Change Ambassadors play a critical role in managing and facilitating change within an organisation.
Acting as advocates and communicators, they serve as the direct line between management and the broader workforce, promoting successful change initiatives, aiding Change Management success.
Early Involvement: The Key to Success
Involving change ambassadors from the beginning of any change project is essential. Selecting the right individuals—those genuinely invested in the change and who can influence their peers—makes a difference. Ambassadors should communicate effectively and offer honest feedback, fostering trust across teams and guiding discussions to overcome challenges.
Defining the Role of Change Ambassadors
Although organisations may use different titles for these individuals—change agents, influencers, or ambassadors—the core function remains the same. Change ambassadors provide peer-to-peer support and guidance, helping others understand the benefits of change while minimising resistance across various organisational levels.
Empowerment and Support
Empowering change ambassadors is crucial to their effectiveness. This includes a clear explanation of their roles and responsibilities, coupled with ongoing support from project leaders. In some projects, biweekly meetings transitioned to weekly sessions as implementation neared, ensuring ambassadors were well-prepared and engaged.
Tools and Training for Confidence
Ambassadors should be equipped with the right tools and training to support and guide others confidently. While they don’t need to be experts on every detail, they must feel comfortable handling questions, even challenging ones. This balance of communication, empathy, and technical understanding defines an effective change ambassador.
Building a Diverse Team of Ambassadors
Selecting a diverse team of ambassadors across job functions and organisational levels enhances representation. Including mid-level employees often proves more effective than relying solely on senior leaders, as they’re more attuned to everyday challenges faced by their peers.
Recognising and Rewarding Ambassadors
Recognition plays a critical role in sustaining ambassadors’ motivation. While rewards need not be financial, public acknowledgment, growth opportunities, or appreciation of their efforts can go a long way. For instance, some ambassadors were given visibility by participating in videos promoting the change initiative.
Addressing Resistance: A Structured Approach
Change ambassadors are instrumental in addressing “light resistance,” such as initial hesitation or scepticism. For more significant resistance, they should escalate issues to appropriate managers or HR representatives. Ambassadors help identify the source of resistance, enabling organisations to address it more effectively.
Creating a Collaborative Environment
Using shared digital hubs, such as SharePoint, allows ambassadors to access resources, share feedback, and collaborate effectively. This also facilitates the development of FAQ documents based on real-time feedback, ensuring the broader organisation stays informed.
Visibility and Communication Strategies
Good communication is essential, both in equipping ambassadors with information and promoting them across the organisation. Simple measures, like providing identifiable badges or introducing ambassadors in team meetings, help employees know who to turn to for guidance.
Conclusion: Strengthening Change Management with Change Ambassadors
Change ambassadors are invaluable assets, connecting employees to the broader project vision and easing the transition. For change managers aiming to build a network of ambassadors, the key takeaways are to start early, choose wisely, provide consistent support, and acknowledge their contributions.
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