Leading Through Transformation - Support

Change Champions are a common feature of traditional change management programs. Change Champions, or a Change Agent Network, are used to help create momentum in the business.

However, it is often a superficial role. A little extra training. Some talking points. Five-to-ten minutes to present at a handful of meetings. We've convinced ourselves it's enough to support the business. It's necessary. Not sufficient.

A Change Champion can help build awareness. A Coach is needed to drive change.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines a coach as "someone whose job it is to teach people to improve at a sport, skill, or school subject."

If you want to transform people, champions aren't enough. You need coaches. Dedicated, trained, coaches. You need people that will do the grunt work. People who will execute the ground game of change.

Change, particularly a change in beliefs, requires a hands-on approach. It's not a five minute presentation. It's a one hour one-on-one. Multiple one hour one-on-ones. It's listening to concerns. It's understanding struggles. It's recognizing that the foundational beliefs which might need to shift won't transform overnight.

Who is coaching your company through transformation?