Managing change: most common mistakes made by sponsors 3. 2005 change management data on executive sponsorship According to data from the 2005 Change Management Best Practice Report, active and visible executive sponsorship is the number one contributor to change management success. This tutorial will provide the most common mistakes made by executive sponsors. For additional information about executive sponsorship check out the resources below: • • • Tutorial on "Creating your sponsor roadmap" Register for a free webinar on "Developing your change management sponsor" 2005 Change Management Best Practices Report with a complete "Sponsor Role" section - Report will be ready the third week in June. • Other projects took priority. • They moved on to the next "flavor of the month." Executive sponsors did not build a sponsorship coalition: • They assumed support from other business leaders would be there; they moved too fast without ensuring that key managers were on board. • They underestimated resistance and the impact of the change on employees. • They assumed the message trickled down; they assumed everyone understood the need for change. • They failed to set expectations of other business leaders. • They tolerated resistance from midlevel managers. Participants also listed other mistakes that executive sponsors made during major change initiatives. Most common mistakes made by executive sponsors • The top three mistakes made by executive sponsors as cited by 2005 Change Management Best Practice Report participants were: • 1. • Executive sponsors failed to personally engage as the sponsor for the change: • They abdicated sponsorship to lower level managers, the project team or consultants. • They failed to communicate the need for change and risks of not changing. • They were absent or ignored the project, failed to stay involved and track progress and were not visible after the initial kick off. • 2. • • • Preparing your sponsor They failed to reinforce a consistent message throughout the project. Below are three "how to" action steps for the change management team to follow when preparing the primary, executive sponsor. These actions taken by the change management team will help the executive sponsor minimize their risk for mistakes: Executive sponsors changed priorities midstream: • They did not recognize the need for change management early in the project. They did not see change leadership as a skill gap among managers and business leaders. They failed to identify and manage change overload (too many changes all at one time causing employees to reach change saturation). They dictated the change with little or no communication. They rushed the change without adequate preparation and planning. They let the project move along without celebrating milestones; they failed to acknowledge efforts and express appreciation for efforts upon completion of the project. Their commitment wavered or support dwindled. 1 Copyright 2005. Prosci. All rights reserved. www.change-management.com 1. Prepare a roadmap for your primary sponsor using the template provided in the tutorial on "Creating your sponsor roadmap" as your starting point. The complete package of sponsor materials and resources is found in the Change Management Toolkit (hardcopy) or Change Management Pilot (online version). 2. Provide the primary sponsor with the completed plan. Also provide the primary sponsor with sponsor checklists organized by the target audience and timing for the change. The complete checklists are found in the Change Management Toolkit or Change Management Pilot. 3. Facilitate and assist the sponsor in completing activities in the sponsor roadmap and completing items on the checklist. The change management team will be an ongoing aide to the primary sponsor to: • provide support to the project team. • develop management sponsorship with critical sponsors and the leadership team (sponsor assessment results done in Phase 1 are used to support this step, sponsor assessments can be found in the Change Management Toolkit or Change Management Pilot.) • provide direction and create awareness with employees. Summary This tutorial provided most common mistakes made by executive sponsors. It also provided three action steps for preparing your sponsor. For more in depth information on executive sponsorship and their role in change management, register for the free webinar focused on "Developing your change management sponsor", check out the new 2005 Change Management Best Practice Report on its release date in June and look into the resources provided in the Change Management Toolkit or Change Management Pilot. 2 Copyright 2005. Prosci. All rights reserved. www.change-management.com Resource guide Benchmarking Reports and Toolkits Books and Resources to distribute Best Practices in Change Management: 288 companies share experiences in managing change and lesson on how to build great executive sponsorship. Includes success factors, methodology, role of top management, communications, team structure and more. The report makes it easy to learn change management best practices and discover the mistakes to avoid when creating executive sponsorship. Change Management: the people side of change: a solid foundation in change management perspectives, theories, activities and practices. Employee's Survival Guide to Change: answers questions most employees are unwilling to ask and uncovers what it takes to survive and thrive in today’s changing workplace. Employees will learn the ADKAR model and become effective change agents, instead of difficult change barriers. Change Management Toolkit: a comprehensive change management process, including templates, worksheets, assessments, checklists and guidelines - a must have for change management team members and consultants. Change Management Guide for Managers and Supervisors: a guide specifically designed for managers and supervisors dealing with change - complete with team and individual coaching activities, best practices findings and frequently asked questions. Online tools Change Management Pilot: a fully electronic version of Prosci's popular change management toolkit with templates, worksheets, assessments, checklists, eLearning modules, ready-to-use presentations and guidelines. Change Management Pilot Professional: a fully electronic version that combines the Change Management Pilot with the Change Management Guide for Managers and Supervisors and Employee’s Survival Guide - a combination that allows you to reach each level of the organization. 3 Copyright 2005. Prosci. All rights reserved. www.change-management.com