Growing & Grafting New
Organisational Tissue:

HR’s Role in Change
HR Tech Europe,

London, March 2015
@LeeBryant
Our core team has pioneered the use of
social technology inside large firms since
2002, and we now work with corporate
clients to assist in developing new forms
of organisational structure and practice
to help create agile, responsive and
adaptable 21st Century firms.
POST*SHIFT
introductions…
HR and digital transformation
digital transformation is changing everything…
digital transformation is changing everything…
‣ customer engagement
‣ products & services
‣ enterprise IT
‣ business models
‣the nature of the firm
can existing firms change, and what role should HR play?
Global Human Capital Trends 2015
Leading in the new world of work
HR priority areas = key elements of digital transformation
Global Human Capital Trends 2015
Leading in the new world of work
HR priority areas = key elements of digital transformation
social tools help, but cannot change the org on their own
Structure
•	Decentralised
	•	Resilient
	•	Adaptive & Emergent
	•	Networked
	•	Service-oriented
Culture
	•	Open
	•	Customer-centric
	•	Innovative
	•	Experience-led
	•	Passion & purpose
Practice
	•	Agile & Iterative
	•	Data-driven
	•	Collaborative
	•	Task-focused
	•	Podular
digital transformation needs new organisational capabilities
but it also makes possible new organisational structures
but it also makes possible new organisational structures
and HR should play a leading role in their development
first: how do we change change?
how do people respond to classic top-down initiatives?
crash diets (like change programmes) rarely sustain
‘quantified self’ continual improvement works better
idea: quantify organisational health, not the individual
how do we define and measure
new organisational capabilities ?
Wider Market
analyse market dynamics to identify required capabilities
ecosystem
organisation
Market

composition
Customer

behaviour
Technology
Products
‣ Cambrian explosion of startups
‣ Software is eating the world
‣ Emergence of high scale markets
‣ Speed to scale is crucial
‣ Platforms and ecosystems
‣ Experience versus features
‣ Collaborative consumption
‣ Everything as a service
‣ Empowered customers
‣ Trust is the new brand
‣ Mass-customisation
‣ The attention economy
‣ Faster diffusion of innovation
‣ Ubiquitous collaboration
‣ Connectivity in everything
‣ Designing for hackability
define target capabilities in clear and testable terms
“As a sales organisation we need
to offer an integrated experience
(not front-ends to a set of
separate silos working apart)
to grow key account value”
then define relevant organisational health indicators
use internal social data to track ‘real-time’ progress
but use human sensor networks to determine progress
HR’s mission: help create people-powered transformation
grafting new organisational tissue
where no capabilities exist
example: creating liminal spaces at the edge of the org
Internal 

Realm
Liminal

Spaces
Ecosystem
Internal Teams
External teams
new models:
‣ IoT, connected devices,
data and platforms
‣ everything as a service
‣ customer co-creation
and open innovation
‣ startup incubation and
ecosystem development
startups, M&A and growing new teams outside the org
but beware the perils of integration and tissue rejection
making change routine
we need to manage and measure digital transformation
there is no perfect ‘target operating model’ end-point
agile transformation is about small changes & iteration
manage by ‘sense & respond’ not ‘predict & control’
small-scale org changes should be on the weekly agenda
how to manage & measure digital transformation actions
conclusions
HR should champion human-centric
approaches to org. transformation1
HR should champion human-centric
approaches to org. transformation1
2Targeting new capabilities is the best
way to manage digital transformation
HR should champion human-centric
approaches to org. transformation1
2Targeting new capabilities is the best
way to manage digital transformation
3Measure organisational capabilities
not just individual performance
HR should champion human-centric
approaches to org. transformation1
2Targeting new capabilities is the best
way to manage digital transformation
3Measure organisational capabilities
not just individual performance
4Social data + human sensor network
give us real-time evidence of change
CONTACT US
info@postshift.com

FIND US
Our blog: www.postshift.com/blog

SlideShare: http://www.slideshare.net/Postshift

Twitter: @Postshift
POST*SHIFT
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tsevis/14793153807 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jayneandd/4450623309 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/16210667@N02/15721466273 

http://i.imgur.com/m5LMGCp.jpg 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/vandalog/9445960751/ 

http://ht.ly/x0ohj 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicholas_t/3602389004 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/eldomo/4250659210 

https://www.apple.com/watch/health-and-fitness/ 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/alandd/4637759763 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/3016549999/ 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nate2009/12436753284/ 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/decaseconds/8696247987/ 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jdhancock/9544541664 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/justinbaeder/5317820857 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pedromourapinheiro/2701817961 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/laimagendelmundo/1148930404 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/3575872381 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-research-shows-employee-engagement-now-1-
global-talent-bersin

http://gapingvoid.com/2006/01/04/wirearchy-t-shirt/ 





image credits

Growing & Grafting New Organisational Tissue:
 HR’s Role in Change

  • 1.
    Growing & GraftingNew Organisational Tissue:
 HR’s Role in Change HR Tech Europe,
 London, March 2015 @LeeBryant
  • 2.
    Our core teamhas pioneered the use of social technology inside large firms since 2002, and we now work with corporate clients to assist in developing new forms of organisational structure and practice to help create agile, responsive and adaptable 21st Century firms. POST*SHIFT introductions…
  • 3.
    HR and digitaltransformation
  • 4.
    digital transformation ischanging everything…
  • 5.
    digital transformation ischanging everything… ‣ customer engagement ‣ products & services ‣ enterprise IT ‣ business models ‣the nature of the firm
  • 6.
    can existing firmschange, and what role should HR play?
  • 7.
    Global Human CapitalTrends 2015 Leading in the new world of work HR priority areas = key elements of digital transformation
  • 8.
    Global Human CapitalTrends 2015 Leading in the new world of work HR priority areas = key elements of digital transformation
  • 9.
    social tools help,but cannot change the org on their own
  • 10.
    Structure • Decentralised • Resilient • Adaptive & Emergent • Networked • Service-oriented Culture • Open • Customer-centric • Innovative • Experience-led • Passion& purpose Practice • Agile & Iterative • Data-driven • Collaborative • Task-focused • Podular digital transformation needs new organisational capabilities
  • 11.
    but it alsomakes possible new organisational structures
  • 12.
    but it alsomakes possible new organisational structures
  • 13.
    and HR shouldplay a leading role in their development
  • 14.
    first: how dowe change change?
  • 15.
    how do peoplerespond to classic top-down initiatives?
  • 16.
    crash diets (likechange programmes) rarely sustain
  • 17.
    ‘quantified self’ continualimprovement works better
  • 18.
    idea: quantify organisationalhealth, not the individual
  • 19.
    how do wedefine and measure new organisational capabilities ?
  • 20.
    Wider Market analyse marketdynamics to identify required capabilities ecosystem organisation Market
 composition Customer
 behaviour Technology Products ‣ Cambrian explosion of startups ‣ Software is eating the world ‣ Emergence of high scale markets ‣ Speed to scale is crucial ‣ Platforms and ecosystems ‣ Experience versus features ‣ Collaborative consumption ‣ Everything as a service ‣ Empowered customers ‣ Trust is the new brand ‣ Mass-customisation ‣ The attention economy ‣ Faster diffusion of innovation ‣ Ubiquitous collaboration ‣ Connectivity in everything ‣ Designing for hackability
  • 21.
    define target capabilitiesin clear and testable terms “As a sales organisation we need to offer an integrated experience (not front-ends to a set of separate silos working apart) to grow key account value”
  • 22.
    then define relevantorganisational health indicators
  • 23.
    use internal socialdata to track ‘real-time’ progress
  • 24.
    but use humansensor networks to determine progress
  • 25.
    HR’s mission: helpcreate people-powered transformation
  • 26.
    grafting new organisationaltissue where no capabilities exist
  • 27.
    example: creating liminalspaces at the edge of the org Internal 
 Realm Liminal
 Spaces Ecosystem Internal Teams External teams new models: ‣ IoT, connected devices, data and platforms ‣ everything as a service ‣ customer co-creation and open innovation ‣ startup incubation and ecosystem development
  • 28.
    startups, M&A andgrowing new teams outside the org
  • 29.
    but beware theperils of integration and tissue rejection
  • 30.
  • 31.
    we need tomanage and measure digital transformation
  • 32.
    there is noperfect ‘target operating model’ end-point
  • 33.
    agile transformation isabout small changes & iteration
  • 34.
    manage by ‘sense& respond’ not ‘predict & control’
  • 35.
    small-scale org changesshould be on the weekly agenda
  • 36.
    how to manage& measure digital transformation actions
  • 37.
  • 38.
    HR should championhuman-centric approaches to org. transformation1
  • 39.
    HR should championhuman-centric approaches to org. transformation1 2Targeting new capabilities is the best way to manage digital transformation
  • 40.
    HR should championhuman-centric approaches to org. transformation1 2Targeting new capabilities is the best way to manage digital transformation 3Measure organisational capabilities not just individual performance
  • 41.
    HR should championhuman-centric approaches to org. transformation1 2Targeting new capabilities is the best way to manage digital transformation 3Measure organisational capabilities not just individual performance 4Social data + human sensor network give us real-time evidence of change
  • 42.
    CONTACT US info@postshift.com FIND US Ourblog: www.postshift.com/blog SlideShare: http://www.slideshare.net/Postshift Twitter: @Postshift POST*SHIFT
  • 43.
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/tsevis/14793153807 https://www.flickr.com/photos/jayneandd/4450623309 https://www.flickr.com/photos/16210667@N02/15721466273 http://i.imgur.com/m5LMGCp.jpg https://www.flickr.com/photos/vandalog/9445960751/ http://ht.ly/x0ohj http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicholas_t/3602389004 https://www.flickr.com/photos/eldomo/4250659210 https://www.apple.com/watch/health-and-fitness/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/alandd/4637759763 https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/3016549999/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/nate2009/12436753284/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/decaseconds/8696247987/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/jdhancock/9544541664 https://www.flickr.com/photos/justinbaeder/5317820857 https://www.flickr.com/photos/pedromourapinheiro/2701817961 https://www.flickr.com/photos/laimagendelmundo/1148930404 https://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/3575872381 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-research-shows-employee-engagement-now-1- global-talent-bersin http://gapingvoid.com/2006/01/04/wirearchy-t-shirt/ 
 
 image credits