“How do I get my travelers to use our online booking tool for hotels? And why aren’t the Administrative Assistants following our meeting policy?” wailed a client. “We created the policy, we improved our technology and we sent a memo to everyone! Can you help us? What do we do next?”
The greatest irritant to a leader is creating a program without any followers. How dare our end users ignore the work that we put forth in creating and maintaining a comprehensive travel and meetings program. How do you cauterize non-compliant behavior? Do the staff and suppliers know that their behavior is non-compliant to your processes and policies? If you use a holistic change management initiative supported by leadership, you can drive compliance to your travel and meetings program.
Most all consulting firms have created their own change management model, yet one of the most widely recognized versions is the McKinsey 7S Framework. Developed in the 1980s by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, the 7S Framework theory is that Strategy, Structure, Systems, Style, Staff, Skills must all align to obtain Shared Values throughout an organization for change management success. With these dimensions as our guide, we can create a change management approach for travel and meetings programs that will propel your program compliance.
Many consultants campaign their change management efforts toward a single audience – the end users of the program. In contrast, I propose that there are at least five stakeholder audiences for your change management efforts. They include:
- Customers, clients / end users of your travel and meetings program
- Business leaders / C-level leaders
- Travel and meetings leaders / staff
- Support staff (e.g. Finance, Procurement, Security, other integrated support teams, etc.)
- Suppliers (e.g. hotels, airlines, ground transportation, management companies, etc.)
Each stakeholder audience may appeal to different types of messaging. Change management drives compliance to using travel and meeting services through efforts to motivate, communicate, educate and evaluate the behaviors and activities that support the new organizational efforts. Change management may include activities such as communication plans, training plans, alignment of strategy to operations, stakeholder management, organization design aligned to job design and workforce planning, performance management, motivational activities, process management, knowledge management and consequences for non-compliance.
Change management efforts should continue with the cadence necessary on an ongoing basis to advance program compliance. The attached Change Management Matrix provides you with ideas to get started.
Download SCG Change Management Matrix
If you have any questions or need assistance with anything mentioned above, please contact me.
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Debi Scholar, GLP, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT, Six Sigma Green Belt
- Meetings Management Mover and Shaker as selected by Corporate and Incentive Travel Magazine (2010)
- Top 20 Changemaker who influenced the meetings management industry by Corporate Meetings and Incentives (2008)
- Best Meeting Practitioner as selected by Business Travel News (2007)
The Scholar Consulting Group LLC
[email protected]
908-304-4954
Debi has the following designations:
- Wharton Aresty Executive Education/National Business Travel Association (NBTA) Global Leadership Professional (GLP)
- Meeting Professionals International Certificate in Meetings Management (CMM)
- Convention Industry Council Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
- NBTA Corporate Travel Expert (CTE)
- Six Sigma Green Belt
- Chauncey Certified Technical Trainer (CTT)
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