The Resolve Group - Resolve Group's Experience

Our reputation for contributing to successful restructuring, mergers, turnaround and establishment initiatives differentiates us from competitors, as does our extensive experience in large-scale, long-term organisational transformation projects.

We are familiar with organisational service delivery requirements, thus we engage with transformational issues on a strategic and integrated level. This experience is best illustrated through two examples of our largest clients and longest running projects, but is not limited to these. Additional examples of our experience and client references can be provided on request.

Experience Example 1:

Since 2005, Resolve partnered with a large state-owned entity to ensure that their people could deliver on the targets outlined in their strategic and operational plan. Initially, we were responsible for the design of an overarching human resources strategy for the entity and its operating divisions, which are represented in every city in South Africa. Detailed strategies have been developed and implemented in relation to:

“Our confidence in working in changing environments and managing uncertainty comes from living through

South Africa’s unique transformation. Our founders were activists, and they have imbued

Resolve’s approach to change management with their experience of leadership, mobilisation, communication, negotiation, conflict management and alliance building.”

~ Monna Monnakgotla. DepMD: Resolve Workplace Solutions

Labour relations and collective engagement
Performance management
Talent management
Leadership development
Capacity building
HR processes re-engineering
Policy and procedure redesign for Human Resources

This project was supported and complemented by a culture definition project and change management strategy containing multiple and varied communication and mobilisation interventions. These include:

Strategic advice
The development and implementation of a competency framework for managers
Management assessments against this competency set
A range of management engagement initiatives to unite the leadership team and ensure they lead with a common purpose and vision
The development of a leadership behaviours charter and evaluations system to hold each leader accountable to exhibit these behaviours
Development of an induction programme
Production and screening of an internal broadcast to staff throughout the country
Production and distribution of posters and pamphlets to support the array of initiatives
Development of a culture charter that engaged all employees

The project also included a restructuring of the Corporate Centre, which was completed in compliance with the LRA with minimal disruption to business, and has resulted in streamlined functions to reduce costs.

We have also been providing internal change communications and strategic advice to support the disposal of non-core business from the group. The key initiatives here include:

Communications to support the labour negotiations
Issue/crisis communication to manage potential risks (including PR)
Regular communications to 20 business unit managers and staff
Audits of the non-core assets to be disposed
Assistance and advice during the negotiation processes with affected staff

Significant progress has already been made with some businesses already exiting the company with minimal disruption to business operations.

Experience Example 2:

Another of our long-term projects (we are in our 7th year) has been to provide general labour relations and human resources advice and implementation support to a unicity regarding the disestablishment / establishment process as municipalities coalesce and municipal entities are created. Labour Relations advice has encompassed bargaining council realignment, facilitation, dispute resolution, and legislative compliance issues (skills development and employment equity). Human Resources strategy and assistance has been given in the examination of conditions of service, job grading and evaluation, parity, skills development, performance management and employment equity. Resolve created a comprehensive electronic guide on management principles, HR policies and procedures and information. This product (The E-Municipal Manager) is intranet based, ensuring that all managers have access to the relevant information and tools in order to manage their staff effectively. A benchmarking exercise was also conducted.

Additional experience includes:

We have conducted strategic planning workshops at an executive level and for the human resources function both in the private and public sectors, focussing on how HR/LR activities can support the organisation’s strategic objectives by setting priorities, as well as agreeing on and developing project plans for key HR projects for the year ahead.
Resolve has also assisted leading South African companies in developing organisational transformation strategies with a particular focus on employment equity and skills development. This has included advice regarding legislative compliance, as well as strategic input and implementation assistance to ensure sustainable processes and practices in these fields.
We are experienced in developing skills matrixes to assist with performance, reward and career development. We develop career ladders and succession plans which include specific outputs and inputs and scale these to show entry, intermediate and advanced levels. We have developed competency frameworks for management, and provide competency based assessment services. Not only have these assessments informed the placement process, the results have identified collective and individual skills development needs which we have gone on to fulfil through our training and coaching services.
Resolve has conducted a number of benchmarking studies in the context of restructuring through its partnership with PriceWaterhouseCoopers for Saratoga Human Capital Benchmarking. This enables the organisation to design the optimal blend of HR and output metrics for an organisation to measure the value and impact of their human capital and establishing internal objectives and identifying external institutions against which it can be measured.

We know that 30% of organisational performance depends on culture, and that 80% of culture depends on how leaders behave. Therefore, we have designed a unique leadership development model that has been implemented largely in the private sector. This includes a 360-degree leadership review and executive coaching services. Resolve has also undertaken culture and climate surveys to assess the current corporate culture and to design mechanisms to encourage the development of a corporate culture supportive of the broader organisational strategy.