THE ‘AGILE-COLLABORATIVE-DIGITAL-ENGAGED’ COMMISSIONA HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

9 December 2019 – CDR 2019, St GallenMatthias Will, Director Organisational Development

European Commission

Does this ring a bell: more with less, engaging staff, working collaboratively, managing knowledge, mastering digital transformation, harvesting data insights, making structures more flexible, workplace of the future, agility, dealing with information overload, change fatigue, and “siloed” transformation projects?

Matthias Will is Director for Organisational Development in the European Commission. In this session, he will demonstrate how the European Commission is working to orchestrate and support different cultural change initiatives in a holistic manner. He will also present insights and lessons learned, and share the results of a survey conducted among CDR participants.

THE ‘AGILE-COLLABORATIVE-DIGITAL-ENGAGED’ COMMISSION HOLISTIC APPROACH TO EVOLVING ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

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▪ Who We Are▪ Holistic Approach

▪ Synergies Initiative▪ ‚Simpler. Smarter. Together.‘ Communication Campaign▪ HR Digital Transformation▪ Staff Opinion Survey▪ Collaboration▪ Workplace of the Future

▪ Challenges and Insights

Overview

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WHO WE ARE

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"This will be a Commission that walks the talk. We have a structure that focuses on tasks not hierarchies. We need to be able to deliver on the issues that matter the most, rapidly and with determination.“

“I will drive the full digitalisation of the Commission. […] I believe this will make the institution more agile and flexible, as well as more transparent in the way it works. This will also help instill a new and more inclusive leadership and work culture, with fewer hierarchies and more cooperation. This will help us change our mindset and embrace the future.”

URSULA VON DER LEYEN

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▪ From law maker to negotiator, money and crisis manager

▪ Average age 46, rich talent pool, motivated staff, from 42% to 50% female managers, increasing national imbalances

▪ Workload, resource constraints, agility, collaboration and innovation as challenges

OUR CONTEXT

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Deliver On: Climate change, digital society, jobs and growth, health and aging, migration, rule of law, peace, structural reforms, rural areas, protecting the environment, neighborhood, Brexit, fair trade, Euro zone, internal market, research and innovation, diversity and inclusion, development and humanitarian aid, …

▪ Largest EU Institution▪ EU executive: propose legislation, guard

treaties, run policies and programmes, execute budget

▪ 40 DGs with presence in Brussels, Luxembourg, all EU capitals, Delegations in 150 countries

HOLISTIC APPROACH

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▪ Goals: agility, collaboration, engagement

▪ Model: productive staff time x collective

competencies x energy x attitude

▪ Focus: processes, allocations, clients,

organisational design, tools, data,

leadership, strategic alignment, change

capability, culture, connections,

mindsets, ecosystems, organisational

health

HOLISTIC ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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▪ How we do it:▪ Use of HR business intelligence

▪ Use of client portfolio managers and

internal knowledge sharing

▪ Internal communication as part of OD

▪ Tailoring teams to client needs &

working in partnerships

▪ Agility: create future, anticipate

opportunity, adapt fast, learn always

CHANGING WAYS OF WORKING & STRUCTURE IS NOT ENOUGH

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SYNERGIES INITIATIVE

CONTEXT

Do more with less

• Staff cuts, increased working hours, new tasks, higher standards

Modernise & Join-Up

• Stop cutting posts in an undifferentiated manner, focus on areas where gains possible through a different organization.

• Domain Leaders, more joined-up working methods, professionalisation

Keep Drive & Improve

• Take stock and address identified challenges

• Internal Audit Service’s recommendations

• New governance model (enhanced role of Corporate Management Board)

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ACHIEVEMENTS

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Consistency, economies of scale, specialisation, single Staff Matters Portal

Human Resources

Reinforcement of DGs dealing with economic & financial crisis, migration, energy & trade (transfer of 600 FTEs –700 FTEs synergy gains / 1,400 jobs moved)

Align with Political Priorities

Economies of scale notably for mail, office design support , better integration of staff

Logistics

Central events database, online registration

Conference Organisation

IT security, local data centre consolidation, once-only principle, reusable solutions platform e-grants, e-procurement

ICT

Single visual identity and better alignment, framework contracts, more collaboration,pooling of graphic designers

Communication

Cheaper contract, simplification, renovation of meeting rooms, web streaming

Meeting Room Management

CHALLENGES

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Initial disruption in service for clients

Risk to quality of service

Alignment & definitions of roles

Over-ambitious initial staff cuts

Timely delivery of effective IT solutions

Change fatigue and vested interests

Calculation of the effective savings

WAY FORWARD

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A renewed impetus needed to implement all actions

More savings will be reinvested in DGs and domains over time

Harness collective knowledge and talent through vibrant community networks

More joined-up support for institutional change projects (holistic approach)

New joined-up modernisationcommunication campaign

New domains: Publications, Document Management, Finance, Translation

SIMPLER.

SMARTER.

TOGETHER.

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Remind me, what is the issue?

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And how could we do better?

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▪ Cross-functional task force for change communication

▪ Inclusive governance and participatory approach (local and corporate communication)

▪ Strong focus on staff and managers

▪ Joining-up messages, reducing noise, extending reach of communication

▪ Inter-linked with business process re-design

▪ « Trojan Horse » for evolving operating model (virtual newsroom)

TOGETHER CAMPAIGN: JOINED-UP CLIENT FOCUS

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DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

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MOTIVATION – BUSINESS DRIVERS

Inability to keep up with worldwide trends inHR (e.g., Talent Management, AI)

Need to increasingly automate, alleviatemanual tasks from HR professionals

Reduction of HR community

Increasing client needsfit-for-purpose systems

Need for increased efficiencies

Catalogued, accurate, shared, secured data-driven policy-making (HR@BI)

System interoperability - application of ‘once-only’ principle

Continuous need to modernise HR functionHigh level of internal competition for

limited financial resources

Vision of data as EC-wide asset

MOTIVATION – OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES

Increased maintenance & development costs50%+ annual budget for maintenanceLimited capacity to innovate

Outdatedtechnologies

Costly, error-prone data exchanges (i.e., dblinks)

Outdated user interfaces

Technical debt

SYSPER is an objectively aging system, developed organically,

with some standardization

Recent efforts are being made to reduce technical debt

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TODAY50%+ annual budget for maintenanceLimited capacity to innovate

NEW HR IT LANDSCAPE

HR technology that enables the vision of the business andis based on customer-centricity and best practices

Market research indicates a shift to a future, long-term HR Family IT architecture (and governance) that will not be monolithic, but an ecosystem, where staff engages with technologies in a variety of ways, and where a unified engagement platform serves as the glue for a seamless experience towards staff.

A VISION FOR HR IT LANDSCAPE

▪ Cross-functional team between business / digital / communication

▪ Inclusive governance and participatory approach

▪ Strong focus on staff and managers

▪ Design-thinking and user journeys

▪ Inter-linked with business process re-design

▪ External benchmarking, external expertise, exchange of practices with partners

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: JOINED-UP CLIENT FOCUS

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▪ 8 participating organisations in total▪ Variety of used systems▪ SAP Success Factors as most used system

SURVEY ON HR IT LANDSCAPE

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Custom-madeexternally built

Custom-made homebuilt

Hybrid Purchased platformwith customisation

STRUCTURE

▪ 2 organisations considering an HR IT transfromation▪ 4 organisations are in the process - 2 have finalised▪ 6 out of 8 organisations interested in further contacts

SURVEY ON HR IT LANDSCAPE

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2 21 3

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4 4 43

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01234567

Senior Managementunderstanding and

support

Collaborationbetween business

and IT

Changecommunication

Sufficient budget Culture to enablechange

Digital skills amongstaff & management

SUCCESS FACTORS OF TRANSFORMATION

Can't say Medium Important Very Important

STAFF OPINION SURVEY

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34DG HR DG HR

STAFF ENGAGEMENT INDEXAbove Commission average

Improved compared to 2016

Below Commission average

Improved compared to 2016

Below Commission average

Decreased compared to 2016

Above Commission average

Decreased compared to 2016

GET INSPIREDENCOURAGE

MOTIVATEINVEST

55 60 65 70 75 80

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-109

DG HR DG HR

Good Follow-Up Practices

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Development Plan: Common Action Proposals

My Work Environment Management (Middle & Senior) Working MethodsMy Job

• Consistent application of policies

(e.g. teleworking) + information

sessions

• Trainings & conferences on

mental wellbeing (e.g. prevention

burnout, mindfulness)

• Awareness raising campaigns on

existing offers and initiatives

• Refurbishment offices + social

corners

• Welcome kit for newcomers

• L&D needs discussion with

manager

• Job shadowing (internal + across

DGs)

• Establish/ reactivate informal

networks

• Transparency promotion

procedure

• Coffee with managers

• Open door policy for managers

• Genuinely care

• Invitation to SM meetings

• Video debriefs after SM meeting

• SM attending unit meetings

• 360° feedback for MM & SM

• Management charter

• Participatory leadership courses

• Trainings for new working

methods & change management

• Better communication

• Improve information on intranet

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36 DG HR DG HR

Good Follow-Up Practices

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Development Plan: Innovative Action Proposals

My Work Environment Management (Middle & Senior) Working MethodsMy Job

• Organisation of social & family

events

• Reference person in all units for

newcomers

• Town-hall meetings for ext.

service providers on HR topics

• HQ surge pool

• Monthly sessions on new

initiatives or developments, key

highlights

• Random coffee meet-ups

• Career Cards + Database of

competencies

• Career Day with ext. employers

• Inter-agency mobility platform

• Monthly podcast by staff

• Kudos box on intranet

• “Back to the floor” SM to shadow

staff members

• Heads of Unit Club

• Rapid fire video to present

managers

• SM to recognise staff: pilot “thank

you” email

• Recognition event for staff

involved in bottom-up initiatives

• Award for best innovative working

methods

• “Innovative Friday of the month”

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DG HR DG HR

Some final thoughts …

1. Make it personal: people remember stories, not charts!

2. Keep staff updated on actions and make sure the information cascades through

3. Walk the talk: be consistent and encourage managers to act as role models

4. Communicate both ways: enable feedback to keep staff engaged

5. Don’t give up too early: change takes time

6. Be agile: provide a stable backbone; try small things out, but make adjustments if it doesn’t work

7. Prioritise: not everything can be executed simultaneously and some tasks will need to be dropped

8. Test your action plan using focus groups and other tools

9. Take the temperature: do checks after a few months

10. Show full commitment: instead of pushing for a quick fix, consider actions with high impact

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Potential Success Criteria

▪ Cross-functional team between communication / HR / business intelligence

▪ Focus on follow-up action in problem areas

▪ Participatory approach and peer advice

▪ Use of sentiment analysis for qualitative staff comments

▪ Consultancy support in problem areas

▪ Monitoring to ensure credibility of follow up process

▪ Use of incentives (e.g. resource allocation)

STAFF SURVEY: JOINED-UP CLIENT FOCUS

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COLLABORATION

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MOVING TO WORKING COLLABORATIVELY

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Informatics

✓Office 365 is more than a technological deployment, it is about collaboration, behaviour, work habits, culture, management, business goals, and value

✓More than IT:✓ Working methods

✓ Governance

✓ Guidelines

✓ Communication

✓ Engagement

O365 – enabling collaborative work

People Processes Tools

O365 – ENABLING COLLABORATIVE WORK

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FROM ECOSYSTEM …

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Informatics

Office 365: A prudent approach

Plan & organize tasks

•Collaborate •Communicate

Co-create, co-author, collaborate

Store & retrieve

✓ Initial offering: A reduced set of functionality

✓ Focus on new use cases (collaboration)

✓ Small change makes it digestible for the organization

… TO PRUDENT CHOICE

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▪ Establishment of a dedicated cross-functional task force for change management

▪ Decisions on functionalities and data security

▪ Invisible technical roll-out

▪ Pilot phase with different types of pioneers (‘personas’, use cases)

▪ Roll-out with differentiated learning and assistance levels (priority / maturity)

O365: AN ACCOMPANIED PHASING-IN

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WORKPLACEOF THE FUTURE

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Fast changing and uncertain world

▪ Need for greater agility▪ Collaboration across and

beyond the organisation▪ Swift regrouping of

resources

DRIVERS FOR CHANGE

•Pressure on budget

▪ Do more with less

▪ Sharing of resources

▪ Smart ways of working

•Global trends

▪ Rapid evolution of technology

▪ Lifestyle changes

▪ Climate changes

It is time for the Commission to explore what kind of workplace might best serve its needs in the future.

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PRINCIPLE 1. Modernising the Commission working environment should be based on a holistic approach, including consistent and coordinated change in: (1) Behaviours – the way the work is done and managed; (2) Bytes – the technology that is used; (3) Bricks –the place where the work is done. The choice of bricks and bytes should support the desired changes in behaviours and not the other way round.

Principle 2. Modernising the Commission working environment should be aligned with Commission-wide policies to make the organisation fit-for-future, and should therefore focus on achieving the following benefits:

Attractiveness, efficiency/effectiveness, agility, communication/collaboration, footprint, cost

HOLISTIC APPROACH & STRATEGIC CONTEXT

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PRINCIPLE 3. Future ways of working should enable the organisation, its teams and its staff to deliver results more effectively and efficiently. In increasingly complex and unstable contexts this will require:

BEHAVIOURS: DEFINING FUTURE WAYS OF WORKING

Activity and team based flexible

working

Management by results

Culture of trust and empowerment

Collaboration, communication and knowledge-sharing

Openness to change and commitment to

continuous improvement

However, the increased organisational effectiveness and efficiency must not be achieved at the cost of staff health and well-being, the Commission’s greatest resource.

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▪ Laptops and smartphones for everyone

BYTES: DEFINING FUTURE TECHNOLOGY

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▪ Wi-Fi everywhere and remote network access

▪ Collaborative tools: Wiki, Connected, SharePoint

▪ Unified Communication: Skype for Business

▪ Paperless processes: E-Signatory

▪ Print on any printer

PRINCIPLE 4. Technology choices should enable Commission staff to work and collaborate anywhere, anytime with fit-for-purpose security and optimised work experience and productivity.

BYTES: DEFINING TECHNOLOGY FOR THE FUTURE

PRINCIPLE 5. Whenever new IT tools, platforms and services are rolled-out, managers and staff should be trained on how to use them to perform their tasks in a more effective and efficient way.

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Individual offices

BRICKS: OFFICE PORTFOLIO

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Management offices (corner offices)

Shared offices

Collaborative spaces

PRINCIPLE 6. A one-size-fits-all office set-up is not suitable in the Commission’shighly diverse context. Various office arrangements should be available to match thedemands of different types of work performed by Commission staff.

BRICKS: DEFINING THE FUTURE WORKSPACE

PRINCIPLE 7. Hot-desking should be considered in cases of low office occupation rates.

PRINCIPLE 8. Part of the cost-savings resulting from space optimisation should be reinvested to create attractive and inspiring workspaces.

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PRINCIPLE 9. Before deciding on a particular office set-up, DGs, departments andteams should receive help and advice to look at options and decide what the bestoffice arrangement is for their work.

BRICKS: DEFINING THE FUTURE WORKSPACE

PRINCIPLE 10. Staff affected should be involved throughout the process of conceptualising and implementing the new workspace.

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Implement flexible working taking into account organisational, team and individual needsEMBEDDING NEW

WAYS OF WORKING

Manage by results

Foster a culture of trust and empowerment

Collaborate, communicate and share knowledge

Continuously look for improvements in the way work is done

How to make the most of new technology and different types of office accommodation

RECOMMENDATION 1.

Building on existing examples, develop acomprehensive practical guide, training offerand awareness-raising campaign on new waysof working for staff and managers. It shouldcover the following aspects:

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RECOMMENDATION 2

Ensure that teams that are moving to collaborative spaces or otherwise launching new ways of working are equipped from the start with the full set of IT solutions needed to make the project work.

RECOMMENDATION 3 RECOMMENDATION 4

MAKING THE MOST OF NEW TECHNOLOGY

Plan the roll-out of key IT tools as Organisational Development projects which are characterised by a systemic approach to organisational change. When technology changes, other related organisational elements should also be aligned for example impacted processes or people skills and behaviours.

Explore how collaborative tools can help improve core Commission-wide processes, such as inter-service consultations, strategic planning or meetings of corporate and management boards.

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RECOMMENDATION 5

As far as possible, all new buildings should be reconfigurable so that various office arrangements can be more easily and cost-effectively created.

IMPLEMENTING FUTURE WORKSPACE

RECOMMENDATION 6

After each substantial change in the work environment, ensure proper follow-up to assess variations and well-being and take the necessary adjustment measures if needed.

RECOMMENDATION 7

Carry out benchmarking on working conditions and working environment specific to different work profiles (professions) in EU Member States. This will serve as a basis for making the workplace more attractive.

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RECOMMENDATION 8

Establish a Workplace Steering Committee and an integrated Workplace Service to provide more coordinated steering and support to DGs, departments and teams.

RECOMMENDATION 9

IMPLEMENTING FUTURE WORKSPACE

All relevant policy and guidance documents should be aligned with the principles and recommendations included in the Workplace of the Future final report.

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Behaviours Bytes Bricks

GOVERNANCE AND SUPPORT FRAMEWORK

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Cross-functional governance and support

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▪ Establishment of a dedicated cross-functional task force for conception

▪ Joined-up HR / digital / logistics client support for implementation

▪ New governance and staff inclusion

▪ Wide consultation of staff, unions, academia, external partners

▪ Roll-out with differentiated learning and assistance levels

WORKPLACE OF THE FUTURE: TRULY JOINED-UP

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CONCLUSION

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ESTABLISH THE RIGHT CULTURE

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▪ Mirroring today & romancing tomorrow▪ Setting tone for big picture vision▪ Creating drive and common purpose▪ Obtaining mandates▪ Overcoming legal obstacles▪ Overcoming cynicism▪ Aligning teams▪ Freeing staff time▪ Securing funding▪ Finishing projects▪ Communicating success

Be bold, be realistic, be balanced, be fun, be pickyThink big, test small, fail fast, learn, move forward!

CHALLENGES AND INSIGHTS

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▪ Clear purpose▪ Focus on organisational value ▪ Mindful of organisational culture▪ Guiding coalition of pioneers & diverse sponsors▪ Quick wins & win-wins across communities ▪ Starting small & testing through pilots▪ Use design-thinking and user journeys▪ Versatile project teams from different domains▪ Agile development involving clients / stakeholders ▪ Strong use of data and telling examples▪ Use of leaders as ambassadors & cultural hacks

Questions?Questions?

Thank you!

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matthias.will@ec.europa.eu