change Archives - Amanda Bernardo

The Power of Organizational Culture

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 21:35:08 +0000

Organizational culture is often seen as intangible—something that exists in the background. But in reality, it’s the foundation upon which everything else is built. Whether you’re leading a transformation, launching a new initiative, or simply trying to foster a high-performing team, culture determines whether you succeed or struggle.

A strong culture is what makes change stick. It’s what turns vision into action and strategy into results. You can have the best processes, the most innovative technology, or the most well-thought-out change strategy, but if the culture doesn’t support it, resistance will follow.

Culture is also what makes teams thrive. It defines how people collaborate, communicate, and support one another. It’s the difference between a workplace where people feel engaged and valued versus one where they feel disconnected and unmotivated.

So, how do we build a culture that enables success?

Align leadership behaviors – Culture starts at the top. Leaders must model the values they want to see.

Foster psychological safety – People need to feel safe to voice ideas, challenge the status quo, and take risks.

Reinforce culture in daily actions – Culture isn’t built through one-time initiatives; it’s in the everyday habits, conversations, and decisions that shape the work environment.

Tie culture to change – When leading any transformation, make culture part of the strategy. Change will be much smoother if the cultural mindset is aligned with the desired future state.

What does a modern workplace culture look like today?

Today’s modern workplace culture is defined by flexibility, inclusivity, and a sense of purpose. Organizations that prioritize open communication, employee well-being, and continuous learning are not only attracting top talent but also retaining it. In a world where employees seek meaningful work and alignment with their values, companies that foster trust, collaboration, and adaptability are the ones that thrive. These organizations create environments where people feel valued, empowered, and supported—leading to higher engagement, innovation, and overall better results.

For me, these elements of empowerment, visibility, and support are so important. As a leader, I believe in creating environments where people feel trusted to take initiative, where their contributions are recognized, and where employees have the support they need to grow. Just as I strive to create this kind of culture for my team, I also look for the same from my leaders. It’s equally important to feel part of an executive team that aligns with these cultural values—where empowerment, visibility, and support are not just encouraged but embedded in the way we work across the organization. When leadership fosters these principles at every level, it creates a culture of trust, collaboration, and shared success, ensuring that both individuals and the organization can thrive.

A culture that fosters these values doesn’t just drive better outcomes—it builds stronger, more engaged teams that are ready to embrace change and lead with confidence.

So, if you’re working through change or leading a team, don’t overlook culture. It’s not just part of the equation—it is the equation.

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Delivering change management as a service

admin — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 19:32:22 +0000

Over the last five years of my career, I’ve specialized in implementing complex digital solutions while focusing on the people side of change.

Specifically, I’ve worked with teams to understand and translate the distinct challenges they face in designing and delivering new or existing programs and services to ensure that they are adopted and sustained long-term by relevant stakeholders.

To achieve this, I enable teams to leverage human-centred approaches such as change management and service design to enhance their project/program design. Navigating the use of these methodologies can be, however, difficult, as employees often do not have the training nor the operational experience to enable them. As a result, we’re seeing more and more organizations establish transformation teams to effectively deliver this service.

As a public sector leader in change management and service design, I’ve had the opportunity to develop a Change Management Office from scratch within the public sector. In doing so, I’ve realized how difficult it can be to operationalize change management as a service and frequently meet with others trying to do the same.

This Playbook aims to positions others looking to establish a Change Management Office, particularly in a public sector setting.

It was built with best practices inspired by others in the field, as well as my own personal experiences in leading change across the Canadian federal public service.

It is important to use this Playbook as a guide, as change practitioners will always need to apply flexibility and judgement to their work in order to tailor change management tactics to project realities.

In addition, checkpoints have been added within the Playbook to support the delivery of change management as both a service and program, building in the internal steps needed to position a team of change practitioners for success.

References to external materials have been linked where cited

The Playbook itself is organized into three parts:

Defining your Change Office – here you’ll find an example of what this could look like.
A general overview on change management, including a high level introduction to various change management methodologies.
A step-by-step approach on how to deliver change management as a service – here the section is broken down further into three main areas:
1. Intake – how requests are reviewed and assessed for project support.
2. Project Support – this section is organized in four phases: defining the change vision and strategy; designing and developing change tactics with stakeholder engagement; delivering and supporting on change recommendations; and sustaining project success.
3. Close-out – how change practitioners will eventually close-out support.

My sincere hope in developing and sharing this guide is that it serves as a valuable resource in upskilling change management practitioners across the public sector.

Navigating change is often a constant and difficult challenge in the public sector but by sharing these best practices, I hope to equip change practitioners (new and seasoned) with the tools and insights needed to navigate these complexities effectively.

The reality is, change is hard. But designing your Change Office doesn’t have to be.

Change often demands practitioners to work in the proverbial ‘grey,’ where clear answers may be elusive, and solutions require adaptability. Yet, within this challenging terrain lies the essence of our work—the ability to untangle the mess, find clarity, and guide organizations through their transformation efforts. In recognizing the demanding nature of this field, it’s imperative for change management practitioners to understand the value of their roles. As change becomes a constant in the public sector, our work is not just valuable, it is an indispensable asset in steering successful and meaningful transformations that contribute to the greater good of society.

To download the Playbook:

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KLC Series Pt. 3 – Promoting Innovation and Guiding Change

admin — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 16:07:00 +0000

Welcome back to part three of my key leadership competencies series. Today we’re talking about promoting innovation and guiding change!

The Government of Canada’s key leadership competencies ask leaders to have the courage and resilience to challenge convention. Leaders are asked to create environments that support bold thinking, experimentation and intelligent risk taking; while using setbacks as a valuable source of insight and learning.

But what does this look like in action?

Leaders who are able to understand that innovation is the byproduct of calculated risks often are better positioned to promote innovation and guide change. By promoting a culture of responsible risk-taking, they empower their teams to explore innovative breakthroughs while safeguarding against potential pitfalls.

Imagine, for example, a city government facing an urban mobility challenge. A forward-thinking leader would encourage their team to explore unconventional solutions like smart transportation systems, bike-sharing initiatives, and pedestrian-friendly zones.

But to make way for such innovative thinking and risk taking, leaders must also identify opportunities for and barriers to their teams, and ultimately work to provide access or remove roadblocks.

Let’s consider a scenario where a government agency aims to enhance citizen engagement and service delivery. Here, the leader may identify barriers such as bureaucratic red tape and outdated technology that can fuel the need for change. One key opportunity identified by their team may then be to use digital platforms to streamline interactions with citizens. The leader would champion the idea, providing resources for the development of user-friendly interfaces and self-service portals. Simultaneously, they would address concerns about data privacy and security, ensuring that innovative solutions align with regulatory requirements. The leader’s ability to pinpoint opportunities and dismantle barriers is ultimately able to fuel a culture of innovation, and their dedication to facilitating change sets a precedent for others within the federal public service to do the same.

With innovation, however, there’s also a clear opportunity for learning and growth. The art of learning from setbacks is mastered by transformative leaders. They instill a growth-oriented ethos that fosters an environment where missteps are viewed as valuable lessons.

But setbacks shouldn’t just lead to lessons learned, they should trigger in leaders an ability to adapt, recalibrate, and flourish in the face of change. To guide change, bringing back my ship analogy, leaders must steer the ship with unwavering resolve, adjusting their sails to match the evolving winds of transformation. And while change may swirl all around the ship, amidst uncertainty and ambiguity, leaders must remain resilient. Their unwavering composure and positive outlook act as beacons of hope, inspiring teams to weather storms with a united spirit.

The post KLC Series Pt. 3 – Promoting Innovation and Guiding Change appeared first on Amanda Bernardo.

Change is hard. Change management is no easier.

admin — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 14:03:00 +0000

Change management can be difficult for several reasons. Change itself can be disruptive to people’s routines; create uncertainty and anxiety; lead to varying levels of resistance to change; and require new skills and ways of working, which can be challenging and time-consuming — to name a few.

There are several strategies that can help improve change management:

Communicate effectively: Clearly communicate the reasons for the change, the benefits it will bring, and how it will affect different stakeholders. Be transparent and involve employees in the process as much as possible.

Build buy-in: Involve key stakeholders in the planning and implementation of the change. This can help ensure that they understand and support the change, and can also help identify potential roadblocks.

Prepare and train employees: Provide employees with the necessary training and resources to help them adjust to the change. This can include training on new processes, systems or technologies, as well as tools to help them work through the transition.

Manage resistance: Anticipate and address potential resistance to the change. Identify the sources of resistance and address them directly.

Create a sense of urgency: Clearly define the need for change and the benefits it will bring. Communicate the potential risks of not changing and the opportunities that will be missed.

Have a clear plan: Create a clear and actionable plan for implementing the change. Identify the steps that need to be taken, the resources required, and the timelines for completion.

Measure and monitor progress: Continuously measure and monitor progress throughout the change process to ensure that it is on track and make adjustments as necessary.

Recognize and reward success: Celebrate the successes of the change and recognize the contributions of those who have helped make it happen.

Implementing these strategies can help make the change process smoother and more successful. It is important to remember that change management is not a one-time event, it requires continuous monitoring and adaptation.

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