Get the Right People Involved and Give Them What they Need
Stakeholder Support Committees are useful on change initiatives to help other employees adopt to change. They will be primary communicators about the change initiative; sharing information about what is happening and when it will happen. Because they are other employees, employees who need to adopt the change are more comfortable talking to the Committee members about their concerns and fears around the change. This Committee can also help ensure a successful change by bringing information from the employees up to the change leader; sharing information that may be relevant to the success of the change. Stakeholder Support Committees also serve to engage employees in the change initiative; it gives those employees who are supportive of the change a chance to be involved in shaping the change through communicating about the change throughout the organization and getting feedback on the change as it progresses.
The Right People on the Stakeholder Committee
To get the right people on the Committee, choose individuals who:
- Are champions and supporters of change
- Represent all functional areas within the organization
- Are influential within the organization
- Have already built strong relationships and established trust throughout the organization (with their peers)
Give Them What They Need
- A point of contact on the leadership team to remove barriers and address issues that need leadership attention
- Time during regular working hours to engage in Committee activities
- The autonomy to interact throughout the organization and engage others in change
- The tools needed to be successful in engaging employees
- A budget for food & beverage for meetings, posters promoting the change, give-aways, and for other items to help in promoting the change and engaging employees
The more complex and impactful the change, the more successful you will be in getting employees to adopt change if you utilize a Stakeholder Support Committee.
Want to learn more? Order Gina’s book on Implementing Positive Organizational Change: A Strategic Project Management Approach, J Ross Publishing, 2017; or, contact Gina at Abudi Consulting Group to talk to her about your current, in progress or upcoming change initiative.
