Top contributors to success
2012 Edition of Best Practices in Change Management

Prosci's 2012 edition of the Best Practices in Change Management benchmarking report is the most complete body of knowledge available on change management. The 2012 study is the seventh benchmarking effort Prosci has conducted over the last 14 years. The objective of this study is to uncover lessons learned from practitioners and consultants so current change management teams can benefit from these experiences - it is a forward looking, action-oriented report aimed at improving your change management work.

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This tutorial shares the top six contributors to overall success identified by the 650 change management practitioners who provided data for the report. Remember, successful change is not always easy, but it is repeatable if you draw on the experience of others.

Greatest contributors to success from Prosci's 2012 edition of
Best Practices in Change Management

1. Active and visible executive sponsorship

Study participants reported active and visible executive sponsorship as the number one contributor to success for the seventh consecutive report. Participants cited this factor four times more frequently than any other contributor. Participants reported the need for executives and senior leaders to be involved and visible during all stages of a change, supportive and committed to the change itself, and knowledgeable about the need for change management. Active and visible sponsorship included:

• Visibility and accessibility throughout the entire project
• Engagement of leaders and managers early and throughout the duration of a project
• Alignment of priorities among organization leaders; projects realized better success when objectives were clearly defined and were aligned with the overall strategy and vision of the organization
• Direct communication with employees and the project team (including change managers) throughout the duration of the project to build and maintain support for the change

2. Frequent and open communication about the change

Study participants reported highly structured and frequent top-down communications as a major contributor to success. Communication messages included a clear and compelling reason for the change, the objectives of the change and the implications of not changing. Participants emphasized that the need for the change was best delivered by the sponsor or leader of the change. Communications needed to be tailored and customized for each impacted group. Study participants also noted the need to communicate with end-users frequently to gauge project success.

3. Structured change management approach

Study respondents cited the use of a structured change management approach as the third greatest contributor to program success. Respondents noted that the use of an established, easy-to-apply methodology helped increase user adoption. Respondents also noted that the earlier change management was applied, the more success the project achieved.

4. Dedicated resources and funding for change management

Having dedicated change management staff on the project team during the planning and implementation of the project was the fourth most frequently cited success factor. Having “change agents” across the organization and within organizational hierarchies ensured that change management was being utilized in multiple, if not all, functional groups across the project. According to study respondents, it was also important to provide the appropriate amount of funding and resources required to execute the change management plans that were developed.

5. Employee engagement and participation

Employee participation and buy-in to the change were cited as key contributors to change management success. Specifically, study respondents cited the following activities to drive employee engagement:

• Providing two-way communications for employees to solicit feedback
• Creating awareness among the end-users and front-line employees about why the change was occurring and establishing the “what’s in it for me” (WIIFM) messages
• Increasing involvement of employees in the decision making process by soliciting and gathering input

6. Engagement with and support from middle management

Having the buy-in and engagement of middle management helped to ensure positive and effective communications to front-line employees. Respondents noted that ensuring that managers had adequate change management skills empowered them to be more effective leaders of change and decreased fear of power loss resulting from the change.

Prosci's 2012 edition of the Best Practices in Change Management benchmarking report is the most complete body of knowledge available on change management. The 2012 study is the seventh benchmarking study Prosci has conducted over the last 14 years. The objective of this study is to uncover lessons learned from practitioners and consultants so current change management teams can benefit from these experiences - it is a forward looking, action-oriented report aimed at improving your change management work. Learn more at www.change-management.com/best-practices-report.htm.