

• Are the behaviours and culture conducive to change?  Is it safe to make mistakes and learn from them, without blame? 

• How is change seen across the organisation? Is it considered the new normal, or is it something “done to us” by leadership or other external factors? 

  
  

Strong Professional Skills to Manage the Process 

Now we move into the nuts and bolts of change – the things that are required to implement change in your workplace.  These are important to have whether you have a change team in the workplace or not . 

• How is planning for change done in your team?  Is the RACI for planning clear?  

• Do you know what good looks like?  How will you measure and evaluate your outcomes as it relates to change?  When something isn’t as expected, is this used transparently to course correct? 

• Are you a well-oiled machine, or a rusty tractor?   

• Does the amount of effort match the level of the change? Building change capability is an ongoing process.  Carving out  time to stop, consider, plan and adjust in a regular cadence is critical for any modern leader.   

It’s not easy, it takes effort and investment to begin but leaders who do, and do it well will stand out tomorrow.  

If you are looking at ways to build change capability within your team or workforce, our tools, coaching and workshops are designed to help you reach these goals. 

Reach out to us for more information on the website: www.theexpertleader.com/workshops