Appendix A

Change Management Project Checklist

Project Name:

Business Unit:

Project Manager:

Deputy Project Manager:

Project Team Members:

Description of the Project:

Change Project Considerations

Justification of the Change Initiative

• • Does the project align with established strategic goals?
• • Have you promoted the business value of the project in terms of
• • business development,
• • goal achievement,
• • reputational value, and
• • other organizational benefits?
• • Does the project have a project plan and schedule?
• • Does the project have a risk management plan?
• • Does the project have a change management plan?
• • Does the project have a communications plan?

Support Involves Making Allies and Finding Champions

• • Have you taken the time to learn about the organization and the groups?
• • Have you identified a project champion at the senior management level?
• • Have you presented the project as inclusive of membership?

• • Have you identified allies?
• • Have you identified resistors or sources of difficulty?
• • Have you planned to keep everyone informed about the project?

Relate the Initiative to the Employees - Create Vested Interests

• • Have you considered the marketing of the project?
• • Have you indicated the value of the employees in developing and completing the project?
• • Have you created a description of the project that resonates with the organizational culture?
• • Are you using language that is appropriate for the organization? (hits the right tone)
• • Have you identified connections (benefits) between the project and the employees?
• • Have you met with groups and individuals to foster support for the project?
• • Are you prepared to answer questions that could derail the project?
• • Do you have answers to turn a project resistor into a project supporter?

Communication

• • Have you developed a communications plan?
• • Have you identified the audience(s) for your message(s)?
• • Have you met with the leaders and significant group influences?
• • Do you understand the various groups (i.e., audience) involved in the project?
• • Have you identified the issues that the employees see as valuable/ beneficial to gain their involvement?
• • Have you identified the project resistors?
• • Do you have responses to gain the support of the resistors?
• • Have you identified your communication method to reach your audience(s)?
• • Is the message simple?
• • Is the message clear for the audience?
• • Is the message genuine?
• • Is the message personal and appealing to the audience?
• • Is the message accurate honest?
• • Does the message use plain, non-jargon language that everyone will understand?
• • Is the message based on fact-based sources?
• • Are you using examples (i.e., stories) to help create the initiative story at the company?

• • Does the message ask for the support of the audience?
• • Does the message indicate that the audience is the key to the project's success?
• • Have you critiqued your message for items of interference?
• • Have other people reviewed the message?
• • Have you removed any ego-based references from the message?
• • Do you think the audience understood your message?
• • Are you avoiding long, information-packed email messages as a format to convey project details?
• • Are you sharing the success of the project/program with those involved to facilitate an honest engagement?

Address Resistance to Change

• • Do you understand that the workforce is critical to successful change?
• • Do you understand that effective change is attributable to the employees, not the managers?
• • Again, do you understand that the manager is not the critical component for success; the employees are the linchpin for success?
• • Are you promoting the involvement of the employees in the development of the project?
• • Are you fostering the creativity of the employees in developing the project?
• • Are you seeking ideas (i.e., comments and feedback) from the employees?
• • Do you recognize the achievements of the employees?
• • Are you providing the resources, structure, and guidance throughout the change initiative?
• • Are the employees actively participating in the change initiative?
• • Do you recognize the business units for achieving project milestones?
• • Do you recognize the feedback from employees to help improve the change initiative?
• • Are you promoting the employees' involvement to show that they are essential to the success of the project/program?
• • Are you sharing the credit for success with the employees and resistor elements?

Develop the Implementation Plan to Capture Regular Low-Hanging Fruit

• • Have you developed a project plan?
• • Have you identified project components that are achievable in the near-term?
• • Is the implementation/project plan tied to the communication plan?

• • Are you sending out messages to keep people informed and involved?
• • Are you promoting the involvement of team members and the organizational teams?
• • Have you developed awards or symbols of recognition for the teams and the individuals?
• • Are you awarding the people and the teams involved?
• • Have you created a friendly competition between the teams and the people?
• • Are you reminding the people how the change initiative (i.e., the project) benefits them?
• • Have you shown how the near-term/short-term wins benefit the people and the organization?
• • Are you looking for ways to decrease the power of anyone to criticize the change negatively?
• • Are you maintaining the morale of the participants?
• • Are you trying to reenergize the change effort and maintain the overall momentum of the project?
• • Do you have an established plan to communicate the project's accomplishments?
• • Are you planning to achieve the project goals or just going through the project plan's motions?

Reinforce the Initiative with Regular Communications - Keep the Energy Going

• • Are you maintaining a sense of urgency, and the flow of activities keeps the work progressing?
• • Are you planning for the time when the project becomes a program?
• • Are you maintaining the interpersonal relationships you have developed during the project?
• • Are you looking long-term to maintain the value of the project goals?
• • Are you prepared for the next stage of change initiative work?
• • Are you maintaining communication with the project team (i.e., interested parties) and the organization?
• • Are you producing quality management reports to facilitate your next project?

Establish the Change from a Project to a Program - Make it Part of the Organizational Culture

• • Are you the manager of the new program?
• • If not, has a manager been identified for the new program?

• • Have you briefed the manager of the new program?
• • Have you established the necessary framework for the project to become a viable program?
• • Have you established a formal intranet site for the new program?
• • Have you created the necessary internal team structure for the new program to operate within the host team?
• • Have you established the new program within the management reporting structure?
• • Have the business unit goals aligned with the strategic organizational goals?
• • Have you noticed anything from the project that requires additional attention?
• • Have you completed all of the project goals?
• • Have you recognized the employees for their work and support?
• • Have you developed a continuous improvement effort to maintain the quality of the new program?
• • Have you learned from your experiences managing the project?
• • Have you conducted a review of the project effort to help with the next project?