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Zurich Financial Services Group introduces new methodology to manage change

Zurich Financial Services Group has introduced a new change management methodology within its Group IT function.

The methodology was provided by UK firm Changefirst who have already trained 53 European and North American programme managers within Zurich's Group IT function, using its step-by-step approach.

Charlotte Trinler, Zurich's head of organisational development for Group IT, said: "Rather than relying on external consultants to undertake change for us, we wanted to get a transfer of knowledge so we could equip our managers with the capability to undertake change ourselves."

Changefirst says the methodology, called People-Centred Implementation (PCI), focuses on the people issues of transformation and can be used for organisational and strategic initiatives such as cultural change, restructuring, quality/service improvements and mergers as well as new hardware/software installations.

Charlotte Trinler said: "Our senior managers saw great value in the methodology because it is something that people can immediately apply. Although it is designed for large-scale transformations, the concept of people-centred thinking can be applied to even the smallest change."

The senior leadership team requested that all programme managers responsible for key projects in 2006 should initially be trained to become accredited change managers who can use the PCI methodology.

Changefirst ran five-day development programmes in Zurich and in Colorado Springs, USA. Branded as Drive Change, these sessions explained the PCI methodology and included the nature of change, its critical success factors and required roles, as well as how to engage people, build their understanding and commitment, and support them as they undergo change. On completion of the training, the programme managers gained a certificate of achievement and a licence to use Changefirst's materials.

"People in IT, when they talk about implementation, tend to focus on just the technical solution," noted Trinler. "Changefirst's methodology encourages them to consider people issues and required behaviours, so they're challenged to think about what the change will look like and the future state of the business. This is a real benefit."

To help embed the new change management ethos, Changefirst ran a one-day session in Zurich for 35 members of its Group IT extended leadership team, highlighting the methodology and the leadership behaviour required in their role as sponsors of change projects.

Zurich is now establishing a network of peer support to enable its programme managers to share information and their experience of using the PCI methodology. This is likely to include online support for day-to-day queries, monthly regional meetings, quarterly conference calls and an annual conference event.

The company is also gathering input from the programme managers and the extended leadership team on how to cascade the change expertise to the 3,000 staff worldwide in Group IT. The options include providing mandatory training for different staff levels and linking the PCI methodology with project management training.

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