Over the many years of working in this field, in both change and project management, the resourcing required for programs is often an area of debate. When heading up a Change Practice, getting the blend of expertise as well as the right time to introduce a Change Manager into a program was also key. Unfortunately it became apparent that if you introduced a Change Manager into a program too early, it created tension if the program didn't have a business case or foundation on which to base the change.

But there are a number of factors to consider when looking at resourcing.

The size of the change. Size does matter in this case. The greater the impact, and depending on the existing resources to support the change internally, you will need adequate resource. The resource isn't there just to produce documents such as the change plan, impacts assessments etc. Change resource on major programs is the People change conductor as such. They are there to orchestrate and integrate the communicat...

I considered calling this article 'Why Benefits belong to the Change Manager' but I could hear the hiss from Change Manager's who would challenge the word 'belong'. Of course they would be right, as any Benefit outlined in a project brief should be assigned an owner from the business. However, benefits are most critical to a Change Manager's role in any project, as they help explain the reason why the project has been funded in the first place. They are a measure of the effectiveness of what is being delivered, and a Change Managers purpose is to create a plan that is focused on creating the right environment and behaviours to achieve that level of effectiveness.

Any Change Manager worth their salt, therefore, is focused on influencing solutions where possible, to make sure any deliverables are user friendly. Measuring success based on successful delivery only is a thing of the past for high performing organisations, the focus now is on realising the Benefits.

Theory vs Practice when...

You need your team to work in a new way because you are automating processes with new technology, or you have changed the roles and functions in your team but haven't thought through how that will change your day to day work. Not only that but you haven't thought yet about how your team works with other areas or departments. Now you face spending the next 3 months working out all of the details and getting back on your feet. How could this have been avoided? Through the discipline called Change Management.

In business the main question you ask when looking at introducing something new, is 'how soon can we get this in?'. A better question would be 'how long will it take to get to the end state we are pitching for?'. Another great question is 'what will the return on my investment be'?, even on projects that are mandated from the powers that be. Whether it be changing the way you do things, introducing new products, or modifying existing products with tightening profit margins and decre...