Thursday 26 November 2020

How to Create a Change Champion Network


The podcast episode of this post is available on SounderApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsStitcher and Spotify.

When you are short of time, here is the one action that will give you 80 percent results in 20 percent of the time.

 

DO THIS

Make membership desirable to trusted and respected peers.


BY DOING THIS

–        Ask leaders to appoint trusted and respected representatives.

–        Position the network as a leadership group.

–        Reward participation by including it in personal annual objectives.


Change champions (or agents) are respected and trusted people whose views and actions influence their peers. They help shape how people see the company.

A Change champion network organizes these highly regarded individuals into a team to support the change through spreading information, articulating benefits, role modeling new ways of thinking and providing feedback on how people are feeling. Through regular briefings, they act as your arms and legs throughout the organization as you implement a change plan.

To attract the best, you need to make the network a group that people want to be part of. Ideally, you will have leaders nominate members, so they buy into the network and support the time required to participate. Profiling this group to all employees and acknowledging their efforts by including membership in personal annual goals motivates members to fulfill their role with enthusiasm.


KNOWLEDGE BITES



CHANGE CHAMPION NETWORK PLANNER: Who needs to be a member of my change champion network?


SUCCESS TIP

Ensure all groups affected by the change are represented to maximize influence and avoid a slight that could cause resistance.


Tuesday 24 November 2020

How to Create a Change Plan


The podcast episode of this post is available on SounderApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsStitcher and Spotify.

When you are short of time, here is the one action that will give you 80 percent results in 20 percent of the time.

 

DO THIS

Describe how people will get prepared for the change.


BY DOING THIS

–        Concisely summarize what’s going on.
–        State your views on the best path forward.
–        Suggest the next step or two to put that path into action.

A good change plan describes how people will be able to adopt the change. There are three sections of an effective change plan: communication, training and engagement.

Communication describes how people will get information, e.g., through emails, town hall meetings, newsletters, etc. Training captures skill-building activities, including learning sessions, coaching and process walkthroughs. Engagement includes feedback opportunities such as plan review meetings, interviews and surveys.

Resist the temptation to make your plan long and complex. Many people believe a big plan is better, but the longer and more complex it is, the harder it is to communicate and implement. The best plans are easy to understand and follow. The worst response to a plan is, "I don't get it.


KNOWLEDGE BITES



CHANGE PLAN: How will I prepare people to do things differently?


SUCCESS TIP

Showing how the three people-support elements align leading up to the launch date will help leaders and their teams feel confident that they’ll be ready for the change.