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Consulting Proposal #2: Change Agent in Waiting
Eric Castro
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
BMAL 504: Leading Organizational Change
Change Agent in Waiting
Definition of Project:
This solution solves the significant change difficulty identified in the case study "Change
Agent in Waiting," which involved Singapore's Housing Development Board (HDB). The focus is
on Ms. Tan, a returning mid-level leader wanting to drive change in a public organization known
for its hierarchy, tradition, and operational rigidity. While the public sector appreciates structure
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and consistency, particularly in high-accountability contexts like Singapore, this frequently stifles
innovation and agility (Demircioglu & Chowdhury, 2020). The project's goal is to provide Ms. Tan
—and others in comparable positions—with skills and techniques to help her lead significant
change from the middle management level.
The consulting endeavor aims to create a framework for cultural evolution,
crossfunctional collaboration, and employee involvement while maintaining the agency's core
goal. It also emphasizes the implementation of long-term, systemic change tools to ensure that
results are sustained beyond individual leadership efforts. The strategic direction will include
leadership development, system redesign, and the establishment of formal feedback and
learning paths to foster adaptive behavior throughout the business.
Diagnosis of Current Situation:
The Housing Development Board is an example of a highly structured, government-run
organization with strict internal systems and risk-averse decision-making procedures. Its success
in providing housing solutions has been built on predictability and standardization, which, while
useful for consistency, has also contributed to stagnation in organizational learning and
responsiveness to internal change initiatives. When Ms. Tan returned to HDB with plans to
execute change, she found a staff resistant to reform and confined by procedural adherence and
role compartmentalization.
Several significant hurdles to change are present. First, communication inside HDB is
primarily top-down, with little possibilities for horizontal involvement or bottom-up input.
Departments work in silos, and the lack of shared goals or KPIs can make collaboration difficult
to foster. Furthermore, the current culture values procedural conformity above
experimentation, leaving little possibility for creativity or cross-functional problem solving.
The intended future state anticipates a more agile company that prioritizes
crossfunctional collaboration, shared leadership responsibilities, and continuous learning.
Compared to the existing condition, this would indicate an organizational atmosphere that
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values teamwork, encourages safe risk-taking, and empowers leaders at all levels to begin and
steer change. Bridging the gap between these two states necessitates the creation of new
procedures and practices that empower employees while retaining HDB's existing structure.
Recommendations:
To achieve this desirable state, the following five evidence-based recommendations are
suggested:
1. Establish a Cross-Functional Change Coalition
A formal alliance composed of officials from many departments might act as a catalyst
for change. This coalition should be given the authority to find improvement
opportunities, design experiments, and report results directly to senior leadership.
Crossfunctional working groups have been demonstrated to reduce organizational silos
and boost internal creativity, especially in government organizations where formal
hierarchies frequently prevent informal communication (Di Giulio & Vecchi, 2021). The
presence of a cross-departmental team demonstrates a commitment to inclusiveness
and shared responsibility for change.
2. Develop a Tiered Communication Strategy
Open and structured communication is essential for promoting psychological safety and
aligning employee perceptions with leadership aims. HDB should develop a tiered
communication approach that includes frequent town halls, anonymous digital feedback
forums, and weekly email updates from executive leadership. Gasco-Hernandez et al.
(2022) found that consistent and transparent messaging enhances organizational
alignment and minimizes resistance to change by instilling trust and clarity.
3. Launch a Change Leadership Academy
To support the efforts of middle managers such as Ms. Tan, HDB should implement a
leadership development program designed to improve leadership skills. This effort
would include courses in systems thinking, influencing strategies, and peer mentorship.
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A leadership school based on action learning has shown beneficial in facilitating change
from middle management roles, particularly in bureaucratic situations where formal
authority is limited (Pansera et al., 2022). The academy would foster a friendly learning
atmosphere while providing managers with practical tools for overcoming resistance and
ambiguity.
4. Realign Performance Metrics and Feedback Systems
HDB's current assessment processes are largely focused on individual work completion
and departmental KPIs. These should be updated to incentivize collaborative outcomes
and innovation. Performance measurements should incorporate cross-departmental
objectives, whereas 360-degree assessments can provide a more comprehensive picture
of leadership effectiveness and team influence. Gong et al. (2022) show that changed
incentive structures help to shift organizational culture and reinforce desired behaviors.
Implementing team-based success criteria promotes interdependence and shared
accountability.
5. Create a Cultural Change Coalition (CCC)
To reduce risk and stimulate experimentation, HDB should launch small-scale pilot
initiatives in which mid-level leaders can test new processes in controlled conditions.
These initiatives should be measured, reviewed, and, if successful, scaled throughout
the organization. Pilot programs provide clear evidence of progress and can serve as
proofof-concept initiatives, gradually building momentum for larger transformations
(Pansera et al., 2022). Documenting lessons learnt from each pilot will also help with
institutional learning.
Implementation Plan:
This transformation approach will be implemented in six phases over six months, with
the goal of increasing trust, capability, and organizational alignment.
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Phase 1: Sponsorship and Coalition Formation (Months 1-2)
Executive leadership will choose a senior sponsor for the initiative and choose coalition
members from important departments. Clear goals and duties will be established to
direct the group's initial efforts.
Phase 2: Organizational Readiness Assessment (Months 3-5)
Surveys and interviews will be carried out to establish a baseline for organizational
culture, employee engagement, and communication efficiency. The findings will help to
shape the design of a personalized intervention.
Phase 3: Capacity Building (Months 6-10)
The Change Leadership Academy will be launched, starting with Ms. Tan's cohort.
Training sessions will focus on storytelling, influence, negotiation, and systems thinking.
Senior leaders will mentor and encourage the participants.
Phase 4: Pilot Initiatives (Months 11-16)
Cross-functional teams will implement selected pilot projects. These projects will track
progress using visual dashboards and weekly assessments. The results will be
documented and disseminated within the organization.
Phase 5: Evaluation and Scaling (Months 17-22)
Lessons from pilots will be used to improve processes and training content. Successful
techniques will be expanded to include other teams and integrated into performance
management systems.
Phase 6: Institutionalization (Months 23-26)
The final phase activities will include changing formal policies, job descriptions, and
communication procedures to reflect new values and expectations. Success will be
honored in internal publications and town halls to promote the new norm.
Summary:
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The Housing Development Board is at a crossroads, where it must weigh the benefits of
its current structure against the need to become more adaptable, responsive, and employee
driven. This proposal lays out a strategic and actionable plan for Ms. Tan and others in
comparable positions to drive change from the center. HDB may foster a collaborative and
innovative culture by establishing a structured change coalition, allowing for transparent
communication, empowering middle managers through leadership development, and realigning
incentives.
The change method proposed here is slow but deliberate, using little victories to
promote widespread transformation. With the correct sponsorship, measuring systems, and
reinforcement, HDB can become a more agile company while maintaining its reputation for
excellence in the public sector.
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References
Demircioglu, M. A., & Chowdhury, F. (2020). Entrepreneurship in public organizations: the role
of leadership behavior. Small Business Economics, 57(3), 1107–1123.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-020-00328-w
Di Giulio, M., & Vecchi, G. (2021). Implementing digitalization in the public sector.
Technologies, agency, and governance. Public Policy and Administration, 38(2), 133–
158. https://doi.org/10.1177/09520767211023283
Gasco-Hernandez, M., Nasi, G., Cucciniello, M., & Hiedemann, A. M. (2022). The role of
organizational capacity to foster digital transformation in local governments: The case of
three European smart cities. Urban Governance, 2(2), 236–246.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ugj.2022.09.005
Gong, L., Jiang, S., & Liang, X. (2022). Competing value framework-based culture
transformation. Journal of Business Research, 145, 853–863.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.03.019
Liberty University Custom: Create (2021). Leading Organizational Change. New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill/Create. ISBN: 9781307709094.
Pansera, M., Marsh, A., Owen, R., López, J. a. F., & De Alba Ulloa, J. L. (2022). Exploring Citizen
Participation in Smart City Development in Mexico City: An institutional logics approach.
Organization Studies, 44(10), 1679–1701. https://doi.org/10.1177/01708406221094194
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