Fitch:London knew that its transformation of De Post was not just a case of changing the furniture. Indeed, none of the agency’s design solutions – new interiors, shopfloor layout, 2D and 3D graphics – would have been successful if the staff at De Post had not embraced the changes.
To overcome potential resistance to the proposed changes, De Post made sure that its staff understood the reasons behind the transformation. There were two vital elements in this process. The first was De Post’s policy of sharing its initial strategy and vision with staff at a very early stage in the design process. ‘A great effort was made to get buy-in from staff and unions, explaining the fact that there was a need for change, and what that change was,’ says Stephen Scott. ‘This encouraged understanding, acceptance and enthusiasm.’
The other factor was the way in which Fitch:London was able to work with different client departments in order to communicate these issues. Scott says: ‘Fitch worked alongside the HR department in De Post, devising a programme to help staff manage the change from a transactional-based organisation to a sales-focused retailer.’ During this process, Fitch was also able to help De Post develop longer-term strategies to underpin and strengthen the company into the future. ‘We facilitated workshops to help develop their products and services: identifying potential opportunities for growth, which would become a basis for testing the market.’
By encouraging staff buy-in, and demonstrating how the design change can have a positive affect on the whole organisation, De Post has successfully moved from a culture based purely on transactions, to a sales and service based ethos, putting it in a far stronger position to flourish in a deregulated market.
Top tips for effecting cultural change
- Ensure staff are fully briefed about the reasons for any fundamental changes to the business
- Communicate any proposed changes to unions and enlist their support
Involve staff at every stage of the process
- Identify project ‘sponsors’ from within the company who can communicate the changes effectively to other colleagues
- Understand and use the individual skills of staff within different parts of the business