For any organization, change can be a daunting project.

Whether updating policies, introducing new technology, or restructuring the entire business, change is a key part of innovation.

Read on to learn the basics of change management, the key components that should be part of every change management toolkit, and guidance, tools and templates you can use on your own projects.

TL;DR: Change management toolkit

• Change management is the process of managing and implementing changes within an organization.
• A change management toolkit is necessary to ensure successful change and minimize disruptions.
• Key components of the toolkit include a case for change document, change management plan, stakeholder engagement, effective communication plan, and implementing and embedding change.
• Benefits of a change management toolkit include improved productivity, better collaboration, improved decision-making, and better return on investment.
• Use Scribe to streamline the change management process and create step-by-step guides and templates.

Wh‎at is change management?

Change management is the process of managing and implementing changes within an organization. Change management models help to reduce the risk associated with change by creating a framework for introducing, planning, executing, and evaluating changes.

The change management process aims to ensure that the changes are implemented as smoothly and efficiently as possible, with minimal disruption to the existing operations.

Because of the complexity that changes bring, it's important to create a plan for introducing, implementing and managing change. This is where the change management toolkit comes in.

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Wh‎y you need a change management toolkit

Change is essential for progress and growth, and managing it to minimize disruptions to your business operations is crucial.

Looking at the statistics, the current way of doing changes is not so successful, as only 34 percent of change initiatives succeed.

A change management toolkit can come in handy to ensure a successful change. To start with, let's discuss why change management is necessary and some benefits it can bring.

Key components of the change management toolkit

When creating a change management toolkit, there are specific components you should include.

Each of these components will build a strong foundation for leading successful change projects.

‎1.‎ Case for change document

To reveal reasons for change, you should create a “case for change” document.

This docuement will set the foundation to help people understand the change and provide an understanding of the benefits and risks if the change is not implemented.

It should include the following things:

1. Overview

Your case for the change template should start by determining why the change is necessary. What are the most relevant problems or opportunities that make it essential to initiate a change?

Ask yourself these questions:

• What are the current problems?
• Why is the change necessary?
• How did we end up here?

2. Current state of things

Take a look at the current state of things.

For your case of change document, ask the following questions:

• What is working and what isn't?
• What are the current procedures, processes and activities?
• What is the current organizational structure?

Try to identify points of improvement or areas that need more attention. Assess your change management resources, determine the necessary steps, and establish constraints or limitations.

3. Risks of not taking action

Consider the risks of not taking action, and ask these questions:

• What are the potential consequences if this issue is not addressed?
• How does this affect stakeholders and team members?
• Could ignoring this problem cause more damage in the long run?

4. Benefits of taking action

Your case for change document should also include the potential benefits of taking action. Ask yourself these questions:

• What are the possible positive outcomes?
• How will stakeholders/team members be affected?
• What new opportunities might arise as a result of this change?

This way, you and your team can consider the risks and rewards of the proposed change.

2.‎ Change management plan

“Any successful change requires a translation of ambiguous goals into concrete behaviors. In short, to make a switch, you need to script the critical moves.”

That's what Chip and Dan Heath say about change.

According to the Heath brothers, one of the biggest reasons why change is not successful is because the change representatives only focus on the rational side of human behavior.

They use a memorable metaphor—"the Elephant and the Rider"—to explain how to motivate change by appealing to both emotions and logic.

The rational part is the person riding on top of the elephant. The rational rider, who believes it should change, is at the mercy of the emotional elephant (the part that doesn't feel like changing).

To change someone's behavior, you must motivate the inner emotional elephant to embrace change, not just make a rational argument for change (i.e., convince the rider to change).

When implementing a change inside your organization or business, this could mean:

1. Make others feel the need for change. When it comes to change, humans are creatures of habit. You must make them aware of the need to change their behavior by giving them the reasons why they should change and how this will benefit them in the long run.
2. Make the path clear. If you want your friend to get fit, you can't just say to him to go to the gym. You have to create a detailed plan of how he can achieve that. Same way, when it comes to change, you must create structured plans outlining how the change will be implemented and roles and responsibilities.
3. Set clear goals for the change. Set realistic and achievable goals that you can measure. This will help keep all the parties involved on track and motivated to push through with the change.
4. Provide ongoing support. The change journey doesn't end after implementing the plan. You must provide continuous support during the entire process of change implementation.

Using these four things in your change management plan and strategy will increase your chances of succeeding and build a positive change experience.

If you want to streamline the process of creating a change management strategy, you can take advantage of one of the templates we offer at Scribe.

Try our free, customizable change management plan template:

3.‎ Stakeholder engagement

As I mentioned, it is important to ensure stakeholder groups are included in the change process.

Stakeholder mapping is an excellent exercise for this, as it helps you identify and classify stakeholders according to their interests and engagement levels.

Stakeholder mapping divides stakeholders into four categories:

1. High interest + low influence. These stakeholders have a strong interest in the project, but their influence is limited.
2. High interest + high influence. These stakeholders are heavily invested in the change process and have considerable power to shape its outcome.
3. Low interest + low influence. You should be aware of the interests of these stakeholders, but they do not need to be engaged heavily in decision-making processes.
4. Low interest + high influence. These stakeholders are difficult to engage, but they have a significant influence, so it is important to develop a plan that will ensure their needs are met.

‎‎Depending on the stakeholder’s level of influence and interest, you should tailor your approach to ensure their needs are met while also engaging them in the process as much as possible.

This can be done through a variety of methods, such as meetings, surveys or focus groups.

4. Effective communication plan

‎A good communication plan is critical to successful change management.

It’s important to keep stakeholders and team members informed of the progress and implications of changes so that they can actively manage and support them as they happen.

An effective communication plan:

• Provides a communication tool for internal, external or strategic communication.
• Sets out the purpose and scope of the change management communication process.
• Ensures that all stakeholders are aware of the changes being made.
• Breaks down complex topics into simple messages that everyone can understand.
• Establishes a timeline for when specific messages will be sent out and who they are intended for.
• Outlines how team members and stakeholders can provide feedback or raise any issues they may have.

And, what's the best way to create an effective communication plan?

One way to do that is to use Scribe.

Scribe is an AI-powered tool that turns any workflow into a step-by-step guide in seconds. And with Scribe Pages, you can combine multiple guides with images, and videos, GIFs and more to create easy-to-follow documents and templates. You can even ask the AI to write documents for you.

‎Using Scribe, you can quickly create communication plans tailored to your specific change management goals and share them with stakeholders for feedback and updates.

The communication plan template is just one example. You can also create any kind of template, including onboarding, offboarding, transition plans, how-to guides, SOPs, and much more.

5.‎ Implementing and embedding change

A change program can succeed only when integrated into the organization's day-to-day operations.

Identifying change barriers is the first step in creating effective and lasting change.

The following tips can help resolve change barriers:

• Don't ignore resistance. The best way to handle resistance is to not ignore it. Acknowledge how people experience change and work to understand why employees may feel resistance.
• Make sure everyone is on board. Change is more successful when stakeholders and team members are communicating and collaborating effectively.
• Support employees through the process. Change can be difficult for employees, so it is essential to provide them with support throughout the process. This includes training, mentoring, and other forms of assistance.
• Offer rewards and recognition. Rewarding those with a high level of engagement can help incentivize others to follow suit and become engaged in the change process.
• Monitor and review regularly. It is important to monitor the progress of the change initiative to ensure it is working as expected and taking into account any new developments or feedback from stakeholders.
• Make the change exciting. Change doesn't have to feel like a chore. Make the process fun and rewarding by celebrating successes, being creative with communication methods, and involving team members in the process.

Change shouldn't be a one-time event. It can be a continuous process of discussing and implementing new ideas over time.

Be‎nefits of a change management toolkit

A change management toolkit is essential for any business or organization that wants to stay adaptive and innovative. While it has many benefits, we've listed four of the most clear benefits here:

1. Improved productivity

Change management toolkits can help to eliminate the confusion that can come with implementing changes.

Less confusion, the better the team productivity is, and the more likely the change will be successful. This will help ensure the project being delivered is completed on time and within budget.

2. Better collaboration

Having a toolkit in place ensures that everyone is on the same page when it comes to changes. This leads to better communication and collaboration between different teams.

This will also help to reduce conflicting objectives that can lead to teams working against each other rather than working together.

3. Improved decision making

Having a toolkit in place will also help to improve decision-making. The framework will provide clarity, enabling teams to make informed decisions faster and more effectively.

This is especially important when making decisions about complex changes, as there are often numerous factors at play that need to be considered.

4. Better return on investment (ROI)

When done properly, a change management toolkit can help to ensure projects are completed within budget and on time. It can also help to reduce project costs by providing the team with clarity on what needs to be done and how it should be done. 

Conclusion

Whether you want it or not, change is inevitable.

To ensure change is successful, organizations need to have a good change management strategy and toolkit.

The practical steps provided in this article will help you get one step closer to that and ensure that everyone is happy.

If you want to make the process more efficient, consider using dedicated change management software, such as Scribe.

With Scribe, you can create step-by-step guides for implementing chan