How Have You Managed Large-Scale Organizational Changes?
Navigating large-scale organizational change is a complex challenge, but learning from those who've done it can be invaluable. We've gathered insights from twelve CEOs and Founders, sharing examples from transitioning to full-time business to adopting a fee-only financial planning model. Discover how these business leaders have successfully managed significant transformations within their organizations.
- Transitioning to Full-Time Business
- EHR System Implementation Success
- Strategic Change Drives Business Growth
- Agile Methodology Adoption Across Departments
- Transitioning to a Fully Remote Model
- Empowering Teams in Market Expansion
- CRM Adoption Guided By Vision
- The Importance of the Post Debrief
- Rapid Tech Stack Overhaul with Stakeholder Engagement
- Phased Approach for Organizational Change
- Embracing Change with Better Communication
- Transition to Fee-Only Financial Planning
Transitioning to Full-Time Business
As the CEO of Rocket Alumni Solutions, I have experienced scaling a startup from 0 to over 500 clients. The largest change was transitioning the business from a “side hustle” in college to a full-time job after graduating. I had to hire friends and former interns as full-time employees, move into a real office, and implement stricter processes.
To gain buy-in, I was transparent about company financials and growth opportunities with early employees. I wanted them to feel a sense of ownership in the company’s success. We started with a small office and gave employees the flexibility to work from home two days a week. Over 6-12 months, we slowly transitioned to a typical 9-5 office schedule as employees gained more responsibility.
Today, Rocket has 20 employees, most of whom have been with the company for over three years. By starting small, addressing concerns, and easing into changes rather than abrupt shifts, we built trust and allowed company culture to evolve organically. While scaling rapidly, we maintained a “startup feel” that continues to fuel innovation. Growth often brings change, but with a collaborative team, change can be exciting rather than threatening.
EHR System Implementation Success
As the CEO of Riveraxe LLC, a healthcare IT services firm, I have led large-scale organizational changes, including transitioning clients to electronic health records (EHR) systems.
To gain buy-in, we engaged key stakeholders in the planning process. We highlighted benefits like improved patient care and reduced paperwork. We offered incentives for early adopters. Once the new system went live, we provided comprehensive training and strong leadership support to address concerns.
For example, when transitioning a community health center to an EHR system, we budgeted for staff overtime and custom training. We developed a phased timeline, starting with setup and data migration before going fully live. By addressing financial, organizational, and attitudinal barriers, we ensured a smooth transition.
Two years post-implementation, the health center achieved substantial cost savings and productivity gains. Staff felt empowered using the new system, and patients benefited from improved care. With advance planning, open communication, and a team-centered approach, organizational change can thrive.
Strategic Change Drives Business Growth
In partnering with a $25M family-owned manufacturing business, Golden Tree Wealth Partners led a comprehensive organizational change to scale their operations. We started with an in-depth financial analysis to identify key areas for improvement. We then implemented a new ERP system and introduced automation with updated technology to streamline production and inventory management.
Our approach included detailed planning, employee training, and ongoing support to ensure a smooth transition. We facilitated workshops to foster a culture of adaptability and continuous improvement among the staff. By creating cross-functional teams, we ensured that all departments were aligned and working toward common goals.
The results were remarkable. The business experienced a 40% increase in operational efficiency and a 25% boost in revenue within the first year. Automation reduced manual errors and increased production speed, while updated technology provided real-time data for better decision-making. Additionally, employee morale improved significantly due to clearer processes and better communication.
This case study exemplifies how strategic change management, combined with automation and updated technology, can drive substantial growth and success in a family-owned business.
Agile Methodology Adoption Across Departments
In my previous role as COO of the tech company, we considered using Agile methodology across all departments, and it was not just limited to software development. First, we thought of investing in training programs so that every team member, from executive to entry-level staff, understands Agile principles and also understands how they can apply to their specific roles.
This investment in training was not just a checkbox exercise. It was crucial to ensure everyone was on the same page and ready for the change. Now it is time to set clear and measurable goals. So, we aimed to improve the time to market by 30% and reduce the defect rate by 20% within the first year of implementation. Well, these goals were ambitious and quantifiable as well. It helped in tracking progress and keeping everyone motivated.
We established robust communication channels. Feedback sessions and open-door policies ensured that concerns were addressed quickly. We focused on transparency because it was crucial to maintain trust and momentum throughout the change. Besides that, we did not forget to celebrate milestones along the way.
When we hit our targets for reducing defects or when a department successfully transitioned to Agile practices, we recognized our team's efforts. With these efforts, we not only achieved our initial goals but also noticed a broader cultural shift within the organization. Our team became more collaborative and faster in making decisions. Our experience with managing large-scale organizational change taught me the importance of clear communication and continuous adaptation.
Transitioning to a Fully Remote Model
As a serial entrepreneur, I have led multiple organizations through large-scale changes. A key example was transitioning my digital agency, BuzzShift, to a fully remote model.
We faced staff resistance to giving up an office environment. To overcome this, we involved key team members in designing our remote work policies and tech stack. Once they saw how it improved work-life balance without sacrificing productivity, they became advocates.
We ran the new remote model as a three-month pilot, addressing issues and concerns in real-time. After adopting the platform and policies, we saw efficiency gains of over 25% and cost savings of 18%. Staff reported higher job satisfaction. The transition was tough, but the results were worth it. By being transparent and collaborative, we gained buy-in and improved both the employee and business experience.
Others can apply these strategies: involve staff in designing the change, address concerns directly, pilot before fully transitioning, and focus on how the change benefits key stakeholders. With that approach, major organizational shifts can thrive.
Empowering Teams in Market Expansion
When expanding into new markets, my team struggled with change management. To overcome resistance, I involved key members in strategizing our entry and growth. Once they saw the opportunity during planning, they became advocates.
For example, when entering the Arizona market, I had a team member scout locations and make initial contacts while shadowing me. After a few trips together, he took the lead and found an event to sponsor that aligned perfectly with our brand. Although hesitant at first, the team supported him fully once they realized the potential.
That one community event led to a 23% traffic increase and a revenue boost, allowing for team bonuses. By empowering staff and addressing concerns directly, we implemented change, improving both client and employee experiences. Transparency and input built trust in the new strategy.
Now, when expanding, I have team members immerse themselves in the new market and bring recommendations to the group. Giving them ownership and decision-making authority results in innovative ideas and solutions. They become personally invested in success.
CRM Adoption Guided By Vision
Getting senior consultants to start using CRM as a relationship-building tool and not just an activity-tracking tool was a big one. A couple of things that helped:
1) We sold the vision. The upside of CRM is NOT as an accountability tool. It's a way to create trusted advisor relationships at scale. We showed them the promise of what this could be and got them excited about the idea.
2) We made it easy. Rather than going from zero to 100, we identified five relationships for each consultant that we particularly wanted to focus on in the coming year. The idea was to make it easy to develop the habit. And hopefully, once they built that habit, they'd end up doing it for their other accounts as well, which largely happened.
3) We gave them examples. "But what do I say?" was the biggest question. We created a whole list of ways they could stay in touch, many of which didn't have anything to do with work they were pitching.
4) We celebrated wins. Rather than sending out a weekly email to slap people's wrists who weren't doing it, we instead focused on wins. Each email highlighted something cool that happened as a result of them engaging in this new way. This created momentum and enthusiasm.
5) We kept reminding them of the vision. Casting the vision isn't a one-time issue. It has to be reiterated over and over again. Every team meeting, we hammered the point again.
The Importance of the Post Debrief
As a consultant specializing in large-scale change management and process improvement, it's crucial to remember that change can be daunting for every organizational role. To succeed, ensure adoption, and maintain positive employee engagement, follow these key tips:
1. Ensure all stakeholders are on board with the change, and speaking the same language around the change.
2. Ensure not only key stakeholders are a part of the conversation but also your employees; they need to know what is changing but, more importantly, what it means to them and where they fit into the changes.
3. Consistent communication on the project status, go-live on change roll-out, and post-go-live success is key to maintaining a one-voice, one-team stance.
4. Everyone has a full plate of responsibilities; that's why it's important to thank your employees for participating in extra activities outside of their normal day-to-day tasks, such as UAT testing, feedback, and input. People who feel valued and appreciated will go above and beyond their normal responsibilities.
5. Last but not least, debrief post-go-live. Remember, nothing in life is perfect, but it is important to talk about what we all did well and where we can improve for next time.
Rapid Tech Stack Overhaul with Stakeholder Engagement
As an entirely digital investment research publisher, our tech stack provides the environment for all employees of our 50+-year-old firm to do their work, as well as the venue in which customers access our content and experience our work.
What had been a reasonably current tech stack in 2016, when we implemented it, no longer provided state-of-the-art functionality, and importantly, page load speeds were far too slow in 2022. In April of that year, we decided we needed to make a change.
Since this change would affect every functional area within our organization, as well as our customers, we set up a project task force as well as advisory groups representing analysts and editors, customer service, production, and marketing, as well as a customer advisory group.
Due to our experience with our previous single-source platform, we decided to pursue a strategy of integrating several best-in-class platforms that we could integrate as necessary. We identified existing pain points and other needs, which we used to prepare a series of RFPs.
We had determined our needs and selected vendors within two months. During that time, we held weekly task force meetings, and the co-leaders of the project met each morning and with the vendors as needed.
The project initiated in mid-May, and vendor work began in mid-July. Even with a significant miscalculation with our paywall provider, we were able to switch over to the new platform on November 17 after a month of running new and old systems in parallel.
This is the type of project that many companies will take 6-12 months to develop specs, taking another 3-9 months to select vendors, and 6-9 months to build out. Because of our excellent planning and project leadership, and a disciplined approach driven by a highly-engaged, cross-functional team of all stakeholders, we were able to turn the entire project around in 6 months, start to finish, with no holdouts or pockets of resistance. And we even received unsolicited compliments from customers for a better working and much faster website.
Phased Approach for Organizational Change
One effective way I've managed large-scale organizational change is by implementing the change in phases. By breaking down the transformation into manageable stages, we were able to address potential issues as they arose and make necessary adjustments along the way. This phased approach helped to minimize disruptions and allowed employees to gradually adapt to new processes and systems.
For example, instead of overhauling everything at once, we started with smaller, more manageable changes that paved the way for larger shifts. This step-by-step method ensured that each phase was successfully integrated before moving on to the next, which helped to maintain stability and continuity within the organization. Employees felt more comfortable and confident as they had time to adjust and provide feedback, which was crucial for refining the process.
This approach allowed us to celebrate small wins along the journey, keeping morale high and maintaining momentum. By implementing change in phases, we created a smoother transition that was easier for everyone to navigate, ultimately leading to a successful and sustainable organizational transformation.
Embracing Change with Better Communication
The truth is, this is one of the hardest things people don't talk enough about. One book I've had our team read is Who Moved My Cheese? It's about embracing change because change is the only constant in a fast-paced business. I can't say I've cracked the code on communicating change; that would be lying to you, but we're getting better at implementing things like changelogs and better update structures at all-hands meetings, and having department heads reiterate at department meetings. One thing from the book The Motive that really stuck with me is that as a CEO, your primary job is to be the 'Chief Reminding Officer,' and if you're not ready to do that, you're not ready to be CEO.
Transition to Fee-Only Financial Planning
As CEO of BlueSky Wealth Advisors, I led the transition from an asset-focused model to a fee-only, goal-based financial planning firm. Initially, clients and staff were hesitant to move away from commissions. I met personally with key clients, explaining the benefits of fiduciary advice and new services like tax planning. We tested the model with a few clients before fully implementing it, giving staff on-the-job training.
Within a year, 50% of clients had transitioned. Staff felt empowered in new roles and enjoyed higher, fee-based compensation. Clients benefited from flat fees and interdisciplinary advice. However, some long-time clients and staff left, unwilling to change.
We reinvested revenue into advanced designations and technology, elevating our expertise. Staff deepened client relationships through time-intensive planning. Referrals soared as we focused on outcomes, not products.
Five years later, fee-based clients represent 75% of revenue. An open, collaborative approach to change, meeting objections head-on, and piloting before full rollout led to overcoming initial resistance. Staying true to our vision despite some turnover built the foundation for future growth. With the right motivation, organizational change can thrive.
