On 13 June 2008 Adam Crozier, Chief Executive of Royal Mail, gave an exclusive insight to the WIG membership on the challenges he has faced and what he has learned in his time at Royal Mail. He joined the business in February 2003 and has led Royal Mail's transformation from an organisation failing customer service targets and losing £318m to a position where the company now meets its Quality of Service targets and last year made a £355m profit on its operations.
Adam gave his 10 top tips for how to manage change successfully in an organisation.
1. Have the right attitude. Adam drew on his experience at Saatchi & Saatchi where the belief is that “nothing is impossible”. He also explained that the right attitude will involve being willing to tackle the root cause of an issue rather than just treating its symptom.
2. Clarity of purpose. It is important to share a problem so that people know why the change is happening and also to explain the outcome if nothing is done. This will involve setting clear objectives and breaking them down into bite size chunks. By breaking down the problem and focusing on execution people can understand their part to play in the process.
3. Recruitment. Adam thought it was important to get the best people you can and he stressed that this needed to start with the board of an organisation. Non-executive directors should bring in additional skills. A mix of old and new management is important to ensure that the corporate knowledge of an organisation remains in tact. He also stressed the need to have the right people relating to the stage your organisation is at and to hire those who will push and challenge, otherwise your quality will not improve.
4. Leadership. Real commitment is needed from the top of an organisation – people will notice if it isn’t there. Adam also stressed the need to have the right mix of people and that it is important for leaders not to recruit in their own image or they will not get challenged.
5. Team work. Royal mail was weak in this area when Adam joined the organisation which meant that people worked in silos rather than with their colleagues. This has now changed and people are empowered to develop and own their own work plans.
6. Clear communication. Adam talked about the need to avoid “Chinese whispers” in an organisation such as Royal Mail. As the organisation relies heavily on information from front-line managers it is important to make sure that they are capable of doing the job. Managers are therefore not allowed to manage a sorting office where they have previously worked.
7. Improve efficiency by performance management. Any blockages that stop people performing must be removed to avoid excuses. It is also important that staff are measured on the right things ie results.
8. Put the customer at the heart of what you do. In order to do this Royal Mail has had to become an organisation that is easier to do business with. An organisation should also focus on its strengths and what it already does well.
9. Speed and execution. When going through a period of change it is important to maintain momentum and keep the process moving as swiftly as possible.
10. Always do the right thing. To do the right thing, Adam explained, will often mean choosing the harder option which can make you unpopular. It is also important to admit when you have made a mistake.
