Let’s face it. If you want people to adopt something new, an email from a C-level executive won’t do the trick. Neither will a snazzy project web site or a company-wide meeting. Maybe they’ll help in some way, but none does a great job reaching the hearts and minds of those who are being asked to change.
The real change influencers almost always come from among someone’s own community, or circle of influence. Such communities may be organizational in nature, functional, geographic or project-based. Although these people rarely play an official role in the proposed change, the influence they can wield is enormous.
Here are some tips about how to equip your “change ambassadors”, or influencers, with what they need to help effect successful change. Although the tips below are based on an IT initiative rollout, you can apply these concepts to any kind of change.
- Look in unexpected places to find the real change influencers. Ask people who they turn to, who they listen to…and who they don’t. Observe people as they seek help to see if their actual behavior matches their perceptions. (Many people claim not to be influenced by those who really do wield influence, and vice-versa.) IT influencers might include executive administrators, business analysts, power users or direct supervisors. Cast a wide net and look for mid-to-lower-level employees, who tend to have influence at the water cooler and are pretty accessible. Look for influencers who are really jazzed about showing people how to use new technology—the type who clamor to get a new app before it’s widely available.
- Create a short list of influencers. You want to equip your most important influencers with the content and tools they need to be successful. Not all influencer types will want or need the same things, so you’ll need to target just a handful of influencer types. Involve people across the organization to help determine which influencer types merit most of your time and attention. Pay attention to “boundary-spanners” who work across regions or functions, who may be a in a position to influence multiple audiences. For each influencer type, articulate the desired role and the employee segments they are most likely to influence.
- Validate the ability and willingness to help. Find out from a representative sampling of influencers what role they can (or want to) play in this case. E.g., do administrators see “IT change ambassador” as part of their jobs, or is it just one more responsibility heaped on an already full plate? Are most power users really enthusiastic about helping others navigate through the trickiest aspects of change? Solicit feedback regularly from those are vital to help pave the way for successful change, regardless of whether the gatekeeper role is official or informal.
- Streamline project communications. Create a multi-pronged plan to get project-related information into the hands of your key influencers. Consider using blogs and discussion boards, as well as electronic boards, as well as paper posters where appropriate. Websites can be used for strategic project-wide communications, including a companywide homepage as well as regional, functional and divisional websites. Some IT organizations hold bi-monthly updates in the form a showcase featuring tech updates and communication samples such as posters and reference guides. Depending on their role, some influencers need more details, more frequently, than others. Create a communication matrix that lists preferred communication methods by project phase for each influencer.
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