Surfing People. A One-on-One with Those Riding the Waves of Organizational Change | Paolo De Fabritiis

"In an era of constant change"

“In a landscape marked by transformation”

“We are experiencing a revolutionary change.”

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This is more or less what we read as an introduction to many literary works or current affairs articles. It seems we’re experiencing upheaval unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. But are we really sure this is happening only to us and only at this moment in history? More likely—and more simply—we’re always just talking about change as an integral part of human life, but framed (perhaps because it’s trendy?) as an extraordinarily exceptional historical event.

When I think about change, the first image that comes to mind—almost automatically—is the philosophy that “everything flows” (“PANTA REI,” HERACLITUS). Everything changes; nothing remains the same, and presumably innovation is simply a response to the inevitable, perpetual transformation of everything.

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What is certain, however, is that never before—as has been the case since 2020—have so many personal and professional habits been called into question or eliminated overnight. This has led—and continues to lead—to countless challenges within organizations as well. Perhaps never before has the role of “Change Management” been so strategic and fundamental. How can we support and facilitate change when the rules of the game are constantly being redefined? I find it hard to believe that anyone is further ahead than others in the face of this genuine uncertainty. I am convinced, however, of the importance of dialogue and exchange, and with this in mind, I decided, together with Digital Attitude, to interview several professionals with valuable experience and perspectives on this broad topic of change and on current issues such as New Ways of Working, New Ways of Learning, and Digital Mindset.
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BIO: Paolo De Fabritiis

Almost thirty years ago, at the start of my first internship as a recent college graduate, my manager gave me a document to read—dated 1972—titled “The Marseille Speech” by Antoine Riboud, who at the time was CEO of the group that would come to be known as Danone twenty years later.

I was struck by one of his statements: “…a company’s responsibility does not end at the factory gate…,” which aptly summed up his vision of the “dual economic and social mission” that a company must fulfill. This sums up my professional calling: I’ve always worked for large multinational corporations and was fortunate enough to start my career at the Danone Group, where, at the time, the human resources department was called “Human and Social Relations”…It’s easy to see, then, why I fell in love with this profession, which combines my passion for business organization, my comfort in multicultural and international settings, and the opportunity to place at the center of my work the values, skills, experiences, and contributions that each person can offer.

Nearly thirty years of managing, developing, and leading human resources—first at Danone, then at Kraft, and later with GBFoods in Barcelona, Spain. I spent five years in the most beautiful city an Italian family could move to, during which time I also tried my hand at being a digital entrepreneur, but quickly realized it wasn’t for me and returned to my passion at the Bolton Group. I’m a family man; I love my family and my work. I’ve made mistakes at work and learned quickly: that’s my secret, along with the good fortune of having had bosses and a life partner who allowed me to make those mistakes.

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1) Hi Paolo, you have a wealth of experience in human resources management. In your opinion, what are the best ways to effectively engage people in change initiatives within organizations?‍

Today—and even more so in the future—all organizations, from large multinationals to small businesses and startups, must be able to provide their employees with the best possible conditions to work in increasingly multicultural and intergenerational environments. In this context, I believe that the ability to engage people in change initiatives is primarily a matter of “empathetic leadership.” In my view, the key is to invest time and energy in understanding—and helping “everyone” understand—the “why” behind the need for change, while striving to involve the broadest possible range of employees in proposing organizational solutions. It may sound obvious, but change is driven by individuals—provided they feel involved and understand the “why” and “why do we need to act differently from how we’ve always done things?” There is, therefore, a need for leadership that is capable of asking the right questions and willing to listen to all the answers—leadership that wants to and knows how to value everyone’s contribution.
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‍2) How have you seen the role of HR Director change with the advent of technology?

Those within a company who are responsible for people development and professional growth have, today, the primary responsibility of ensuring that everyone has the tools for continuous learning and training, reskilling, and upskilling: technology is an enabler of organizational change that is renewing and evolving too quickly, and for this reason, people must be placed in an organizational environment that enables them to continuously learn and unlearn throughout their professional lives.

For the human resources department, the challenge is to foster the right organizational mindset so that management can support and trust its employees, providing them with the appropriate tools and organizational conditions to acquire new skills, while promoting and encouraging proactivity and openness to new ideas.

The other challenge for human resources directors is to serve as “role models, ” encouraging experimentation with and the adoption of new digital technologies in personnel management and development processes and systems: to be honest, I can’t say that human resources departments are currently the “champions of technological innovation”within companies; on the contrary, we are often “resistant” to innovation, and, in my view, the key to improvement is to rely on the younger generations. For those of us over fifty, there’s a great opportunity—which is also a serious managerial responsibility—to entrust junior HR professionals, who represent Generation Z, with the task of “innovating and thinking differently” about processes, tools, and ways of interacting with and among colleagues, as well as with the future employees we hope to attract. Younger people are typically the most enthusiastic about new technologies; they lack cultural and skill-based barriers and aren’t constrained by the classic “...but we’ve always done it this way...?!”. With them, the HR director must know how to be a good coach, allowing them to take risks and make mistakes, and helping them become ambassadors of HR innovation: they are certainly credible and have the enthusiasm to bring about the necessary changes.

3) Innovation in HR: In your opinion, what are the priorities worth investing in?

When we talk about innovation in HR, in my view, the priorities are the quality of workspaces and the immediacy and ease of access to communication, collaboration, and personnel management tools, so that we can interact in a way that is easier, more engaging, and more productive.

I am thinking in particular of technologies that enable remote work, and of coworking spaces that have become a distinctive feature and a source of “corporate competitiveness” for attracting, motivating, and retaining employees.

And I’m thinking about “mobile management” of communication between managers and employees, and the ease of access to platforms for managing training content—which is often limited by the complexity of the procedures and tools in use.

Innovation in HR must essentially meet the growing expectations for easier access to information and company data, in order to provide greater flexibility in the organization of work through more familiar operating methods, thereby increasing productivity and making it easier to integrate work and non-work time and spaces, which are becoming increasingly fluid.

4) “Nudging.” A term increasingly used in organizations, derived from nudging theory. We’re talking about “gentle nudges” that encourage certain behaviors through small positive reinforcements. If you had the chance to design one of these “nudges” to support professionals in their daily work, what would you propose? 

Considering how important it is for a company’s well-being to foster a collaborative work environment where people get along well with one another, we could encourage employees to set aside (for example) two hours a week to assist a colleague—whether by helping them, sharing know-how or knowledge, or simply lending a hand with their work or helping them settle into the company…In short, I would “encourage people to give” a little of their time to others, convinced that those who give a little of themselves always receive much more in return…

5) “Digital Attitude” is promoting this inspirational column on change. And I’d like to ask you my final question specifically on the topic of Digital Mindset. In your opinion, what are some useful ways to develop it and keep it sharp?

To foster a digital mindset within organizations, in my view, we need a focus on innovation, the sharing and cross-pollination of ideas, operational and decision-making agility, and the ability to learn from mistakes. And, as I mentioned earlier, the ability to continuously learn and unlearn. It is therefore, first and foremost, a matter of governance and leadership to foster an organization inspired by these principles.

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