Achieved Strategies

Working with a leader to determine how to proceed with rolling out change is more art than science.  An early diagnostic important to developing a change plan includes assessing stakeholder needs.   Below is a simple step-by-step process that will help you begin laying the foundation for the change initiative.

Step 1. Meet in advance with the team leader/sponsor to ask the “right” questions about the situation or need.

Tip: Capture clear notes while in the meeting with the description of the situation in the body of your notes, and ideas for engagement solutions in the margins.  It’s best to bring a second person to take notes while you interview the stakeholder.

Step 2. Identify other stakeholders that should be interviewed to ensure you have different perspectives that will give you the full picture of the needs.  Brainstorm with the team leader/sponsor names of others to be interviewed.  Be sure to have some sense of the impacts to each listed stakeholder.

Tip: Don’t ask the team leader “if” you should interview others.  Assume you will, and come from the perspective of “who” will be impacted within the engagement.

Step 3. Analyze the interview information of the leader and stakeholders.  Prepare a draft outline of how to proceed.  This should include a series of activities that will address the “whole” picture of the situation and need you just assessed.

Tip: When drafting the outline be clear on how the analysis links to your recommended solutions. Also document the linkage in a way that does not create defensiveness.

Step 4. Prepare and deliver the appropriate communications to initiate the engagement solutions.

Tip: Don’t assume people have received communications.  Build communications to impacted people into the plan.

Step 5. Implement the actions captured within your outline.  Be sure to include checkpoints along the way to determine where the “plan” or outline needs to be adapted.

Tip: The plan will almost always need to be adapted along the way.  The human element in change management is unpredictable, and will require adjustments to planned activities.

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Share with us what you do to assess change needs.  Please share below.