Building an effective and well considered change management team is crucial for the success of any organizational or technology-led change. The right team can drive engagement, address any resistance, and ensure that the change is embraced and adopted across all levels.
Explore these tips for creating and bringing together a high-performing change management team:
Roles and Responsibilities in a Change Team
Setting clear roles and responsibilities ensures an organized change team. These designations make sure that everyone on the team knows their duties and accountabilities. This way, end users know whom they should approach about their specific concern or problem regarding the change
- Change Sponsor
Ensure you have an executive sponsor with authority and influence who champions the change and can allocate the necessary resources.
- Change Practitioner
Assign a change manager or leader responsible for overseeing the entire change management process, including strategy development and execution
- Change Representatives
Include members from different departments/business units to capture diverse perspectives and ensure the change impacts all areas across the organization smoothly. These representatives also enable you to account for the nuances and differences of how the change will affect employees in different departments
- Change Champions
Identify individuals who are influential and respected within the organization to serve as change champions, who can act as advocates, supporting the change process and motivate others to get on board
- Communication Lead
Assign someone to craft and manage communications, ensuring that the messaging is clear, consistent, and delivered at the right time
- Training Lead
Provide the team with knowledge of the change management methodologies and tools for managing resistance and engagement with people at all levels
Tips For Building Your Change Management Team
- Select Team Members with Key Skills
When building the team, include individuals with diverse skills and perspectives to address the various aspects of the change initiative, from technical expertise to excellent communication skills:
- Leadership and Influence: People who can inspire and motivate others to support the change
- Communication Skills: Effective communicators can ensure transparency and reinforce understanding at all levels
- Problem-Solving and Flexibility: Change often brings challenges, so choosing resourceful team members who can think critically and adapt quickly are essential
- Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: People with high emotional intelligence are critical to managing people’s complicated emotions about change
- Leverage Cross-Functional Expertise
Include representatives from different departments or business functions to get a holistic view of the change impact. This will aid in:
- Addressing potential challenges early on
- Ensuring all stakeholder concerns are considered
- Facilitating smoother implementation across various functions
- Ensure Strong Leadership Commitment
Securing leadership buy-in to support and champion the change is essential to empower the change management team. Leaders should:
- Be visible and vocal in their support for the change
- Provide resources, including time, budget and tools
- Regularly check in with the team to offer guidance and remove obstacles
- Promote Collaboration and Open Communication
Encouraging collaboration and effective communication not only within the change management team but across departments and business units is vital to building trust and promoting knowledge sharing. You can:
- Hold regular meetings and touchpoints to discuss progress, challenges and feedback
- Create an open environment where team members feel comfortable sharing concerns or ideas
- Use collaboration tools to keep everyone aligned and informed
- Provide Change Management Training
Equip team members with the knowledge and tools necessary to drive change successfully. This may include:
- Training on change management methodologies (e.g. ADKAR)
- Workshops on managing resistance and stakeholder engagement
- Tools for tracking progress and measuring success (e.g. impact assessments, communication plans)
- Access to resources such as templates, guides and software
- Set Clear Goals and Metrics
- Define what success looks like for the change initiative and how it will be measured
- Track progress through adoption metrics, employee feedback and impact on business processes
- Adjust strategies based on performance data and feedback to continuously improve efforts
- Set short term and long-term goals to help track progress
- Empower Change Champions
- Promote a culture that embraces change and innovation
- Train and empower change champions within different teams or departments to build partnerships. They can help gather insights, address resistance locally and reinforce positive behaviors
- Make sure they have direct lines of communication with the change management team and leadership to escalate any concerns or roadblocks
- Ensure Flexibility and Agility
Change rarely goes exactly as planned, so your team needs to be agile:
- Be open to changing course based on feedback, new developments or unforeseen challenges
- Encourage creative problem-solving and quick decision-making
- Continuously monitor the progress of the change initiative
- Celebrate Milestones and Successes
Recognize and celebrate achievements along the way, both big and small. This helps build and maintain momentum and keeps morale high. Consider:
- Public recognition for the team’s efforts
- Incentives or rewards for departments that embrace the change early
- Sharing success stories across the organization to inspire others
- Encourage Continuous Feedback and Learning
- Use surveys, focus groups or informal check-ins to gather feedback from the user base
- Keep refining your approach based on feedback and lessons learned from previous phases of the change
- Establish a Plan for Sustainability
- A change management plan ensures the team remains engaged after the initial change. The team should continue to monitor long-term adoption and address any setbacks
- Build mechanisms to sustain the change (e.g. ongoing training, leadership reinforcement, performance incentives)
The Right People Lead Successful Change
By forming an effective, skilled, and committed change management team takes careful planning and consideration, but with the right people leading the charge, you can set your organization up for successful change transformation.
Interested to learn more about change management? Download our eBook “Driving Seamless Change: The Role of Adoption and Change Management in Digital Transformation” or contact us today.
