Activation & Change
Strategy is nothing without action
Activate your strategy to drive true and lasting change.
We help organisations embed new ideas deep into the fabric of the employee experience, by realigning people processes across the employee lifecycle; then supporting and reinforcing that through powerful communications and ‘moments of truth’.
Leaders are increasingly finding weakness in their organisation’s ability to turn plans into action. Strategy is the easy part. What’s much harder is to fully activate that strategy in a way that lasts for the future, ensuring change is sustained and embedded.
Strategy activation
- Defining goals and outcomes, determining how we’ll know we’ve succeeded
- Planning for activation, setting workstreams, owners, actions and timeframes
- Identifying quick wins that build momentum and belief
Driving and sustaining change
- Mapping the employee journey to identify what needs to change
- Analysing against costs and benefits to work out our priorities
- Providing practical support to re-wire processes
- Developing communications and campaigns to inspire and invigorate
Belief
Activation for us is just as crucial as strategy. It was one of the foundation ideas behind the creation of People Made – born from a frustration that consultancies and strategists talk a great talk, but often fail when it comes to turning ideas into reality. We’ve always been 100% committed to rolling up our sleeves and getting stuck into the tough work of helping teams land their ideas.
Change doesn’t have to be disruptive. We often start our work by identifying what’s good, what needs to be protected, the threads of continuity that will link past and future. Then we focus on the small, simple things that can have a big impact: the signal from the top, the things you choose to reward. And we amplify it all through communications and campaigning which vividly articulate the case for change.
Approach
Employee journey mapping: we often begin my drawing out the full employee lifecycle, from awareness, recruitment and induction, through to training, development and finally to exit and active alumni. We explore each touch-point along the way and consider how it can better align and support your strategy; drawing up, then filtering a list of simple actions that embed new ways into your people processes.
Sprints and missions: we believe strongly in identifying a few key actions and doubling-down to make them happen. Instead of diluting efforts across too many commitments, instead we define a small number of missions and work in quick sprints or waves to quickly demonstrate meaningful improvements – creating incremental change where each new win builds on the past, creating strong momentum and a self-supporting movement for change.
Practical help and support: unlike other consultancies, we don’t just make recommendations: we provide practical support to re-write policy, re-engineer processes, re-design procedures
Communications and engagement: although we know that communications alone won’t drive lasting change – we equally know how important they can be to reinforce messaging, build understanding and create excitement and buzz within the organisation.
Measurement and analytics: we also know that all good change and activation programmes are underpinned by a clear framework of measurement: to enable us to track progress, course-correct when needed, and to ensure we fulfil the aims we set out to achieve.
Our Work
Selfridges
Working with shoppers and employees we crafted an authentic Selfridges proposition that was memorable and differentiating, exciting to shoppers and practical to implement. We then threaded the spirit and behaviours right across the employee experience to embed it deep in the business. The work generated quick results and significant NPS score changes, all helping make Selfridges that bit more extraordinary for employee and shoppers.
Allied Irish Bank
Following a three year culture-change programme, we were absolutely delighted that AIB UK and People Made was recognised at the HR Excellence awards – winning in the Leading Transformation category in 2019.
The work was designed to galvanise and re-energise the business and radically shift behaviours and mindset. We had to tackle some major and deep-rooted challenges around empowerment and delegation, risk and innovation, communication and collaboration.
Most of all though we had to rebuild a business that’s fit for the future, fully aligned with strategic priorities, and with the right capabilities and ways of working necessary to enable the bank’s goals and ambitions.
