Change Management & Communication

We were asked to provide change management and communication support for the relocation of over 1,500 employees from 12 different Operating Companies of a Group, spread across Gauteng in different locations, to a new head office campus, and the relocation of employees from four warehouses in Gauteng to a new custom-built warehouse concurrently. Our goal was to prepare impacted employees for the relocation with a minimum of disruption to business operations and enable seamless integration into the new operating environment and culture.

We applied our bespoke change management and communication model. Working closely with our client’s Human Capital, Change Management and Project leadership, we set up and managed a network of change champions. We worked with a range of project, management and operational leaders to deliver the project (over 150 individual stakeholders), which was severely interrupted by COVID-19 lockdowns. Our broad approach applied various change management research tools, and included training and skills transfer, as well as compelling communication campaigns.

The 26-month project was complex and had to navigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown regulations imposed in March 2020. The change management team was empowered by being positioned as a key pillar element in the Project Team, giving us direct access to decisionmakers and other workstream leaders. By leveraging the strength of the client’s Human Capital and Change Management team, as well as the energy of engaged change management champions, we were able to provide our knowledge, training and activation support. We were able to successfully address risks proactively, co-create solutions with our client, and implement far-reaching changes in behaviour of employees. Our focused stakeholder management approach guided our bespoke change activities to be targeted and specific. We conducted numerous focus groups, surveys, information sessions, training, coaching and produced innovative communication campaigns.

Our client experienced minimum disruption to its business operations and succeeded in focusing employees on a single corporate culture, increasing employee satisfaction and engagement, collaboration and teamwork, elevating its customer service experience and brand eminence.