Change Management in a multinational that implemented a specialization model.
Initial situation:
Strategic decision defined the importance of the company moving from a generalist model in the commercial team to a specialist model, to better serve its customers and increase revenue and results. The impact of the change on the Commercial team was straightforward:
- They would no longer have the role of owners of the region offering various businesses, and would be responsible for specific segments
- The portfolio of clients served would be changed.
- For various members of the Commercial team, the location of work and compensation would also be directly affected
- The changes could generate insecurity and concern in people. The company was worried about not losing its talent in such a competitive market
- The implementation of change and its communication should be done in an engaging and effective way to guarantee the success of the new model
Consultancy action:
- 3 large workshops with different audiences were carried out gradually involving the impacted groups: top leadership, middle management and the entire commercial team. At each workshop, participants were informed about the changes and were prepared to communicate the changes to the next level, so it was possible to guarantee quality cascading of the key messages
- The meetings clarified the change and its benefits, reinforced expected behaviors of the team and the leadership, and engaged participants as change agents, preparing them for the communication role with practical exercises
- A Multiplication Kit with benefits, critical questions and answers about what would change and communication tips was made in a customized way for each audience to support the moment when the change was disseminated.
Result of the project:
- Research with the Commercial team revealed that 100% of the participants confirmed the perception that the new business specialization model would lead the company to perform more (98% reported “certainly” and the other 2% reported that “yes it will perform more”) )
- The team reported that they had broadened their understanding of the importance of change and their role in the company’s success
- 99% of Commercial professionals reported feeling more engaged and prepared to communicate with clients. The quality of the meeting (content and format) was highly praised by the company’s team and leadership
- There was no loss of talent for the market
- Professionals from back office areas reinforced their support for change, helping implementation
with support from their specific areas
The implementation of the change was carried out in a constructive manner with full support from the Commercial team and was well received by customers