IT Change Management

Change management is a vital but often misunderstood discipline in the context of implementing complex organizational change—especially within health system strengthening efforts at a time of significant fiscal constraints and rapid digital adoption across LMICs and other settings. Change management matters in health systems. Effective change management enables organizations to: - Navigate fiscal limitations and economic pressures by prioritizing and executing change initiatives efficiently. - Align staff, leadership, and stakeholders with revised processes, new technologies, and updated ways of working. - Support digital adoption and integration, ensuring that new tools are embraced and used to their full potential. - Mitigate risks of project failure, financial waste, and staff disengagement—factors that can undermine both immediate reforms and long-term system resilience. Without structured change management, health systems face increased risk of: - Failed projects and initiatives with limited benefit realization and escalating costs due to poor execution and financial overruns. - Lack of stakeholder support, leading to stalled or derailed transformation efforts. - Reduced quality of care, patient safety incidents, and disrupted services caused by communication gaps and poor planning during change. - Workforce resistance, diminished morale, and higher turnover as changes are imposed rather than collaboratively implemented. - Regulatory breaches, particularly when changes are rushed or compliance needs are overlooked. - Data security and privacy issues, especially in digital health projects, if stakeholders are not adequately prepared or trained. - Lost productivity and efficiency due to process disruptions and unclear workflows. - Eroded stakeholder trust and reputational harm stemming from unaddressed concerns and insufficient engagement. Understanding the value of comprehensive change management is essential. A well-applied change management program aligns people, processes, and technology, contributing to: - Smoother transitions with fewer errors and disruptions. - Sustained improvement in patient and workforce outcomes. - Increased capacity for innovation and future reform. - Greater return on investment, safeguarding financial and human resources. In summary, effective change management is essential for health system strengthening. It can protect investments, building organizational capability, and ensure health system reforms deliver real, lasting benefits for patients, staff, and stakeholders—while its absence poses significant risks at every level.

We all struggle with making life-changing or high-stakes decisions, especially when they affect the people around us, our routines, or the sense of stability we rely on every day. Choosing how to approach your CLM implementation is no different. One of the most debated decisions we see organizations wrestle with is whether they truly need dedicated readiness and change management support. The answer, especially for global organizations with teams spread across different regions and time zones, is yes. We will cover readiness and pre-implementation planning in another post, but today I want to focus on change management and why it plays such a critical role in the success of a CLM rollout: We are currently working with a global organization that initially chose not to invest in structured change management support during the early stages of their CLM journey. We helped them gather requirements and build out the technical foundation. From a configuration standpoint, the implementation was a success. However, a few months later, they reached back out, not due to technical issues, but because some of their teams were having trouble fully adopting the system. This is a common scenario. Change management is not just a few emails and training sessions. It’s about preparing people, not just systems, for success. When adoption fails, the technology is rarely the issue. More often, users never fully understood the purpose, didn’t see the value, or weren’t engaged throughout the rollout process. A strong CLM change management strategy should address the following: 📍 Vision and Value: Are stakeholders aligned on the purpose behind the CLM initiative? Is success clearly defined and measurable? 📍 Communication Strategy: Are you delivering the right messages through the right channels to each group, consistently and clearly? 📍 Organizational Alignment: Do users understand how their roles will evolve and what is expected of them in the new system? 📍 Training and Ongoing Support: Is your training tailored to specific roles and real-world scenarios, with reinforcement post go-live through refreshers and power users? 📍 Leadership Engagement: Are your leaders actively supporting the rollout and holding teams accountable for adoption? 📍 Change Readiness: Did you assess how ready teams were before going live and are you continuing to measure and support that readiness afterward? Change management is not a nice-to-have. It is the difference between a system that simply gets turned on and one that gets fully adopted, embraced, and delivers real value. If you are in the early stages of a CLM rollout or already seeing signs of adoption challenges, let’s talk. Putting the right framework in place early can make all the difference.

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 Change is no longer a ripple; it’s a tsunami. And yet, most organisations are trying to tackle it with outdated tools and approaches. 💥 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵? Our way of “doing change” is failing. Over two decades as Head of People, Culture & Change, I’ve witnessed this firsthand. I’ve seen well-intentioned efforts unravel because we’re relying on the wrong playbook. We treat organisations like machines, where we “push” for change and “fix” problems. But in reality, organisations are complex human ecosystems. And these ecosystems require a completely different approach. Here are 7 reasons 𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀: 1️⃣ 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: We look for quick fixes instead of recognising the complexity of human systems.
 2️⃣ 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: We rely on IQ and EQ but neglect GQ—Group Intelligence—(sitting at the individual collective levels) which is the key to successfully intervening in adaptive ecosystems. 3️⃣ “𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼” 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: Change is implemented to people, rather than with or by them. 4️⃣ 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Thinking that software, training, or new processes alone will drive transformation. 5️⃣ 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁: Believing upskilling is enough, without rewiring underlying patterns in the system. 6️⃣ 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀: Focusing on step-by-step plans rather than embracing the emergent, nonlinear nature of transformation.
 7️⃣ 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆: Targeting individual behaviors (the “what”) while ignoring how the system operates (the “how”). The truth is, meaningful change can’t be forced. It must be emerged. Here’s what needs to change in Change Management: * 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀. * 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝘅𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. * 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻. * 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Change Management needs an overhaul. It’s time to align it with the complexity we face in today’s world. If we’re serious about building organisations that deliver, grow, and adapt, we need to move beyond the old ways. It’s time to embrace a systemic lens and build Group Intelligence. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲. Do you agree or disagree? 📘 Want to learn more? Discover the next horizon for Change Management in my book, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 (available on Amazon). #changemanagement

Too often, I see organizations treat change management like a box to check. A big announcement, a training session, and then done. But real change doesn’t work that way. True transformation requires: – Ongoing assessment – Adaptation – Reinforcement Without continuous effort, old habits creep back in, resistance builds, and the change fades. Here’s what effective change management looks like: ✅ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 → People need clarity, not just at the start but throughout the process. ✅ 𝐎𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 → Training once isn’t enough. Reinforcement helps teams adapt and sustain new behaviors. ✅ 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐬 → Success isn’t set in stone. Organizations must listen, measure progress, and adjust as needed. ✅ 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 → Real change becomes part of how a company operates, not just a project with an end date. If you want change to last, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭. The best organizations don’t just manage change. They embrace it as a way of working.

Change Management is too often overlooked in #CLM implementations, but it’s the difference between a system that’s adopted and one that’s abandoned. Launching a new system is good news, but it is not THE news. Adoption and actual value are the success measures everyone should monitor. What make change management the )not so secret sauce to successful CLMS implementations? ✅ Stakeholder Alignment It ensures everyone understands the goals, the process, and their role in it. It also gives teams a chance to voice concerns early—before they turn into roadblocks. ✅Overcoming Resistance People naturally resist new systems. Change management helps address that resistance with clear communication, training, and support—so adoption isn’t left to chance. ✅Communicating Policies It ensures that new processes and expectations are clearly conveyed and understood, reducing confusion and increasing compliance. ✅Avoiding Failure Many CLM projects fail not because of the technology, but because people weren’t prepared for the change. Change management helps bridge that gap. Planning isn't sexy or exciting. Everyone rushes to by tech, but without effective change management - there is VERY low likelihood of success. That is the cold, hard truth. #legaltech #legalops

You can’t deliver a project without delivering change. Projects don’t just deliver new systems, tools, or processes. They change 𝒉𝒐𝒘 people work. And we all know that people are the hardest part of any project! You can have the best Gantt chart, risk log, and resource plan…But if your stakeholders aren’t ready for the change? You’ll face delays, resistance, confusion, and rework...all elements that almost guarantee the change won't stick after implementation! So what can PMs do to deliver change successfully? It's simpler than you might think, but it requires a shift in mindset: ✅ Partner early with change champions. 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘴𝘮 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥? ✅ Communicate the why—not just the what. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘳, 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭? ✅ Create feedback loops, not just status updates. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘴𝘬 '𝘥𝘶𝘮𝘣 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴' 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘥? ✅ Build space for learning and adoption. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨? ✅ Plan for change resistance—not just technical risk. 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺? ✅ Anchor the change. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘰-𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦, 𝘴𝘪𝘹, 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦? Change management isn't just a buzzword to add to your resume. It's a project survival skill, pure and simple. The sooner we project managers truly embrace this, the smoother our deliveries become, and the more impactful our work will be. #projectleaders #projectmanagement #pmp #capm #programmanagement #programmanager #projectmanager #changemanagement

“Getting ready to get ready is what you need to do before you make any change.” Anyone who has ever implemented a new process, strategy, or piece of technology knows the hardest part of change isn’t the process, it’s the people. To rebuke the legacy of “how we’ve always done things,” you have to lay the groundwork. Enter change management. Commonly—and smartly—paired with digital transformation strategies, change management is turning your foundational work into your success levers: communication, relationships, trust. Once you understand these concepts, you’ll find it applies far beyond work. It helps with any group of stakeholders, professional or personal. Think about it. We’ve all been there, facing change at some point. Sometimes it’s exciting, sometimes not so much. Change fails because people don’t know why change is happening, the people it affects weren’t included, or there hasn’t been ownership or time designated for the shift. Even the best tech, strategy, or content will underperform if your team isn’t ready to adopt it. By applying a framework for change, the structure enables the adoption to become much easier. At #ContentCon25, Contentstack’s Mindy Montgomery, Director, Change Management, and Mark Hentschel, Senior Manager, Technical Service Organization (TAM), reviewed several components that were critical to preparing your change plan. Here are 3 that stood out to me: 1. Desired Outcomes Without a clear "why,” changing any process will be ineffective. People need something to believe in. Ask: Why are we doing this? What does success look like? How does this provide business value? 2. Accountability Change fails without ownership. But change is hard, right? (This is why personal trainers are in business.) You must marry your own internal accountability with your external partners (leadership, team, vendors, partners) to create forward momentum. 3. Asking for Help Get buy-in by bringing others along on the journey. And ask early—especially the skeptics. Find people internally who are already bought in and partner with them. You can also find others who have succeeded and talk to them. Externally, leverage your success managers. They’ve likely been through it and can offer support. Check out this slide from the presentation. Which of these would be your biggest lever for leading successful change?

Tired of the same old rigid and ineffective change management plans? Today, change in organizations is increasingly like sailing: the wind (market, technology, regulations) can shift direction suddenly, and those at the helm must know how to adapt quickly. The organizations that thrive are not those that follow a predetermined plan, but those that embrace dynamic change management: an agile and flexible approach that uses evolving tools to understand in real time whether change is working or if a course correction is needed. In this article, we’ll explore together: How to shift from a “train” mindset to a “sailing” mindset Practical tools to measure change readiness and make data-driven decisions A concrete example of how dynamic change management can make a real difference in your organization.

The real challenge of change isn’t the process—it’s the people. 70% of change programs fail to achieve their goals, largely due to employee resistance and lack of management support (McKinsey & Company). Most leaders assume their Change Control processes are enough to drive transformation. But the difference between change that sticks and change that fades comes down to three critical pillars. Let’s break them down. ✅ Change Control What is it? A structured process to evaluate, approve, and track changes while minimizing disruption. Why is it important? ↳ Prevents chaos by coordinating and documenting changes. ↳ Reduces risks and ensures alignment with strategic objectives. ↳ Maintains quality and stability. ✅ Change Management What is it? A people-centered approach to guiding individuals and teams through transitions. Why is it important? ↳ Reduces resistance by addressing fears and uncertainties. ↳ Boosts employee engagement with proper tools and training. ↳ Embeds change into the organizational culture for long-term success. ✅ Change Adoption What is it? The process where change becomes part of daily routines and is fully embraced. Why is it important? ↳ Drives value realization by achieving the benefits of the change. ↳ Prevents reversion to old habits through reinforcement. ↳ Sustains innovation and momentum. These pillars are interconnected, and skipping one can derail the entire process: ⚠️ Without Change Control: Chaos reigns, with misaligned and poorly executed changes. ⚠️ Without Change Management: Resistance builds, making adoption an uphill battle. ⚠️ Without Change Adoption: The effort is wasted, and the change fails to deliver its full value. By combining structured processes, people-focused strategies, and effective reinforcement, organizations can ensure smooth transitions with lasting impact. What’s the biggest challenge your organization faces with change? Drop a comment below! 👇 Like this post? Get weekly insights on organizational change, leadership, and strategy execution in my Flight of the Phoenix Newsletter. ♻️ Reshare to help your network master the art of change!