In the first season of the Vincit Talks vodcast, female leaders in the IT industry will talk about important topics affecting organizations. Listen in to get insights, inspiration, and tips for developing and renewing the IT industry.
In our first Vincit Talks episode this year, Business Director Henna Niiranen talked with Head of Digital Platforms at Outokumpu, Kristiina Tiilas, to discuss change management.
The pair opened by discussing how Kristiina became a change leader in the first place. According to Kristiina, it’s been a combination of luck and personal attitude – she’s always been driven to lead changes in different organizations because of her strong desire to move forward and explore new things. She’s been involved in driving changes in various organizations, notably at Fortum and now at Outokumpu.
Change in big companies can be difficult – it’s like trying to turn a massive ship. But in Kristiina’s experience, small things can make a big difference. For example, at Outokumpu, when she brought up the need for innovation it wasn’t embraced at first. But as she continued to point out the lack of innovation in the company, it suddenly sparked discussions and led to action.
How to make change happen
Fostering change isn’t easy as every company isn’t inclined towards change. This means it’s essential to have the right pieces in place – enthusiastic change leaders, belief in the process, support from top management, and a few key change agents within the business.
Building the team to push change is a key challenge. It’s essential to have a group of people dedicated to planning, executing, and pushing for change consistently. Finding the right individuals can be challenging since everyone is different. Not everyone is inclined to move fast, so it’s necessary to have a mix of personalities. This diversity helps keep things balanced and ensures everyone within the organization is involved in the change process.
Building the right team
For Kristiina, building the right team to handle change management is a bit like playing Tetris. You start with a few people, and then you add a couple more based on the needs. It’s about assessing what pieces are already in place and what’s missing. For instance, when setting up the AI team at Outokumpu, they found the company lacked AI expertise so they hired individuals with that skill set.
Communication is also key – especially in larger companies which tend to have excellent communication teams. Communication teams provide significant support in crafting and sharing clear messages about the changes. It’s crucial to collaborate closely with them to ensure the message is conveyed effectively through various channels.
Finally, Kristiina closed with some advice about how to successfully navigate change management. The key is to be open to new opportunities. Sometimes, these opportunities may be different from what you imagined, but you should always take them as a chance to try something new. She believes that having a mindset open to experimentation, maintaining clear communication, and ensuring measurable outcomes are essential.
