ORGANIZATIONAL
READINESS
QUESTIONS
ARE YOU READY FOR CHANGE?
KEY STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEW
AND SURVEY QUESTIONS
Dashe & Thomson
www.dashe.com
KEY STAKEHOLDER
INTERVIEWS
Whenever a change impacts a high volume of
stakeholders, change management becomes
critical. Interviewing key stakeholders to
assess change readiness might seem like
Consulting 101, but is a critical step. Though
anecdotal, these interviews help reveal
opinion themes at the leadership level. These
questions should be open-ended, allowing the
stakeholder to fully convey their thoughts.
INTERVIEW
QUESTIONS
1. Can you explain how this (change initiative)
fits with the strategic goals of your
organization?
2. How well do you feel the rationale for the
change has been communicated to the
organization?
3. Can you explain what you are hearing from
key (users, clients, customers – internal or
external, or regulatory agencies) about the
need for this change?
4. What are you hearing from your users
about project progress to-date?
5. What are you hearing from your peers
about this project – e.g., other company
leadership, or steering committee
members?
INTERVIEW
QUESTIONS CONT.
6. How will you measure success for this
project?
7. We often talk about the triple constraint –
Time, Cost, and Quality.
Some people
say “you can have two, but not three.” So
far, how would you rank the order of
importance the organization has placed on
each of these three constraints. For
example: “The organization has cut the
project budget, but kept scope the same,
so the priorities would appear to be 1) cost
2) quality 3) time."
8. What has the organization’s past
experience been with major change
initiatives of this magnitude?
9. What do you see as the major risks for the
project?
10. How do you normally communicate with
employees in your organization?
11. What messages have you put out to date
about this project?
12. What other issues should I know about that
we have not discussed?
The information learned during these interviews is vital. Some examples of outcomes that
can be revealed include:
• Level of understanding of the project rationale
• Level of understanding of the benefits and barriers that the project/change will
present
• Whether the project vision has been appropriately disseminated to stakeholders
• A baseline understanding of company’s appetite for change
STAKEHOLDER
SURVEYS
This could very well be the most essential step
in the change readiness process. Because the
survey goes to a larger audience (leadership,
project team, and end-users), it reveals areas
that need specific focus and any level of
misalignment between leadership and endusers. The survey uses a mix of questions,
asking the stakeholder to rate how much they
agree with the statement on a scale of 1 to 5
(with 5 being strongly agree and 1 being don't
agree at all).
SURVEY QUESTIONS
1. The project sponsor has a clear vision of
where we are going with this project.
2. The project sponsor has shown a clear
commitment to making the change happen.
3. Key executive clearly support the project.
4. Project leaders and executives have made
it clear that the project is aligned with the
company’s strategic goals.
5. It is clear what my department has to do to make the project succeed.
6. My department has sufficient resources (people, training, support) to help the project
succeed.
7. My department has a plan to get ready for the project changes.
8. The project stays on track, despite other corporate/organizational priorities that may
come up.
SURVEY QUESTIONS
CONT.
9. My management is committed to making
the project a success.
10. The project is receiving priority in my
department.
11. I understand how my role will be affected
by the project.
12. We get regular project updates that
indicate what progress we are making
towards our goals.
13. The reason for change has been
explained to my department.
14. We are following a detailed plan.
15. Changes to business processes have been
explained to my department.
16. People who embrace change and
innovation are rewarded for their efforts.
17. People share problems and concerns with leadership rather than keeping them quiet
or hiding them.
18. Key technology partners are delivering on what they promised.
19. Our present organizational culture can support the way we will do things in the future.
20. I believe I will be ready for this change.
The combination of the results from both the interviews and survey provides data which
inform the overall change readiness assessment report. Analysis of the data provides a
road map for change and communication tactics to best serve the needs of the business.