Change Management big, broad and transformational requires every helpful resource possible, but not all resources. It requires leadership but not too much control. It requires energy and motivation, but with the right skill set and competencies at the right time ("championing" has gotten old and tired for stakeholders and those marked to be the cheerleaders) and it necessitates a balance of internal and external.
High level change consultants if they are effective, are focused on business objectives, value for the client and clear end states. Internal resources, change agents and the PMO along with the stakeholders, know the path (internal politics, established processes of communication and collaboration, reporting structures).
This kind of change (corporate, horizontal, transformational, enterprise etc etc) absolutely HAS to make sense. It may be with a grand future vision but it must be explainable and actionable.
The external helps craft explainable and works with the internal to translate to actionable.
The roles?
- The CEO supports in the same way they participate in the organization (versus being a figurehead).
- A high level external change consultant brought in by the CEO and partnering with the first horizontal
- A core team of change consultants with an internal and external mix- communication, senior consultants, intermediate consultants in a 1-2-2 ratio scaled accordingly
- Stakeholders throughout the organization who are interested in the change process, have skills to contribute and will naturally influence others (no not champions more like talented/willing participants)
Change that all encompassing will have many, many supporting roles each defined and rewarded by their skill and competency.
What is less clear cut are the ongoing leadership roles, from initiative to initiative over time, in this equation. This should be a VP role (I always hesitate using the word should, no hesitation this time) not a Director. If there are enough resources and change management is to be visible and effective there can be a Director in the equation. Success will come easier if the organization feels a connection to this person(s) and they can truly translate the visions of the CEO and first horizontal. Trust and credibility that can overpower internal politics and silo’s is the key to replicable success.
For a lively discussion on this and to get differing viewpoints here is a LinkedIn questions-
http://preview.tinyurl.com/yzyfcd8
GG
