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Winning Secrets: Change Et Al's workforce is built on the foundation of adaptability
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Winning Secrets: Change Et Al's workforce is built on the foundation of adaptability

This thus enables the team to employ speed and flexibility in its processes as needed, Karunesh Prasad, Founder CEO, Change Et Al, shares.

In a world where change is a constant, Change Et Al takes pride in its primary vision to become the preferred change management partner for organisations globally, by helping them in their change and transformation journey.

"Over the last few decades, change has become synonymous with communication, and as a philosophy, this is the myth we are trying to bust," Karunesh Prasad, Founder CEO, Change Et Al, tells us.

With a focus on problem-solving, deployment, and adoption within the team, Karunesh and his team took home the bronze award for Excellence in HR Change Management at the 10th annual edition of HR Excellence Awards, Singapore in 2022.

He shares more about the company's winning strategy in this interview.

Q Congratulations on the achievement! Could you take us through the highs and lows of your winning strategy?

We have built an agile workforce on the foundation of adaptability, enabling us to employ speed and flexibility as needed. Delving deeper into what it means to be agile in the change management industry, we incorporated a 'fail fast, learn fast' approach. We encourage partner organisations (and our team) to be nimble in our approach, engaging in iterative processes–seeking evolution with an accelerated momentum.

In creating the 4A methodology, we have created a programme that covers the three essential aspects of change management: Problem-solving, deployment, and adoption. Our vision is driven by an active approach that encompasses directly leading and assisting change initiatives, and further evolving change management education.

Q How did the HR team identify and align the business and employee needs, and craft out this perfect solution?

In most recent times, COVID-19 has been a major disruption that affected most industries. Given the unique circumstances of COVID, many organisations were not able to provide the training opportunities that existed pre-COVID. At the same time, gaps in change management training and capabilities have emerged, leading to another disruption in our workforce; this consistent lack of understanding meant that change management interventions tended to focus narrowly on communications-based methodology when, in fact, successful change plans contain the three aspects that we have mentioned: Problem-solving, deployment, and adoption.

Our '4A framework for change' is a consciously designed ecosystem of tools and techniques that equips our partnering organisations with complete and comprehensive change solutions. In a post-COVID climate, there is now a rapidly growing demand for online interaction. By quickly developing the program for online accessibility, we moved (and continue to keep moving) fast with the needs of the times, finding timely solutions to these disruptions.

Within the '4A' course, there is a resource depository of tools and templates, developed to suit a variety of change management needs, including a self-directed way of learning. As part of our goal to establish Change Et Al as a world-class source for complete change management solutions, we formed our sister company, Bridge Et Al, to serve as a 'bridge' resource of highly skilled experts and consultants across various industries, including the niche field of change and transformation work.

Q Could you share the results that your strategy has delivered – be it on the business, HR, or people side?

By 2021, within two years of launch, approximately 200 people, across more than 25 countries, have undergone our 4A Change Activists programme. Some verbatim comments from previous participants of our Change Activists Programme, using the 4A framework, include: “For the last six weeks, Tuesdays have become my new favorite day of the week! About 15 plus of us from the HR teams across geographies and backgrounds along with Ruth Gertler and Karunesh Prasad had loads of interesting discussions around the only constant—CHANGE.” (HR leader, Energy Company, India)

"The course was an intense learning experience (in a good way). It helped me deepen my understanding of change management supported by tools and methodologies. I feel that this will better position me to lead change more confidently, efficiently, and effectively." (Sr, HR Director, Global Energy Company, Houston, USA)

"It was an enriching learning experience and journey in itself with meaningful conversations along the way and sharing of industry examples. Certainly, a sense of achievement and fulfillment with all of your support and guidance, a BIG thank you! (Vice President, Global Bank, Singapore)

"Using case studies based on what Ruth and KP had shared with the groups was a great idea. Not only did we get to learn from their great expertise, but we were also able to apply it with the scenarios within the breakout session." (HR Manager, Global Energy Company, United Kingdom)

Q What is your message to all the stakeholders who have supported you in this journey?

With our contemporary and powerful change methodology, and a fast-growing demand for our change activists certification programme, we are very well positioned to be the leading change management partner for organisations around the world. We believe in the power of connectivity in the evolution of ideas; we look forward to continued collaboration and dialogue with our stakeholders and supporters.

Q What are you most excited about when you think about the future of HR?

We strongly believe that the gig economy is the next tsunami in talent management, to be embraced by modern employees. The gig economy does not mean only hiring freelancers; employers must create an ecosystem of flexible and agile working with talent, providing time and location flexibility as the main pillars. Therefore, the gig economy is not just about providing freelancers; we have adopted the mandate to educate the HR community working with employers, adapting change-building in a complete ecosystem, where freelance experts can work in teams that operate on smooth onboarding and engagement.

Another challenge that we noticed was freelancers getting undesirable offers, just because they were not aware of the rates; often, they accepted a gig out of desperation. This education–of understanding your worth–was also necessary for both freelancers and employers.


Image / Provided 

Read more interviews on why organisations have won trophies for their HR practices - head over to our Winning Secrets section!

Follow us on Telegram and on Instagram @humanresourcesonline for all the latest HR and manpower news from around the region!  

Follow us on Telegram and on Instagram @humanresourcesonline for all the latest HR and manpower news from around the region!

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