Nowa strona 1 » How to Support Operating Model Transitions During Business Transformation

Introduction: The HR Imperative in Operating Model Transitions

Business transformation initiatives—whether driven by mergers and acquisitions (M&A), digital disruptions, restructuring, or market shifts—are among the most complex challenges organizations face. At the core of successful transformation lies the effective redesign and transition of the operating model. This is not merely about changing organizational charts or processes but reshaping how value is delivered, how people work together, and how the culture evolves.

HR’s role in these transitions is critical yet often underestimated. The operating model transition impacts talent, leadership, and culture profoundly, making HR uniquely positioned to act as a strategic partner and catalyst for sustainable change.

This guide explores:

The key change considerations when shifting operating models amid transformations
How HR can lead talent transitions, culture shifts, and leadership enablement
The creation of transition blueprints and comprehensive change readiness strategies

Through deep insights, examples, and strategic frameworks, HR leaders will gain a robust toolkit to navigate and lead operating model transitions with confidence and impact.

1. Key Change Considerations in Shifting Operating Models

The Complexity and Risks of Operating Model Transitions

Operating model shifts during business transformations are high-stakes endeavors. They touch every part of the organization — structures, processes, systems, and most importantly, people. Missteps can lead to operational disruptions, employee disengagement, loss of critical talent, and failure to realize strategic benefits.

Three Common Transformation Scenarios Impacting Operating Models

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A): Combining distinct operating models, cultures, and talent pools into a unified system requires deliberate design and integration strategies.
Digital Transformation: Often entails a shift towards agile, technology-enabled operating models, demanding new skills, ways of working, and cultural mindsets.
Restructuring or Divestitures: Streamlining or reconfiguring operations to align with new strategic priorities, frequently involving workforce reductions or redeployments.

Each scenario poses unique challenges, but all share common critical change considerations.

Change Consideration 1: Alignment to Strategic Intent

Any operating model transition must start with a clear articulation of the strategic rationale driving the change. Whether the goal is to scale new capabilities post-M&A or to become more customer-centric through digital enablement, the operating model must enable these outcomes.

HR must partner with strategy and business leaders early to ensure the new operating model design reflects and supports evolving strategic priorities.

Change Consideration 2: Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

Transformation generates uncertainty and anxiety among employees, leaders, and customers. Active, transparent communication is essential to build trust, manage expectations, and reduce resistance.

A stakeholder mapping exercise helps identify key groups, their concerns, and preferred communication channels. Messaging must be tailored and ongoing, reinforcing the vision, benefits, and the role everyone plays in the transition.

Change Consideration 3: Talent Implications and Workforce Planning

Transitioning operating models frequently necessitates changes in roles, skills, and headcount. Talent risks include turnover of critical staff, gaps in new skills, and lowered morale.

HR’s role is to anticipate these risks through workforce planning, talent segmentation, and skills gap analyses. Proactive interventions such as reskilling, redeployment, and targeted retention plans are essential.

Change Consideration 4: Culture and Behavioral Shifts

Successful transitions depend not only on structures and systems but also on shifting mindsets and behaviors to align with new ways of working.

Culture audits and employee sentiment analysis provide baseline insights. HR must design targeted interventions, including role modeling, training, recognition, and narrative shaping, to embed new cultural norms.

Change Consideration 5: Leadership Alignment and Capability

Leaders act as role models and decision-makers during transitions. Their understanding, commitment, and capability profoundly influence success.

Assessing leadership readiness, clarifying expectations, and delivering tailored development programs ensure leaders can effectively drive and sustain change.

Change Consideration 6: Process and System Integration

Operating model shifts often involve new workflows, decision rights, and technology platforms. Disjointed systems or unclear processes undermine operational efficiency and employee experience.

Collaboration between HR, IT, and operations to align process redesign with technology deployment is critical, ensuring smooth transition and minimal disruption.

Practical Example: M&A Operating Model Transition

In a recent global M&A, a manufacturing company acquired a technology startup to accelerate innovation. Key change considerations included:

Strategic clarity: Aligning the combined model to a “fast innovation with scale” ambition
Stakeholder engagement: Frequent town halls and interactive Q&A sessions to address concerns
Talent strategy: Identifying key tech talent and implementing retention bonuses
Culture integration: Cross-company team-building initiatives and shared purpose campaigns
Leadership enablement: Coaching for integration leaders on new decision-making models
Process harmonization: Standardizing reporting while allowing startup teams agility

This holistic approach contributed to successful integration within 12 months with minimal disruption.

2. HR’s Role in Talent Transition, Culture Shift, and Leadership Enablement

Talent Transition: Beyond Workforce Reduction

While layoffs are sometimes unavoidable, effective talent transition goes far beyond cuts. It encompasses managing mobility, capability building, redeployment, and onboarding new talent aligned to the future model.

Key HR Interventions for Talent Transition

Talent Segmentation: Differentiate approaches for critical talent, at-risk groups, and surplus roles.
Reskilling and Upskilling: Launch targeted learning journeys aligned with new capability requirements.
Redeployment: Facilitate internal moves to retain institutional knowledge and reduce external hiring.
Outplacement and Support: Provide compassionate support and career transition services for affected employees.
Onboarding: Design accelerated onboarding to integrate new talent swiftly into the transformed model.

Culture Shift: Cultivating the Desired Mindset

Culture underpins whether the operating model change takes hold or falters. It is the invisible architecture that guides behaviors and decisions.

HR Strategies for Culture Change

Define the desired culture: Using frameworks like the Competing Values Framework or cultural archetypes to clarify target norms.
Conduct cultural diagnostics: Using surveys, focus groups, and ethnographic methods to understand gaps and resistances.
Leadership storytelling: Equipping leaders to articulate and embody the new culture narrative.
Recognition and rewards: Align incentives and recognition to reinforce desired behaviors.
Rituals and symbols: Leverage ceremonies, artifacts, and language to embed new culture.

Leadership Enablement: Preparing Leaders for Transition

Leaders are change agents who translate strategy into action. They must be equipped to manage uncertainty, make decisions amidst ambiguity, and sustain morale.

Effective Leadership Enablement Practices

Leadership alignment workshops: Create shared understanding of new operating models and expectations.
Capability development: Focus on change leadership skills, emotional intelligence, and strategic agility.
Peer coaching and communities of practice: Facilitate leader learning networks for support and idea exchange.
Feedback loops: Establish 360-degree feedback to monitor and improve leadership effectiveness during transition.

Illustrative Case: Digital Transformation Culture Shift

A financial services firm undergoing digital transformation faced cultural resistance rooted in risk aversion and hierarchical decision-making. HR led a multi-year culture change program emphasizing:

Leadership modeling agile behaviors
Embedding “fail fast, learn fast” mindsets through storytelling
Revamping reward systems to recognize collaboration and innovation
Creating physical and virtual spaces for cross-functional teams to experiment

The initiative yielded a measurable increase in employee engagement and innovation metrics.

3. Developing Transition Blueprints and Change Readiness Strategies

Transition Blueprints: The Operating Model’s Roadmap

Transition blueprints serve as detailed, visual plans describing how the organization will move from the current to the future operating model.

Elements of an Effective Transition Blueprint

Current vs. Future state assessment: Clear depiction of changes across structure, roles, processes, technology, and culture.
Milestones and timelines: Phased approach with specific deliverables.
Roles and responsibilities: Accountabilities for change agents, HR, leadership, and employees.
Risk and mitigation plans: Identification of potential obstacles and contingency plans.
Communication and engagement plans: Tailored strategies for various stakeholder groups.
Training and capability development: Learning interventions linked to milestones.

Blueprints are living documents, iterated as insights emerge during implementation.

Change Readiness Assessments: Diagnosing Preparedness

Before and during transition, assessing readiness helps identify gaps and tailor interventions.

Typical Dimensions Assessed

Leadership readiness: Commitment and capability to lead change
Employee mindset: Openness to change, understanding of benefits, and anxiety levels
Organizational culture: Alignment with future ways of working
Talent and capability gaps: Skills and resources needed
Operational readiness: Infrastructure and process readiness to support change

Data collection methods include surveys, interviews, workshops, and document reviews.

Building a Change Readiness Strategy

Based on assessment results, HR designs strategies covering:

Targeted communications: Addressing specific concerns and information needs
Capability building: Customized learning and development programs
Engagement initiatives: Involving employees in shaping transition activities
Monitoring mechanisms: Ongoing measurement of readiness indicators and course corrections

Example: Transition Blueprint for Restructuring

A retail company restructuring its supply chain designed a transition blueprint that:

Mapped current vs. future supply chain roles and processes
Defined a 12-month phased rollout with clear milestones
Assigned change leads in each region responsible for local execution
Included a detailed risk matrix addressing union concerns and operational continuity
Outlined a comprehensive communication plan involving all levels of staff
Incorporated training plans for new digital tools and ways of working

Conclusion: HR as a Strategic Partner in Operating Model Transitions

Operating model transitions during business transformations are multifaceted, complex, and require more than just structural change. The human dimension — talent, culture, and leadership — is the linchpin for success.

HR’s strategic partnership throughout the transition journey—from design through execution—ensures that the organization not only changes but thrives in its new operating model.

By anticipating change considerations, leading talent and culture initiatives, and crafting detailed transition blueprints and readiness strategies, HR leaders become architects of resilient, agile organizations ready for the future.