|
 Welcome to Allegra Consulting's July Newsletter.
We love keeping you up to date on what is happening both locally and globally in the world of Change Management. This month we have details of one of only a handful of post graduate courses in Change Management in Australia. The Australian Graduate School of Business is inviting applications for their Graduate Certificate of Change Management. Enrolments close August 4.
Change Management is not a new discipline as change in business has been with us for centuries! But its formal recognition has only really taken hold in the past 10 years, so just how far has the corporate world come in embedding change management practitioners and experts into their day to day business? Managing Director of Allegra Consulting Helen Haley shares her views on this topic. Finally, we spend Five Minutes with Shane Fairlie - Communications and Change Manager at NAB. We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter! Warm regards, Helen Haley and the team at Allegra Consulting
"Change is now inevitable and relentless, the GCCM added a credible stamp to my career passport and equipped me with skills and a qualification that will have currency for the rest of my life."
Todd Chapman, GCCM Class of 2004
The Australian School of Business Management (AGSM) is currently taking applications for their Graduate Certificate in Change Management (GCCM). The objective of the GCCM is to develop effective agents of change. Students will learn how to influence organisational change, both through their own actions and those of others. The program provides the theoretical foundation for understanding organisational change and the practical skills to facilitate the development and implementation of change statistics successfully.
The AGSM Graduate Certificate in Change Management Program is specifically designed for practising managers and can be completed in as little as 1 year or you can take up to a maximum of 4 years.
The program is delivered completely online using eLearning technology.
The GCCM is centred around action learning (also called ‘experiential learning’) which involves drawing on your personal experiences to formulate new concepts. Course exercises and issues relevant to a student's organisation form the content of the GCCM program. Readings from the course materials and online discussions with study colleagues encourage the analysis of experiences in a structured way. The aim is to develop the capacity to formulate new concepts and apply them to course projects and your workplace.
There are 4 courses in the GCCM and each must be successfully completed: 1. Approaches to Change
2. Change Skills
3. Redesigning the Organisation
4. Systems for Change
To enrol (before August 4) or to find out more about the GCCM, visit their website.
Published some time ago, this article by John Jones, DeAnne Aguirre, and Matthew Calderone is a timeless "back to basics" still relevant to all facets of organisational change. It's one of those pieces that you will find useful to have within easy reach to help develop focus and clarity around any transformation initiative.
It covers the 10 key change management points including the vital importance of being explicit when defining a cultural roadmap: "Once the culture is understood, it should be addressed as thoroughly as any other area in a change program. Leaders should be explicit about the culture and underlying behaviors that will best support the new way of doing business, and find opportunities to model and reward those behaviors. This requires developing a baseline, defining an explicit end state or desired culture, and devising detailed plans to make the transition."
We love it, and hope you do to. 10 Principles of Change Management
It wasn't too long ago when the "change" elements of business transformation and project delivery were really just an afterthought. But as change within in business has become the "norm" as opposed to the "exception", a slow but distinct shift in thinking has occurred. Today in 2008, change management in many organisations is now a recognised and supported discipline. But just what does this mean and how has the human resource and recruitment market responded?
Before setting up her own company, Allegra Consulting Managing Director Helen Haley worked in organisational change for 10 years at major corporations both in Australia and the UK. In the last three years Allegra Consulting has been a leading supplier of change management consulting resources to Melbourne's corporate organisations.
Ms Haley believes that even in the past three years there has been a rapidly increasing acceptance of, and demand for, change management practioners who are able to take the lead on transformational activities and work hand in hand with project management teams to prepare the business for change, implement the key change elements and then embed the business and cultural change within the organsiation.
"This acceptance and demand is reflected in the number of permanent positions we are now being asked to supply resources for," says Ms Haley. "Once upon a time the majority of change management roles were short-term contracts. The change manager was seen as having a role only for the duration of a change initiative, and organisations were often not engaging the right resources early enough to set their transformational projects up for optimal success." "Short-medium term contract roles still play a vital part in an organisation's ongoing change requirements, but it is encouraging to see an increasing number of permanent change management roles coming through.
"This reflects commitment to an overall change strategy and recognition that change is a permanent part of doing business today. Rather than bringing in specialists only when a project arises, they have a permanent change strategist who is across a number of initiatives and who brings a consistent approach to how their organisation undertakes change. They are then well placed to supplement resourcing through contract positions when necessary. This is an exciting approach that formally recognises how far change management has come in just 10 years." If you or your organisation are looking for permanent or contract change management consultants, visit the Allegra Consulting website to find out more about how we can support you or call Helen directly on 0400 517 164.
Thanks to your feedback, we have re-shaped our inaugural Allegra Consulting Change Management event.
We
want to be able to include as many of our change practitioners as possible - as well as
our valued clients - so rather then a full day masterclass, we have decided to
host an evening event including drinks followed by presentations on at least different topics from change management experts.
The
venue will be close to Melbourne CBD and a confirmed date in mid-November plus details of the location will be published
in next month's newsletter
The Allegra Consulting referral program has been an outstanding success proving that using networks and word of mouth are still great ways to match change management candidates with suitable roles. Please continue to take advantage of this offer and let us know of change or project management friends or colleagues who are looking for the next "big thing". As a gesture of our appreciation, we will pay you a referral reward of $300 if you refer a candidate to us who is not currently on our database and we place the person in either a permanent role or a contract of at least 3 months duration within 3 months of the introduction.
Call us now on: 03 9510 3333 or email us to directly introduce new candidates to us – whether they are friends, family or acquaintances - if we place them, we’ll give you $300*. Terms and conditions apply*
Change Manager - Business Transformation
Our client is a blue chip organisation undertaking a program of innovative customer driven change and business transformation. We are looking for a passionate change professional to help manage and support the transition and ensure successful outcomes.
This role is a great opportunity for a change management professional to showcase their capabilities and make a real difference within an organisation. If you have a at least 4 years experience in a change management role and would enjoy a central CBD location, please contact us. Senior Change Manager
Fantastic opportunities to join a group of like-minded change professionals who have developed an internal consulting model within a large global organisation. As a senior change manager you will be supporting large scale projects to manager a range of change challenges, drawing on your significant change management experience. If you are skilled in leading and mentoring teams, are an excellent relationship builder and have experience in training design and delivery, communications and impact assessments we can provide you with the opportunity to be part of this dynamic, passionate team.
Change Analyst
We are looking for an experienced change analyst to work on a finance-related project. You will need to have practical experience in business transformation. This role would include the following responsibilities; identification of business impacts, stakeholder management, development and facilitation of workshops and training and delivery of key communications including newsletters and maintenance of relevant intranet sites.
Please contact Diane Lynch at Allegra Consulting on 03 9510 3333 if you or anyone you know might be interested or send us your resume and covering note.
Every month, we publish a short Q & A with some of Australia's most experienced change management practitioners - both candidates and clients. This month we spend five minutes with:
Shane Fairlie, Communications and Change Manager, NAB
 Read Shane's Q&A
| 