How do you sustain and scale the change efforts and outcomes with the help of change agents?

It is really important to get all the different types of influencers on the boat as change agents, without them any change will struggle to gain traction in the long term. 1 - Top Managers and Dept Heads. Influence from a position in the hierarchy. 2- Social Influencers. Those who are listened to because of their large network and probably extravert communication skills. These people are at all levels. 3 - Technical Influencers. Listened to because of their expertise and knowledge. 4 - High flyers/high performers. Those who are listened to because they are clearly on the way up and people know it, so take notice of what they say. Ideally, have a plan for each person to get them on board and both selling and being the change you want to see.

There are potential two categories of change agents: 1) those that are a part of the core change management team who define the change management strategy and implementation, and 2) the network of champions who extend their support. The purpose of forming a network of change champions is to ensure higher level of adoption, sharing of knowledge and to leverage them as a feedback mechanism in checking the pulse of the effectiveness of the change implementation. Change champion should be selected from peers of those impacted by the change... from the leaders to the lowest level in the organizational hierarchy.

This is a really important step. Just because someone is a "champion" doesn't mean they know HOW to do that. I have spent time collaborating with and training change agents in motivational interviewing so they know how to effectively have the conversations - not just telling people what to do. Effective coaching and communication skills will turn a change agent into a powerful asset.

Change agents aren't just names on an email distribution list - they're the influencers who help turn your desired change into reality. Set clear expectations about when and how you'll be sharing information with them, create spaces for dialogue and problem-solving, and give change agents clear, easy ways to share what they're learning from staff across the organization with the leaders who are responsible for the change.

Engagement with change agents - As a part of the securing commitment from the change champions, the protocol and terms of engagement should be clearly established upfront. The change network is an extension of the change management team and as such should be kept up to date on developments early and often so that they convey information to the groups they represent in support of transparency, trust as well as help allay any rumors.

Evaluation of the change effectiveness extends to all of the impacted population. The tool frequently applied is the employee/stakeholder pulse survey. The feedback from the survey provides valuable insights upon which adjustments should be made to remedy any negative feedback

Beware of the usual suspects syndrome! What's that? It's the tendency to choose the same ol' people to work on every change initiative. If we're not careful, we will create burnout among our best and brightest. Instead, create opportunities to engage others in your next change effort and you just might build the "bench strength" needed to help your business flourish for years to come.

When working on change always have a plan for these two areas. 1 - A plan for making it stick long term. Changing habits is hard and it is easy to slowly revert back to the old ways. 2 - A plan for the 'difficult' people or depts. You know who and where they are, so make a specific plan of how you are going to get them on board.