We have just finished the 2^nd series of The Tourist which, of course, left us on a cliff edge. Would Eugene Cassidy aka Elliot Stanley succeed in winning the heart and mind of his mother, Niamh, and bring an end to the eternal feud between the Cassidy’s and the McDonnell’s?  Unlikely, it seems, but a great watch.

The exact moment when the phrase ‘winning the hearts and minds of the people’ was first used does not seem to be officially recorded but, as we can all see today, it has become part of our common language for measuring success. In its original use, it required the notion of understanding people’s needs and desires and linking those desires to a sensible civil development programme.  It meant delivering it without qualification yet undertaking all of this within the culture of the people, rather than the culture of the change agents.

Originating and honed from military campaigns of the 50s and 60’s, Hearts & Minds has been tested and deployed across transformation programmes for the past 30 years, presenting a common thread throughout any organisational restructuring.  It has been successful because it operates within the value system of the target audience.  Even where there is a lack of correlation a strong analogous relationship still persists. Crucially, Hearts & Minds does not involve coercion: it is founded on persuasion. It does not use dictatorship or ordering. Instead, it involves changing attitudes, appealing to people, and motivating them.

In the commercial model, this is represented by a dual approach whereby the installation of a team culture is encouraged by presenting to them missions and objectives initiated at the corporate level, followed by cascading them down throughout the entire organisation. By enabling people to do things differently, it acts to open their minds. Once doing things differently creates perceived success, people are convinced of their abilities and thus become motivated to continue. A successful conclusion occurs when the people have identified with the new ideas; they have assimilated them and then internalised the ideas to become additional to their own set of beliefs.

Following early pilots of Hearts & Minds, a final version of the methodology for the commercial field was deployed with enhancements which then went on to achieve considerable success amongst a range of organisations including the NHS.  One such outcome was to achieve cultural change in the IT Division of a large insurance company, SunLife, totalling 550 people, whose success was recognised widely by their winning awards.   A change guru described SunLife at the time as, “an interesting story of rampant chaos, which was resolved by applying converging 1) Programme Management and 2) Actual learning.”

During the original research, when the attributes of Hearts & Minds began to emerge such as persuasion and incremental beliefs, the significance of Needs & Wants became clear as did the requirement to work within the target culture in order to change from within. One of the most important aspects was seen to avoid intrusion into core beliefs, with obvious examples being religion and football.   

In a similar way to Kaizen which “offers doing the same amount of work with less effort”, people can quickly be persuaded if their lot can be improved and Needs & Wants build on this. Delivering the Hearts & Minds methodology has been shown to feature high reliability because it operates within the value system of the target audience. It involves careful diagnosis, restores loyalty, provides support to, and indeed rejuvenates the target culture and focusses on the Needs and Wants of the target audience.

In SunLife’s case, the need for better communication triggered the deployment of Hearts & Minds and started with Needs & Wants. Like Kaizen, Hearts & Minds puts the target audience in control of their own destiny knowing that their own desires will be achieved.  It targets small incremental changes and staff owning their own processes which dispels any fears of being spied upon by staff observing themselves.  Indeed, SunLife was the very first realisation that Hearts & Minds previously employed for changing whole countries could be used to change commercial organisations.

The organisation had faced several issues, many of which readers may be facing today: an old hierarchical organisation structure, two previous programme failures, lack of comms between staff and management, the ‘Untouchables’ as well as the over-use of external consultants. Indeed, the latter was relevant, because the organisation had sold out to consultants as the drivers of change as opposed to incorporating them into an internal, staff owned, change programme, complemented by external guidance and support.

Of course, the real value of any change or transformation is permanence. The real focus of Hearts & Minds lies in improving the lot of the target audience in a permanent way and ensuring they are equipped to maintain that change by not only possessing new skills, but more importantly from within their own set of beliefs.  SunLife achieved that through combining the characteristics of persuasion aided by change agents, training teams and permanence. In total, the programme delivered 7 major projects and 21 in total over a 3-year period involving 800-man years of effort and included the largest DB/2 database conversion in the world. Truly trailblazing. It is a testament to sustained change and without further intervention, the change at SunLife lasted 10 years before the organisation was outsourced.

Find the best transformation leaders and talent with Malikshaw Interim & Executive...

Malikshaw Interim & Executive work closely with organisations to deliver real world outcomes from transformation and change programmes.  Whether it is about people, process, technology, data or product, our talent pools contain the very best leaders and domain specialists that can help to drive your organisation's next stage of growth and transformation.

In case you haven’t watched it yet, Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing is a must watch.  It is a light-hearted entertainment show brought about by a common link of sudden, life changing, heart surgery and available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

So, what is the link? Well, buying a Rod Fishing license is one of the top 75 online services the government is intending to transform to make great. Good news or bad news for Whitehouse and Mortimer depending on how they view attracting more people into their serene, beautiful rivers in the peaks.

Digital transformation is a gargantuan task underpinned by staggering numbers. Estimates commissioned by the government suggest that supporting and strengthening the digital economy could grow the UK tech sector’s annual gross value added (GVA) by an additional £41.5 billion within 5 years and create a further 678,000 jobs.

Delivering 75 ‘great’ services, in addition to all the other digital services being delivered across the private sector, is going to require the skills transformation of a huge existing workforce as well as the training of potentially 678,000 new recruits. Indeed, reskilling the existing workforce is crucial, as 80% of the 2030 workforce is already in work today.

So where do we start?

Well funding, obviously. That’s a huge subject of course and one we will tackle another time, barring saying that it has to be a public, private partnership. No one entity can do this on their own.  Each has a part to play in investment but also in forming the plan and instilling the urgency.  We can’t let this be driven by government alone, lest we accept that it may be driven by politics rather than priority.

But skills are what we need and there are an impressive range of private sector initiatives which deliver digital skills.

Amazon, for example, provides Web Services Bootcamps, AWS Digital Training and Cloud Practitioner Essentials. Similarly, Google and Microsoft provide Digital Garage and apprenticeships, respectively. And DWP has partnered with Google to provide 9,000 jobseekers across the UK with scholarships to gain a Google Career Certificate.

The third sector also has several initiatives to support digital upskilling. Code Your Future targets refugees and disadvantaged people by testing if they are suitable for a coding role. If they pass, they are offered a Full Stack course with a tailored job upon completion of the course. FutureDotNow has worked across industry to create a playbook that collates insight and best practice to help organisations identify and close essential digital skills gaps across their teams.  We partner with Atypical Work Space based here in St. Albans which aims to promote social inclusion by providing paid digital work experience opportunities for adults with an autistic spectrum disorder or neurodiverse condition. It might take a thousand small things…

Starting young is going to be key and we can see the momentum building here, albeit slowly.  England was (as part of the UK) one of the first G20 countries to introduce coding into the primary curriculum and each year, 77,000 pupils take Computer Science GCSEs, over 12,000 pupils take Computer Science A levels, and 85,000 students take Computer Science undergraduate degrees.

The new Cyber Explorers programme which is aimed at children aged 11-14 will use interesting stories based on cyber incidents to introduce young people to innovative technology, including AI.    Through the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE), the Department for Education (DfE) will ensure that every school in England is equipped with the knowledge to teach computing and ensure that children have the digital skills they need to participate in a digital society. To date, over 19,000 schools have engaged with the NCCE.

There are also many initiatives for adults too, including the Digital Entitlement which allows adults across England with no or low digital skills (below level 1) to study the new Essential Digital Skills qualifications (EDSQs) for free. There are skills Bootcamps in England, which offer free, flexible courses in areas such as software development, digital marketing, and data analytics whilst the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is supporting claimants in developing their digital skills through the Claimant Commitment.

Transforming our nations skills is going to require a deep public private partnership and the new Digital Skills Council may just be that.  Co-Chaired by a Minister and Phil Smith (former UK CEO of Cisco Systems), the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is launching the council to ensure government works with powerful private sector partners to address some of the specific challenges that need to be tackled.  How essential this is has been laid out quite clearly by Megan Lee, Chief Executive, Central Digital and Data Office, who says the UK has not “moved fast enough” when it comes to digitisation, resulting in the UK falling behind other countries.

But what do we need more of?

We certainly need more investment in employer-led digital upskilling of the existing workforce.  Employers have a vital role to play in supporting the UK workforce to keep up with the pace of digital change. We need to inspire the next generation to see digital and tech as an essential career path into a broad range of careers. Recognising the power of technology to transform jobs and career paths, industry is best placed to use its marketing might and inspirational capability to help young people to understand and embrace digital skills for digital careers.

We need to include a more diverse range of candidates in industry’s vision of the digital workforce. Too many employers have high expectations of the ready-made skills they can ‘buy in’. The lack of diversity in the UK’s digital workforce is hampering digital growth by excluding potential workers and consumers from the sector’s development.

At the same time, we need to make better use of the people we already have that are amongst the best in the world.  The UK has a flourishing, dynamic, flexible, and highly skilled workforce.  Using what we have well is a great start. Bringing experts into organisations and projects with the defined objective of not just doing their job but transferring their skills and knowledge to their colleagues should be an essential criteria.

Whilst not necessarily a digital skill, developing better leaders and managers then who inspire and deliver better outcomes should be part and parcel of developing a more highly skilled digital workforce. You may then be able to buy a Rod Fishing License as quickly as you can cast a rod!

Find the best transformation leaders and talent with Malikshaw Interim & Executive...

Malikshaw Interim & Executive work closely with organisations to deliver real world outcomes from transformation and change programmes.  Whether it is about people, process, technology, data or product, our talent pools contain the very best leaders and domain specialists that can help to drive your organisation's next stage of growth and transformation.

Although many of the current portfolio of transformation programmes in all sectors are at various stages of completion, transformation is a continuous process and the work that needs to be done is evolving constantly.

Transforming the citizen experience of government is one such area that will continue, at each stage making best use of leading practices and technologies as they develop over time; and while current programmes are very challenging and need the full support of wider government partners to be successful, a proportion of time always needs to be spent beginning to plan the work that will be carried out in the future, whether by the same government or by a newly elected one.

Transformation programmes typically have a long lead time, so it is critical that we are always exploring the work that will be conducted over the next 5-10 years so we can take advantage of progress in technology, not just today. In all sectors, including government, this will put organisations in a much stronger position to maintain the momentum on transforming services and the way they operate, in line with the policy priorities of the government or the business priorities of the investors.  In government, of course, the citizens are the investors and the shareholders.

Nobody can predict what the world of 2030 will look like. Technology moves quickly and changes constantly. However, we do expect what we term as ‘digital’ to be even more mainstream by then.  Rather than thinking about specific technologies, in these circumstances we need to act now to continually become more adaptable to change and respond quickly to rapidly changing circumstances.

So, what do we, as citizens, want as outcomes from government transformation?

• we want a focus on our needs, but with an increasing focus on providing services that are personalised to meet the needs of individuals;
• we need digital transformation to build trust in government’s use of our personal data to enable service transformation;
• we need to see the reuse of more standard components, platforms and capabilities across the whole public sector using common technologies helping to save time and minimise the duplication of spend;
• we want to see good quality data used to make decisions, both to inform policy and to iterate rapidly the way services work;
• we want to see the effective tracking of emerging security threats and any security issues raised by new technologies;
• we want new and emerging technologies to be researched and for us to build a better shared understanding and demonstrate how they can help government continue to transform services;
• we want potential ethical and privacy implications to be researched up front and not as an after thought;
• we want effective gateway processes that mean we don’t simply jump on to the latest technology bandwagon – a real risk with AI – but implement new technologies when they are proven to add value and offer value for money;
• we want to see flexibility in the way things are organised to respond more quickly to a changing world - this means having the tools to work effectively across boundaries and ensure that we collaborate..(think ambulances getting access to patient data on the move from the multitude of service providers and data controllers);
• we want to see skilled, experienced leaders who understand how to effectively plan, implement, and deliver real benefits from transformation programmes;
• we want to see staff trained in the skills needed by the new systems and processes so we can transform our workforce into one that is skilled for the new digital world;
• and we want programmes to learn from past experiences, be run well and to have a far greater chance of success.

These are just a few ideas of what some of our expectations might be.  I’m sure we have a lot more but hopefully it’s a reasonable start.

Find the best transformation leaders and talent with Malikshaw Interim & Executive...

Malikshaw Interim & Executive work closely with organisations to deliver real world outcomes from transformation and change programmes.  Whether it is about people, process, technology, data or product, our talent pools contain the very best leaders and domain specialists that can help to drive your organisation's next stage of growth and transformation.

In the latest edition of our Unlocking Success series, we look at the benefits of learning new skills.

The practice of upskilling, which involves training employees to assume more advanced roles within an organisation, is gaining traction among companies. This growing interest is fuelled by the current competitive talent market, where either a shortage of skilled workers or increased demand for specific skills prompts employers to take the initiative in building the talent pool they require.

According to a 2019 Allegis Group Cultivating Skills survey of human resources decision-makers:

• 93% believe that it is the employer's responsibility to facilitate their workforce in acquiring new skills.
• 90% are exploring novel approaches to developing critical skills within their workforce.
• 86% anticipate an increase in their budget for training, learning, and development over the next two years.

A comprehensive training strategy offers employers the following benefits:

Addressing the Immediate Need for Skilled Employees:

Companies are upskilling existing employees through a concept called "skill adjacencies," where they assess a person's current skills and identify promising career paths requiring minimal retraining investments. This proactive approach enables employers to prioritise specific skills, set a rapid training pace, demonstrate appreciation for current employees, and contribute to the company's growth potential.

Preparing for a Future Workplace:

Recognising the evolving nature of work, companies like Amazon are investing significantly in upskilling their workforce for emerging technologies. The future workplace demands skills in working with automated systems, and employees need to adapt to platforms requiring digital proficiency. Embracing a "build, not buy" strategy involves preparing workers for roles demanding technical skills, creativity, interpersonal skills, adaptability, and continuous learning.

Increasing Retention by Meeting Employee Growth Demands:

Career development, encompassing consistent learning, skill enhancement, and advancement opportunities, significantly influences employee engagement. Employees express a willingness to stay longer with a company that invests in their learning journey. Research indicates that 82% of learning and development professionals receive active executive support for employee engagement in professional learning.

Initiating the Upskilling Process:

To initiate the upskilling process, consider factors such as required skills and training budgets. Options include engaging third-party companies for digital skills training or implementing internal programs like lunch-and-learn sessions, mentoring or coaching programs, and job shadowing. It's crucial to consider costs beyond training expenses, factoring in retention, engagement, and attracting quality hires. Organisations strategically investing in employee development report 11% greater profitability and are twice as likely to retain their employees, according to Gallup findings.

Finally

If you are looking for your next role or to employ new talent into your organisation, we can help.

For more information on how we can help you become or recruit the high-performing individuals you need, get in touch with us on 0870 042 1430 or email us here.

Marta Ortigas is a Director at Malikshaw Interim & Executive, a leading interim management and executive search firm exclusively focused on helping organisations achieve transformational change through delivering high performance, diverse, impactful talent teams.

Transforming our client’s performance through exceptional talent…

+44 7715 905810

marta.ortigas@malikshaw.com

www.malikshaw.com

Navigate your job search and new job with confidence! The latest segment of our Unlocking Success series reveals key factors to avoid when seeking and starting employment.

1. Failing to Inquire and Clarify Expectations:

Overlooking the importance of asking questions ranks as the primary mistake. No one anticipates you mastering everything from day one. Learning the intricacies of a new role is challenging, so don't hesitate to seek clarity on matters like the approval process for creative initiatives or setting up equipment. Requesting guidance demonstrates your eagerness to learn and ensures you understand procedures correctly. While avoiding excessive requests is advisable, most colleagues appreciate helping newcomers navigate their roles. Instead of staying silent, take the initiative to gather insights from coworkers or managers when commencing a new job.

 2. Excessive Discussion About Previous Employment:

The second most significant mistake advises caution when discussing past employers or projects. Constantly comparing former and current positions may not be well-received by your new employer. Avoid expressing negative sentiments about previous jobs, colleagues, or supervisors, as it can create concerns about how you might discuss your current workplace in the future. Nonetheless, don't suppress your insights. If your prior experience can contribute to your current projects, share your perspectives openly—your expertise played a pivotal role in securing your position.

3. Taking On Excessive Responsibilities Too Soon:

First impressions leave a lasting impact, so resist taking on more than you can handle. Managers often assign smaller tasks initially, allowing time for acclimating to the new environment, colleagues, and workload. Concentrating on assigned tasks during the initial phase is preferable to shouldering additional responsibilities to impress your boss. Overcommitting may result in missed deadlines and errors. Once you've familiarised yourself with the team and comprehended departmental and organisational objectives, you can confidently tackle more significant and challenging assignments.

 4. Neglecting Corporate Culture:

You were chosen not only for your role but also because you were deemed a good fit for the company. Grasp the workplace culture and actively participate. Learn about departmental traditions, such as regular lunch outings or celebratory events. Understand how your team collaborates and be open to volunteering for organisational initiatives. Adhering to unspoken norms and engaging in social activities demonstrates your commitment to being a team player, allowing coworkers to see you beyond professional interactions and project deadlines.

5. Isolating Yourself Initially:

The initial days of a new job can be both exciting and intimidating. Some individuals immerse themselves in work and avoid social interactions. While introducing yourself may be nerve-wracking, maximising your first 90 days involves connecting with teammates and peers across the organisation. Building relationships with colleagues enhances job satisfaction, as evidenced by research from Robert Half. Seize opportunities, such as office celebrations or casual chats in the break room, to familiarise yourself with coworkers instead of keeping to yourself.

Starting a new job successfully may seem daunting, but by observing office dynamics, interacting with colleagues, and showcasing your skills and enthusiasm, you'll not only impress your manager but also establish yourself as a valuable team player.

Finally

If you are looking for your next role or to employ new talent into your organisation, we can help.

For more information on how we can help you become or recruit the high-performing individuals you need, get in touch with us on 0870 042 1430 or email us here.

Marta Ortigas is a Director at Malikshaw Interim & Executive, a leading interim management and executive search firm exclusively focused on helping organisations achieve transformational change through delivering high performance, diverse, impactful talent teams.

Transforming our client’s performance through exceptional talent…

+44 7715 905810

marta.ortigas@malikshaw.com

www.malikshaw.com

In the latest edition of our Unlocking Success series, we explore strategies to drive digital evolution within organizations by focusing on enhancing workforce skills and capabilities.

Give precedence to cultivating digital competencies to adapt, innovate, and enhance your brand's legacy. Acknowledging the indispensable nature of digital transformation for success, especially in the swiftly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, the internet of things (IoT), data analytics, devices, extended reality (XR), metaverse, and digital assets, can seem daunting. Yet, technology is only one facet of the challenge, with competitors and strategies rapidly emerging and evolving, changes in how and where we work, all compounded by a confounding economy.

In this context, the significant question emerges: How can you stay ahead of the curve? For many, an even more pressing question arises: How can you catch up?

A crucial aspect of the solution lies in focusing on the people side of transformation. Advancing digital transformation involves developing the workforce, fostering team growth, and facilitating individual development. The digital competencies and capabilities thus acquired empower continuous adaptation, evolution, maturation, and thriving, regardless of the challenges posed by the world or technology.

Establishing a Legacy of Learning

To drive change and establish a legacy of learning, leaders should adopt a holistic, community-centred approach to their workforce development strategy. This proactive approach encourages leaders to seek understanding before drawing conclusions, fostering flexible learning opportunities aligned with changing technology, the needs of the workforce, and organisational requirements.

Recognising the individualised nature of the learning process, leaders should embrace its non-linear, time-flexible, and adaptable characteristics. Leveraging guidance from others, incorporating rapid learning through experimentation, and acknowledging the need not just for learning but also for unlearning and relearning contribute to a comprehensive learning strategy.

When building a legacy of learning, consider:

• Creating and utilising social contracts in your work culture to promote learning, equality, inclusion, and opportunities for all. Encourage an environment where expectations on engagement, connection, and support in learning are clearly understood.
• Engaging in a foundation of awareness and change management that allows assessment, aligning efforts and resources, and effectively managing change.

• Adapting and personalising learning approaches for individuals on your teams. Offer a mix of traditional, in-person training with digital training, such as virtual reality experiences, and include hands-on experiences, apprenticeships, and rotations.
• Constructively challenging leaders, mentors, and coaches by framing communications with active listening, empathy, feedback, and negotiation skills to build rapport, trust, and mutual understanding.
• Embracing openness and community by engaging beyond the traditional boundaries of the organisation, fostering learning, growth, talent discovery, and mutual support.

Workforce Development Techniques: Learning Versus Training

Moving away from the expectation that individuals immediately apply new knowledge and skills after annual training classes, the focus is shifting toward learning as an ongoing process. Approaches such as continual learning, lifelong learning, the 60-year curriculum, and open-loop learning are gaining prominence.

Recognising that training is just a small piece of the puzzle, successful leaders understand that mastery requires immersion and practice outside the classroom. Learning should extend beyond training events, fostering ongoing, constructive conversations that support employees while aligning with their professional goals. Leaders can establish a foundation for continual learning by auditing current processes and challenges.

Tech as a Complement, not a Complication

Tools designed to simplify jobs, like AI and VR, are still evolving, necessitating careful implementation, and learning along the way. Implementing technology to enable constructive learning requires ensuring that the tool aligns with the context. For instance, VR can enhance comfort and reduce anxiety during presentations. Integrating technology into the learning strategy is vital for leveraging its potential in advancing learning.

Elevating Business Through New Mindsets and Driving Digital Transformation

Shifting mindsets away from training events toward supporting ongoing learning processes is crucial. Leadership can lead by example, sharing their learning journey, allowing boldness in learning to unlock new skills and expand innovation capacity. Modelling behaviour, being vulnerable, and exposing gaps in knowledge foster a culture where flexibility and proactivity address gaps, find answers, and facilitate continuous learning.

The outcome?

A digital transformation that propels a more productive, adaptive, and forward-thinking workforce.

Finally

If you are looking for your next role or to employ new talent into your organisation, we can help.

For more information on how we can help you become or recruit the high-performing individuals you need, get in touch with us on 0870 042 1430 or email us here.

Marta Ortigas is a Director at Malikshaw Interim & Executive, a leading interim management and executive search firm exclusively focused on helping organisations achieve transformational change through delivering high performance, diverse, impactful talent teams.

Transforming our client’s performance through exceptional talent…

+44 7715 905810

marta.ortigas@malikshaw.com

www.malikshaw.com

Not that we all necessarily need reminding, in the latest edition of our Unlocking Success series, we look into some of the benefits of Social Responsibility.

In the latest edition of our Unlocking Success series, we are a little introspective and look into our online mirror.

In the latest edition of our Unlocking Success series, we look intodifferent ways you can motivate your team and improve both their morale and your retention of key staff.