Exploring Organisational Structures for Optimal Enterprise Change Management
Change is an inherent part of every organization’s journey towards growth and adaptability in an ever-evolving business landscape. In the realm of change management, one critical consideration is the organizational structure or design that best facilitates successful enterprise change management. There are plenty of different ways to structure change management practices. Like any type of organizational structures for organizations overall, there is not one way that is the most effective. It depends on the circumstances of the company in concern.
Centralized Change Management Structure
Centralized change management structures consolidate the authority, decision-making, and oversight of strategic change management initiatives within a single, dedicated team or department. In such a structure, the change management team sometimes reports directly to either Strategy or Office of the CEO. This approach provides the change practice significant influence due to its direct linkage with strategy.
Reporting Lines: HR, IT, Strategy, and More
In addition to the choice between centralized and federated structures, change management specialists (and the senior leaders that they report to) often grapple with determining the optimal reporting lines for their change teams. Several departments within an organization are typically considered for hosting the change management function:
1. Human Resources (HR or People & Culture)
Reporting to HR aligns cultural change management with employee engagement and organisational development, which is essential for enhancing a company’s culture. This can be particularly effective when change initiatives heavily impact the workforce, as HR possesses expertise in people-related matters.
2. Information Technology (IT)
With the increasing digitalization of business processes, reporting to IT can ensure that complex technology-driven changes, including the introduction of new technology and digital transformation, as well as improvements in product offerings, are well led and managed across the enterprise. The remit for change practices reporting to IT can range from including just technology changes, to all strategic and funded initiatives, through to all of change management as a function.
3. Strategy or Transformation Office
Reporting to the strategy or transformation office closely ties change management to the organization’s overarching strategic goals. This alignment ensures that change initiatives are directly linked to long-term vision and objectives.
4. Operations
For a lot of organisations, the Operations function can determine a lot about how the organisation is run. This can include the change management function as well. The advantage of having the change practice reporting to Operation can mean that the operating rhythm of the organisation can be designed with the right change management approaches to support business goals. The way employees are engaged, how they’re involved, and how BAU processes are run, measured, and reported can be designed with change management interventions.
Key benefits of a centralized structure include:
Consistency: Centralized control ensures consistent change management practices across the organization, reducing confusion and increasing effectiveness in terms of setting a common level of practice. Consistency in terms of language and concepts mean that it is easier for the business to adopt change management principles and practices.
Resource Allocation: Easier resource allocation, as the centralized team can prioritize and allocate resources based on organizational priorities. With better economy of scale for a larger centralised team, the change group has the opportunity to resource initiatives using different levels of involvement, from sessional, part-time to full-time.
Alignment: Enhanced alignment with the organization’s strategic objectives, as the change management team directly interfaces with top leadership. This means that effort and focus areas as more likely to be on that which is most strategic and can impact the organisation the most.
Change maturity. The change practice has the opportunity to focus on building organisation-wide change maturity due to its ability to interface and influence across the organisation. While other change management structures may also have the ability to focus on building business change maturity, a centralised function has the advantage of having a greater impact level due to its scale.
In contrast, federated change management structures distribute change management responsibilities throughout various business units or departments. Each business unit maintains its own change management team, and these teams collaborate to execute change initiatives. Typically, these teams report to their respective department heads. This means that there is no formal enterprise change management function.
The advantages of a federated structure include:
Local Expertise: Greater understanding of department-specific needs and challenges, leading to tailored change strategies and therefore better change outcomes. Different business units can have very different cultures and different business needs. Having change professionals who understand the various intricacies of the business unit means that they’re able to design change approaches that will better meet business requirements.
Ownership and relationship: There may be increased ownership and commitment among departmental staff, as the change teams sits in the same business unit and are ‘one of them’ versus someone sent from a centralised team. Others in the business unit may be more conducive to advice and support from a colleague in the same broader business unit. It is also easier to establish a closer working relationship if the change practitioner is always working with the same teams.
Flexibility: Greater adaptability to changes in individual departments, as they can independently address unique issues. Without any direction from a central team, the business-dedicated team can better flex their service offering to meet the business unit’s particular focus areas. Whilst, a central team may de-prioritise departmental-level initiatives to be less critical, for a departmental team it is much easier to flex toward their priorities.
Impact on Business Results
The choice of change management structure and reporting lines can significantly impact an organization’s overall business results. Here’s how different structures can yield varying outcomes:
Centralized Structure Outcomes
Efficiency: Centralized structures can excel in efficiency of delivery due to its scale of economy. Whereas small departmental change teams may structure to flex and resource projects efficiently, larger change practices can avoid this by leveraging its range of practitioners with different levels of skill sets and availability.
Consistency: They ensure a consistent approach to change management, reducing confusion among business stakeholders and employees. The consistency of standards also mean that there is less risk that initiatives may experienced a change intervention that is less effective due to the centralised capability standards reinforced.
Top-Down Control: Change initiatives are closely aligned with strategic objectives set by top leadership. This means that any ‘pet projects’ or less prioritised divisional initiatives may not be as likely to be granted change management support. This does not necessarily mean that those departments won’t focus on those initiatives, it just means that change management resources are more prioritised toward what top leadership deems to be most critical.
Federated Structure Outcomes
Local Engagement: Federated structures promote local ownership and engagement, fostering a sense of responsibility among departmental staff. Department-specific change practitioners will be more familiar with ‘what works’ at the department level. They are better able to leverage the right engagement channels and have the ability to access management and leadership roles at the department to garner support and drive overall initiative focus and success.
Adaptability: They allow for greater adaptability to unique departmental needs, which can be crucial in complex organizations. For example, the types of change management approaches and interventions that work for Sales organisations will be very different compared to that for call centres or processing centres, especially as employees transition into new roles. The ability for the change practitioner to adapt locally, supported by a strong company culture, can make or break an initiative’s success.
Innovation: Different units can experiment with various change approaches, leading to innovative solutions. This can be done without the confines of what is the overarching ‘standards and guidelines’ from the centralised change team.
Choosing the Right Structure
The decision regarding the optimal change management structure should be rooted in the organization’s specific context, culture, and the nature of the changes it is undergoing to establish a new status quo. Experienced change management specialists understand that a “one-size-fits-all” approach does not exist. Instead, they carefully consider the organization’s goals, resources, and capacity for change.
Also, it may not need to be either centralised or federated model. It can be a combination of both. For examples:
A federated model by reporting lines, however with a strong community of practice that is centralised and that promotes sharing of practices, standards, and even resources. This ensures that the overall group is connected to each other and new innovative approaches can be shared and proliferated
A centralised model by reporting lines, however with dedicated business-specific change partners that are focused on particular business units so that they are delivering business-focused change solutions. At the same time, the team still maintains a lot of the advantages of a centralised team.
The organisational structure and reporting lines for a change practice may influence various aspects of its work, however, this may not be the most critical part of how it creates value for the organisation. Other aspects in which a change practice should focus on in its development include:
Resourcing model. How to fund change management resources and the service delivery model to support a range of different projects with different needs for seniority, skill set, and even organisational tenure
Change methodology/framework. Organisations should work on at least a change management framework to set a minimum standard for change delivery. Using a generic off-the-shelf methodology may be OK, however they may not cater for the particular language and business needs of the organisation.
Change capability and leadership. Outside of project change delivery, the team should also work on gradually building change capability within the organisation to enhance the ability to drive and support change. This may not need to be in the form of training, it can also be done through structured development through real change projects.
Change portfolio/Enterprise change management. Beyond individual change delivery, the change team should also focus on how to deliver and land multiple initiatives at the same time. Most organisations need to drive change at a faster speed than previously and there is no luxury to only focus on one change at a time. How the team measures, tracks, and ‘traffic controls’ the multiple initiatives is crucial for its success.
To read more about managing a change portfolio visit our Change Portfolio Management section for a range of articles.
Change management structures and reporting lines are not just administrative choices; they can, in some ways, have a profound impact on an organization’s ability to achieve successful change outcomes. Experienced change management specialists must weigh the benefits and drawbacks of centralized and federated structures and align them with the specific needs of their organization. By doing so, they can maximize their ability to navigate the complexities of change and drive the organization toward a more agile, resilient, and adaptive future.
Exploring Organisational Structures for Optimal Enterprise Change Management
Change is an inherent part of every organization’s journey towards growth and adaptability in an ever-evolving business landscape. In the realm of change management, one critical consideration is the type of organizational change structure or organizational design that best facilitates successful enterprise change management and boosts organizational performance. There are plenty of different ways to structure change management practices. Like any type of organizational structures for organisations overall, there is not one way that is the most effective. It depends on the circumstances of the company in concern.
Understanding Change Management Structures
Centralized Change Management Structure
Centralized change management structures consolidate the authority, decision-making, and oversight of change initiatives within a single, dedicated team or department. In such a new structure, the change management team sometimes reports directly to either Strategy or Office of the CEO. This approach provides the change practice significant influence due to its direct linkage with strategy.
Reporting Lines: HR, IT, Strategy, and More
In addition to the choice between centralized and federated structures, change management specialists (and the senior leaders that they report to) often grapple with determining the optimal reporting lines for their change teams. Several departments within an organization are typically considered for hosting the change management function:
1. Human Resources (HR or People & Culture)
Reporting to HR aligns change management with employee/organisational development and engagement while also ensuring the support employees need throughout the process. This can be particularly effective when change initiatives heavily impact the workforce, as HR possesses expertise in people-related matters.
2. Information Technology (IT)
With the increasing digitalization of business processes, reporting to IT can ensure that complex technology-driven changes are well led and managed across the enterprise. The remit for change practices reporting to IT can range from including just technology changes, to all strategic and funded initiatives, through to all of change management as a function.
3. Strategy or Transformation Office
Reporting to the strategy or transformation office closely ties change management to the organization’s overarching strategic goals. This alignment ensures that change initiatives are directly linked to long-term vision and objectives.
4. Operations
For a lot of organisations, the Operations function can determine a lot about how the organisation is run. This can include the change management function as well. The advantage of having the change practice reporting to Operation can mean that the operating rhythm of the organisation can be designed with the right change management approaches. The way employees are engaged, how they’re involved, and how BAU processes are run, measured, and reported can be designed with change management interventions.
Key benefits of a centralized structure include:
Consistency: Centralized control ensures consistent change management practices across the organization, reducing confusion and increasing effectiveness in terms of setting a common level of practice. Consistency in terms of language and concepts mean that it is easier for the business to adopt change management principles and practices.
Resource Allocation: Easier resource allocation, as the centralized team can prioritize and allocate resources based on organizational priorities. With better economy of scale for a larger centralised team, the change group has the opportunity to resource initiatives using different levels of involvement, from sessional, part-time to full-time.
Alignment: Enhanced alignment with the organization’s strategic objectives, as the change management team directly interfaces with top leadership. This means that effort and focus areas as more likely to be on that which is most strategic and can impact the organisation the most.
Change maturity. The change practice has the opportunity to focus on building organisation-wide change maturity due to its ability to interface and influence across the organisation. While other change management structures may also have the ability to focus on building business change maturity, a centralised function has the advantage of having a greater impact level due to its scale.
In contrast, federated change management structures distribute change management responsibilities throughout various business units or departments. Each business unit maintains its own change management team, and these teams collaborate to execute change initiatives. Typically, these teams report to their respective department heads. This means that there is no formal enterprise change management function.
The advantages of a federated structure include:
Local Expertise: Greater understanding of department-specific needs and challenges, leading to tailored change strategies and therefore better change outcomes. Different business units can have very different cultures and different business needs. Having change professionals who understand the various intricacies of the business unit means that they’re able to design change approaches that will better meet business requirements.
Ownership and relationship: There may be increased ownership and commitment among departmental staff, as the change teams sits in the same business unit and are ‘one of them’ versus someone sent from a centralised team. Others in the business unit may be more conducive to advice and support from a colleague in the same broader business unit. It is also easier to establish a closer working relationship if the change practitioner is always working with the same teams.
Flexibility: Greater adaptability to changes in individual departments, as they can independently address unique issues. Without any direction from a central team, the business-dedicated team can better flex their service offering to meet the business unit’s particular focus areas. Whilst, a central team may de-prioritise departmental-level initiatives to be less critical, for a departmental team it is much easier to flex toward their priorities.
Impact on Business Results
The choice of change management structure and reporting lines can significantly impact an organization’s overall business results. Here’s how different structures can yield varying outcomes:
Centralized Structure Outcomes
Efficiency: Centralized structures can excel in efficiency of delivery due to its scale of economy. Whereas small departmental change teams may structure to flex and resource projects efficiently, larger change practices can avoid this by leveraging its range of practitioners with different levels of skill sets and availability.
Consistency: They ensure a consistent approach to change management, reducing confusion among business stakeholders and employees. The consistency of standards also mean that there is less risk that initiatives may experienced a change intervention that is less effective due to the centralised capability standards reinforced.
Top-Down Control: Change initiatives are closely aligned with strategic objectives set by top leadership. This means that any ‘pet projects’ or less prioritised divisional initiatives may not be as likely to be granted change management support. This does not necessarily mean that those departments won’t focus on those initiatives, it just means that change management resources are more prioritised toward what top leadership deems to be most critical.
Federated Structure Outcomes
Local Engagement: Federated structures promote local ownership and engagement, fostering a sense of responsibility among departmental staff. Department-specific change practitioners will be more familiar with ‘what works’ at the department level. They are better able to leverage the right engagement channels and have the ability to access management and leadership roles at the department to garner support and drive overall initiative focus and success.
Adaptability: They allow for greater adaptability to unique departmental needs, which can be crucial in complex organizations. For example, the types of change management approaches and interventions that work for Sales organisations will be very different compared to that for call centres or processing centres. The ability for the change practitioner to adapt locally can make or break an initiative’s success.
Innovation: Different units can experiment with various change approaches, leading to innovative solutions. This can be done without the confines of what is the overarching ‘standards and guidelines’ from the centralised change team.
Choosing the Right Structure
The decision regarding the optimal change management structure should be rooted in the organization’s specific context, culture, and the nature of the changes it is undergoing. Experienced change management specialists understand that a “one-size-fits-all” approach does not exist. Instead, they carefully consider the organization’s goals, resources, and capacity for change.
Also, it may not need to be either centralised or federated model. It can be a combination of both. For examples:
A federated model by reporting lines, however with a strong community of practice that is centralised and that promotes sharing of practices, standards, and even resources. This ensures that the overall group is connected to each other and new innovative approaches can be shared and proliferated
A centralised model by reporting lines, however with dedicated business-specific change partners that are focused on particular business units so that they are delivering business-focused change solutions. At the same time, the team still maintains a lot of the advantages of a centralised team.
The organisational structure and reporting lines for a change practice may influence various aspects of its work, however, this may not be the most critical part of how it creates value for the organisation. Other aspects in which a change practice should focus on in its development include:
Resourcing model. How to fund change management resources and the service delivery model to support a range of different projects with different needs for seniority, skill set, and even organisational tenure
Change methodology/framework. Organisations should work on at least a change management framework to set a minimum standard for change delivery. Using a generic off-the-shelf methodology may be OK, however they may not cater for the particular language and business needs of the organisation.
Change capability and leadership. Outside of project change delivery, the team should also work on gradually building change capability within the organisation to enhance the ability to drive and support change. This may not need to be in the form of training, it can also be done through structured development through real change projects.
Change portfolio/Enterprise change management. Beyond individual change delivery, the change team should also focus on how to deliver and land multiple initiatives at the same time. Most organisations need to drive change at a faster speed than previously and there is no luxury to only focus on one change at a time. How the team measures, tracks, and ‘traffic controls’ the multiple initiatives is crucial for its success.
To read more about managing a change portfolio visit our Change Portfolio Management section for a range of articles.
Change management structures and reporting lines are not just administrative choices; they can, in some ways, have a profound impact on an organization’s ability to achieve successful change outcomes. Experienced change management specialists must weigh the benefits and drawbacks of centralized and federated structures and align them with the specific needs of their organization. By doing so, they can maximize their ability to navigate the complexities of change and drive the organization toward a more agile, resilient, and adaptive future.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of today’s organizations, adaptability and agility have become more than just buzzwords; they are essential for survival and growth. The traditional approach of executing projects on an ad hoc basis is giving way to a strategic imperative—building change management maturity. This shift is not merely a choice but a compelling competitive advantage.
Recent statistics underscore the urgency of this change. According to a survey by Gitnux, more than 80% of businesses face increasing pressure to adapt to market forces, including technological advancements and evolving customer expectations. In this environment, mature organizations can respond swiftly to market dynamics and implement strategic initiatives with unparalleled precision and speed.
Two prominent models have emerged as guiding beacons in this transformative journey: the Change Management Institute (CMI) Change Maturity Model and Prosci’s Change Management Maturity Model. Both models are deeply entrenched in the concept of organizational competency levels, offering a structured framework comprising five progressive maturity levels.
In this article, we will embark on an enlightening journey, exploring the foundations of these two prominent change management maturity models, uncovering their intricacies, and paving the way for a more holistic approach to change management. Additionally, we will delve into the critical role of various organizational functions, shedding light on how they can actively contribute to the organization’s change maturity.
CMI Change Maturity Model
The Change Management Institute (CMI) Change Maturity Model is a comprehensive framework that takes a holistic approach to enhancing an organization’s change management maturity. It’s divided into three core functional domains, each playing a vital role in the overall journey toward maturity: Project Change Management, Business Change Readiness, and Strategic Change Leadership. These domains serve as the foundation for achieving higher levels of maturity within the organization.
Within each of these domains, the CMI model outlines a structured path, consisting of five distinct maturity levels. These levels represent a continuum, starting at Level 1, which serves as the foundational stage, and progressing all the way to Level 5, the zenith of maturity and effectiveness. This multi-tiered approach offers organizations a clear roadmap for growth and development, ensuring that they have the tools and insights necessary to navigate the complexities of change management.
The distinguishing feature of the CMI model is its emphasis on the idea that true change maturity extends beyond the realm of project execution. While executing individual projects is undoubtedly important, the CMI model advocates for a broader perspective. It recognizes that sustainable change maturity relies on the cultivation of readiness for change across the entire organization. This involves preparing teams, leaders, and employees to adapt to and embrace change seamlessly, making it an integral part of the organizational culture.
Furthermore, the CMI model underscores the indispensable role of change leadership and governance in nurturing change maturity. Effective leadership is the driving force behind successful change initiatives, and it’s the cornerstone of achieving higher levels of maturity. Governance structures ensure that change management practices are not just theoretical concepts but are woven into the fabric of how the organization operates on a day-to-day basis. Governance provides the necessary framework for sustaining change maturity in the long run.
Prosci Change Maturity Model
In contrast to the more specific functional domains emphasized by the CMI model, the Prosci Change Maturity Model takes a broader perspective, focusing on the development of overall organizational change management competency. Rather than zeroing in on individual functions, it provides a generic framework that covers key areas integral to building change maturity. These areas include:
Project Execution: The model places a strong emphasis on effective project execution as a cornerstone of change management maturity. It recognizes that the successful implementation of change initiatives hinges on well-executed projects, including detailed planning and efficient execution.
Business Capability and Readiness: Understanding the readiness and capability of the organization is another critical component. The Prosci model highlights the significance of assessing an organization’s readiness to undergo change, including the ability to adapt to new strategies, technologies, and processes.
Senior Change Leadership: Leadership is vital in steering the organization toward maturity. The model underlines the importance of senior change leadership, emphasizing that leaders play a pivotal role in setting the tone for change, championing initiatives, and fostering a culture of adaptability.
Formalized Practices and Organizational Awareness
One of the key drivers for elevating maturity, according to the Prosci model, is the establishment of formalized change management practices. This includes developing and implementing standardized methodologies to ensure consistent change management approaches across the organization. Furthermore, the model advocates for creating widespread organizational awareness about the significance of change management and its role in achieving successful outcomes.
The Role of Change Management Training
A cornerstone of the Prosci model’s approach to maturity is the incorporation of comprehensive change management training. This training equips individuals within the organization with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively manage change initiatives. It emphasizes the importance of investing in the development of internal change management expertise.
While both the CMI and Prosci models address the critical areas of project, business, and change leadership in driving change maturity, they diverge in their approaches. The CMI model offers a broader perspective, highlighting the importance of agility and continuous improvement as essential components of maturity. It places a strong emphasis on crafting the right cadence, establishing efficient business processes, and implementing robust governance practices. In contrast, the Prosci model, while equally comprehensive, provides less specific guidance on embedding change practices within the organization’s fabric and processes. Instead, it places a strong focus on the effective implementation of change initiatives.
What’s Missing in Current Change Maturity Models?
The lacuna in existing change maturity models becomes evident when we consider the need to genuinely embed change management principles and practices within an organization’s DNA. True integration transcends the mere execution of initiatives and building change capabilities among leaders and employees. It calls for collaboration across multifarious functions, including Risk Management, Marketing, Strategy, and Human Resources, to engrain change principles and practices. The focus is on holistic change capability, encompassing different functional areas. This approach fosters a culture where practices, capabilities, and supporting structures converge to enable continuous change.
In the following sections, we’ll explore examples of how change management principles and practices can be applied across seven key functions: Risk Management, Strategy and Planning, Operations, Project Management, Human Resources, Technology, and Marketing.
1. Risk Management
Change management principles and practices can enhance risk management by offering valuable insights into change-related risks. Risk professionals can leverage change management analytics to assess data-based risk factors, such as business readiness indicators and the potential impact of changes on the organization and its customers. Armed with this data, risk professionals can make informed assessments, helping the organization better understand risk profiles and make well-informed decisions.
2. Strategy and Planning
Strategic planning should not only focus on industry trends and financial data but also incorporate change capability assessments. Considerations should include the availability of change leadership talent, the organization’s capacity for executing change, and the historical performance related to change volume and velocity. The strategic roadmap should integrate historical data on change impact volumes and execution, enabling effective planning. Supporting structures and processes, including governance, reporting, and communities of practice, should be designed to ensure successful change execution.
3. Operations
Operations is a core domain for change management. This function offers numerous opportunities for applying change best practices. It involves building change management capabilities in employees and managers, enhancing employee engagement channels, and facilitating effective learning and development. With the right change data and analytics, Operations can strategically plan business delivery by making predictive assessments of performance based on projected change impacts. The key lies in systematically integrating analysis and decision-making processes within the operating cadence.
4. Project Management
This is the most familiar territory for change management. Many organizations have dedicated change managers responsible for project delivery. The conventional practices of change management, including capability building, change methodologies, portfolio management, and project delivery, are all part of the project management function.
5. Human Resources
Human Resources often plays a central role in supporting the people side of change. The function includes building change management capabilities as part of learning and development efforts. However, there’s substantial value in managing restructuring initiatives as change projects, and adhering to structured change management practices. This structured approach ensures that affected stakeholders are appropriately engaged, and processes, systems, and supporting structures impacted by change are meticulously mapped.
6. Technology
Change management is not limited to large projects; it extends to technology changes that impact stakeholders and users. Even smaller technology initiatives can benefit from the application of change management principles. Change management analytics can facilitate better technology releases and deployments. By considering change impact data, organizations can plan technical releases more effectively, taking into account organizational impacts.
7. Marketing and Customer Experience
Change management practices can play a pivotal role in marketing and customer experience functions. Customer change impacts, such as external positioning and alignment with customer needs, should be integral to marketing campaigns, product launches, and communications. These practices, including impact assessment, change analytics, and change planning, enable organizations to deliver what they promise to customers.
In closing, the true value of change maturity emerges when it becomes a part of various organizational functions. It’s not just about developing isolated methodologies or supporting initiative delivery; it’s about becoming an organization where change is seamlessly integrated into every facet.
Ready to Elevate Your Change Maturity?
The journey to achieving a higher level of change maturity begins with holistic integration within your organization. If you’re interested in exploring how The Change Compass can help you in this transformative process, we invite you to book a weekly demo with us.
In the world of scaled agile, “Release on Demand” is a concept that has profound implications for agile teams and their project approaches. It guides teams on how to release and deliver value when stakeholders and customers are truly ready to receive it. However, a crucial, often-overlooked factor in this concept is the role of change management. While Release on Demand has primarily been framed as a technical approach within the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), the readiness of people—including end-users, stakeholders, customers, and partners—forms an equally vital part of determining the demand for release.
As change management practitioners, understanding and actively shaping “Release on Demand” can significantly impact project outcomes. In this article, we’ll explore how change management can enhance this core SAFe concept through strategic timing, prioritisation, and thoughtful execution of each release. We’ll also discuss how to structure governance cadences to ensure operational and people readiness, going beyond the technical lens.
Understanding Release on Demand in SAFe
Within SAFe, Release on Demand means that project outputs or new functionality are delivered when the organisation, teams, and stakeholders are ready to adopt and benefit from it. It enables flexible delivery rather than a rigid release schedule. The four key activities for Release on Demand are:
Release – Delivering the product or change to users.
Stabilise and Operate – Ensuring the release is operationally sound and running smoothly.
Measure and Learn – Assessing the release’s impact and learning from the results.
Adjust – Making necessary improvements based on insights gained.
The goal of these activities is to minimise risk, gather user feedback, and optimise the release to maximise impact. While these steps seem straightforward, they demand thoughtful change management to ensure all stakeholders are prepared to support, use, and benefit from the release. Let’s delve deeper into how a change management approach can strengthen each of these activities.
People Readiness as the Core Demand Factor
The “demand” for a release is often misunderstood as being purely about project or market readiness. However, the reality is that it depends on multiple factors, including how ready people are to adopt the change. For any release to succeed, people readiness is crucial and requires focus on:
End-User Readiness: Ensuring that end-users are prepared for the new tools, processes, or functionalities. This could mean conducting user training, crafting support resources, and managing expectations.
Stakeholder Readiness: Stakeholders at all levels need to understand the change, its rationale, and its anticipated impact. This may involve regular briefings, updates, and even individual consultations.
Customer and Partner Readiness: For customer-facing or partner-facing releases, it’s essential to gauge external readiness as well. A clear communication plan and alignment of goals with partners or clients can smooth the path for a successful launch.
These readiness efforts form a significant part of the “demand” in Release on Demand and reflect the reality that people’s capacity to adapt often determines when a release will be genuinely effective.
The Broader Change Landscape
People readiness isn’t only determined by a single project or team but by the broader change landscape within an organisation. Multiple changes or ongoing initiatives can either enhance or inhibit readiness for a new release. For instance, if an organisation is already undergoing a significant digital transformation, adding another change may lead to overload and resistance.
Change practitioners should map the change landscape to identify concurrent changes and evaluate how these may impact readiness for Release on Demand. By assessing the timing and impact of other changes, change managers can:
Avoid change fatigue by spacing out initiatives.
Synchronize related changes to reduce redundancy.
Communicate the overall strategic direction to help stakeholders and users understand how individual changes fit into the bigger picture.
By accounting for these interdependencies, change management can improve people readiness and ensure the Release on Demand aligns with the organisation’s capacity to handle it.
Applying the Four Key Steps in Release on Demand
Let’s explore how change management activities can amplify each of the four Release on Demand steps:
1. Release: The release phase requires both technical and people preparation. Beyond deploying the technical elements, change management practitioners should:
Develop targeted communication plans to inform all affected stakeholders.
Offer targeted training sessions or resources that build users’ confidence and competence.
Ensure adequate support is in place for the transition, including help desks or peer mentoring.
2. Stabilise and Operate: After a release, it’s crucial to monitor adoption and support operational stability. The change team can:
Collect feedback from end-users and support staff on initial challenges and address these promptly.
Identify and celebrate quick wins that demonstrate the release’s value.
Work closely with operations teams to resolve any unforeseen issues that may inhibit adoption or cause frustration.
3. Measure and Learn: This step goes beyond tracking technical metrics and should also capture change-specific insights. Change management can contribute by:
Conducting surveys, interviews, or focus groups to gauge user and stakeholder sentiment.
Monitoring adoption rates and identifying any training gaps or knowledge shortfalls.
Collaborating with product or project teams to share insights that may refine or prioritisation subsequent releases.
4. Adjust: Based on insights gained from the Measure and Learn phase, change managers can advise on necessary adjustments. These might include:
Refining future communication and training plans based on user feedback.
Addressing any gaps in stakeholder support or sponsorship.
Adjusting the timing of subsequent releases to better align with people readiness.
The iterative nature of these four steps aligns well with agile methodologies, allowing change managers to continuously refine and enhance their approach.
The Critical Role of Sequencing, Prioritisation, and Timing
FFor change management practitioners, Release on Demand isn’t just about executing steps—it’s about doing so in the right sequence and at the right time. The impact of a release depends significantly on when it occurs, who is prepared for it, and how well each group’s readiness aligns with the release cadence and continuous integration.
Here are some tips to help change managers get the timing right:
Analyze stakeholder engagement levels: Regularly assess how engaged and ready stakeholders are, tailoring messaging and interventions based on their feedback and sentiment.
Prioritisation change activities based on impact: Not all releases will have the same impact, so change teams should focus resources on those that require the most user readiness efforts.
Create phased rollouts: If full-scale readiness across the board isn’t achievable, a phased rollout can provide users with time to adapt, while allowing the change team to address any emergent issues in stages.
By managing the release cadence thoughtfully, change managers can avoid the disruptions caused by hasty releases and ensure the deployment feels both manageable and meaningful for users.
Release governance in SAFe is often perceived as a predominantly technical or project-focused process. However, effective governance should encompass business operations and people readiness as well. Change management plays a pivotal role in designing governance cadences that account for these critical aspects.
To integrate change governance within release governance, change practitioners should:
Establish clear communication channels with project teams and product owners to ensure people readiness factors are consistently part of release discussions.
Implement a readiness checklist that includes technical, operational, and people readiness criteria. This checklist should be reviewed and signed off by relevant stakeholders before any release.
Maintain a cadence of review and feedback sessions where project teams, change managers, and stakeholders discuss readiness progress, key risks, and post-release outcomes.
This approach ensures that each release is evaluated from multiple perspectives, minimising disruption and maximising its potential for success.
The above is from Scaledagileframework.com
Developing a Change Cadence that Complements Agile Delivery
SAFe’s principle of “develop on cadence; release on demand” is central to effective agile delivery. For change management practitioners, developing a strong change cadence is equally important. This cadence, or rhythm of activities, aligns with the agile teams’ development cadence and helps build stakeholder momentum, maintain engagement, and reduce surprises.
Here’s how to develop a cadence that works in tandem with agile teams:
Planning Cadence: Hold regular planning sessions to align change activities with upcoming releases and identify readiness gaps. This could be quarterly for major releases or bi-weekly for smaller, iterative releases.
Execution Cadence: Establish a reliable cycle for change interventions, such as training, communication, and stakeholder meetings. This cadence helps stakeholders build expectations and fosters a predictable rhythm in change activities.
Feedback Cadence: Collect feedback at consistent intervals, aligning it with release intervals or sprint reviews. Consistent feedback keeps the change process agile and responsive to evolving needs.
A well-defined change cadence not only prepares users effectively but also reinforces trust and transparency in the change process.
Release on Demand may have originated as a technical concept within SAFe, but its success is deeply tied to how well people, stakeholders, and users are prepared for each release. For change management practitioners, Release on Demand is an opportunity to enhance the broader release process by prioritizing people readiness, orchestrating thoughtful sequencing, and establishing governance that prioritisations user success as much as project outcomes.
By proactively engaging in each of the four stages of Release on Demand—Release, Stabilise and Operate, Measure and Learn, and Adjust—change management can ensure releases are not just technically ready but fully integrated into the people and business context they serve. Embracing this role allows change managers to become essential partners in agile delivery, maximising the impact of each release for end-users, the organisation, and the overall success of the project.
Change governance maturity varies widely across organizations – from those with established PMOs and formal governance structures to others that rely on existing operational and executive forums without formal change governance setups. Change managers must tailor their influence strategies to fit this maturity spectrum while empowering governance that supports change transformation success. Here we outline practical tips and approaches relevant whether you operate within high-maturity governance or in environments still building foundational capabilities.
1. Leverage Governance Dexterity – Adapt to Your Maturity Context
For organizations with mature PMOs and governance:
Encourage maintaining cadence with purpose – weekly flash checks for quick updates, monthly value reviews to keep benefits front of mind, and quarterly strategic moments for big-picture alignment and celebration. This reduces fatigue and keeps governance tightly connected to business outcomes.
Share frameworks that provide agility within formal governance so cadence remains flexible without diminishing control. For example, leverage agile change management principles to:
Embedding lightweight, iterative review processes that emphasize timely feedback and rapid decision-making without heavy documentation or unnecessary meetings.
Using tools like RACI matrices and decision-rights grids to clarify who has authority and responsibility, so governance can flex in how often or how deeply it engages, but never loses accountability.
Allowing governance forums to scale their activity up or down based on change program phase, risk, or complexity, rather than sticking to a rigid calendar or process.
For less mature organizations without dedicated governance forums:
Propose leveraging existing operational or executive forums to introduce lightweight governance rhythms that do not overburden people. For example, brief monthly check-ins during established leadership meetings or quarterly presentation slots to highlight change progress and risks.
Use simple tools like cadence checklists or short-status emails tailored for existing leaders who may not be change specialists. Position these rhythms as value-adds to existing meetings to gain buy-in.
Practical tips:
Offer templates for flash checks and value meetings that can be easily integrated into the existing meeting culture.
Advocate building urgency without burnout by linking cadence to visible outcomes rather than just process compliance.
2. Drive Enterprise PMO & Portfolio Alignment – Fit Your Organization’s Governance Model
For organizations with established PMOs:
Partner closely with PMO and portfolio managers to ensure change work is fully integrated. Act as a bridge between change activities and portfolio governance to align priorities effectively.
Encourage shared dashboards that combine project and change metrics, giving leadership clarity on both deliverables and adoption risks.
Advocate for change governance representation in portfolio decision forums to embed change risk and opportunities in prioritization.
For organizations without formal PMOs:
Identify operational units or executive groups with portfolio oversight responsibilities and seek informal relationships with key members.
Suggest practical ways to leverage existing governance bodies for change oversight by embedding change highlights in their agenda.
Provide simple portfolio mapping or status tools that don’t require heavy infrastructure but help visualize transformation across initiatives.
Practical tips:
Offer to co-create change input templates that non-PMO forums can use to review change risk, interdependencies and impact.
Share success stories illustrating how integrated PMO-change governance drives consistent messaging and prioritization.
3. Shape Executive Reporting – From Insight to Influence
For organizations with mature reporting processes:
Help refine executive dashboards by ensuring a balance between project status and change readiness/adoption metrics.
Coach change teams to translate data into compelling narratives that highlight risks, opportunities, and decision points.
Push for reporting formats that enable proactive governance action rather than reactive compliance.
For organizations with limited or no formal executive reporting:
Influence existing executive communications by proposing change-related content for leadership newsletters, briefings, or standing meeting updates.
Develop concise, jargon-free reports that fit into current executive reading habits and spotlight what matters most.
Advocate for simple visual reporting tools, e.g., impact bar charts or risk registers that executives can quickly interpret.
Practical tips:
Provide sample executive report templates tailored for different maturity levels.
Offer coaching sessions on storytelling with data to change teams who may be new to executive reporting.
4. Champion Scenario Planning to Build Resilience
Scenario planning is a powerful tool that helps organizations prepare for uncertainty by imagining multiple plausible futures, assessing their impact, and planning appropriate responses. For change practitioners, influencing scenario planning within change governance is critical to making transformation resilient to volatile conditions and unexpected challenges.
For organizations with mature change governance and PMO structures:
Advocate for formal inclusion of scenario planning in governance cycles, such as quarterly strategy reviews or portfolio risk assessments.
Collaborate with PMO, risk, and strategy functions to develop integrated scenario frameworks that tie external uncertainties with change delivery risks.
Use structured tools and templates to develop 2-3 distinct scenarios based on critical uncertainties impacting change programs (e.g., regulatory shifts, technology adoption rates, cost pressures, market dynamics).
Ensure scenario outputs include clear implications for adoption risk, resource allocation, and contingency triggers to inform governance decision-making.
For organizations with limited formal governance:
Promote lightweight scenario planning approaches that can fit into existing forums or leadership discussions without requiring new committees.
Facilitate workshops or brown bag sessions with key stakeholders to brainstorm “what-if” scenarios that highlight risks and opportunities in their own language.
Use simple scenario templates capturing scenario description, key assumptions, impacts, and early warning signs to keep the process manageable and relevant.
Position scenario planning as a practical alternative to reactive firefighting, reinforcing its value for anticipating and mitigating disruption to change efforts.
Practical Tips for All Maturity Levels:
Focus scenario development on a small number (2-3) of meaningful scenarios that highlight material differences rather than an exhaustive list.
Use scenario planning to identify robust strategies that perform well across multiple futures, reducing overcommitment to any single pathway.
Regularly review and update scenarios to reflect new information and organizational shifts, embedding this as a governance cadence.
Engage diverse viewpoints in scenario sessions to challenge assumptions and broaden organizational readiness.
Example Scenario Planning Framework (in brief):
Step
Action
Identify Key Drivers
Pinpoint external and internal uncertainties: economic, technological, regulatory, organizational
Develop Scenarios
Build 2-3 narrative futures exploring combinations of drivers
Analyze Impact
Assess effects on change timelines, adoption, resources
Define Responses
Create contingency plans and decision points
Monitor & Update
Track relevant indicators and review scenarios regularly
5. Clarify Decision Making Authority, and Risk Appetite – Influence Without Direct Control
One of the most frequent governance pitfalls in transformation is unclear decision rights, leading to duplicated effort or “decision limbo,” which stalls progress. Change practitioners can significantly influence clarity around decision making even when not formally leading governance forums.
For organizations with high governance maturity:
Advocate for or refine delegation charters that grant clear authority boundaries across change roles and governance tiers.
Promote use of decision-rights grids paired with RACI matrices, documenting decisions by type, level, and role to eliminate ambiguity.
Encourage articulation of organization’s risk appetite in governance policies to guide decisions on escalation and investment.
Work with governance leads to socialise these tools regularly and embed them in operational processes.
For organizations with emerging or informal governance:
Educate stakeholders about the value of explicit decision clarity through workshops or short guides.
Propose simple RACI templates tailored for key initiatives to clarify roles on responsibility, accountability, consultation, and information sharing.
Introduce a basic decision-rights grid to categorize decisions (routine operational, tactical, strategic) and assign decision tiers even if informally.
Frame this work as risk mitigation: reducing delays and confusion frees leaders to focus on strategic priorities.
Practical Tips Across Maturity Levels:
Develop easy-to-use templates and cheat sheets for RACI and decision grids to distribute widely.
Use storytelling and real case examples to illustrate consequences of unclear decision-making (e.g., project delays, duplicated efforts).
Regularly revisit and update decision frameworks as governance evolves, ensuring ongoing relevance.
Encourage governance sponsors to visibly support and enforce these clarity tools.
6. Define and Promote Clear Escalation Paths
Clear escalation paths empower teams to raise concerns timely and guide issues to the appropriate governance levels without clogging decision forums or escalating unnecessarily. Change managers can champion and embed escalation discipline through influence, education, and practical tools.
For organizations with mature governance:
Collaborate with governance teams to map all escalation routes related to change risks, decisions, and resource conflicts.
Promote communication plans ensuring every contributor understands when and how to escalate – down to roles and contact points.
Incorporate escalation workflows into governance charters, RACI matrices, and decision-rights grids to reinforce paths.
Champion periodic training or refresh sessions aligned with governance cadence to maintain escalation readiness.
For organizations with limited governance forums:
Identify natural escalation points in existing leadership or operational forums and propose embedding change escalation protocols there.
Provide clear documentation and quick-reference escalation flow diagrams for frontline teams and managers.
Coach teams and middle managers on recognizing escalation triggers and the best mode of communication to avoid bottlenecks.
Frame escalation discipline as a way to safeguard both operational pace and leadership bandwidth.
Practical Tips Usable in All Environments:
Use visual flowcharts to depict escalation paths, making them highly accessible and easy to recall.
Set guidelines on what kinds of issues require escalation vs. local resolution to reduce unnecessary escalations.
Promote handling low-level risks swiftly through informal escalation while preserving formal routes for major decisions.
Encourage transparency in escalation outcomes to build trust and learning across the organization.
7. Invest in Stakeholder Education & Engagement – Be the Governance Evangelist
The success of change governance depends as much on people’s understanding and buy-in as on structures and processes. Senior change managers have a vital role in educating stakeholders, increasing governance literacy, and fostering engagement – especially in organizations where governance maturity varies or formal forums are limited.
For organizations with mature governance:
Develop formal stakeholder education programs that provide regular training on governance roles, decision frameworks, escalation processes, and how governance aligns with transformation outcomes.
Use targeted communications that frame governance benefits in terms relevant to each stakeholder group – showing “what’s in it for them.”
Implement forums like governance clinics or Q&A sessions where stakeholders can clarify their roles, raise concerns, and share governance success stories.
Collaborate with governance sponsors to visibly champion these initiatives to prevent stakeholder fatigue and increase participation.
For organizations with emerging or informal governance:
Start small with bite-sized governance literacy sessions embedded in existing communication channels such as team meetings or newsletters – keep it jargon-free and highly practical.
Translate complex governance concepts into everyday language, storytelling, and case examples that resonate with different stakeholder groups.
Identify and coach governance champions within teams who can help cascade key messages informally.
Use tools such as quick reference guides, checklists, and simplified RACI matrices to embed governance knowledge across operational levels.
Practical Tips Across All Maturity Levels:
Conduct a stakeholder governance literacy audit to understand knowledge gaps and tailor education efforts accordingly.
Develop short governance video clips or Q&A hosted by trusted leaders explaining key governance principles and benefits.
Regularly gather feedback through surveys or informal conversations to refine education efforts ensuring they meet stakeholder needs.
Emphasize the connection between good governance practices and the successful delivery of benefits, reducing resistance and increasing advocacy.
Change governance is often viewed as a formal, top-down function but, as change managers, you are uniquely positioned to influence its design and execution regardless of your direct access to governance forums. The key lies in adapting your approaches to the maturity and structure of your organization’s governance, leveraging existing forums and networks, and focusing on clear communication, collaboration, and practical tools.
By championing governance dexterity, bridging PMO and portfolio governance gaps, shaping executive reporting, embedding scenario planning, clarifying decision rights, defining escalation paths, and investing in stakeholder education, you create a foundation where governance truly supports transformation velocity, clarity, and resilience. You also create a strategic change contribution to help the organisation reach its transformation benefit goals.
Tools & Templates for Influence and Education
Cadence Checklists: Ready-to-use templates to propose weekly flash checks, monthly value meetings, and quarterly strategic reviews tailored for different governance forums and maturity.
Sample RACI Matrix & Decision-Rights Grid: Simplified versions that can be adapted for routine and strategic decisions, supporting role clarity and authority distribution.
Escalation Flow Diagram: Visual maps suitable for team briefings and leader coaching in both formal and informal governance contexts.
Stakeholder Education Plan Outline: A scalable framework for assessing needs, designing education content, and measuring engagement impact.
The Strategic Blind Spot in Enterprise Change Management
In today’s volatile business environment, enterprise change management (ECM) functions are under mounting pressure to prove their value. Despite the proliferation of change initiatives – ranging from digital transformation to operational restructuring – many organizations still treat ECM as a support function, primarily focused on capability building and project resourcing. This narrow focus, while important, leaves a critical gap: ECMs are often missing the opportunity to deliver the highest value services – enterprise change measurement and strategic/operational planning.
The Current State: A Tactical Focus
Most ECM functions have evolved to emphasize two core activities:
Capability Building: Developing change skills and mindsets across the business, often through training, coaching, and establishing communities of practice
Project Resourcing: Supplying skilled change practitioners to projects, ensuring adequate coverage for major initiatives.
While these activities are foundational, they tend to position ECM as a cost centre rather than a strategic partner. When business conditions tighten, these functions are often among the first to face budget cuts or downsizing, as their value is often perceived as indirect or non-essential to core business outcomes.
The Consequence: Vulnerability in Uncertain Times
This tactical orientation creates a paradox. As organizations face more frequent and complex change, the need for robust change management increases. Yet, when times are tough, ECM functions are often scaled back precisely when their expertise could be most valuable. This cycle undermines organizational resilience and readiness, leaving businesses exposed to greater risks during periods of transformation.
The Missed Opportunity: High-Value Services
The most significant gap lies in the underutilization of ECM’s potential to deliver high-value, strategic services. These include:
Enterprise Change Performance: Systematically tracking and analyzing the impact, readiness, and adoption of change across the organization.
Strategic and Operational Planning: Partnering with strategy teams and business leaders to anticipate change impacts, model scenarios, and inform decision – making.
By not prioritizing these services, ECM functions miss the chance to influence the organization at the highest levels – where decisions about direction, investment, and risk are made.
Why the Gap Exists
Several factors contribute to this strategic blind spot:
Historical Positioning: ECM has traditionally been seen as an “enabler” rather than a “driver” of business outcomes.
Lack of Data: Without robust change measurement, it’s difficult to provide the insights needed for strategic planning and governance.
Resource Constraints: With limited budgets and headcount, ECMs often default to immediate project demands rather than longer-term, enterprise-wide priorities.
Digital Immaturity: Many organizations lack the digital tools to capture, analyze, and sustain data-driven change insights, further limiting ECM’s strategic contribution.
The Path Forward
To break this cycle, ECM functions must reposition themselves as indispensable partners in enterprise strategy and planning. This requires a deliberate shift from a narrow focus on capability and resourcing to a broader remit that includes measurement, insight generation, and strategic advisory services. The following sections will explore how ECMs can leverage data and digital tools to deliver these high-value services, and how this repositioning can fundamentally enhance their role in change governance and business planning.
Elevating Enterprise Change Management – From Tactical Support to Strategic Insight
The Power of Change Measurement
To become a true strategic partner, ECM functions must anchor their value proposition in robust, enterprise-wide change measurement. This means moving beyond anecdotal feedback and isolated project metrics to a disciplined, data-driven approach that captures the full spectrum of change activity, impact, and readiness across the organization.
What Is Enterprise Change Measurement?
Enterprise change measurement is the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data related to all change initiatives within an organization. This includes:
Change Volume and Velocity: How many changes are occurring, and at what pace?
Cumulative Impact: What is the aggregated effect of concurrent changes on teams, processes, and customers?
Readiness and Adoption: How prepared are stakeholders for upcoming changes, and how well are new ways of working being adopted?
Risk and Saturation: Where are the pressure points? Which business units or functions are at risk of change fatigue or resistance?
By establishing a comprehensive measurement framework, ECMs can provide leaders with a “change performance dashboard” that highlights risks, opportunities, and areas requiring intervention.
Why Measurement Matters
Objectivity: Data – driven insights replace subjective opinions, enabling more informed decision – making.
Prioritization: Leaders can see where to focus resources for maximum impact and where to pause or sequence initiatives to avoid overload.
Accountability: Clear metrics enable tracking of change outcomes, supporting continuous improvement and demonstrating the tangible value of ECM.
Proactive Risk Management: Early identification of adoption risks or readiness gaps allows for timely mitigation, reducing the likelihood of failed initiatives.
Leveraging Digital Tools for Continuous Insight
The digital revolution has transformed every aspect of business, and ECM should be no exception. Modern digital tools – ranging from enterprise change management platforms to advanced analytics and AI – make it possible to capture, analyze, and visualize change data in real time.
Key Capabilities of Digital Change Platforms
Automated Data Capture: Streamline the collection of change activity and sentiment data with less manual effort.
Dashboards and Visualizations: Provide leaders with intuitive, up-to-date views of change activity, risk hotspots, and adoption trends.
Scenario Modelling: Use predictive analytics to model the impact of proposed changes on different parts of the organization, supporting better planning and resource allocation.
Feedback Loops: Enable continuous input from stakeholders, surfacing emerging issues and opportunities for course correction.
Building the Digital Foundation
To realize these benefits, ECMs must:
Invest in the Right Tools: Select platforms that fit the organization’s size, complexity, and digital maturity.
Establish Data Governance: Ensure data quality, security, and privacy, with clear ownership and processes for managing change data.
Build Analytical Capability: Develop skills within the ECM team to interpret data, generate insights, and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
Partnering for Strategic and Operational Planning
Armed with robust data and digital insights, ECMs are uniquely positioned to partner with strategy teams and senior leaders in both strategic and operational planning cycles.
Strategic Planning
Change Impact Modelling: Collaborate with strategy leaders to model the implications of major strategic shifts – such as mergers, restructures, or technology rollouts – on people, customers, partners and culture/behaviours.
Resource Forecasting: Advise on the change management resources required to support planned initiatives, ensuring adequate capacity and capability.
Risk Assessment: Highlight potential adoption risks and readiness gaps, enabling proactive mitigation and more resilient strategic execution.
Operational Planning
Change Portfolio Management: Work with business units to sequence and prioritize initiatives, reducing change saturation and maximizing adoption.
Readiness/Adoption Assessments: Provide data – driven readiness assessments to inform operational plans, ensuring teams are prepared for upcoming changes.
Performance Tracking: Monitor adoption and impact metrics post – implementation, feeding lessons learned back into future planning cycles.
Unlocking the Full Value of ECM
By moving up the value chain – from tactical support to strategic insight – ECMs can fundamentally reshape their role within the organization. This shift not only enhances the effectiveness of change initiatives but also positions ECM as a critical enabler of business strategy, resilience, and long-term success.
Embedding Enterprise Change Management in Governance and Planning – Unlocking Strategic Value
From Insight to Influence: The New Role of ECM
When enterprise change management (ECM) functions leverage robust measurement and digital insights, they move from being tactical enablers to strategic influencers. This transition is not just a shift in activity but a fundamental change in how ECM is perceived and positioned within the organization. The true value of ECM emerges when it is embedded in the core governance and planning processes, shaping decisions that drive business performance and resilience.
Integrating ECM Into Change Governance
Change governance is the system by which organizations oversee, prioritize, and manage change initiatives. Traditionally, ECM’s role in governance has been limited, often reactive – providing support when asked or responding to issues as they arise. However, with access to enterprise-wide change data and predictive analytics, ECM can now play a proactive, advisory role.
Key contributions of ECM in change governance include:
Portfolio-level risk assessment: By providing a “change performance dashboard,” ECM can help governance forums visualize where cumulative change is creating risk, enabling more informed decisions about sequencing, prioritization, and resource allocation.
Evidence-based recommendations: ECM brings objective data to the table, shifting conversations from opinion-based debates to fact-based decision-making.
Continuous monitoring: Real-time dashboards and feedback loops allow governance bodies to track adoption, readiness, and business impact, supporting agile responses to emerging issues.
This approach aligns with the Unified Value Proposition for change management, which emphasizes the integration of technical and people aspects to achieve both project objectives and organizational benefits. When ECM is seen as a structured, data-driven discipline, its credibility and influence within governance structures increase significantly.
Shaping Strategic and Operational Planning
The value of ECM is amplified when it is involved early in the strategic and operational planning cycles. By partnering with strategy and business leaders, ECM can:
Model change implications: Use scenario analysis to forecast the impact of strategic decisions on people, processes, and culture, identifying potential bottlenecks or adoption risks before they materialize.
Inform resource planning: Advise on the change management resources and capabilities required to support the planned portfolio, ensuring adequate investment and reducing the risk of under – resourcing critical initiatives.
Enhance readiness and adoption: Integrate readiness assessments and adoption metrics into operational plans, increasing the likelihood of successful outcomes and accelerating benefit realization.
This proactive involvement transforms ECM from a “nice-to-have” support function to an essential partner in delivering business strategy and managing risk.
Real-World Impact: Lessons from Leading Organizations
Organizations that have successfully repositioned ECM as a strategic partner demonstrate tangible business benefits. For example, a large financial services leader, integrated change management and project management, prioritized sponsorship, and leveraged data-driven insights to support multiple simultaneous transformations. The results included reduced risks of change saturation and release clashes, enhanced speed of planning and reduced operational disruptions.
This underscore the importance of:
Early and ongoing ECM involvement in planning and governance
A unified approach that combines technical and people – centric change management
Data-driven decision – making as the foundation for ECM’s strategic contribution
Sustaining the Strategic Role of ECM
To ensure ECM’s strategic value is sustained – even when business conditions become challenging – organizations must:
Institutionalize ECM’s seat at the table: Make ECM participation in governance and planning forums a non-negotiable part of the operating model.
Continue investing in digital tools and analytics: Maintain and evolve the digital infrastructure that enables continuous measurement and insight generation.
Develop ECM talent: Build analytical, advisory, and business partnership skills within ECM teams to match their new strategic mandate.
The Future of ECM Is Strategic
As organizations navigate increasing complexity and accelerated change, the need for strategic, data-driven change management has never been greater. By focusing on high-value services, enterprise change measurement and strategic/operational planning, ECM functions can secure their place as indispensable partners in business success. This shift unlocks their full potential to drive sustainable transformation and competitive advantage.
