“I got approval for an important change in the way we do business, but now we’re stalled. The people on the project team don’t have the clout to break through the log jams and resolve cross-functional issues. What should I do? “

What is it?
Executive Steering Groups (ESG) are groups which are called together for purposes of overseeing a specific change. These groups should represent your major stakeholders, and have the decision making authority to drive the direction of your change project. They usually consist of individuals in leadership positions, and are people who are credible and influential enough Continue reading →

“I’ve just been asked to lead a change project within our company. I know I don’t have all the skills and information to achieve the expected results on my own. It’s going to be especially tricky because a lot of groups are going to be impacted by the change, and I’m sure they are going to resist. What can I do to lower my risk and improve my chances of success?”

What is it?
Most changes require significant effort to design, prepare for, transition to and implement. Forming a Project Team specifically to support these efforts is a great way Continue reading →

“I’ve been asked to lead a change project within my company, but I’m not really sure what is expected. What should I do?”

What is it?

A Project Charter is a one page document that describes the project’s:

• Objectives
• KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and targets – both financial and non-financial
• Deliverables
• Assumptions re: support requirements, risks, inter-dependencies, etc.
• The Project Sponsor (the leader ultimately accountable for the project’s success) the Project Manager (the person who leads the project on a day-to-day basis), and Team Members (people assigned to the project either full or part time), and the time required for Continue reading →

“My leadership team and I have a pretty clear idea of where we want to be in the next 5 years, but don’t know exactly how to get there. There are so many issues and improvements to address. It’s hard to get our heads around them. What suggestions do you have?”

What is it?
A transformation map is a one page visual depiction of the plan for implementing a strategy or goal. It describes the major results, actions and milestones required to achieve the strategy/goal, along with the expected timing of each of them. It is a tool to build Continue reading →

“I know that our strategy is going to make significant changes to the way we work around here. And I know that there will be a lot of resistance. What can I do to ensure that our strategy actually becomes a reality?”

What is it?
A stakeholder is anyone who has a stake in the results of your change. In a business situation, stakeholders could include employees, management, unions, customers, suppliers, the board of directors, shareholders, community interest groups and government regulatory authorities.

Shareholder Identification and Planning is the process of determining who your stakeholders are, learning what their needs Continue reading →

“I’ve been having trouble getting approval for important changes to the way we do business. I can’t seem to get the leadership team on the same page. What can I do?”

What is it?
A Business Case describes the goal, costs and benefits of making a change with the purpose of influencing decision makers to approve the change. Although Business Cases are usually expressed in financial terms and written with the CFO in mind, a strong business case is one that addresses not only the financial rationale for a change, but also the non-financial and non-quantifiable components of the change. Continue reading →