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How to Establish Leadership Roles for Positive Organizational Change

There are a few fundamental reasons that organizational change efforts often fail. One common issue is the lack of know-how for establishing leadership roles and getting everyone onboard with the change. It’s vital for everyone involved in change management to understand the roles and responsibilities they hold.

Why Failure is a Common Concern

Failure is a common concern because it’s so easy to do. Change management is a frequently studied topic, and multiple studies have found the success rate of change initiatives is only 30%-40%

The chances of success are improved when change management teams know how to establish leadership roles and provide clarity regarding individual responsibilities.

Here are some things to keep in mind to make sure your project isn't one of the 60%-70% that fails.

The Sponsor of Change

Every change initiative needs a sponsor; in most organizations, it's a member of senior management. He or she should be the one to communicate a clear vision of the change to the workforce and articulate the definition of success. The sponsor is also typically the one who approves funding and provides high-level direction.

The Champion of Change

A change management champion is also usually a senior manager, and his or her role will be to bring the sponsor’s vision to life. The champion will hold the operational authority to select the project team and to execute activities to drive the change.

The Agents of ChangeHow to Establish Leadership Roles

Change agents are the employees you choose to drive change among the lower level employees. You should select the employees who are the most appropriate for the type of change you're making – accounting employees for a financial project, for example. In most cases, there will be multiple change agents working as a team. Their responsibility is to help the champion and sponsor while also supporting change recipients as subject matter experts.

The Recipients of Change

The people who are most affected by a change are perhaps the most important group in determining whether a change will be successful. The recipients of change include employees, customers, and even vendors or suppliers.

The most successful change management programs are those where the sponsor, champion, and change agents have practiced effective communication and involved change recipients in project planning and execution.

Change Your Approach to Change

If you approach change management the right way – by having a champion, a sponsor, and change agents and by establishing leadership roles and a change management team – there’s no reason you won't be part of the 30%-40% of businesses who make a change successfully.

If you’re planning to make some process changes or implement new business software, Asyma Solutions is here to help. Our team can assist and support your change as you transition from your current state to your desired state. If you’d like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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