It can be a daunting task, as a change manager, to ensure you are building a strong change management team who are ready to encourage employees to fully adopt and execute change within your organisation. Applying a structured change management methodology and beginning the applications early in the project’s lifecycle are some of the top contributors to the increase of success and effectiveness of change.

A particular methodology that has been considered by many as credible, well-known and specifically structured is the Prosci ADKAR® Model, which is a goal-oriented change management model used to guide individual and organisational change. 

Who should be involved in my change management team?

When considering your change management team, effectively implementing change requires involvement from a number of various roles within the organisation. Leaders, line managers and front-line employees ultimately deliver the changes developed by programme, project and change teams. Each role has a very different relationship with change and individuals will have a variety of responsibilities when considering change. 

In an attempt to increase the success of change, an entire system of people are required to work in coordination to support employees through their transition, this can range from the highest level of leadership to front-line supervisors. It is crucial for each role involved to move in sync in order to consistently deliver the benefits of a structured process approach. There are five key roles each organisation should use to their advantage when implementing change:

• Change Management Resource/Team
• Executives and Senior Managers
• Managers and Supervisors
• Project Team
• Project Support Functions

Where does HR team fit in?

HR team members are very much involved and responsible for managing workforce engagement and productivity, along with preventing internal issues and resistance to avoid disruptions. The success of an organisation relies on its employees and their performance meaning the mindset, actions, reactions and behaviours of each employee will ultimately dictate the success of organisational change.

The responsibilities for HR in regards to change projects augment their day-to-day responsibilities within an organisation's HR function:

• Accompanying, supporting and equipping directly impacted managers and employees through change.
• Ensuring that sponsors and line managers effectively communicate and coach impacted employees so they become comfortable and competent enough to adopt and use new ways of working associated with the introduction of new capabilities.
• Liaising with and/or leading the change management team on specific change projects.
• Measuring the effectiveness of change and setting target KPIs, especially around productivity improvements, for specific change projects.

Is having a sponsor necessary?

Yes. This is a very practical first step when ensuring the success of a project. It is, however, important to understand that not everyone can or should perform the role of a sponsor in a project.

The role of the sponsor is an active title that requires participation and involvement within a project, it can vary across levels or functional area and it is possible for more than one sponsor to be required when providing sponsorship for a change effort. Below is are some responsibilities that should be expected of a sponsor when implementing change: 

• Active and visible sponsorship
• Communication
• Build a Coalition of Sponsorship

Begin building your change management team with CMC Partnership

Our 3-day online Prosci Change Management Practitioner Programme is designed to provide individuals tasked with implementing change with the toolkit and methodology to improve the rate of success. If you'd like to discuss attending, or arranging for a private programme taking place within your organisation, get in touch with us today.