The full guide to change champion programs (+ template)
Conquer change management with a change champion program.
Welcome to The Manual Weekly - LI Edition, the can’t-miss newsletter for small business leaders. You’ll find snackable bits of news highlighting emerging trends, actionable resources, and proven best practices that can help take your business to the next level.
Hot off the SMB press this week:
Introducing… ‘How To Build a Business Playbook’
Okay, but what is a business playbook?
A business playbook is the complete and comprehensive guide to how your business is run. It contains all your company's processes, policies, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) and outlines how your business does what it does — down to each role, responsibility, business strategy, and differentiator.
But do I need a business playbook?
Here’s the hard truth: Regardless of size or industry, every business needs a business playbook to run smoothly and scale successfully.
That's because with a business playbook:
Without one, let’s face it: You’ll never be able to get out of your business. If your processes aren’t documented, then who’s going to do them when you’re not there?
Alright, so I need one. But how do I start?
Here’s another hard truth: If you want a business playbook, you’re going to have to build one yourself. That’s because every business is different, and someone else’s playbook isn’t going to fit the unique model of your business.
The good news: We’ve got the perfect resource to teach you (and other leaders on your team) everything you need to know about building a business playbook. It’s easy to understand, full of tips and tricks, and most importantly, free!
Introducing “How To Build a Business Playbook .” Hosted by Trainual founder and CEO Chris Ronzio and featuring founder of FUBU and star of Shark Tank Daymond John, this masterclass will teach you how to create your own unique business playbook so you can align your team and deliver consistent and predictable results. That way, you can focus on scaling without worrying about the day-to-day operations that run your business.
Learn at your own pace with eight chapters — free and available to watch starting Tuesday, June 6. Get on the waitlist here .
E-sign business policies on mobile
You thought quiz time was over? Here’s one more Q to get those wheels turning this morning: Your main job as a business leader is making sure your team is safe, accountable, and aligned as they carry out their daily responsibilities. But can you be absolutely certain they’ll follow all the rules that help them achieve those things?
A. Nope. I just hope my employees read my training.
B. Mostly… I can see which business policies my employees have reviewed. But I don’t have any proof that they agree to follow them.
C. Yep! I have my employees sign on the dotted line to acknowledge that they’ve read and understood each policy in my business.
If you answered C, you know what’s up! When you require employees to acknowledge every important policy with an e-signature, they’ll be sure to read (and re-read) the guidelines that outline what’s expected of them. And you’ll have documented proof that they’ve agreed to follow them.
?? New feature alert: Now, employees can access policies and e-sign them right at their fingertips with the Trainual mobile app . And you get 25 free e-signatures per month on the Trainual Scale plan !
As a reminder, here’s how to add e-signatures to policies :
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Template of the week: Change Champion Program
Let’s face it: Small business change is inevitable. You refresh your products and services to evolve with changing demands. You re-organize your organizational structure as your team grows and develops. You update processes and procedures as you discover best practices and ways to increase productivity. (And so on and so forth.)
You get excited about the positive effects each change will bring on your business’ revenue, efficiency, and overall evolution. But…? your team doesn’t always welcome the changes with open arms. And it’s not really their fault — we’re resistant to change by nature. Which explains why 70% of change initiatives fail due to people resistance. (And why you’ve eaten the same cereal every morning since 2002.)
So it’s super important to foster a culture of growth and continuous improvement. And a great way to do this is to turn select employees into change champions. AKA, employees who are motivated to develop their leadership skills and drive positive change within your organization. All you have to do is implement a change champion program that helps employees understand the training and projects they can complete to become change-positive leaders in your org.
?? Feeling inspired to promote change champion development in your business? Snag our Change Champion Program template that teaches your team what makes a change champion, program benefits, and the commitments and responsibilities they take on when they sign up.
Can’t wait a whole week for your next template? Check out our entire template archive of free, multimedia-enhanced, and customizable policy, process, and role starters. New to Trainual? Try for free .
Why your business needs a change champion program
Change is constant — and it always comes with pushback.
Let’s jump back to 1982. The year — or fear — of the computer? In the early ’80s, Times replaced its Person of the Year with a machine. And just like that, the buzzword “computerphobia” popped up in headlines everywhere. Flash forward 40 years, and the same fear stories are being told of AI.
Just like technology, business is ever-changing. So the question becomes: How do we overcome the resistance to change, especially in our businesses?
Enter the change champion.
These agents of change have a unique set of traits and experiences that help them lead transformation and promote adoption of new processes, policies, and systems.
Because change champions understand the world of their colleagues, your employees trust them, making them more effective advocates for change who can help squash any change-related fears.
They have the knowledge and experience to help close training and process gaps, test new initiatives, support company performance metrics, and reduce overall operational costs — all while amplifying the voice of the team and fostering a positive culture of forward thinkers.
Sounds awesome! Where do I start?
Lucky for you, developing and implementing a change management program doesn’t take a master's in computer science. Getting started is simple. And when implemented thoughtfully, a change champion program can shape the success of your organization.
Here are some program targets to look for in your change champions:
Program target #1: Champions are organizational advocates.
By amplifying the voices of individuals within the business, champions help ensure that the heart of the organization remains at the forefront of every decision.
This week's highlight reel
?? Extreme freemium. Lululemon recently held a “Dupe Swap,” where they gave away free leggings in exchange for knockoffs. They sponsored the activation event — where they gave away $98K worth in product — to gather new customers and establish their “superiority in this space.” Keeping our fingers crossed for another freebie event soon.
?? All the cool kids are doing it. LinkedIn is the latest of the social media platforms to introduce a verification feature . With a work email or ID, you can verify your account, which the platform hopes will curb the increasingly sophisticated job scams that are popping up on the site. At least we don’t have to pay for this one.
?? How-not-tos. Take note: If you’re going for a rebrand, don’t do it like the streaming platform formerly known as HBO Max. Since its launch last week, customers have had a host of complaints with Max — mostly stemming from a confusing lack of communication. Our big question: What was wrong with the purple? Purple’s cool.
?? Caution. Don’t be tempted by the public phone charging stations you may see in malls and airports. According to the FBI, these public USB stations are being used as bad actors to spread malicious malware and monitoring software . BRB, heading to Amazon to buy a new portable battery pack.