Process design is the art and science of creating and improving workflows, systems, and procedures that deliver value to customers and stakeholders. But process design is not a one-time event or a top-down mandate. It requires continuous learning, adaptation, and collaboration from everyone involved. And that's where change champions come in.
Change champions are employees who are enthusiastic, influential, and knowledgeable about the process design initiative. They are not necessarily managers or experts, but they have a positive attitude, a strong network, and a willingness to learn and share. They act as role models, advocates, and facilitators for the process design project, helping to communicate the vision, benefits, and expectations to their peers and teams.
1. Include change champions at the start of the proces design 2. Engaging from the start fosters better collaboration and trust 3. Change champions are enthusiasts, high energy, strong networked performers from within the team, hence the engagement turns out to be better 4. Ownership at the end of the process design/ redesign turns out to be good if engagement starts right at the beginning
Design Circles are a great way to bring a cross functional change team (across hierarchies) to contribute to the design of the 'new state'. This not just creates buy in, but actually transcends into making them organic ambassadors and advocates.
It is important to define the scope of the employee engagement champion role : # Facilitate share information and key messages about the business with colleagues # Seeking examples and proof points of best practice from colleagues # Identifying feedback or issues from employees and feeding these back We made it flexible; that it would be a voluntary or additional part of an employee's job.
- A strategic step that happens early is to ensure the selection of the right talent for that role. Communication, knowledge, and experience, and having organizational social relations (acceptance) are needed as key criteria for the selection. - In sizeable projects, there should be multiple Change Champions for a significant impact on a wide scale across the organization. - Engage the Change Champion(s) early from the start and mainly through the design stage. - Empower the Champion(s) and hold them accountable for driving the change. - Mentor and provide guidance whenever needed. - Monitor the progress through reports and periodic meetings.
Change champions are key players in the success of new initiatives within a company. For instance, when our firm introduced a new project management tool, we identified change champions across departments. These individuals, recognized for their positive influence and adaptability, were crucial in driving user adoption. They demonstrated the tool's benefits through their daily tasks, provided peer support, and collected feedback for improvements. Their advocacy and example-setting significantly reduced resistance to change, ensuring a smooth transition and higher overall acceptance of the new system.
Change champions are important because they can boost employee engagement in process design in several ways. First, they can increase awareness and understanding of the process design goals and methods, reducing confusion and resistance. Second, they can solicit feedback and input from their colleagues, ensuring that the process design reflects the needs and preferences of the end-users. Third, they can provide support and encouragement to their co-workers, fostering a culture of innovation and improvement. And fourth, they can celebrate and recognize the achievements and contributions of the process design team, enhancing motivation and satisfaction.
Change champions are crucial as they bridge the gap between strategy and execution. In an organizational software upgrade I managed, champions were pivotal. They communicated benefits, gathered peer feedback, and eased adoption by example. Their involvement meant that employees were not just compliant, but enthusiastic adopters, leading to a 50% faster implementation than past initiatives. Their support made the difference between a strategy that looks good on paper and one that works effectively in practice.
To identify change champions, you need to look for individuals with certain qualities and behaviors. Change champions are typically passionate about the process design topic and the organization's mission and vision, curious to learn new skills and tools, confident in expressing their opinions and ideas, collaborative and respectful when working with others, influential and trusted in their social and professional networks, and proactive and adaptable when facing challenges and changes. You can find change champions by observing how they interact with their peers and managers, asking for nominations or referrals from existing team members, or inviting volunteers or applicants who meet the criteria.
Identifying change champions involves seeking out individuals who exhibit enthusiasm for innovation and a commitment to organizational goals. During a major workflow overhaul at a client's company, we asked for nominations and observed team interactions, pinpointing those who were actively engaged, solutions-oriented, and held peer respect. We looked for those who volunteered for new tasks and were vocal about positive change. The selected champions were instrumental in fostering a collaborative environment and driving the adoption of the new processes. Their proactive approach and adaptability underpinned the project’s success.
I guess you got to start giving the example. Then by just observing which ones have a similar behavior to you, it will be pretty easy to know those are the ones who will no matter what share your vision. You cannot lead change without being a champion first!
To train change champions effectively, you should provide them with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need. This can be done through workshops and webinars that cover process design principles, tools, and techniques. Coaching and mentoring sessions can offer guidance and feedback on their tasks and responsibilities. Online platforms and communities enable access to information, materials, and best practices. Events and meetings should facilitate networking, collaboration, and recognition among change champions and process design team members. The training should be interactive, engaging, and tailored to the specific needs of the change champions.
Change champion needs to tick off a few boxes - sufficient tenure in the company or specific unit - Has good network in other teams / departments - understands the overall business and the processes atleast to some extent - displays contagious levels of energy and enthusiasm - has the ability to influence and coach others in the project - can compare the before and after status to measure the impact - can see both the soft and the hard benefits of the change - can communicate well both with his peers and the senior management - and most importantly, has the ability to learn from mistakes and do course corrections
Training change champions involves a mix of education, support, and community building. For example, we held interactive workshops to cover the essentials of a new process design. Champions received coaching to refine their leadership and communication skills, and we provided access to an online knowledge base for continuous learning. Regular meet-ups encouraged networking and sharing of experiences. This multifaceted approach equipped champions not just with the necessary information but also with the confidence and community support to lead change effectively within their teams.
To leverage change champions, you need to empower them to take action and make an impact on the process design project. This can be done by defining and communicating clear expectations and goals, assigning meaningful tasks and activities, providing regular feedback and recognition, encouraging and supporting the sharing of insights, experiences, and suggestions, and monitoring and measuring the outcomes of their involvement. It is important to balance the leverage, ensuring it is realistic and sustainable in order to avoid overloading or underutilizing the change champions.
To leverage change champions, we integrated them into our project management system's rollout. We gave each champion specific tasks aligned with their strengths, such as leading training sessions or heading feedback collection. Regular check-ins and public recognition of their efforts maintained motivation. Their input was crucial for tailoring the system to various departments' needs. This hands-on involvement not only bolstered the project's success but also reinforced the champions' roles as influential peers.
We created an employee engagement briefing pack. It included the following : # A letter from the management explaining the importance of the role and thanking them for taking it on # A summary sheet on the significance and benefits of engagement a summary of the activities # A copy of the business strategy and core business values # Key contact details for other engagement champions and colleagues they may need to liaise with - eg people in charge of internal communications
To sustain change champions, you need to maintain their enthusiasm, influence, and knowledge throughout the process design project and beyond. This can be done by creating and nurturing a community of practice among the change champions and the process design team, providing ongoing learning and development opportunities for the change champions, soliciting and acting on the feedback of the change champions, celebrating and rewarding the achievements of the change champions and process design team, and inviting and involving them in future process design initiatives. The sustainability should be long-term, strategic, and inclusive to ensure that the change champions remain engaged and valued.
To sustain change champions, we established a community forum where they could share experiences and continue learning. We provided advanced training sessions and openly acted on their recommendations, which kept their skills sharp and their commitment strong. Celebrating milestones and their contributions to project wins kept morale high. By involving them in decision-making for future projects, we ensured these champions felt valued and remained a driving force for ongoing innovation and change.
Strength based coaching! Create an environment that fosters inclusion and encourages individual strengths. Identify the strengths of each individual in your team and support/coach them to share those strengths with others. This creates a diverse environment where we can learn from each other.