INTERVIEW WITH THE ASSISTANT REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF NFA REGION VIII ENGR. JOHN ROBERT R. HERMANO ON THE BEST PRACTICES IN MANAGING CHANGE by Joel T. Lim

Engr. John Robert Hermano entered the NFA with neither a whimper nor a bang, and the causal manner by which he assumed the reins of NFA belie the intensity of his leadership. Instead of displaying in his nameplate his position as the NFA Region VIII Assistant Regional Director (ARD), he simply displays himself as a Public Servant. He was once the manager in General Services Department (GSD) of NFA Central Office, and served as the Provincial Manager of NFA Zamboanga, NFA Bukidnon and NFA Misamis Oriental before he became a full-fledged Assistant Regional Director. He was also one of the Top 10 Outstanding Graduates of the first batch of NFA Management Training Program, an MBA graduate, and a Career Executive Service (CES) Eligible.

This interview was conducted thru emails and the convenience of social networking sites, considering that ARD Hermano is presently based in Leyte. It comprises a series of questions and answers about the best practices in managing change.

1.) How do you view the challenge of change in NFA?

Change is not farfetched as NFA braces for the coming years, and will celebrate future anniversaries. Change will take the NFA employees to renewed hope, optimism, dedication and commitment as we go about doing our daily tasks as employees of this agency and as Filipinos inspired by our dreams and aspirations. The challenge of change behoves us to become stronger and better persons against all odds.

After four decades, NFA would start counting more years to sustain the very reason of its existence. We now have to look at rice on a deeper perspective and find out how has this subject of our mandate evolved into a precious economic and political commodity that is almost every nation’s staff of life and the parameter of national development. Further reforms are happening within the agency that would sustain supply and price stability of the staple food, farmer empowerment, availability of rice during man-made and natural calamities, rice fortification, pro-poor programs, and shift from “buy high, sell low” to full-cost recovery.

Several reforms in the various aspects of NFA operations are meant to support the development agenda being espoused by the Aquino administration “tungo sa matuwid na daan”. The NFA hopes to achieve a level of stability that will highlight even more its role and contribution in the food industry. The ultimate objective is to transform the NFA into a more cost-effective government agency that will safeguard national food security through efficient and sustainable execution of its mandates. This mission will see NFA through as it looks forward to more good reasons to celebrate its existence

2.) Why is managing change important?

Meeting milestones is not the primary determinant of the success of a change project. Successful change also involves ensuring employees’ capacity to adapt to and work effectively and efficiently in the new environment. The underlying basis of change management is people’s capacity to change can be influenced by how change is presented to them. The rationale is that if people understand the benefits of change, they are more likely to participate in the change and see that it is successfully carried out, which in turn means minimal disruption to the organization.

3.) What are the common factors to successful change management in the public sector, like NFA?

The government is a large organization. The larger the organization is, the more difficult is to institute change. However, the common factors to successful change management in the public sector are: (a) planning, (b) defined governance, (c) committed leadership, (d) informed stakeholders, (e) aligned workforce.

Planning is developing and documenting the objectives to be achieved by the change and the means to achieve it. Planning ensures that organizations are aware of the implications of what they want to do, and are prepared for all reasonable eventualities. It can also be the point at which an assessment is made about whether or not a proposed change should proceed. A good planning process must set a clear vision which is aligned with the vision, mission and mandates of the agency.

Defined governance is establishing appropriate organizational structures, roles, and responsibilities for the change that engage stakeholders and support the change effort. Change starts at the top and an organization’s leaders must be the visionaries, champions and role models for change. Committed leadership is ongoing commitment at the top and across the organization to guide its behaviour, and lead by example.

Informed stakeholders is encouraging stakeholder participation and commitment to the change, by employing open and consultative communication approaches to create awareness and understanding of the change. Fundamentally it is people who make change happen - nothing moves forward without engaged, motivated stakeholders. It is important that everyone in the organization and those interacting with the organization, both internal and external stakeholders, are kept informed and provided with messages and information that allow them to feel engaged, thus paving the way for involvement and adoption. For example, the conduct of the region-wide  “Ugnayan” with farmers, local government units (LGUs), Municipal Agricultural Officers (MAOs) and other agencies has borne fruit and has created the desired awareness amongst stakeholders about NFA’s palay procurement program and the benefits derived from it, such as the modified and simplified requirements in securing farmer’s passbook, upgraded delivery incentive fee, prompt cash payment scheme, and revised quality specifications in order to minimize rejects as it was the complaints of farmers before. These Ugnayan meetings have been conducted to keep them abreast of the latest plans and programs of the agency.

 Aligned workforce is identifying the human impacts of the change, and developing plans to align the workforce to support the changing organization – that is people must understand what they need to do, be enabled to do it, and be supported in doing it. Budget for trainings is a critical part for professional development.

4.)  What is resistance to change and how does it manifest? How do you spot resistance to change?

Resistance to change is a natural reaction when employees are asked to change. Change is uncomfortable and requires new ways of thinking and doing. People have trouble developing a vision of what life will look like on the other side of a change. So, they tend to cling to the known rather than embrace the unknown.

Managing resistance to change is challenging. Employees can realize that they don't like or want a change and resist publicly and verbally. Or, they can just feel uncomfortable and resist, sometimes unknowingly, through the actions they take, the words they use to describe the change, and the stories and conversations they share in the workplace. It affects the feelings and opinions of employees at all stages of the adoption process. It affects productivity, quality, and relationships.

How do I spot resistance to change? Listen to the gossip and observe the actions of the employees. Note whether employees are missing meetings related to the change. Forgotten commitments and absenteeism can all be signs of resistance to change. Something as simple as listening to how employees talk about the change in meetings and hall conversations can tell you a lot about resistance to change. Some employees will publicly challenge the change, the need for the change, or how the change is unfolding. The more powerful the resisting employee, in terms of job title, position, and longevity, the more success he or she will have with resistance. Less well-positioned employees may resist collectively. Yet, I honestly believe that organization change is often overcomplicated by bad execution and communication, and lack of clarity in vision and plan.

5.) How do you sell change in an organization?

Change is rarely easy to implement because people almost always think that their current situation is good... or at least good enough. Perhaps things at the moment aren't great, but as long as people think they're good or good enough, they won't have a tolerance for change.  People can resist change for a number of reasons: self-interest, denial, fear of the unknown or different perceptions. The rationale is that if you want people to change, they need to invest in the changes you are asking them to make, and they are more likely to do that if they understand the benefits of the change. It is not just the thought but on how to influence emotions.  “Selling” change to people is not a strategy for success. When people listen to a regional director or even to a provincial manager, most employees will generally smile and appear to accept it, but quietly to themselves they are thinking, “I don’t like this”. .“I’ve not been consulted or involved”. “I am being manipulated”. “This change will just benefit the regional director or the provincial manager, not me, so I won’t cooperate”. Instead, change must be understood and managed in a way that people can cope effectively with it. It is a thoughtful planning, sensitive implementation, and consultation and involvement with the people affected by the changes.

When any kind of change is announced, people are hungry for information. In the absence of sufficient information, change can be stalled. People will continue to work as they have done in the past; or rather than risk doing the ‘wrong’ thing, they do nothing. Effective communication is important to overcome the fears and concerns aroused by change, to explain why the change is happening and what the whole thing really means in the long run

6.) What is the most challenging or demanding role so far?

When the issue is about change, one must recognize the human element. People have different needs and different ways of reacting to change. They need time to deal with and adjust to change.

Everything is new and every day is a challenge for me. But what sets the new day from the previous one is that we have accomplished something. I attribute my success to our employees. Wise men write their names on the pages of the book; fools write their names on the walls; and, I would like to write my name in the hearts of the people. I cannot owe it up alone. Everything is doing what he can and is making our roles more bearable.  For we have done our best to serve our purpose in the industry. We have worked hard performing our duties and responsibilities so that NFA shall be the epitome of a caring organization that thrives on the need for food security against the risk and perils in a society constantly beset by changing social, economic and political climate, as well as, environmental issues and concerns.