Whether it concerns a transition, cooperation between companies or the carve out of a business unit; the experience of Maashelder is that each process covers three main phases, (i) preparation, (ii) connection and (iii) execution. Each phase has its own value.
The Maashelder Method fully recognises these values,
as well as the importance of the sequence of these phases.
PREPARATION
When working on serious changes, you better start by taking the participants seriously. Managers who listen well in the early stages of a transition- or change process, eventually will have to repeat their message less. In this phase there is room for reservations and doubts that those involved might have about the trajectory. There is an ear for worries, (preliminary) judgements and previous disappointments. And there certainly is room for consultation on practical matters, including the question of how to connect different systems. So first of all the obstacles to the process need to be removed and all loose ends tied together. Especially if you want to move on quickly.
CONNECTION
After removing the reservations and doubts, the necessary room for connection arises. Which is not the same as an obvious need for connection. In this phase, employees are given the opportunity to discover what shared values and goals can mean for them in their work. They learn to imagine joint successes that are to be achieved. People ask themselves the question: 'Who and what are we working for here?’. They first internalize the answer to this question and then propagate that answer.
EXECUTION
Another important question concerns the ‘how’ of a transition or the right approach to make it work. In other words: which way, process, architecture, etc., is most desirable? Usually there is a multitude of opinions on such questions. What these opinions look like depends on the knowledge and responsibilities of the person involved. One person wants to go quick, another wants to keep costs as low as possible and yet another insists on proceeding thoroughly. Once the first two phases of the Maashelder Method have been thoroughly completed, agreement on the implementation is often reached quickly. The trick is to arrive at a workable and effective balance per business topic. In determining what is effective, one of the things taken into account is shared values and goals.
Of course, the world does not stop changing after the completion of these three phases. Eventually the changed organisation will be tested by new developments. Adaptation to the current reality will run more smoothly when the Maashelder Method of preparation - connection - execution is followed once again.
