Eye for system énd people

Education in change management often involves long processes, Hövelmann knows from experience. That’s why she was especially pleased that DEN’s workshop guided her through the most important insights in just one day. ‘We immediately started working on our own issues. I received direct feedback, both from the trainer and from the other participants. When I walked out, I had tools to immediately apply the theory.’

Hövelmann became enthusiastic about DEN through the digital strategy workshop she had previously attended. ‘We consciously did that with a reflection of our organization, with representation from different layers and areas of expertise. Together we came to a digital ambition, which provides more direction for our choices.’

The organization also did not yet have an earmarked budget for digital projects. ‘That’s why we mapped out which funds the various departments have for this, so that we might be able to pool them. In this way, we also became aware of how certain projects are connected. Furthermore, we discovered that we sometimes use different tools for the same purposes. It also turned out that colleagues have all kinds of knowledge that we can use more broadly.’

Resistance to innovation

The digital innovations implemented by the Jewish Cultural Quarter bring many benefits. Yet colleagues can feel resistance to such innovations, Hövelmann observes. ‘At the moment, my team and I are in a transition phase, with many colleagues retiring. When I introduce something new, not everyone sees only the advantages but also the disadvantages, probably also because they won’t benefit from it much longer.’

One of the projects Hövelmann’s team worked on recently was the transition to a different collection system because the old one would no longer be supported. ‘Such a process needs to be set up smoothly, otherwise it causes a lot of delays,’ Hövelmann knows from experience. ‘That’s why we carefully prepared for the technical part of the transition. We paid less attention to the impact on colleagues. We had planned training sessions and made it clear why we had to switch to the new system. Many colleagues understood that it would make their work easier. Yet there was also resistance: our previous system had some custom-made features that the new system didn’t have.’

The training sessions provided by the software supplier also didn’t align well enough with daily work practices. ‘Additionally, not everything worked equally well in the beginning, as we were one of the first parties to start using this new system. That’s why we decided to organize extra sessions, but they didn’t take off well. With the knowledge I have now, I would have focused more on that.’

ADKAR

Even when everything was working, a somewhat negative atmosphere around the new system lingered for a long time, Hövelmann recalls. ‘Some colleagues secretly continued using the old system because they were more familiar with it. And this despite the fact that certain functions were available in the new system that weren’t in the old one, such as the ability to search multiple databases at once. We could have promoted those benefits even better. Furthermore, we could have better communicated our considerations for using this system, especially to those with the most resistance.’

In the DEN workshop, Hövelmann learned where the process went wrong and how she could do better in the future. ‘For example, we looked at ADKAR: awareness (I know why this change needs to happen), desire (I want this change to happen), knowledge (I have the knowledge to work with this change), ability (I have the skills to work with this change), and reinforcement (I continue to work with it). Especially with knowledge and skills, things weren’t good enough at the beginning. I also learned how important it is to focus on desire: that’s how you motivate employees from within.’

Keys to Success

In the workshop, she also became acquainted with the Keys to Success model. ‘To achieve a successful project, you need three things: leadership, change management, and project essentials,’ Hövelmann explains. ‘To ensure the first aspect is well covered, we always involve a member of the management team in our projects. Furthermore, we try to work as project-based as possible, using digital tools where possible. This also includes reflection: how do we go through this process together?’

Hövelmann will certainly take the lessons learned into future projects, including the implementation of the new digital strategy. ‘I now try to pay more attention to people, not just the system. Tackling that in advance saves you a lot of time and energy.’

Author: Anne van den Dool