Friska Wirya
Shifting Resistance Into Resilience.
What does it mean?
First of all, let’s recap on the literal definitions.
Resistance: the refusal to accept or comply with something or .. if we think of the French resistance, a secret organization resisting authority.
This happens often when organisations try to introduce and implement changes to the way they operate.
People either opt out, clock out or check out.
Instead of the French resistance – in this situation, people overtly or covertly undermine and sabotage transformation efforts. Billions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of hours are wasted each year by failed change initiatives.
These are characterised by disengaged key stakeholders, non-existent buy-in, invisible leadership. You then see glacial evolutions masquerading as “digital transformations”. Simply because businesses don’t - or can’t - transform that natural resistance into something productive.
That ‘something’ is resilience. Resilience defined is…
the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.
Imagine that when change occurs - no matter what that change is - a restructure, an acquisition, a new operating model, an ERP implementation… Imagine that change is met with curiosity, that people demonstrate openness instead of digging their heels in. ‘
In my ideal world resilient organisations are those that ‘spring back into shape’ and regain, or improve, their productivity, profitability and heck, even rediscover their personality.
In the press
“Friska is who you want leading your transformation, no matter what project you want to kick off, mindset to change, or culture to evolve. Her positivity, can-do attitude and influence will get you far and she is a charm to work with. Never underestimate a talented change lead, Friska would be my first choice when I need one.”
D Kollan, CEO, Xrosswork
Friska executed the COVID-19 digital response for Australia’s answer to Harvard - that’s a lot of change! The number 1 university in the country had to pivot rapidly to a fully remote campus: impacting 65,000 students and 15,000 staff, while maintaining operational efficiency and blitz-scaling programs to aid student financial and mental health during a global pandemic.
Friska is the former Head of Change at the biggest gold miner in the Southern hemisphere, leading digital transformation changes to achieve US$170m annual saving. She infiltrated a digital-first culture across 4 countries to create a strong foundation to drive adoption of new and emerging technologies, achieving recognition such as the Most Innovative Hard Hat from Apple and various industry awards.
Prior to this, she was the Global Change Lead for multi-million dollar projects spanning technology, structure, process and people, impacting +23,000 at Tier 1 engineering firm Worley, and was one of the founding consultants for Fujitsu Australia’s change practice.
Since then, Friska has partnered with several Tier 1 complex organisations to realise the benefits from doing things differently to the way they were done before, with a focus on outcomes instead of hours.
A lifelong learner and self-confessed geek, her flair for communication and effectiveness at managing the people-side of change has proven to be a compelling cost mitigation strategy.
Outside of fortifying her change practice, Friska explores somewhere new each year, is obsessed with her reformer bed and is growing her personal styling business, partnering with Mys Tyler and Mirvac on key fashion and personal branding events.
Bachelor of Commerce (with Distinction)
Post-grad Dip in Business
MBA
Prosci Advanced Practitioner
PCI Certified
ECD Practitioner
Thought Leader
