Temre Green, PhD

If you were to follow these steps, I'd strongly suggest swapping points 1 and 2 to co-design and collaborate as a team first before defining the vision. If there are issues with a team culture, identify and agree on those concerns first to build a shared appreciation for why this change is needed. This can reduce (or potentially mitigate) the resistance that is mentioned in point 4. When I look back on the times I've made a major change in my team's culture, the 2 things that stand out for me are: (1) I facilitated a process as a leader rather than dictated a process. (2) We learned together, and that really sustained the change.

I've had the pleasure of helping Change Management professionals progress through their careers and currently lead a Change Management Practice as a General Manager. A common career path is: Graduate, Change Analyst, Senior Change Analyst, Change Manager, Senior Change Manager, Change Lead, Change Director, Head of Enterprise Change and General Manager. These titles are reasonably stable in the Australian market and can be used in consulting and in corporate roles. They are often supplemented with specialists (who are not dedicated Change Managers), such as Learning & Design specialists, Communications specialists, coaches, facilitators, etc.

I've led large Change Management teams (e.g., 50 CMs with ~$AU150M annual investment in transformation). In my experience, I could ensure successful collaboration as a CM team as well as successful collaboration with our Project Management colleagues by implementing an effective operating rhythm for our team. This rhythm incorporated critical elements, such as: 1) cascading exec-level messages relevant to our transformation vision so that all CMs could align their work accordingly. 2) learning sessions for our CM team to collaborate, learn and grow. 3) one-to-one meetings with every CM. 4) "jam sessions" where we'd all jump online at the same time to respond a problem. There was more, but the point is to highlight ideas beyond the article.

There's more to consider beyond training for a remote team to adapt to a new software system. A few examples include: 1) user testing to bolster engagement and early feedback on the new system 2) virtual showcases to highlight the system's new features and demonstrate the value 3) a reward and management approach that aligns to the desired usage and adoption of the new system. 4) virtual social learning circles for the team to discuss what's working and not working so they can resolve any blockers. Of course, there are many more options to apply here, but the point is that training alone may have been limiting in this instance.

The other point to consider in a Change Management crisis, which isn't mentioned above but should fit between points 2 and 3, is that action needs to be taken whereby the appropriate Change Management tactics and activities are carried out to resolve the crisis and help the organisation back on a path to healthy operations.

If the organisation is experiencing a change manage 'crisis,' there needs to be engagement at executive levels (which isn't mentioned here).