The Foundational Change Management Strategy

An engaged and supported team, even with an imperfect change management process, will almost always adapt better than a disengaged team following a flawless change management plan.

There are countless books, frameworks, and models for managing change, and many of them are excellent resources. No diss. What often goes unmentioned, however, is this:

A successful change management process begins long before any major change actually occurs.

Most change management approaches are reactive. They focus on the question: How do we navigate this change? But THE most effective change management strategy is building a workplace where employees are already engaged, trust their managers, and feel safe speaking up with concerns, ideas, and mistakes.

Organizations that invest in change management training without investing in the day-to-day manager-employee relationship (and the leadership skills that build engagement, accountability, and psychological safety) are unlikely to realize the full value of their change management efforts.

Bottom line: Your best change management strategy is developing managers who consistently practice great people leadership skills long before big changes arrive.