Four Things to Consider When Designing Your Change Team

Change cannot be accomplished by a single individual. It takes a collective effort from every member of an organization. At 18 Coffees, our thoughts are derived from the Agile methodology, and we refer to the leaders of change initiatives as Change Champions. These Change Champions need to exist at every layer of the organization, forming an organizational change “spine.” They’re tasked with increasing the agility of the organization and creating education and buy-in. Here’s what to consider when designing your own change team.

Focus on individuals and interactions over processes and tools. 

People are your greatest resource. As leaders of change initiatives, you must be thorough and intentional when selecting team members. You need individuals who are from the functional areas that will be most affected by the initiative, but you should also consider who has influence and enthusiasm around the change initiative, as well as who is likely to provide pushback. Having some dissent can be helpful because it allows you to understand different perspectives and anticipate potential roadblocks as you aim to gain buy-in. 

Elevate working team dynamics over comprehensive planning.

Change can be daunting; it is important that you make the mission seem valuable and fun, and that you motivate and encourage your change team members. According to Dr. Margie Warrell, bestselling author and global authority on living and leading with courage, “‘Approaching change with an upbeat and optimistic energy leverages 'emotional contagion,’” adding, ‘Leaders serve as the emotional barometer as people look to them for cues on how to think and behave, particularly during uncertainty.’”

In addition to emphasizing fun and positivity with your change team, you must also make sure your members feel heard and valued. While working with United Way, there was a Change Champion who relied heavily on the input of her team members, rather than setting and finalizing plans on her own. After the initial kickoff meeting, she sent out an optional survey, asking people about their concerns, what they wanted to cover, and what ideas they had that hadn’t been shared. She used these answers to help craft future messaging. Additionally, she worked with her team to establish its brand, ultimately settling on the name “The Mod Squad,” short for modernization squad. The name was fun and created a more enjoyable culture. Modernization was an easier concept for her team members to get behind because people enjoy improving processes and things that don’t work well. In this instance, she didn’t get too attached to her initial plan; she made the adjustments that were needed to strengthen the group. 

Prioritize team collaboration over individual silos. 

While you cannot expect to get all members of your change team to agree on every course of action, you should create an environment where all individuals feel comfortable sharing their input. Not only will this make your team members feel more valued and motivated, but it will also likely yield a better outcome because you’ll utilize multiple unique perspectives. 

When 18 Coffees facilitates change management workshops, we often initially have individuals work on a task, such as crafting a vision statement, on their own before then discussing their ideas with the larger group. That way, everyone has the opportunity to develop original thoughts without being influenced but then gets valuable feedback from team members, helping to eventually create alignment on one single vision statement that accurately depicts the team’s north star. 

Adapt to change over rigidly following a plan.

At 18 Coffees, we see behavior change as the key measure of progress. It may be necessary to provide additional training to help drive these behavior changes and thus will be helpful to know where your team members already excel. Develop skills profiles for all team members by having them rate themselves on a variety of hard skills, such as proficiency with a technical program, and soft skills, like the ability to manage a team. By understanding the strengths of your team members ahead of time, you will be in a much better position to leverage them whenever necessary. 

When it comes to change, the unexpected will happen, and you will need to be agile and adaptable. If you have taken the time to build a change team that is collaborative, motivated, and representative of the different teams and levels of your organization, you will be better positioned for success. And if you’d like additional support designing your change team, 18 Coffees is always ready to help.