If you’ve ever been part of a change initiative that looked perfect on paper but struggled in reality, you’re not alone.

Across organisations, change frameworks, project plans, and communication strategies are carefully designed. Yet despite all of this, many initiatives stall, lose momentum, or fail to land the way they should.

So what makes the difference?

After more than 20 years of delivering change across industries, one truth becomes clear:

Successful change is not just about the framework. It's the people who combine to make the difference. 

When more of the individuals involved in the change share this common understanding, the team will always be successful. If you are a change practitioner, a leader of change, or needing to implement ways of working with teams you don't have any control over, then consider this fundamental truth when it comes to successfully implementing change. 

Want to explore more? Listen to Next Level Change Success, Season 5, Episode 12 - What...

If you work in a Corporate services area, whether that be in People and Culture, a Program Management Office or Risk and Compliance and you want to shift the mindset and ways of working across the organisation, then the easily 'card' to play is that it is impossible because you have no authority in that area and nothing could be further from the truth.

You can indeed influence behaviours and even change behaviours of those you work with or support using these five strategies:

1) Create a win/win situation with your key stakeholders. Understanding how to solve your stakeholders issues with your change, and creating a sense of togetherness will also create a sense of shared ownership of the change. Sometimes explicitly linking or highlighting the connection between your change and how it may help them is a way in which your change will generate support.  How is your success linked to their success? 

2) Understand and leverage both the formal and informal networks. If the grapevine is ...