Engaging Stakeholders In Digital Change Management

Part 4: What Good Change Really Looks Like — Adoption, Activation, and the Hard Part of Digital Transformation! We’ve all been there. The platform is live. The AI engine is in place. The dashboards are beautiful. But no one’s using it. Or worse—people are using it wrong. Here’s the truth I’ve learned over and over again: Transformation doesn’t fail in the design. It fails in the adoption. And adoption isn’t about a big announcement or a training deck—it’s about trust, behavior change, and making sure what we build actually fits how people work. Here are a few principles that can help: 🔹 Change champions aren’t a buzzword—they’re the glue. Identify trusted employees across regions or functions to act as embedded advocates. These individuals can test early, share success stories in team forums, and coach others hands-on—making adoption feel more peer-driven than top-down. 🔹 Leadership can’t just approve—it has to participate. Encourage execs and managers to model the new tools during business reviews or day-to-day decisions. A single team lead running a planning session using the new dashboard sends a clearer message than any email blast. 🔹 Train the process, not just the tech. Design enablement around “how this helps me do my job better”—not just “what buttons to click.” Walkthroughs like “how to prep for a forecast review in 10 minutes” or “how to handle exceptions faster” resonate far more than feature overviews. 🔹 Personalized onboarding > one-size-fits-all. Tailor your rollout by role. A finance analyst cares about variance, a sales manager about trending, and an ops lead about exceptions. Deliver just enough context to help them act quickly and confidently. 🔹 Build feedback loops into the rollout. Set up simple ways to gather input and adapt—like Slack channels, feedback buttons, or short check-in surveys. Monitor usage, flag common drop-offs, and adjust fast. Showing that feedback turns into action builds trust quickly. I’ve said it before: launching the tech is the easy part. The hard part—and the real work—is getting people to trust it, use it, and embed it into how they work. That’s where the value lives. And that’s where transformation actually happens. #DigitalTransformation #ChangeManagement #Adoption #Leadership #TechEnablement #AI #ProductDelivery #DigitalStrategy P.S. Nothing beats a good team lunch to bring people together. At the end of the day, transformation is about people—sharing ideas, building trust, and yes… passing the biryani (Google it, it’s worth it). 😊

Why I'm Breaking Up with Feedback After years of loyally asking for "feedback" during change initiatives, I've made a decision: we're breaking up. It's not you, feedback. It's me. I've found someone else: Advice. ✨ Here's what sparked this relationship shift: I recently learned how Pixar transforms their creative process by showing early storyboards to their "Brain Trust" - not for feedback, but specifically for advice. This seemingly small linguistic shift creates a fundamentally different dynamic: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸: - People become critics evaluating our work - Responses feel obligatory and often generic - Contributors don't know how their input will be used - The power dynamic positions us as seeking approval 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲: - People become collaborators sharing expertise - We acknowledge their specific knowledge or experience - The request feels more intentional and targeted - We signal genuine interest in their perspective 🤔 Think about it: when a friend asks for "feedback" on a presentation, it feels like homework. When they ask for your advice on making their presentation stronger, you feel valued for your expertise, right? People love giving advice! In change management, this distinction is particularly powerful. Instead of: "We'd like your feedback on the new process" 💡 Try: "Based on your experience with the current workflow, what advice would you give us to make this transition smoother?" The first approach invites criticism. The second invites partnership. This isn't just semantics. It represents a fundamental shift in how we engage stakeholders during change. By requesting advice rather than feedback, we: 1. Signal that we value specific expertise 2. Create psychological ownership in the solution 3. Transform critics into collaborators 4. Receive more actionable input I'm testing this approach in my current transformation project, specifically asking different stakeholders for advice based on their unique perspectives rather than generic feedback. Have you experienced the difference between these approaches? Would you be willing to experiment with asking for advice instead of feedback in your next change initiative or project? #ChangeManagement #LeadershipDevelopment #StakeholderEngagement #OrganizationalChange #Feedback

Organizational change isn’t just about new systems— It’s about people navigating uncertainty. And here’s the truth: Most disengagement doesn’t stem from resistance. It stems from confusion, fear, and feeling left out of the process. If you want your change effort to succeed, you must lead with engagement—right from the start. Here’s how high-trust leaders keep people connected during the turbulence: 🔹 1. Start with Empathy & Psychological Safety → Let people know their concerns aren’t a threat—they’re a resource. 🔹 2. Explain the “Why Now” Behind the Change → Share the business case, competitive landscape, and future vision. 🔹 3. Break Change Into Clear, Achievable Milestones → Visible progress sustains energy and reduces overwhelm. 🔹 4. Keep a Regular Communication Rhythm → Weekly touchpoints and transparent dashboards help reduce rumors. 🔹 5. Support Teams With Training and Tools → Equip them—workshops, coaching, and toolkits build capability. 🔹 6. Spotlight Early Adopters and Change Champions → Inspiration beats instruction when it comes from peers. 💡 Change doesn’t just need a rollout plan. It needs an engagement strategy. 📩 DM me “TRANSFORM” if your transformation journey needs a blueprint that puts people first—and keeps them engaged from day one.

What support can you provide your executives across the lifecycle of an initiative to put them in the best position as a sponsor, line the initiative up to deliver outcomes, and help the people of the organization align? In 2024 Prosci completed a fantastic (but under-publicized) study on elevating executive engagement. While my favorite sections of the research might be on making a strategic case for the ROI of change management and on adapting to the unique situation and sponsor, there was one whole section on the support that change practitioners can provide across the lifecycle of the effort - Initiation, Planning, Execution, Launch, and Sustainment. With five lifecycle stages matching the five columns on a #2025Bingo card, this finding seemed like the one to pull forward. Here is the support sponsors need (and #ChangeManagement practitioners provide) to deliver change outcomes by catalyzing adoption. The full "Elevating #Executive #Engagement" report is available in Research Hub in the Prosci Portal. 1 - Initiation Build Key Stakeholder Connections Define Clear Project Goals Define Team Member Responsibilities Support Organizational Priorities Show Early Project Successes 2 - Planning Involve Key Stakeholders Throughout Convey Information Clearly and Timely Identify and Mitigate Challenges Report Progress Frequently and Concisely Define Goals and Outcomes Clearly 3 - Execution Communicate Clearly Including Status Updates Actively Engage Stakeholders Prosci - your partner for change success! Identify and Manage Risk, Proactively Demonstrate Progress Clearly 4 - Launch Secure Key Players’ Active Support Prepare Organization for New Processes Update Status Regularly and Concisely Proactively Address Potential Launch Issues Establish Key Performance Indicators 5 - Sustainment Develop Long-Term Sustainability Strategies Report Project Progress Consistently Monitor Project Outcomes Achievement Gather User Input Continuously Reinforce Change Through Messaging