Strengthening Change Capability Across Two Complex Organisations
Project Objective
Lift organisational confidence and capability to lead, manage, and embed change by aligning leadership teams and embedding practical, fit-for-purpose change frameworks.
Project Summary
Two separate complex organisations had undergone rapid growth, marked by major business acquisitions, international expansion, system upgrades and structural changes. In the past, many of these efforts had been driven without a structured approach to change, leading to costly delays, lost momentum and frustrated staff. Past examples included system transitions that stalled due to poor uptake, a number of business acquisitions that never fully integrated, resulting in a quiet exit two and six years later and many failed change initiatives. These experiences created both caution and urgency around investing in competence at professionally managing change.
Stoke Consulting was engaged to assess, recommend and help roll-out a change management methodology that would suit each organisation’s culture and context.
Multiple Stoke Consulting Associates with deep change and executive experience worked alongside experienced internal leaders to align all leaders behind a shared and actionable approach.
Challenges
- Previous change efforts lacked structure and often relied on individual drive, not shared ownership.
- Failed integration of past acquisitions created hesitance around future change investments.
- There was awareness that change management was poor but there was a lack of clarity on how to improve.
- Change fatigue from earlier efforts, especially system and reporting upgrades.
- Internal change capability was patchy and siloed with strong views on best tools based on limited previous experience, rather than awareness of the actual needs.
- Time-poor leaders juggled revenue generation work, delivery expectations and internal transformation.
- Geographic and cultural diversity required an approach that was simple, scalable and locally adaptable.
Solutions
Step 1: Select the most suitable change management methodology and tools
- Conducted targeted interviews with senior stakeholders to understand lessons from previous efforts and map out risks for future changes.
- Ran a change readiness assessment .
- Some mapping of limited existing processes.
- Compared a range of frameworks using weighted criteria to assess and align.
- Recommended two separate leading change management approaches optimally matched to needs.
Step 2: Leadership training and alignment workshop
- Chose real change management examples to facilitate Train the Trainer for leaders.
- Facilitated half-day workshops focused on building a shared understanding of what good change leadership looks like and why previous efforts had struggled.
- Built ownership of the change playbook and created a 90-day roadmap with named owners and clear priorities.
Step 3: Next level training and alignment workshop
- In one case, facilitated extended alignment to 35 next-level leaders through workshops.
- Used practical examples from past failures to drive buy-in and surface barriers in a team building approach.
- Created simple tools for leaders to communicate, role-model and track change progress.
Outcomes
- Enterprise change frameworks adopted in both organisations within six weeks.
- Visible 90-day change plans launched with momentum and support.
- Pulse checks showed 20–25% increase in leader confidence to lead change.
- A previously delayed system upgrade was completed without disrupting client delivery.
Stoke Consulting
Could your company benefit from working with Stoke Consulting? Contact us today.