John, a regional manager overseeing 113 brick-and-mortar retail stores and leading a team of about 3,000 employees, faced a complex challenge. The company decided to pivot towards online shopping, a move that sparked resistance due to their success with community-driven and purpose-oriented retailing. These stores served as community hubs championing sustainable consumerism, and many saw the online shift as a betrayal of these values.

Indicators

Conversations with John's team revealed a lack of trust in leadership due to past poorly executed change management initiatives. The staff felt excluded and skeptical of executive decisions. There was no assessment of the organization's capacity to handle the change or consideration of how fear of job loss might affect adaptation. Additionally, there was no plan or data on the skills needed for this shift.

John was caught in the middle, with executives growing impatient and expecting him to "sell" the strategy to his team.

Intervention

We partnered with John to understand both his and his team's perspectives. Reviewing past communication strategies, we discovered an abundance of corporate jargon and a significant lack of evidence that frontline staff feedback had been incorporated into the decision-making process. We introduced Lewin's change management theory, helping John understand that his team needed context on why this change mattered and how it could benefit the company.

Implementation

We assisted John in designing and implementing a 9-point plan to address cultural, capacity, and capability issues. We identified a group of influential employees, known for their ability to speak truth to power and exercise radical candor, to test and refine the plan. These "Game Changers" provided critical feedback and eventually helped John roll out the strategy. Additionally, we collaborated with John and the executives to craft strategic 'versus' statements, contrasting the old and new approaches to help employees understand and embrace the shift, clarifying why the change was necessary.

The Result

Over time, John and the organization realized that "selling" the strategy set up a non-collaborative dynamic. Employees, like customers, want a voice in the company's strategic direction. John's team began to see the strategic shift as an opportunity to expand their impact, rather than a compromise of their values. The company could now move forward with a united team and a strengthened commitment to its values.

John's journey underscores the importance of authentic, two-way communication and the critical role of work architecture in strategic shifts. His ability to foster understanding and alignment, rather than mere persuasion, helped unlock his team's potential and facilitated a successful transition.