Change Advisor — EDS Global Executive Leadership
Change Advisor | EDS Executive Leadership
Managed change during the initial stages of the broad-based transformation initiative FutureBy Design at EDS, a $12B, 120,000-employee global business services organization. Also established an Innovation Lab supporting the organization’s business transformation initiative.
BACKGROUND
In 1996, the very successful outsourcer and system integrator EDS commenced a journey to transform itself.
In 1995, EDS had purchased ATKearney, then the world's 4th largest private management consulting firm.
A wholly owned subsidiary of GM since 1984, in 1996 EDS once again became an independent company.
OPPORTUNITY
- With 120,000 employees and $12B annual revenues, EDS had enjoyed long-term business success, serving many large global clients needing the scale of its operations.
- Like similar initiatives of its principal competitors, the EDS acquisition of ATKearney envisioned a fusion of new capability, combining mega-scale technology implementation with advanced management consulting services.
- All of the top published management gurus had consulted to the EDS executive leadership (the "top 50" executives) resulting in a highly educated executive team.
- The Future By Design initiative, as it became known, was conceived to define a willed future for the newly independent EDS, and was led by ATKearney.
OUTCOMES
- The change work of Future By Design created a framework of metrics to measure the progress of transformation throughout Future By Design — and introduced diagnostics that provided compelling examples used in internal communications to promote the initiative.
- The Innovation Lab provided a stimulating environment within the Future By Design project team to facilitate breakthrough thinking in the various project streams.
- Although EDS executive leadership had worked with the highly qualified consulting teams of many published management gurus, Michael's effectiveness as a facilitator was praised by leaders — following one challenging working session one of his clients spontaneously complimented Michael as "the best integrative facilitator" he had ever experienced.
- Nearly two years into Future By Design, Michael elected to pursue a career change that would return him to his growing family in Toronto — and orchestrated an exit and handoff from the work at EDS that his senior ATKearney colleagues characterized as "the classiest project exit" they had experienced.
CONSULTING RESPONSE
As a consultant with AT Kearney, Michael joined the leadership of the Future By Design team in Plano, Texas in the fall of 1996. Working with a senior colleague and a select team, his mission was manage the change team of Future By Design, supporting the project team and supporting the EDS global executive leadership in leading transformation.
- During an initial phase, collected data on change readiness and commitment amongst the executive leadership and with a diagonal slice of EDS management, using surveys and interviews.
- Led the change team in organizing and facilitating a series of workshops for executive leadership (involving the “top 50” executives) focused on building capability for change and aligning leadership, organizational communication processes, and leadership objectives and consequences.
- Coordinated the initiatives of the change team with other strategic and tactical events occurring during the reorganization.
- As the core work of Future By Design proceeded into the second phase, worked with executive leadership in Human Resources and Organization Development, and in Communications, in establishing baselines for monitoring cultural change.
- Among other diagnostic tools, Michael originated and introduced As If Analysis to illustrate and track the cultural mismatch between of intended / aspirational values and actual observed behaviour.
- Established and oversaw an Innovation Lab in support of the business transformation work of the Future By Design project team of over 200. The Innovation Lab served as the tangible focal point for the pursuit of innovation within Future By Design, and helped to facilitate the generation and harvest of creative and radical “breakthrough” initiatives. Applying the concepts of de Bono and others, the Lab educated project leaders and team members, promoted the use of practical methods and approaches to innovation, and hosted workshops and working sessions for project teams.