How do you engage and empower cross-functional employees and customers in the change process?

Transparent Communication is key. In most environments across all organizations the pandemic has caused several shifts in strategy. Employees are on change “overload.” If you don’t clearly articulate the change, the positive and negative benefits that can affect the workforce and clearly layout pain points getting employee buy-in it’ll become yet another thing the organization is doing that an employee feels benefits the “company” and not the employee needs.

I involve cross-functional employees and customers early by seeking their input, addressing their concerns and aligning their goals with the change objectives. Transparent communication and regular updates build trust and keep everyone engaged. Training and support help them adapt and take ownership of the process.

As with any problem, you must first fully define it. What is the problem and how would improving it impact the stakeholders/organization? Get input from all functional teams. Have frank and open discussions on potential solutions and get buy-in on the changes.

Recruit a broad team to help build a stakeholder map. An executive sponsor or leader could also help. Since stakeholders could be internal or external, look to interpret their needs and then develop a process to validate that.

Engage with at least 1 relevant stakeholder from the different internal functions and ensure there are those that can be the voice of the customer. Invest some time into really understanding what their concerns and pain points are. It's very possible that not everything can be addressed, but having this understanding will help you anticipate the impact that the change/s will have on people.

I recommend: - Commitment from leaders to provide visible and active executive sponsorship - Connection points to align, build conviction in the need for change, and strengthen the connective tissue of those effecting change - A clear path or plan for learning and behavior change

As you fully define the process to change, ensure you can outline the problem, solution, and path of change. Articulating this to affected groups will give stakeholders a sense of inclusion, especially if their role will be changing as part of the solution. Allow them some ownership of the training or testing and ensure there is an open door for feedback and enhancements.

Whatever process and activities have been planned, it is critical to get commitment from the relevant stakeholders prior to implementation. Equally important is ensuring that there is a consistent feedback loop throughout the process. Simply put, a systematic Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle.

The implementation phase, as described, is pivotal in any change process. Effective execution hinges on seamless coordination, communication, and facilitation among cross-functional teams and stakeholders. Monitoring and documenting progress, collecting feedback, and data analysis are essential to evaluate the change's impact. Flexibility and agility in adapting and improving the process are key for successful change management.

Foster a collaborative environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, providing feedback, and working together towards common goals. Encourage open communication and create opportunities for cross-functional collaboration through brainstorming sessions, workshops, and team-building activities.

After the change has been implemented, evaluate its effectiveness through stakeholder feedback, cost analysis, or other stats. Focus on any lessons learned and use this feedback to make continuous improvements and inform future change initiatives.

Some key things that have always been important in evaluation: * Before and After - taken from multiple perspectives. For instance, before and after state of the process, the impact on people, the results delivered, etc. * Key achievements - recognize the milestones achieved by the team. Even small wins are wins! * Lessons learned - no execution is perfect; recognizing what can be done better is key to an even better execution moving forward