Embracing change is essential in the ever-evolving digital learning landscape. As a senior learning and development consultant at PwC, I’ve had an opportunity to play a key role in our digital transformation efforts. Most recently, I was involved in integrating our onboarding training with a digital adoption platform called WalkMe. This year-long project has been a significant pivot in our training approach, presenting challenges but also highlighting the critical role of leadership and implementing successful digital learning environments. Reflecting on this experience and conversations with colleagues, I’ve identified five key elements essential for addressing change in these settings.
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Leadership Commitment
The goal of transitioning onboarding content to the WalkMe platform was aimed at enhancing new hire engagement and streamlining the learning curve associated with firmwide tools. However, implementing this change required a shift in mindset and culture in addition to the new technology. With the scale and impact of this change cascading through the firm, the success of integrating WalkMe successfully depended significantly on leadership commitment. Reflecting on Kotter’s 8-Step Process, the leadership team didn’t just endorse the initiative; they were at the forefront, navigating the change, demonstrating its value, and fostering an environment receptive to the new technology through department ambassadors (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2021). Looking back, active leadership involvement and urgency from the onset of the project was a crucial element in setting a positive tone for the transition. This approach also aligns with Fullan’s principles of change leadership, which stress the significance of leading by example and fostering a culture of continuous learning (Acton, 2020).
Tailored Engagement
Through staff and leader analysis in the needs assessment, it was identified that a learner centric approach would be required to ensure relevancy and enhance engagement. To learn more about the context behind this decision, I reached out to my director, Tammy Goncalves, and received insight on the challenges she faced as the project owner. She discussed how a critical part of the firm’s strategic alignment involved engaging with different stakeholder groups to understand their needs, expectations, and concerns (Brown et al., 2024). She faced challenges in navigating the diverse perspectives to find common ground and ensure that WalkMe had broad support and was seen as relevant across the organization. Due to the varied use of this technology, she decided we would need to tailor the implementation of this project for the learners and advocated for modular and interactive content in our planning phase. This discussion reminded me of how engagement strategies such as gamification and interactive learning align with Tammy’s insights and Keller’s ARCS model, emphasizing the importance of making learning experiences motivational and relevant (Li & Keller, 2018).
Cross-Functional Collaboration
My department has communication standards in place for our projects and internal collaboration. In the past, collaboration with other departments was manageable through communication with representatives. However, when inconsistencies and confusion arose in status update meetings, I quickly realized we would need to establish cross-functional guidelines for this project. The goal was to bridge gaps through transparent communication facilitated by a shared understanding and alignment of goals across departments (Yue et al., 2019). I found how beneficial this practice was after recently speaking with my counterpart, Craig Nguyen, in IT services. Craig pointed out how initial gaps in communication between the L&D and IT departments led to misunderstandings and processing delays. The main challenge was aligning the processes and languages of both departments to reduce misdirected efforts. Craig highlighted how the advent of the shared communication guideline helped both teams to clarify project goal expectations and technical specifications of the WalkMe platform. His insights highlighted the importance of meticulous planning and collaboration between the L&D and IT departments, reflecting the cross-functional coordination supported by Kotter’s 8-Step Process for Leading Change (Dahmus, 2022).
Addressing Resistance
Although the project was initially intended to address onboarding training, feedback from partners suggested implementing WalkMe in leadership development and software certification training programs as well. Due to this extensive launch, we phased rollouts and incorporated iterative feedback for a smooth implementation process. Throughout this phase my team and I were aware that resistance to change would be inevitable. However, through strategic communication and support mechanisms we addressed fears and uncertainties head-on. We met the resistance to change from department leaders with empathy and clear communication. We had developed detailed job aids for clarity and combated skepticism by demonstrating the tangible benefits of WalkMe. Not only have these strategies assisted in easing resistance to change, but it has also promoted a culture of continuous learning (Scaled Agile Inc., 2024).
Ongoing Evaluation
Once the final stage of implementation is complete, the next phase of this project will be to perform ongoing evaluation. Continuous monitoring, feedback, and adaptation are part of our 360-degree feedback strategy, ensuring that digital learning remains relevant and effective. Using Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model, we have planned to conduct formative and summarize evaluations to gather immediate and long-term outcomes of effectiveness (MindTools, 2021). Looking back, planning for these strategies was in line with the ADKAR model, which outlines the necessary steps for individual change, from awareness to reinforcement (Prosci Inc., n.d.).
References
Acton, K. (2020). School leaders as change agents: Do principals have the tools they need? Management in Education, 35(1), 43–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/0892020620927415
Brown, P., Mani, M., Sheppard, B., & Wakefield, N. (2024). Transformative leadership for extraordinary times. In Strategy + Business. PricewaterhouseCoopers. https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/transformation/transformative-leadership-for-extraordinary-times.pdf
Dahmus, L. (2022, April 19). Enterprise-Wide change: Keys to a successful journey. https://www.td.org/atd-blog/enterprise-wide-change-keys-to-a-successful-journey
Li, K., & Keller, J. M. (2018). Use of the ARCS model in education: A literature review. Computers & Education, 122, 54–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.03.019
MindTools. (2021). KirkPatrick’s model: Four levels of training evaluation. https://www.mindtools.com/ak1yhhs/kirkpatricks-four-level-training-evaluation-model
PricewaterhouseCoopers. (2021). The people agenda: Optimising Performance at the Front Line. https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/people-change-consulting-services/pdf/pwc_managing_people.pdf
Prosci Inc. (n.d.). The ProsCi ADKAR® Model | ProsCi. https://www.prosci.com/methodology/adkar
Scaled Agile, Inc. (2024, March 7). Continuous Learning Culture – Scaled Agile framework. Scaled Agile Framework. https://scaledagileframework.com/continuous-learning-culture/
Yue, C. A., Men, L. R., & Ferguson, M. A. (2019). Bridging transformational leadership, transparent communication, and employee openness to change: The mediating role of trust. Public Relations Review, 45(3), 101779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2019.04.012