Access the essential membership for Modern Managers
Ket takeaways:
- Change champions are enthusiastic about change and use their skillset throughout the process. They are usually flexible and able to adapt to circumstances.
- To become a change champion, you should have the various capabilities needed to be effective in the three stages of initiating, facilitating and implementing change.
- A key role of a change champion is convincing colleagues who are skeptical or resistent to change.
- Change champions add real value to change initiatives. It is important to spot potential champions and develop them by providing support and guidance.
When it comes to anticipating and handling employees’ reactions to change, many leaders and managers are – understandably – concerned about dealing with negative responses.
Resistance to change is relatively common in organizations, and should be managed carefully. However, it’s important to remember that there are also likely to be people who not only support the change, but are enthusiastic about it, and are keen to see it happen.
This article looks at the vital role that these "change champions" have to play in the change process, and provides advice to help you identify, nurture and develop the change champions in your team or organization.
Change Management: What Is a Change Champion?
Professor of Management and Organization Change at the University of Colorado, Dr Don Warrick, defines a change champion as "a person at any level of the organization who is skilled at initiating, facilitating and implementing change". [1] So, how can you spot the change champions in your team or organization? In terms of their day-to-day behaviors, change champions are likely to be positive, open-minded people who are happy to roll their sleeves up and get involved in lots of different projects and activities.
Change champions are usually flexible, adaptable people who are able to ‘go with the flow’ and adjust to new circumstances. When an organizational change is announced, change champions are likely to show a positive interest in the initiative, ask lots of constructive questions, and talk to you and others about the change with energy and enthusiasm. They may also have ideas about how to move the change forward or make it more successful, and volunteer to get involved.
Remember that change champions needn’t necessarily be senior people, or those responsible for implementing the change, so be sure to keep an open mind when considering who the change champions in your team or organization might be.
Quick Tips to Become a Change Champion
According to Dr Don Warrick, change champions can be effective in the three stages of initiating, facilitating and implementing change if they possess the following key capabilities: [2]
Initiating Change
developing a change mindset
looking for new and better ways of doing things and opportunities for improvements, while inspiring others to do the same
providing visionary leadership
communicating a clear vision of change, effective directions, and inspiration to succeed
being well informed about the issues, opportunities and how to get things done
developing credibility by addressing issues at their cause rather than symptomatically
involving key stakeholders and building commitment
critical to success, influential allies must be kept onboard at all times
Facilitating Change
working with people
solid interpersonal skills are crucial
working with teams
skills like facilitating cooperation, problem-solving, planning and conflict management will be vital
networking and getting the right people together
thinking strategically about who to involve, when and how
Implementing Change
planning and managing the change process
based on a solid model, champions should have a firm grasp of the structure and process of managing change
making things happen
being able to show tangible progress and demonstrate results, as well as overcoming resistance and other barriers
keeping people focused and motivated
making the incentive to change greater than the incentive to maintain the status quo
developing feedback mechanisms to evaluate and monitor progress
keeping in touch with those affected by change via interviews, questionnaires and focus groups
persevering until the change succeeds
personal resilience and the ability to see the big picture, keeping the goal in sight
Change Champion Responsibilities
Individuals with these skills and strengths can bring considerable value to a change initiative. One of the most useful roles they can play is helping their more skeptical or resistant colleagues to understand and buy in to the change. ‘Diffusions of innovation’ research, a strand of sociology that examines people’s responses to new innovations, identifies five distinct types of ‘adopters’. These are: [3]
- Innovators - a tiny minority who love to be ahead of the crowd, and so actively seek out new innovations.
- Early adopters - less quick to take to innovations than innovators but still keen to get involved at an early stage.
- Early majority - a far wider base than the other two groups, they will deliberate first before taking up a new idea or innovation.
- Late majority - a similar sized group to the early majority, but they are more wary and skeptical of innovations – they take more convincing, and often eventually adopt the innovation due to peer pressure.
- Laggards - very wary of innovations, this final group is extremely risk averse and will rely on colleagues and friends to test the water before they finally join in.
As innovators or early adopters, change champions can encourage colleagues who fall into the early majority, late majority and laggard categories to support the change and adopt any new innovation associated with it (e.g. new processes, systems, ways of working) more quickly.
Once the change project is under way, change champions can also play an active and enthusiastic role in the implementation of the change, and provide the project team with a valuable insight into the impact and effectiveness of the change once it has been implemented.
Developing and Nurturing Change Champions
Identify Potential Champions
In your team or organization, it is likely that there will already be people with the skills, qualities and characteristics of change champions. However, to realize their potential and add genuine value to a change initiative, these individuals require support and guidance from those leading the change. It is vital, therefore, to identify and engage with your change champions, and to nurture and develop their skills.
When it comes to identifying potential change champions, begin by thinking about the people you know and work with already, then ask other leaders and managers for their input. Bear in mind that not everyone with the qualities and attributes of a change champion is going to be enthusiastic about every change proposed, so it’s important to be aware of people’s reactions when changes are announced.
You might also find that people who you had not previously identified as potential change champions demonstrate particular enthusiasm for a specific change. When choosing champions for an initiative, it’s therefore important to use your best judgment and bear in mind people’s day-to-day qualities and characteristics, as well as their response and attitude towards the change in question.
Engage Your Champions Early in the Change Process
Once you have identified potential change champions for a specific initiative, it’s important to engage with these individuals from an early stage. Depending on the size of your organization, and the complexity of the change project, you may want to do this in a structured, formal way, or more casually.
Either way, you should make it clear to your potential change champions that you have been impressed by their enthusiasm and support for the change and that as change champions they will have the opportunity to play a vital role in the change process. Be clear about what their roles and responsibilities will be, what will be expected of them, and how much time they might need to invest in the change project.
It is also important to remember that the role of change champion shouldn’t be ‘forced’ on anyone, and you should give people the opportunity to speak up if they feel they don’t have the time or capacity to commit fully to it. You may also want to discuss your proposal with the team member’s manager beforehand and provide them with an indication of how much time you will be expecting the change champion to invest in the role.
Offer Ongoing Encouragement and Support
As you work with your champions throughout the change process, be sure to encourage, nurture and support them every step of the way. Remember to give them access to all the resources and information they might need, and to provide them with a suitable forum for sharing ideas with the change team, and with one another.
This could include regular meetings, email updates, or an online discussion group, as appropriate. If there are specific skills that you need your change champions to develop quickly, be sure to identify these upfront and offer appropriate development opportunities. Finally, make your change champions feel valued. Thank them for all their efforts and hard work, and be sure to include them in any celebrations to mark the end of the change process.
Summary
When a forthcoming change is announced, employees are bound to react in different ways. While some people may be unsure about the change, others are likely to support it. In fact, some may even be excited about the initiative and will be keen to help make the change happen.
These ‘change champions’ can add real value to a change initiative; their passion and enthusiasm for the change can help to win the hearts and minds of their more skeptical colleagues, as well as help move the project forward. It is vital, therefore, to identify and engage with change champions, and provide them with the resources, support and development opportunities they need to help make the change a success.
References[1] D.D. Warrick, 'Developing Organization Change Champions', OD Practitioner, Vol 41, No 1 (2009) p14.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Everett M Rogers, Diffusion of Innovations (Simon and Schuster International, 2003).
