Establishing A Change Management Office

Most changes fail, especially if they are complex. But why? The Lippitt-Knoster model explains exactly why you don’t get what you want. Making changes is notoriously difficult, especially if they are substantial and complex. In response, there are many change management approaches and step-by-step instructions for managing change. But, to manage change, it is essential to first understand it. Once we know the key ingredients of a successful change, we know what it takes to make it. Even more importantly, once we know these ingredients, we also know WHY a change fails, so that we can do something about it. According to the Lippitt-Knoster Model for Managing Complex Change, a complete change effort requires the following six ingredients: 👉 Vision: sets the direction and explains why the change is needed 👉 Consensus: creates alignment and commitment for the change 👉 Skills: outlines the skills and expertise needed to realize the change 👉 Incentives: creates the motivation and drive to make the change 👉 Resources: enables the change with the needed time, money and tools 👉Action Plan: clarifies the roadmap and steps for realizing the change All six are needed. Consensus was added later by Knoster and it’s not so clear if both originators agree. Yet, I find it essential for any change to be successful, so you need all six. If you miss one you don’t get the change you want. ❌ Miss Vision and you get Confusion ❌ Miss Consensus and you get Sabotage ❌ Miss Skills and you get Anxiety ❌ Miss Incentives and you get Resistance ❌ Miss Resources and you get Frustration ❌ Miss Action Plan and you get False Starts So, here is what it takes to make a successful (complex) change: Step 1: Vision. Create and share a clear vision of the change and why it is needed. What will the new situation look like? Step 2: Consensus. Engage people across the organization to gather input and align their viewpoints in line with the vision. Step 3: Skills. Identify which skills are needed, provide the necessary training, upskill or attract people with the right skills. Step 4: Incentives. Understand what motivates people and create the right mechanisms for intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Step 5: Resources. Reserve enough time and money for making the change and obtain the necessary tools, technologies and other resources. Step 6: Action Plan. Develop a high-level roadmap and detailed action plan that outlines the priorities, order and steps for making the change. === Want to create true and lasting change? Then the Certified Strategy and Implementation Consultant (CSIC) program may be something for you. For more information and registration for the September 2024 cohort of this exciting program, and booking a call with our enrollment advisor, visit our website strategy.inc. 

I have become something of a persona non grata in certain change management circles. Which is a little ironic. My PhD is in Organizational Behavior, and for years I taught organizational development and change management to executives and graduate students. The field shaped much of my early thinking about how organizations evolve. And I still believe many of its foundational models were extraordinary contributions to management practice. But yesterday, during a call with a client team, the tension became very clear. They asked: “Dr. Nadya, can I ask for your take on the traditional change management models — Kurt Lewin, John Kotter, ADKAR, and so many others?” It’s a fair question. These models are deeply embedded in how many organizations approach transformation. My answer surprised them a little (because it confirmed what they were afraid to say out loud). I told him that these frameworks were exceptional for the world they were designed for. A world where: • industries evolved slowly • business models lasted decades • transformations were occasional • organizations moved from stability → change → stability In that environment, stage-based change models made enormous sense. Unfreeze → change → refreeze. Create urgency → build a coalition → implement change. Build awareness → desire → knowledge → ability → reinforcement. But the environment leaders are navigating in 2026 looks very different. Today: • disruptions stack on top of each other • technologies reshape industries in months • regulation rewrites markets overnight • business models expire faster than strategies can be approved Organizations are no longer moving from stability to change. They are operating inside continuous turbulence. And this changes the nature of the problem. The challenge is no longer managing a change initiative. The challenge is building the ability to continuously reinvent the organization while it is running. That shift requires several important evolutions in how we think about change. 🚨 From episodic change → continuous adaptation 🚨 From linear stages → nonlinear experimentation 🚨From “the people side of change” → integration of strategy, innovation, and execution 🚨From transformation programs → organizational capability Perhaps most importantly, it means recognizing that the business side of change and the people side of change cannot be separated. Strategy shifts require new capabilities. New capabilities require new behaviors. New behaviors reshape the organization. All of it happens simultaneously, not sequentially. None of this diminishes the importance of change management as a profession. If anything, the need for thoughtful practitioners is greater than ever. But the environment has changed. And when the environment changes, our tools, models, and assumptions must evolve with it.

Leading change isn't just about having a compelling vision or a well-crafted strategy. Through my years as a transformation leader, I've discovered that the most challenging aspect lies in understanding and addressing the human elements that often go unnoticed. The fundamental mistake many leaders make is assuming people resist change itself. People don't resist change - they resist loss. Research shows that the pain of losing something is twice as powerful as the pleasure of gaining something new. This insight completely transforms how we should approach change management. When implementing change, we must recognize five core types of loss that drive resistance. * First, there's the loss of safety and security - our basic need for predictability and stability. * Second, we face the potential loss of freedom and autonomy - our ability to control our circumstances.  * Third, there's the fear of losing status and recognition - particularly relevant in organizational hierarchies.  * Fourth, we confront the possible loss of belonging and connection - our vital social bonds. * Finally, there's the concern about fairness and justice - our fundamental need for equitable treatment. What makes these losses particularly challenging is their connection to identity.  When change threatens these aspects of our work life, it doesn't just challenge our routines and who we think we are. This is why seemingly simple changes can trigger such profound resistance. As leaders, our role must evolve. We need to be both champions of change and anchors of stability.  Research shows that people are four times more likely to accept change when they clearly understand what will remain constant. This insight should fundamentally shift our approach to change communication. The path forward requires a more nuanced approach. We must acknowledge losses openly, create space for processing transition and highlight what remains stable. Most importantly, we need to help our teams maintain their sense of identity while embracing new possibilities. In my experience, the most successful transformations occur when leaders understand these hidden dynamics. We must also honour the present and past. This means creating an environment where both loss and possibility can coexist. The key is to approach resistance with curiosity rather than frustration. When we encounter pushback, it's often signaling important concerns that need addressing. By listening to this wisdom and addressing the underlying losses, we can build stronger foundations for change. These insights become even more crucial as we navigate an increasingly dynamic business environment. The future belongs to leaders who can balance the drive for transformation with the human need for stability and meaning. True transformation isn't just about changing what we do - it's about evolving who we are while honouring who we've been. #leadership #leadwithrajeev

Not a lot of businesses are recognizing the power of Change Management as a vehicle for enhancing customer experience efforts. Here's how to unlock the power of change management principles in the context of CX. 🎯 Understanding Customer Needs Before initiating any change, you must have a deep understanding of what your customers really want. Utilize data analytics, behavioral data, operational and financial data, customer interviews, surveys, market dynamics, competitive information, and other signals to assess and understand needs. 🤝 Aligning Objectives Leadership Alignment: Ensure that your leadership is onboard and committed to customer experience improvement. Stakeholder Involvement: Involve the frontline employees who interact with customers daily to contribute to the decision-making process. 🗓️ Planning Identify Key Changes: Prioritize which areas require change based on customer feedback and business metrics. Set Targets: Establish measurable KPIs to gauge the success of the changes you plan to implement. These should be business- and customer-driven metrics. Don't make this a metric like "increase OSAT from X to Y." 📣 Communication Internal Communication: Clearly communicate the why and the how to all internal stakeholders. This should include executives, directly impacted employees, and the broader line of business. Tailor it to the stakeholder. Customer Communication: Be transparent with customers about what changes to expect and how they will benefit. Keep them up to date on progress. 🛠️ Implementation Pilot Testing: Conduct a small-scale test of the changes to assess their effectiveness. Feedback Loop: Gather continuous feedback from customers and employees throughout the implementation process. 📊 Evaluation and Adaptation Assess Impact: Examine metrics regularly to determine whether the changes are having the intended impact. Iterate: Use data-driven insights to make necessary adjustments. 🚀 Sustaining Changes Training: Continuously train your team to adapt to new changes. Feedback Mechanisms: Keep the dialogue open with customers and employees for sustainable improvements. 👩💻 Leveraging Technology 👨💻 Data Analytics: Use analytics to pinpoint improvement areas. Communication Platforms: Use tools like Slack or Teams for internal communication. Automation: Implement bots for routine tasks. CRM Systems: Manage customer relationships digitally to gain insights. 💡 Involve Employees Effectively Employees are the face of your customer service. Include them in planning, provide training opportunities, establish regular feedback forums, and reward those who contribute to customer experience improvements. Have you applied change management principles to enhance the customer experience in your organization? What worked for you? What didn't work for you? #ChangeManagement #CustomerExperience #Leadership #DataAnalytics #EmployeeEngagement #Technology

🔍 Why understanding organizational context is key to effective change management? In any organization, successful change relies on a deep understanding of the environment in which the change takes place. This includes not only external factors, like market trends and technological shifts but also internal dynamics, such as organizational culture, leadership style, and past experiences with change. Having those in mind when designing change approach is essential for meaningful, sustainable and predictable effects. ✨ Insight: Every organization’s path to change is unique, shaped by its readiness, adaptability, and historical response to change—what we might call its “change maturity.” Companies with a high tolerance for risk often thrive with a rapid, agile approach, while organizations with intricate governance structures or a more cautious culture may benefit from a slower, methodical rollout. Key factors in assessing an organization’s change maturity include: 📌 Organizational culture: Cultures that value innovation and adaptability are naturally receptive to agile, iterative changes, whereas more traditional cultures may prefer gradual, structured approaches. 📌 History with change: Analysing past experiences with change provides insight into current readiness. Previous successes can build confidence, while past resistance might indicate the need for a cautious, well-communicated approach. 📌 Governance structures and risk tolerance: Organizations with complex governance and risk-averse policies often face decision-making bottlenecks. Respecting these structures by tailoring change strategies can foster smoother, more accepted transitions. 📌 Selecting your approach: There are several tool, like Kellemen’s three levels of adoption or Cynefin model, that will help to identify your context and select actions that will support your decision and path you have chosen. By aligning your strategy with these characteristics, you build support across the organization, minimize resistance, and create a path forward that respects the organization’s unique readiness for change. It’s not about labelling which approach is good or bad, it’s about selecting approach that best fit your context. What factors, like organizational culture, history with change, or external pressures have influenced you pace of change in your workplace? Let's discuss in comments ➡️ Follow me for more insights on change management strategies and tools. ➡️ Visit Conlea website to explore our portfolio of change management trainings or reach me, Małgorzata Burdeńska, or the Conlea team for customized support. #ChangeManagement #OrganizationalChange #Leadership #Adaptability #Strategy #OrganisationalContext

❓ The technology may be able to help you transform, but how do you assess if the company has the internal capability to support the transformation?   Question received during the webinar "Experience GROW with SAP" (recording 👉 https://lnkd.in/gv-KWHKy) The successful implementation of transformation requires an understanding of an organization’s readiness to change. Identifying and evaluating the factors that affect an organization’s ability to adapt to new processes, technology & workflows. ☝ If you are asking this question - you are already on a right track. Majority of change initiatives fail, because we fail to do a first step - assess, if the ambition and organizations CAPABILITY and CAPACITY to support the transformation is there. ** Capability can be built, borrowed or bought. But more important, has organization capacity to do this on top of business as usual? ** Capacity means all leaders, employees and stakeholders are giving priority, focus and attention to transformation. Coming back to the initial question about assessing capabilities and readiness for change 👇 I, personally, like the ** Business Transformation Management Methodology ** (BTM2), which offers a comprehensive framework to address various facets of business transformation, including assessing a company's internal capability to support transformation efforts. According to BTM2, evaluating a company's readiness and capability for transformation involves multiple dimensions, such as organizational structure, culture, employee skills, technological infrastructure, and existing processes. More about this methodology by Rob Llewellyn here >> https://lnkd.in/gKEzbPyp Top 7 capabilities: 1️⃣ Strategic Visioning and Alignment: Are you able to define a clear and simple "Case for change"? The "Why". Defining a compelling transformation vision aligned with business strategy and ensuring stakeholder commitment is essencial. If people don't understand the why - stop here. 2️⃣ Leadership and Governance: Does everyone understand that to run the Transformation you need a proper governance structures, strong leadership who can inspire teams through change. 3️⃣ Change Management: Managing organizational change effectively, addressing resistance, and fostering adaptability needs focus. Are you ready? 4️⃣ Risk Management: How good is organization to understanding and managing risks? 5️⃣ Process Management: You will need End-to-End process definition and management. Do you run your business in functions or you talk processes? 6️⃣ Technology Management: How strong is your Technology team? You need a leader who can build bridge between Business & Technology. 7️⃣ Talent and Competency: Ensure your core team has experience to handle changes. Best is to hire someone who already went the same way at least once. Don't try to learn from your mistakes. How would you assess readiness? #sappartner #BTM2 #transformation

For meaningful change to take root, implementation efforts must be meticulously tailored to each organisation's unique context. Honestly, the notion that a one-size-fits-all solution can catalyze transformation across the board is a myth. Enter the Change Kaleidoscope, a brilliant framework Julia Balogun and Veronica Hope Hailey developed. This model serves as a beacon for managers, guiding them towards crafting a 'context-sensitive' approach to navigating organisational change. 🔍 The Change Kaleidoscope consists of three concentric rings, each playing a pivotal role in the change management process: ➡ The Outer Ring: This layer encapsulates the broader strategic change context, setting the stage for a holistic understanding of the environment in which change is to occur. ➡ The Middle Ring: Here, we delve into the specific contextual factors that are critical to consider when devising a change plan. This layer demands a nuanced appreciation of an organisation's unique challenges and opportunities. ➡ The Inner Circle: At the heart of the kaleidoscope lies a repertoire of choices and interventions ('design choices') available to change agents. This core selection empowers managers to select the most appropriate strategies and tactics in alignment with the broader context and specific nuances of their organisational landscape. 💡 Embracing the Change Kaleidoscope means acknowledging the complexity of change and the necessity of a bespoke approach. It's about moving beyond generic solutions to foster change that is not only strategic but also profoundly resonant with each organisation's unique fabric. 🔔 Please remember to follow me if you like content like this 🙏🏻

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 High-performing teams deploy multiple times per day. Traditional configuration management frameworks were designed for change cycles measured in weeks or months. When software velocity outpaces your governance model, the instinct is to conclude the framework is broken. That instinct is usually wrong. The framework is not the problem. The granularity of its application is. A 2026 analysis of DevOps trends found that the industry is shifting from raw deployment frequency toward outcome, risk, and resilience as the primary metrics. The question is moving from "How fast can we ship?" to "How well can our systems absorb constant change?" That shift sounds familiar to anyone who has worked in configuration management. It is the difference between speed and control, and the answer has never been to choose one over the other. What most organizations get wrong is applying the same governance threshold to every change. A cosmetic UI update and a safety-critical algorithm change do not require the same review depth. But without a framework that explicitly defines where the boundary sits, organizations default to one of two failure modes: everything gets full review (creating bottlenecks that teams circumvent), or nothing gets meaningful review (creating risk that surfaces in production). CM2 offers something distinct here. Not a fourth industry-specific answer, but a framework-neutral vocabulary for asking the right question. Not "what does your standard require?" but "what is your governance structure actually trying to accomplish, and where should the threshold between fast and slow sit?" This maps directly to tiered change governance. Low-risk changes with adequate test coverage can flow through lightweight approval paths. High-risk changes that affect safety, interoperability, or regulatory compliance require a full CRB review and CIB implementation planning. The ServiceNow DevOps Change Velocity model implements exactly this pattern: auto-approving low-risk changes while preserving manual review for high-risk ones. The key insight is that software-intensive products do not need less configuration management. They need more granular configuration management. The governance structure must match the velocity profile of each change category, rather than applying a single speed to all changes. Is your CM framework slowing down software delivery? Or is it your application of the framework that cannot distinguish between changes that require governance and those that require velocity? #ConfigurationManagement #CM2 #DevOps #SoftwareEngineering #ChangeManagement #CM #PLM #ProductLifecycleManagement #HowDoYOUCM2

Last week, I met with one of our valued clients who is preparing for a global ERP and digital transformation that we are planning over 18 – 24 months. Before we prepare for documenting requirements and evaluating ERP Vendors and Solutions, one of our first priorities will be to establish a Change Management and Communications Framework. After 3 decades of advising organisations on ERP selection and implementation, I've seen the same pattern repeatedly. Organisations rarely struggle because they chose the wrong software, they struggle because they underestimated the human side of change. An ERP project is primarily an organisational transformation, not just a technology project. Our approach starts by: ✅ Identifying stakeholder groups and understanding how each will be impacted. ✅ Planning structured communications aligned to each phase of the program. ✅ Establishing Change Champions to build engagement and identify concerns early. ✅ Communicating openly and addressing concerns from staff early. The message I believe every organisation should communicate earlier is something simple like: "𝗪𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗥𝗣. 𝗪𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿" When people easily understand the purpose and the benefits of the transformation, they're far more likely to embrace the change. Starting change management during the initial planning, is one of the highest-return investments an organisation can make with an ERP program.

Let’s address the elephant in the room: 𝙎𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙢 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙤𝙣𝙚-𝙨𝙞𝙯𝙚-𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙨-𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. In the modern world of product and project management, teams often rush to adopt an agile approach, and the first thing that comes to mind is the 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. However, I've observed many teams trying to force every aspect of these "fancy" frameworks into their routines without first evaluating their specific needs. The truth is, throughout my career, I’ve worked on numerous projects and not one of them had 100% application of Scrum framework because it is not how it is designed to be used. So, how do you find what truly works for your team? Here's what I've learned: 𝟭. 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Understand where your team stands. What are the key challenges your organization faces? What specific outcomes do you want to achieve by applying agile techniques? 𝟮. 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: There is no need to follow a framework rigidly. Feel free to tailor it to your team's unique needs. This could mean adapting a single framework or blending elements from multiple frameworks to suit your environment. 𝟯. 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗕𝗲 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Agile is all about flexibility. If a particular technique isn’t working for your team, don’t hesitate to stop using it and try something different. Keep experimenting until you find the right fit. Remember, agility is about finding what works best for your team — and continuously refining it. Hit me up if you want to discuss the challenges your team is facing and how you can address them! #Agile #Scrum #TeamManagement #Frameworks #ProductManagement #Experimentation