In order to maintain growth, whilst delivering excellence to customers – it is increasingly critical that leaders and businesses adapt (in a different and non-traditional way) to the emerging new world realities and increasingly competitive business landscape.

The environment in which most organisations are operating has radically changed, hence solutions that might have worked in the past may not now be fit for purpose. Consequently, there is a need to think differently about how high performance is secured and particularly how senior leaders interact with their people to drive new successes and how they empower their employees behind a joint aligned purpose.

The future world of work is one where every business needs to transform and embrace the adoption of digital technologies, the development of new business models, and the implementation of new ways of working. To enable any of these types of change, there needs to be a shift in behaviours to create new norms as the old normal doesn’t exist anymore. Organisations that embrace change and build for it will create a more resilient company culture and agility that can adapt to whatever the future of work may bring.

The needs of customers have changed along with buying patterns. This has changed the workplace. Cultural transformation helps organisations evolve their company culture to achieve their strategic objectives. It is also key to ensuring a positive employee experience.

The philosophy embedded in all Rialto business, culture, innovation and digital transformation programmes includes:

  • Aligning the right people, the right data and the right technology to support the delivery of transformational and operational outcomes
  • Supporting the design of organisations that will unleash high performance and strategic change
  • Understanding the rapidly changing competitive landscape including the adoption of AI and disruptive technologies and data
  • Providing insight on the readiness for change and level of capability there is for strategic change
  • Optimising collaboration to create a viable roadmap and implementation plan which deliver strategic imperatives

To find out more about how we have partnered with organisations to deliver new levels in cultural, digital and business transformations – read our case studies or contact a member of our team on + 44(0)7768 713 293 or +44 (0)20 3746 2960

Change is the new constant and only certainty

Rialto is at the forefront in providing insights on transformational change, as evidenced by our coveted award as Transformation Consultancy of the Year. We co-shape solutions that re-define business strategy, leadership alignment, business models and people behaviours to ensure continued organisation impact and growth.

Political, social, economic, regulatory and technological changes are constantly affecting businesses, increasing the risk of failure through not adapting quickly enough.

For many years, Rialto have invested in devising alternative change management methodologies that hold unique IP including our award winning Transforming the Performance Culture (TPC) approach. Our change management methodologies assist organisations to achieve successful transformation with employees co-piloting change decisions. By involving, motivating and creating more valued collaborations between all stakeholders our methods seek to create a more agile, forward thinking environment for constant change and adaptation  Our aim is to transform performance with greater alignment and co-created change decisions.

 

Change Management best practice

The faster-paced business world and “change fatigue” is taking a toll. Many organisations struggle to achieve their overarching goals due to high levels of disengagement.  Many stakeholders do not share and don’t feel involved in the vision and aspirations of the senior leadership team (the great resignation very much still being with us).

Organisations are recognising that the adoption of a more open and humanised change strategy using a data driven approach provides a 14x more likely opportunity to achieve change success.

This requires leaders to step up differently as change agents and to embed change priorities into culture providing a valuable opportunity for both the company and employees to grow.

In contrast to top down change which has historically been framed as a complicated process that require employees to implement change plans led from the top, Rialto change management methods are designed to provide employees with the opportunity to learn new skills, innovate, and improve their professional lives.

Rather than making assumptions about where a company should pivot to or waiting until a change is absolutely necessary, the objective is for employees and leaders to use data to keep their eye on trends and make decisions proactively.

The average organisation that Rialto speaks to has undergone at least two core business changes in the last three years, with over 50 percent expecting to go through more change in the next 12 months

We have extensive knowledge and experience of co-shaping transformational change where organisations have been impacted by a range of factors. These include mergers, acquisitions, digital transformation, external market dynamics and new business model imperatives including new technologies, automation and AI options.

 

Increasing Change Management Success

Rialto sets out to involve and align a workforce, skills and behaviours with the overall mission and strategy of the organisation, therefore enabling increased productivity, innovation and improved performance. Our methods are proven in projects across the UK and Europe and can lead to a 70-80% step-up in performance and an average of 12% sales increase and 8% increase in profit. Programmes also typically deliver 25% improvement in agility, alignment and engagement.

Our methodology can be applied to help execute a desired business strategy or to reset the culture and capability of an organisation. Many clients have used it as an alternative to traditional change management approaches where it has proven to be far less disruptive than top down approaches in achieving required outcomes more quickly on time, on cost and on budget.

For organisations planning to restructure, our methodologies help to engage those employees that are the right fit for the organisation while facilitating a dignified self-selection exit option for those who aren’t.

Typical challenges that Rialto encounter and are able to address more quickly include:

  • The accelerating pace of change leaving some individuals behind
  • Individuals can develop coping strategies which ultimately lead to dysfunctional and disruptive behaviours
  • Individuals become ‘cannot do’ rather than ‘can do’ as they struggle to adapt to changing circumstances
  • Leaders do not have the skills to confront personal productivity issues that would lead to a step change in performance
  • Leaders fail to identify operational dependencies that are conjoined with individual change requirements impeding improvement practices that will deliver operational and cost benefits.

At a time when many businesses are having to re-shape and change strategy and business models as well as adapt and change product and service offerings, secure growth and improve customer experience; the scale of change increases the risk of the above occurring and, if left to fester, can have an extremely negative impact on performance and competitiveness.

 

Developing organisations that are fit for the future

All Rialto change management methodologies are based on the latest global research and success case studies. We offer organisations an open, inclusive and less painful way of adapting to new market conditions with benefits including:

  • Faster and more efficient execution of business tratgey
  • Creating a more customer-centric culture with greater agility
  • Revitalising and align individuals and teams to secure short-, medium- and long-term deliverables through increased performance in hybrid working environment
  • Retaining and engaging high performing and high potential employees and while facilitating the self-selected exit of those who will not or cannot engage with the emerging new world realities
  • Enabling leaders to take greater ownership and drive step changes in performance through the organisation
  • Protecting and enhancing reputation as an employer of choice and therefore increasing the chances of attracting rare talent
  • Identifying how to operationalise the espoused benefits of a change programme and create a culture of continuous performance improvement and lowered/realigned operating costs.

Change can be challenging for those working at every level of the organisation.  As we juggle more change initiatives (at a faster pace) than ever before, the need for new processes, new skills as well as new job roles, will continue to arise. Companies will find themselves having to change what they do and how they do it on a regular basis.

Rialto helps organisations transform so they can do the groundwork to become far more future-proof, shift to a more data focused, open approach that involves employees in decision making and supports everyone to continually adapt to what is happening around them.

Ensuring boards deliver on their strategy and goals

Boards are under more pressure than ever to ensure the organisation realises its stated goals, meets shareholder expectations and remain true to its values. They are far more accountable for their actions than in the past and face more intense scrutiny due to a range of factors, including monitoring activities by The Financial Reporting Council (FRC).

Rialto has worked with a wide range of boards and senior committees and advised them on best practice to increase shareholder value, impact and performance. We recognise that the decision-making capability driving many boards often falls short and impedes effectiveness.

Moreover, a deep-rooted blame culture can inhibit individuals from challenging board performance. Added to this, a lack of correlation between the corporate goals and mission of the top tier and their executive committee can cost organisations millions of pounds.

 

Demonstrating their effectiveness

Rialto will work alongside boards and board committees to embed the behaviours, competencies and processes which will improve effectiveness. This includes:

  • eliminating behavioural- and process-related factors that are causing the board to squander time
  • streamlining and improving the decision-making process
  • helping to develop a culture which doesn’t inhibit debate and encourages board members to challenge the way it operates
  • putting in place high standards of governance and accountability
  • agree a terms of reference (ToR) which will help measure improvements.

 

Providing expertise and insight

Through Rialto’s partnership with a wide range of boards and committees as well as individual senior executives, we have built up a wealth of knowledge and expertise into what makes a board work at optimum performance. We also understand what makes a good board turn bad and are alert to derailing personality traits in individuals as well as the danger of groupthink.

Our experts have held committee and board membership positions across different sectors and draw on personal experience and real-world case studies This is combined with tools and best practice to demonstrate and ensure effectiveness.

Having assessed why a board isn’t performing to the best of its combined abilities, Rialto will develop a programme of workshops, coaching or other inventions and provide support to measure and monitor improvements using key performance indicators.

 

Putting down the foundations for future success

Organisations have seen tangible results from our effectiveness programmes that go straight to the bottom line. While we know it is important to address issues that are impeding performance today, Rialto also ensures that measures put in place are sustainable and the company, therefore, is fit for the future.

 Rialto believes that in future, boards must be seen to be high-performing and proactive not only by their stakeholders but also their employees and customers. Board effectiveness is a business imperative.

We recognise that the decision-making capability driving many boards often falls short and impedes effectiveness

 

Culture as a source of competitive advantage

Discussions on the importance of culture are finally moving from the HR department to the boardroom as its link to growth and bottom line are more readily recognised. Studies are demonstrating that it is a valuable asset and a source of competitive advantage. Indeed, it is culture that increasingly fuels growth, innovation and high-performance.

The need to align an entire workforce behind a common purpose and secure alignment to deliver business goals, innovative and agility, increased competition and digital disruption are just some of the factors that are driving culture change in many companies. For example, some leaders are finding that their current culture simply doesn’t encourage collaboration, provide the safe-to-fail environment that promotes innovation or the kind of behaviours that will win new customers and hence it is impeding growth.

A sub-optimal company culture is extremely damaging, leading to disengaged employees and poor business performance while a healthy one fuels success. The quote, “culture eats strategy for breakfast”, is becoming a truism but there is still some way to go before all leaders make culture the priority it should be.

Developing the culture from the top-down and ground-up

Rialto has a track record of helping organisations across a range of sectors effect culture change/development programmes. Its approach is to delve into the psyche of an organisation and undertake a root and branch analysis of how it works at all levels. Typical steps in a culture change/development programme include:

  • Assessing how the organisation is perceived internally and externally
  • Assessing where it wants to be and what is its over-arching aim; for example, to be ranked number one for customer service
  • Deciding what behaviours and values will support this mission, including what will make the company stand-out and be unique
  • Embedding these values and behaviours into the organisation’s everyday practices and processes
  • Monitoring the programme carefully using tools such as pulse and regular in-depth surveys.

Culture development programmes require time and a high-level of commitment and buy-in from the top tier. Leaders must model the right behaviours and ensure that managers build them into their performance management programmes so their importance is recognised across the organisation.

Rialto also works with organisations on the marketing and communications campaign that must to accompany any culture development programme. This should be seen to be led from the very top of the organisation so employees recognise its importance.

Studies are starting to put a price on a sub-optimal company culture and the cost for UK plc evidentially runs into billions. Rialto believes a healthy corporate culture is a fundamental requirement for a modern-thinking business that wants to succeed in an increasingly competitive environment. And it is increasingly a source of long-term value. Get the culture right and so many other positives will fall into place: employees will be engaged and aligned with the corporate mission; it will be easier to implement strategies; and the external brand will be enhanced.

It is culture that increasingly fuels growth, innovation and high-performance