“Change isn’t just about new processes, toolkits and training; it’s about empowering people to embrace the future.”
As the Netherlands is in the midst of an ambitious and urgent energy transition, Alliander is stepping up to fulfill a pivotal mission in this critical journey: ensuring energy remains accessible, affordable and sustainable for millions of households and businesses. This transformation requires more than smart solutions—it also requires an adaptable organizational structure and a workforce ready to embrace change. That’s where Marina Krooder, a seasoned change leader, came in!
Let’s dive into Marina’s approach and learnings.
What was the scope of your assignment at Alliander?
Heleen Cocu (CHRO Alliander) engaged me to focus on two critical areas that would enable Alliander to meet its ambitious goals:
- Optimize the process for organizational design to ensure clarity in roles and consistency and efficiency in application
- Build an approach for creating an Alliander leader-led change management capability, equipping leaders and employees with tools and knowledge to navigate change effectively.
The dual focus on structure and people was very important to me, as an adaptable organization can only thrive if its people are prepared to embrace change.
How did you approach building Alliander’s leader-led change capability?
To create lasting change, Alliander is striving to establish a shared approach to change management across the organization. A unified method ensures consistency, avoids confusion, and allows employees to speak the same ‘language of change.’ The first year focused on laying the groundwork and building awareness and securing buy-in from key stakeholders.
This also means building a shared understanding. What does it mean to create a company-wide change capability? How do we distinguish between ‘change’ and ‘transformation’? And what is the purpose and role of the Center of Expertise (COE) for change management? After laying the groundwork, we developed a unified framework rooted in PROSCI’s ADKAR methodology, a globally recognized approach that translates change into actionable and measurable steps. This methodology provides a standard that could easily be scaled and adapted across the organization.
To bring the framework to life, I introduced a phased training approach tailored to each role, linking to the soft skills for the summer school leadership development program that was already set up. It’s not just about teaching skills—it’s about equipping people to tell the story of change in a way that resonates and inspires action.
What changes were needed in Alliander’s organizational design?
“I was asked to coach and provide my expertise on reshaping organisations to the HRBP community and the colleagues within the CoE for organisational effectiveness and change management. And also to analyse the current organisation structure to advise if this was fit for purpose.
During my initial assessment, I discovered that multiple versions of the organizational design principles were circulating, causing confusion across the organization. To address this, our first step was to refine and anchor these principles, establishing a clear and unified foundation.
Once this was in place, we analyzed the core departments against their goal and the design principles and found inefficiencies, such as mismatched spans of control and unclear role definitions. Department leaders were tasked with creating their designs based on the updated principles, with the option to consult the CoE on exceptions. This approach ensured alignment across the organization while still accommodating the unique needs and characteristics of individual teams.”
What challenges did you face, and how did you navigate them?
“The energy transition brings urgency, and internal complexity—all of which create obstacles to change. The biggest challenge was navigating the decision-making process that was inherently slow, compounded by internal complexities and stakeholders with different priorities.
I focused on building coalitions by engaging stakeholders early and often. Through open dialogue and a clear demonstration of how the changes aligned with their objectives, I built buy-in and trust for the way forward.”
How did you experience working with SPRING TODAY?
“After two decades of acquiring my own assignments, I was hesitant. Agencies often lack the deep understanding of change management needed to deliver real value. But with SPRING TODAY, it was different. Their expertise and passion stood out from the beginning and made it a rewarding experience throughout.”
Curious about how SPRING TODAY can support your next change project?
Or wondering how your unique skills as a change manager can shape impactful business transformations? Let’s connect.