What is a Champions Network? And why is it critical to build a solid champions network?
The “champions network” or the “change network” operates as an extension of the change management team.
Consider the case of a large project affecting a considerable amount of people in an organization. If you are the sole change practitioner or even part of a small change team, chances are, you will most probably not be able to reach or connect consistently throughout the change with all the employees that are impacted. To sustain your efforts to engage these employees, you will need volunteers or advocates that support the change and are willing to represent it.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to building your champions’ network:
The first step is the most important – how you recruit!
The golden rule is to never force people to become champions. It is critical for potential champions to be intrinsically motivated. They should be willing to join the effort. Are there any actions you can take?
Make a “call out” for these advocates by telling them what you’re looking for and why. Don’t accept “voluntold”, you want them to want to stand for the change because they believe in it, not because they were told to represent the change by their boss
Keep in mind that different champions have their own reasons for becoming volunteers. It could be their genuine excitement about being a part of this change or a particular concern that they want to emphasize. They want to make sure it is not overlooked. Taking care of those reasons will help you build a stronger relationship
Outline their role as a champion and the bandwidth required to be a champion during the length of the project and beyond. Remember that they already have their regular job and are taking this task over and above that so keep it lean.
Explain what’s in it for them (WIIFM) – many ways to do that without having to offer “prizes” – they can go from privileged access to the project team, and leaders involved to piloting the changes to being recognized across the organization for their contribution, etc.
Diversity is key! Different champions from diverse groups, in different business units or streams AT ALL LEVELS OF THE ORGANIZATION!
The Second step is to start working with your new champions team.
Schedule your 1-hour kick-off meeting with all the champions. This session will cover more details about the scope of the change, its timelines and what is the expected impact on the organization. This will be a great opportunity for the champions to ask questions about the change, raise risks that you haven’t considered and clarify their role in the change process.
Always remember to stay lean when it comes to their interventions. Don’t set up weekly 1 hr calls, daily touch points or half-day workshops…break it out into small bite-size interventions and only on an as-needed basis once you’ve done the kick-off. Respect their time and they will keep their commitment!
Create a forum for constant communication by setting up a simple and practical two-way communication so that information can flow in and out AND everyone can be involved regularly, at their own pace. This mechanism allows to build an elevated level of trust and, as a result, more employees are willing to take part in making this change successful.
In addition, champions do not have to approach change practitioners constantly. Due to the already established champions network, champions can communicate easily among themselves. This network allows every team to receive consistent information. By using the champions network, you can have real-time conversations and exchange constant information which is more efficient than just gathering data from surveys.
The third step is to be transparent and trustworthy!
Tell it like it is so that they can provide tangible input, advice, and recommendations, and if it’s all good, even better for them to share with the rest of their peers.
Also, remember that champions are your eyes and ears on the ground – they can share information with you in just a few days that would otherwise take weeks for you to gather. Always keep them in the loop, through the bad so they can support and the good so they can promote!
Following these steps and maintaining good momentum throughout the change and post-implementation, will set you up for success! It is crucial to foster trust and transparency throughout your relationship with them to develop the best (well-informed) adoption plan to set everyone up for real success.
