NHRD Journal - National HRD Network

DRIVING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
LEENA NAIR AND ANKUSH PUNJ
Leena is an Electronic Engineer
who discovered her passion for
people and HR and switched
lanes. She went on to complete
her MBA in HR from XLRI,
Jamshedpur.
She has worked with Unilever
for the last 15 years in a variety
of roles like - Employee
Relations Manager,
Management Development
Manager, Business Partner for
the Home & Personal Care
Business. She has championed
many HR initiatives like
Diversity, Enterprise Culture,
and Coaching. With her recent
appointment as Executive
Director-HR, Leena has become
the first woman on the
Management Committee of
HUL.
Ankush Punj is the Corp
Employee Relations Manager
of Hindustan Unilever
Limited. XLRI batch of 2003,
Ankush joined HUL as a
Business Leadership Trainee
and in his first assignment
was the HR Manager of HUL
factory in Sumerpur (UP) for
two years before moving into
the Corporate ER role.Ankush
is an avid trekker, marathon
runner and passionate about
reading, writing, travelling
and music.
Abstract
The only constant in the new World - Change is a major challenge
in large-sized organizations where the sheer size as well as the
comfort of past successes causes inertia and resistance to change.
Change management is the single most important leadership
accountability and driving change initiatives successfully is a
key HR deliverable. In scores of big and small Change initiatives
that we have driven across in HUL, it has been our experience
that Change can be successful and Resistance to Change can be
overcome if a whole systems approach is followed and where
the complete organization along with its Structures, Systems and
People, processes, are viewed in totality studying the impact of
one on the other in view of the Change that is being driven in the
organization.
The paper focuses on certain tools at the disposal of the HR team
to drive change seamlessly and embed it in the DNA of the
organization:
1. Leadership Engagement
Change and Culture is driven from the top. Success is half achieved
if the leadership team is committed to and prepared to prescribe
the Change
2. Rewards and Recognition
The most effective HR tool to drive alignment in behaviors
3. Communication and Buzz
Generate curiosity and excitement towards the Change initiatives
4. Capability building
Up-skill and de-skill employees to align organizational
capabilities with the New Organization.
The paper also touches upon Resistance for Change and
measures to overcome the same.
In achieving the above we have generously borrowed from
Change theories and personal experiences of driving Change in
HUL.
November 2007 NHRD Journal 65