How do you foster collaboration and learning across teams and departments on change management risks?

First you must establish a cross-functional team to coordinate change management activities and foster collaboration across departments. This team should include representatives from all departments affected by the change, they should represent their group's interest and collect information or make sure communication is relevant to the group they represent. Then, identify and assess change management risks by working with each department to understand their unique risks and challenges. This can be done through interviews, surveys, and focus groups.

One thing that is extremely helpful in my work is to obtain a briefing of the current state from both those responsible for the change and also a subset of stakeholders - regardless of what they know/don't know about the change. In this conversation, you can service additional internal risks such as mindset and cultural considerations.

One thing that is helpful for stakeholder mapping is laying out how different stakeholders are impacted by change processes, and the roles that they can play in facilitating change. For example, some stakeholder are decision makers who need to be involved at every stage of the change management process, and are responsible for driving the changes, while others simply need to be informed on how their roles will be affected by the changes. Different stakeholders have different roles to play in change processes and should be engaged accordingly.

and...if the change process has been done well, the activities listed above are in support and reinforcement of the messaging you have already done as part of your stakeholder engagement process. Be careful relying on these 'tools' as your primary methods - that tells me we didn't do enough stakeholder engagement if that is the case.

Evaluate the change management plan regularly to ensure that it meets all departments' needs and that risks are effectively managed. Adjust the plan as needed to address emerging risks and challenges. Make sure to celebrate successes and milestones to recognize and reward teamwork and collaboration. This can help build momentum and enthusiasm for change management activities.

If you foster a culture of openness and trust among teams and departments it will encourage collaboration and learning. Encourage teams to share their experiences, successes, and challenges openly and constructively.