Learning from the experts: making change effective and sustainable over time

In the face of complex challenges such as climate change, automation, and the distribution of wealth, the definition of change management needs to change. This is the view of Professor Mathis Schulte, Academic Director of “Consulting & Coaching for Change” an Executive Master, run jointly by HEC Paris and Oxford University. Traditionally, change management has been perceived as an extension of project management, which equips leaders to course-correct for disruptions in order to go about business as usual. Mathis Schulte, however, urges us to reconsider this definition.

“That narrative doesn’t work anymore. Effective change management is all about understanding and embracing the unpredictability and messiness that change brings with it.” The new framework for change management requires both organizations and individuals to rethink their value systems, by constantly reconsidering the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of everything they do.

But within such a flexible framework, how can tomorrow’s leaders actually lead? For Mathis Schulte, they need to focus on two key areas - listening to employees and consumers, and creating a culture of experimentation.

“Big challenges like climate change and digitization don’t trigger change - people do,” Mathis Schulte explains. A leader’s role is to listen to stakeholders at all levels of the organization and society in order to formulate the best way to proceed before it’s too late.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT IS CHANGING

This white paper draws on the insights and expertise of HEC Paris Professors with extensive and hands-on experience in the world of business. They focus on the key actionable areas companies can prioritize such as transforming the company hierarchy, empowering employees, fostering innovation, and developing resilience in order to achieve sustainable change:

1. Changing the company organization and transforming working environments

2. Developing resilience and empowering employees

3. Sustainable change - business as usual is no longer a viable option

DOWNLOAD THE WHITE PAPER

Fields preceded by an * are mandatory. Failure to fill out the correct fields will delay your brochure request. By completing this form, you are giving consent to HEC Paris to collect your data in order to process your request for documentation, offer you its training programs and ensure their follow-up. You have a right to access, modify, oppose, delete, limit, transfer, and to inform us how you wish your personal data to be processed, in the event of your death, by contacting exed@hec.fr. Find out more about the management of your personal data and your rights