Building Change

Capability:
A Case Study from
Waitrose & Partners

Christopher Pue & Louise Hutchings

Who We Are

An employee owned business with

85,000 Partners across John Lewis and
Waitrose

Every Partner has a stake in the business

with the co-ownership business model

The model means that Partners have a

vested interest in how the business can
work better

Partners have a voice in the business, the

continuation of the Chairman is voted on
every year by elected Councillors
What Are We Known For?

Student Essentials A New Brand

Christmas Advert ‘Forced’ Rhubarb

Who We Are

Food
Food Service
Change Management in the Partnership

Waitrose Change Practice

established

Waitrose followed suit,

2017
creating a team of Change
Managers

John Lewis created a team of

2018
2016

20 Change Managers, focused Pan-Partnership projects

on projects from system begin to have Change
implementation to Org Managers supporting them
Change
John Lewis Change Practice ‘Group’ Change Practice
established established
Why Did We Invest in Change Management?

Consistent Experience of Change

Creates a clear
need for a
100% Achieving ROI structured
methodology
for landing and
Building a Change Culture
sustaining
change with
Shifting Customer Behaviour dedicated
resource
accountable
External Factors (e.g. Brexit)
Challenges and Mitigations
Challenge Mitigation Challenge Mitigation

Tailored engagement The perception that

Apprehension over sessions to different Change Management
Introducing an end-to-
what Change teams, demonstrating just looks at
end Change Framework
Management is new handoffs and ways communication or
of working training

Mitigation Challenge Mitigation Challenge

Aligning with a Project

Value-add activities as The business finds it Getting a ‘foot in the
Management
early as possible in the hard to accept the cost door’ at an appropriate
Framework to establish
project lifecycle of Change Management stage
where we ‘fit’
Bringing This to Life:

Multifunctional Devices in
Shops
What is the Multi Functional Device?
A handheld smartphone that consolidates many of our current one system/one
device applications onto one device

Improve customer service experience

Improve job satisfaction and generate excitement

Improve Partner efficiency

Reduce the support and maintenance costs of devices

Reduce the future hardware spend on devices

MFDs: Change Challenges faced and Mitigations
Challenge Mitigation Challenge Mitigation

Clear Week -7 to week

Ensured enough devices
Historic device loss +4 engagement path to Current sharing of
for every Partner to
culture embed new ways of devices in shops
have one
working

Mitigation Challenge Mitigation Challenge

Ensure Change
Add in new shop Some Partners not used
Processes not in place Network in place
processes and to smartphone
to ensure rigour throughout and
dashboard to help technology
particularly on live day
The Journey

20 Shops rolled out Rollout begins

No change management in Rolled out to further 150 shops Currently
place, by end of 2017 device 225 shops with MFDs
loss rate was ……. Current Device loss rate at ……..

March
2018 2019

Summer June
2017 2018
Trial in 35 shops Complete rollout
Rollout to further 150 shops first half 2019
Test full change management process
including training, readiness, transition
approach, go live and adoption
Our Change Principles
The behaviour shift in device management, and the reduction of lost devices, was the biggest challenge.
These are the principles we followed to land this cultural change

Comms tools Change Network Shop Process

Clear Comms Change Network Opening Checklist

Simple clear communication and In place to lead and land the change Dashboard check process
timeline as part of opening

Network for Change Network

Google Communities MFD site, learning material, Clear Signage
Speaking to others going through the social media On device cabinets to help Partners
same change with process

Shop Readiness + Adoption Surveys

Feedback route To gather feedback and asses go/no go Escalation
Feedback form on device Clear escalation for shops
missing devices
The MFD Change Network
● Our change network was vital for embedding the cultural change
● A number of people both in head office and out in shops help to land that cultural change

)
IL
H

t
(C

or
pp
da

Su
Le
n

n
io

io
t
t
ta

ta

n
en

en

r
o

se
pi
m
em

U
m
e
pl

pl

rs
rt
ha
Im

Im

se
pe
C

tU
Ex
e

e
ng

ng

ng

r
pe
ad
ha

ha

ha

Ex
Le
C

Head office roles C Shop roles

Change Management Approach
activity
Shop

WEEK -7 WEEK -5 to -3 Week -1 to SHOP GO LIVE WEEK +1 WEEK +2 WEEK +4

WEEK -5 WEEK -2 to -1 SHOP GO LIVE WEEK +1 WEEK +2 WEEK +4

adoption activity
Underpinned by
Readiness &

*CIS = Change implementation support I CC = Change Champion

Change Management Approach

Liaising with Train Lead Expert Follow Up with Old Devices

activity

devices sent
and Change
Shop

Change In shop Live Day Expert Users and back to Head Office
Champions to Champion Support Change for
provide support Week-3 Champions decommissioning

Continuous
Follow Up with Continued
Initial Comms to contact to ensure Devices installed BAU Support
shop Partners to support if
Store shop ready for in shop processes
gather feedback required

Ongoing monitoring if not signed off

change

WEEK -7 WEEK -5 to -3 Week -1 to SHOP GO LIVE WEEK +1 WEEK +2 WEEK +4

WEEK -5 WEEK -2 to -1 SHOP GO LIVE WEEK +1 WEEK +2 WEEK +4

adoption activity
Underpinned by
Readiness &

Shop Partners Adoption Shop Partners

Call from CIS* to complete complete CIS completes
Sign off material Reporting
Change Champion readiness Adoption survey. sign off yes/no
discussed by CIS reviewed. Follow
conducted assessments -2 Follow up call to document, Liaises
up call to CC
CC with CC. Into BAU
CC completes
readiness survey
Wk -2 CC completed
Adoption survey
at week +2

*CIS = Change implementation support I CC = Change Champion

Readiness and Adoption Surveys
At week -2 a readiness survey is sent to shop for 10 Partners to complete to understand how Partners are feeling about the change.
Similarly a survey is sent at week+2 to understand how implementation has gone
What do I know about the What does it mean for me? I have been given the tools to do
change? the job?
 Lessons Learnt Sessions
To enable the process to be continually reviewed we held lessons learnt sessions at certain points of the rollout. Here is an example after our test shops in March
and some of the lessons learnt
Comms tools
Clear
Clear Comms
Comms Review
Review after
after pilot
pilot Shops
Shops

Google
Google Communities
Communities ● Pilot shop rollouts have gone well.
● Engagement is strong and shops are embedding
Feedback the cultural changes ● Further review to be held
Feedback routes
routes
● Sign off criteria for shops at week +4 is robust and early May to ensure current
is being adhered to changes are working
Change Network Lessons
Lessons learnt
learnt session
session held
held and
and the
the following
following ● Fully sign off all change
Change changes have
have been
been implemented:
Change Network
Network changes implemented: management material for go
live
Network 1. Streamlined
Streamlined comms
comms -- only
only 1
1 pack
pack delivered
delivered at
Network for
for Change
Change Network
Network 1. at
week
week -7
-7 and
and then
then constant
constant contact
contact from
from Change
Change ● We are confident in our
Shop Implementation
Implementation Support
Support
Shop Readiness
Readiness 2. Number
approach and don't expect
2. Number of of training
training devices
devices increased
increased any significant changes
3.
3. Adjusted
Adjusted attendance at
attendance at the
the training
training session,
session,
so going forward. Therefore
so now
now Change
Change Champion
Champion will
will attend
attend with
with
Expert we are well placed to
Shop Process Expert user
user lead
lead to
to further
further ensure
ensure culture
culture is
is
fully embedded
embedded proceed into the main
fully
4. Readiness rollout
Checklist
Checklist change
change 4. Readiness and
and adoption
adoption surveys
surveys have
have had
had aa
lower response
lower response than
than anticipated
anticipated however
however
Clear insight
insight being
being received
received is
is hugely
hugely valuable
valuable so
so we
Clear signage
signage we
will continue
will continue with
with this
this approach
approach
Escalation
Escalation channels
channels
Key Learnings

Collaborative
training
approach Ensure
change
Ensure Network is
comms calls onboarded
out what's in
it for the
Clear sign off user
metrics and
processes A real focus on
readiness and
Focus on what adoption
works for
your program Get
e.g. a clear Partner/Staff
timeline feedback
throughout
Q&A