Embedding change by prioritising your people

Embedding cultural change takes time. But you can make a swift and significant difference by focusing on a few critical behaviours that can reshape people’s daily habits and routines. This might mean, for example, looking at how people use data within their decision making, or how they engage with colleagues across the business.

Critical behaviours are patterns of acting that are tangible, repeatable, observable and measurable, and will contribute to achieving an organisation's strategic and operational objectives. Behavioural science evidences the power of three; if you ask people to change a lot at once, change fatigue can set in and people can become overwhelmed. So it’s important to identify the critical few changes that will make the most difference and how. It’s also important to look for positives: this isn’t just about changing negative behaviours such as a reluctance to collaborate, but also reinforcing positive ones such as initiative and accountability.

Champions for change are the ‘super users’ who can pilot new tech developments, raise awareness within their teams and assist colleagues with queries and problems. Crucially, they are also the voice back into the transformation, providing on-the-ground feedback on whether the changes are winning buy-in and really working.

The ideal champion doesn’t have to be a tech wizard. But they should be excited by change, exhibit the kind of behaviours you want to promote and be able to positively influence colleagues within their team. It’s also important to choose champions from within teams. They shouldn’t be supervisors or team leaders. People generally feel more comfortable seeking advice from peers doing the same kind of work as them.

The findings from our CEO Survey underline the need for more investment in tech skills within tax teams. The real difference will come from making any investment count. Around 70% of upskilling occurs on the job. It therefore works best when it’s directly focused on the kind of work your people do and can be easily applied within their day-to-day operations. That’s why it’s so important to make the upskilling relevant. Rather than focusing on digital skills in isolation, it’s important to look at the wider drivers for change in areas such as the growing strategic role of tax and how new digital capabilities can support this.

Upskilling shouldn’t be a chore. Classroom and online learning are all useful. You can also showcase developments and generate excitement through such additions as interactive gamification and virtual reality.

Transformation demands dedicated resources and allocated time. The big mistake is expecting people to drive and deliver transformation while still completing all their day-to-day responsibilities. If maintaining business as usual is difficult, you could opt for support through execution managed services which delivers tax compliance and advisory services in a single integrated and technology-enabled delivery model.

Starting with the baseline of a readiness assessment you can track progress on the take-up of new technology and identify areas in need of intervention to stay on track. Carry out regular follow-up surveys to help gauge engagement and usage. You can back this up by recording the number of queries or requests for advice from champions.

You should also look at how to make change worthwhile. Building digital upskilling and take-up into objectives and rewards can help to focus priorities within both your workforce and line management.