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In many companies, the need for HR transformation is recognised as an essential prerequisite for ensuring competitiveness, similar to the ongoing digital transformation throughout the company. Nevertheless, those responsible often struggle with the implementation. A common reason for this is that they focus too quickly on the introduction and use of certain tools, on ideas for organisational changes or similar topics, while a systematic analysis of the initial situation is not carried out or is only rudimentary. This is fatal insofar as a meaningful and effective HR transformation is only possible if the individual steps and measures are tailored to both the individual situation in the company and the objectives defined in the specific case. A look at medicine may serve as an illustration here: Even the best and most modern medication can be of little help or possibly even harmful if it is administered before a thorough diagnosis has been made and an appropriate indication has been derived from it.

Analyse the initial situation - the basis for success

If you are responsible for Human Resources (HR) in your company and want to contribute to the overall success of the company with a future-orientated HR strategy, you cannot avoid a detailed analysis of the initial situation. Conversely, a well-founded analysis will provide you with an important basis for ensuring a sustainable transformation in HR for the benefit of the entire company.

Important questions for a comprehensive assessment

Key questions that should be answered as part of the HR review relate on the one hand to personnel and their integration in the company and on the other to the HR department. In this context, people analytics, the analysis of HR data in conjunction with data from other areas of the company, also plays an important role. With regard to personnel, it is particularly important to clarify how they currently provide which services, which resources are accessed and which tools are used. In the area of HR, the main question is what its key strengths and areas of action are. This must be answered from an internal perspective as well as from the perspective of customers and the market, as this is the only way to gain a meaningful picture.

The Change Management Office (CMO): The centrepiece of successful transformations

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If, as a manager, you are either responsible for the operational implementation of change processes due to your position within the company or want to take the relevant initiatives on your own initiative, you should pay particular attention to the necessary structural foundations. This is because they play a decisive role in the success of the entire process. Experience shows: Where a purposeful and clear structure is lacking, it is difficult to organise change processes efficiently and lead them to the desired result, even if those involved are highly committed to common goals. The Change Management Office (CMO) plays a particularly important role in this context. Its task is to structure the way in which change processes are handled and thus significantly increase their probability of success. To this end, the CMO works towards establishing a corporate culture that views change as the norm and not as an exception in the company's development that may be perceived as annoying or unnecessary.

Central CMO tasks: Creating transparency and increasing acceptance

There are good reasons why the change management office is considered by change management experts to be the centrepiece of a successful transformation, as it plays a key role in strengthening the understanding and acceptance of change within the company, creating the necessary transparency with regard to the desired change processes, providing support during implementation and imparting and collecting the necessary knowledge. The CMO takes on different roles in this process. For example, it helps managers at different levels of the organisation to make well-founded decisions in line with the strategic goals that are to be achieved with the help of the respective changes. Another important CMO function is that of an "advocate" of change management at the top management level of the company in order to promote strategic thinking in terms of the desired changes and increase their overall probability of success.

Systematic approach in several steps

When setting up a CMO, it is advisable to proceed in several steps. The first step is to define the objectives and tasks of this organisational unit and the structures required to achieve them. The latter should be based in particular on the existing initial situation and the anchoring of the CMO within the company. If the CMO is to concentrate primarily on the role of a centre of excellence with the function of internal consulting and knowledge transfer, for example, different personnel resources will be required than in cases where it takes on the management and implementation of change management projects itself. Depending on the company structure and the type of changes to be implemented, both centralised and decentralised solutions may be considered. Once the structural framework and tasks have been clarified, the next step is to select the change management methods that best suit the company in question and to develop tools and templates for implementing the selected methods. Where possible, after a critical evaluation, structures and procedures that are already recognised within the company should be used. This increases acceptance of the changes to be implemented among those involved and at the same time contributes to a more efficient use of human and material resources.

Involve relevant stakeholders at an early stage

When setting up a CMO, it is particularly important to involve managers at all levels involved and other key stakeholders at an early stage and to sensitise them to the common goals of the upcoming change process. It is particularly worthwhile to work out the benefits of the upcoming changes for the individual areas of responsibility and to give them a clear idea of the role of the change management office within the overall process. It is also essential to network the various departments involved within the company with regard to change management. This applies to operational areas as well as the HR and IT departments. In addition, early and transparent information should be provided to all affected employees in order to involve them from the outset.

From theoretical knowledge to practical action

Experience has shown that it is often difficult to translate theoretical change management knowledge and fundamental insights into concrete action. This is where CMO programmes such as coaching or internal training can provide valuable assistance. Such programmes should be designed in such a way that they have a high degree of practical relevance and are tailored as specifically as possible to the areas of activity of those to whom they are directed. This criterion should also be taken into account if external resources are utilised.

Successful pilot projects provide a tailwind for follow-up projects

As soon as the necessary structural and knowledge-based prerequisites have been created, the practical implementation of the planned change processes can begin. In this phase, key CMO tasks primarily consist of identifying and supporting projects that are characterised by a particularly high level of awareness within the organisation and a high probability of success. The successful implementation of these pilot projects can provide significant impetus for the greatest possible acceptance of change among employees, managers and, if necessary, other important stakeholders and significantly increase their willingness to participate in follow-up projects. In this way, implementing a change management office not only pays off in the short term, but also helps to establish a change culture in the company in the long term.