CONSULTING PROPOSAL #1 1
Consulting Proposal #1
STUDENT NAME
Liberty University
BMAL 504 – Leading Organizational Change
CONSULTING PROPOSAL #1 2
Definition of Project:
Seagram has set an attainable goal to more effectively manage their business processes, reduce
costs and identify future growth opportunities (Jick, 2010 p.). The scope of the project will be to
fully implement the identified missing link; The Seagram Values. That is to cement the new
values system firmly into the company in order to change culture and behavior at Seagram, thus
positioning it as a best managed and growing international firm.
Diagnosis of current situation:
Seagram’s core markets are eroding which has led to a recognition that the company needed
strategic repositioning and a redefinition of the competitive advantage. To do this, Seagram
expanded internationally, acquired the global fruit juice business from Dole, and purchased an
80% share in MCA Inc. A core component of the plan was to become customer centric and thus
bring growth back to the company (Jick, 2010, p.).
The current culture at Seagram brought decades of growth but stalemated in the 1990’s. A current
culture of independence, functional pride, and authority is not flexible and responsive enough to
compete in the current markets.
Values development and integration training has been an excellent first step; however, many
employees are unconvinced that the changes will persist. To revolutionize the culture and ensure
change is fully institutionalized, the company must recognize and properly address the issues
raised during feedback at Values Training seminars.
Recommendations:
Modern businesses are learning to become more successful through the processes approach,
however, a key piece that is often overlooked is an organizational learning culture (Kelaj, 2006,
p347). An organizational learning culture is one that changes behavior by “creating, acquiring
and transferring knowledge as well as modifying behavior to reflect new knowledge” (Kelaj,
2006, p348). In order for Seagram to be successful in implementing change to be a profitable
multi-national and diversified company it must do more than adjust current or seek new
processes, it must become a learning organization. Seagram must take the knowledge gained
during the Values Training program, called ‘challenge themes’ and translate that knowledge into
usable information relevant to their mission and make knowledge and new processes available to
the whole organization. Seagram must also continually focus on its values while remaining open
to change thereby becoming a learning and adaptive organization.
CONSULTING PROPOSAL #1 3
Implementation Plan:
Address Challenge themes (convert words into accomplishments):
1) How to pursue the employee recommendations?
The time that the employees have invested into thinking about and making
recommendations needs to be validated by sharing what was learned. An action
officer needs to be appointed to each of the recommendations based on the functional
area. The current and future suggestions/trends must be tracked and have progress
briefed at the executive level. The suggested method for ensuring that employees feel
that their investment has weight is to provide a concise summary of the results with
key insights, and where possible, action steps and/or an implementation timeline.
Depending on the level that the recommendation is implemented at, the summary
should be shared appropriately. For example, the solution plan can be emailed, posted
to a company message board or online, shared in a senior meeting/presentation
format, or presented by lower managers at work team meetings. It should be
communicated in as many way necessary to make it effective without overdoing it.
Providing feedback for employee recommendations puts the Seagrams Values into
action sends a message that the management team values their input. By exhibiting
managements sincerity in dealing with feedback, change will be institutionalized and
cynicism will be eradicated faster. This will also increase stakeholder buy-in and
encourage more participation in the future (Knoll, 2016).
2) How/Will violators be punished?
The company must develop a sound legal policy with a progression of forewarnings
and time for adjustment given in a developmental counseling format prior to
termination or discipline (Kubasek, 2015, p.623). It is likely that many managers
and/or employees who are non-conformers to the new culture will leave the
organization on their own.
Employees are stakeholders so they need to be assured that all stakeholders will have
a sufficient period to modify behavior. If there is no system to address non-
conformers then change will not be implemented. Setting a specific time for
punishment or termination is not the best answer as different people take different
amounts of time to adjust and embrace change.
Initially the 360-degree feedback report will be used as a developmental tool. After a
one-year period it will be used both as a development and evaluative instrument.
CONSULTING PROPOSAL #1 4
Within a year of change implementation, low-scorers would be identified and
counseled according to their score. An improvement plan will be formed and
followed up on by the managers senior. Non-conformance will result in termination at
determined periods (such as 30, 60, 90, 120 days) based on values 360 evaluations
after the initial grace period for low-scorers.
3) How will values champions be rewarded?
A rewards program will be implemented that recognizes ‘Values Champions’ by
rewarding outstanding achievements and recommendations. The objective is to
inspire the company and to consistently reinforce Seagram Values. The program will
have both formal and informal elements and monetary and non-monetary rewards.
a) Executive leader through first-line leader involvement plays a strong role as they
are highly visible members of the team. Executive level recognition sets a positive
example and has more weight than lower-level management. The level of leader
involvement will be commensurate with the award. Some examples are;
a. Scheduling time on executive calendars to participate in recognition
events.
b. Scheduling management to speak about new ideas and ‘Values
Champions’ at company meetings.
c. Leader letters to be included in the company newsletter and on the website
praising the ‘Values Champions’.
d. A system will be developed that allows first-line through mid-level
managers to coordinate for personal letters of commendation to “Values
Champions’ who achieved certain benchmarks.
e. The company will sponsor an annual barbeque at each of its locations for
employees. At least one executive level leader will attend and thank
employees and stress their importance.
(Ideas above adapted from Micro-Edge best practices volunteer
recognition program)
b) Additional motivators will be more monetarily focused such as cash bonuses,
raises, and promotions. The company will also offer grants equal to bonus
amounts that the employee can donate to their favorite charity. Merchandise
rewards such as key chains, mugs, t-shirts, etc will also be given out to “Values
Champions” during company meetings and the annual barbeque.
(Idea above adapted from Micro-Edge best practices volunteer recognition
program)
4) What should be done with the 15,000 new employees from MCA/Universal?
MCA will not be immediately inducted into the new training. Instead, MCA’s senior
leaders will participate in training with Seagram’s senior leaders. Following the joint-
CONSULTING PROPOSAL #1 5
training, MCA and Seagram leaders will develop an implementation plan that takes
MCA’s current culture into account. This is in line with an extensive study published
in the Journal of Change Management covering change in a multi-national company
which summarized that “…while preserving traditional organizational values, the
company could change from one type of behavior to another within the existing
culture…” (Muratbekova, 2005, p.207). The culture within MCA needs to be acutely
examined. It may already be a learning organization and with a few tweaks can be
adjusted to be in-line with Seagram Values. This may alleviate the need for major
change. It may also be discovered that major change is needed.
5) How does Seagram institutionalize and sustain momentum on its new values?
In order to make change permanent, executive leadership at Seagram must not allow
past cultural tendencies to inhibit new management tendencies (Muratbekova, 2005,
p.216). Seagram is asking for teamwork, cross-functional communication and
innovation, therefore it must support and recognize those behaviors as positive.
Higher engagement from leadership in the “Values Champion” recognition program
will strengthen the change initiative and increase loyalty among stakeholders. Leaders
must recognize employees as the face of the company in the community and treat
their input as valuable. Effort must be given to ensure feedback is taken into
consideration and the outcome is effectively communicated back to employees.
Conformers to change will be hailed as “Values Champions” and continual non-
conformers will be eliminated from the Seagram workforce.
Summary:
“Successful corporate communication really starts with a healthy business culture that promotes
and models the same value system from the top down. Leaders of the company must clearly
define the values of the organization, the vision of leadership and expected behaviors for
employees” (McFarland, 2010).
As the company diversifies there will be more chances for confusion, varying goals from
differing functional cores, and inefficiencies can arise. Seagram’s implementation of the Seagram
values will unite the company and promote a healthy business culture by using the same value
system from the top leadership to the lowest employee.
Seagram will implement a five-point plan based on valuable feedback gained during the Values
Training in order to become a learning organization. These actions will meet Seagram’s goals of
having more efficient processes, reduced costs, and increased customer focus. Seagram will then
be positioned to be a ‘best-managed’, profitable, multi-national, and diversified company.
CONSULTING PROPOSAL #1 6
REFERENCES
Jick, T & Peiper, M. (2011) Managing Change (3rd Ed.) McGraw Hill Publishing. New York.
MacFarland, S. (2013, November 6). Why Should Companies and Employees Have Shared
Values? Retrieved July 22, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-macfarland/why-
should-companies-and-_b_4225199.html
CONSULTING PROPOSAL #1 7
Muratbekova-Touron, M. (2005). Permanence and change: Case study of changes in
organizational culture at a multinational company. Journal of Change Management, 5(2), 207-
219. doi:10.1080/14697010500133440
Kelaj, M., & Indhar, M. (206, September 20). Organizational learning culture- the missing link
between business process change and organizational performance. Internati Journal of
Production Economics, 106, 346-367. doi:10.1016/j/ijpe.2006.07.009
Kubasek, N, K., Brennan, B.A., & Browne, M.N. (2015). The Legal Environment of Business: A
Critical Thinking Approach (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
U. (n.d.). Three Keys to Successful Change Readiness Surveys. Retrieved July 22, 2016, from
http://www.knoll.com/knollnewsdetail/threekeys-to-successful-change-readiness-surveys
U. (n.d.). Using a Rewards Program to Recognize and. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
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