Be More Podcast: Joyous Transformations with Judith Jungmann

Be More is a weekly one-on-one podcast about how everyone can thrive in the new world of work, hosted by Workday’s Patrick Cournoyer. This week: Judith Jungmann, CHRO at Beckers Group, on the nature of human adaptability, and the constancy of change.

They say change and comfort can’t coexist. We are, after all, creatures of comfort — the rhythm of routines soothing us in a chaotic world. And change can upend that stability, leaving us stressed.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t find joy in change. For Judith Jungmann, CHRO at Beckers Group, it’s about setting the right pace to give people the chance to embrace it at their own speed. 

“Human beings are actually very adaptable and curious by nature, and we need some change,” Judith said. “We also like to make our own choice about the changes with which we are confronted. Quickly giving individuals the feeling they can influence change—and they can be heard—is the key to accelerating things.”

If you want to learn how to create a business model that is naturally adaptable, then tune in, or check out the key takeaways.

Key Takeaways

• Organizations are constantly changing. According to Judith, the past two decades saw uncanny stability, especially in the western world, which created a comfort zone for people in their professional lives. However, organizations are now transforming faster than ever—both people and organizations must constantly adapt to remain competitive. Judith shares that the key to sustainable growth is to be aware of this fact and plan accordingly.

• The role of HR remains constant. Judith does not believe that the role of HR has changed in recent months; the function of HR is still to engage and arouse curiosity within employees, maintain a human-centric approach to performance management, and provide visibility into employee performance. Judith shares that an HR function is still responsible for keeping track of and effectively communicating with employees whilst remaining responsive to all feedback.

• Change should be accompanied by joy. Judith states that creating the right pace of change within an organization is the key to stimulating joyful transformations. While it can be incredibly difficult to balance the right amount of change, this can be achieved with proper listening, giving employees the chance to adapt at their own rate, and testing various transformation methodologies. Judith also advocates the use of humor and celebrating individuals privately and publicly to inspire a sense of joy during a transformation.