How do you choose talent for change initiatives?

1 Assess the change readiness

Before you start looking for talent, you need to assess the change readiness of your organization and your potential candidates. Change readiness is the degree to which people are willing and able to embrace and adapt to change. You can use surveys, interviews, or focus groups to measure the change readiness of your employees, and identify the factors that influence it, such as their attitudes, beliefs, skills, knowledge, resources, and support. You can also use tools like the Change Readiness Assessment (CRA) or the Change Management Maturity Model (CMMM) to evaluate the change readiness of your organization as a whole.

2 Define the change roles

Next, you need to define the change roles that are required for your change initiative. Change roles are the specific functions and responsibilities that people have in relation to the change project. For example, some common change roles are change sponsor, change leader, change agent, change champion, change target, and change supporter. Each change role has different expectations and requirements, and you need to clarify them before you start looking for talent. You can use tools like the Change Roles Matrix or the RACI Matrix to define the change roles and their accountabilities.

3 Look for the change competencies

Once you have defined the change roles, you need to look for the change competencies that are needed for each role. Change competencies are the skills, abilities, and behaviors that enable people to perform effectively in change situations. For example, some common change competencies are communication, collaboration, problem-solving, creativity, resilience, and learning agility. You can use tools like the Change Competency Framework or the Change Management Competency Assessment to identify and assess the change competencies of your potential candidates.

4 Consider the change fit

Finally, you need to consider the change fit of your potential candidates. Change fit is the degree to which people are compatible and aligned with the change initiative and its objectives, values, and culture. You can use tools like the Change Fit Assessment or the Change Alignment Survey to measure the change fit of your potential candidates. You also need to consider the diversity and inclusion of your talent pool, and ensure that you have a balanced and representative mix of people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.

Choosing talent for change initiatives is not an easy task, but it is a crucial one. By following these tips, you can increase your chances of finding and selecting the right people for your change projects, and ensure that they have the readiness, roles, competencies, and fit to support and drive the change successfully.