engineering, we are slow and cumbersome. What we need is resilience and agility.
Managers, coaches and players
I believe we only need three roles in organizational change – managers, coaches and players.
I am using a soccer analogy because I am from Liverpool in the UK and a staunch Reds supporter. But you can align those three roles with most field sports.
Managers are our organizational change management subject matter experts. They are the people who form our centre of excellence and are the roles we would refer to today as change leads, change practitioners or change managers.
Managers ensure that we are building, maintaining and sustaining resilience across our workforce (our players).
Managers determine the strategy that is going to be played out and direct the gameplay. They provide instruction and motivation. Managers ensure that coaches are receiving education and training, support, coaching and mentoring, so that they can effectively and efficiently transition players through constant change.
Coaches ensure that Players are game fit. They develop the skills and capabilities of the Players.
Coaches are the active coalition of change agents and sponsors. Coaches are advocates, facilitators, motivators, mediators and advisors.
Managers ensure that coaches truly understand what organizational change management is about. Being a coach is more than having a lanyard that says ‘change coach!’
Coaches communicate the strategy and game plan that players are being asked to fulfil.
Coaches ensure that Players are game fit. They develop the skills and capabilities of the Players.
Coaches are the active coalition of change agents and sponsors. Coaches are advocates, facilitators, motivators, mediators and advisors.
Managers ensure that coaches truly understand what organizational change management is about. Being a coach is more than having a lanyard that says ‘change coach!’
Coaches communicate the strategy and game plan that players are being asked to fulfil.
They are change sponsors supporting and reinforcing constant change as the norm.
Players are our workforce who will ultimately win or lose the game. It is the players that actually make things happen. They use the gameplay and capabilities with which they have been equipped to win the game.
Change is constant for players. Every match played is different to the one before. The ground, the weather, the pitch, the opposition, the tactics, the playing position can all be different. During the game tactics can change, playing position can change and numbers of players can change.
Players don't resist constant change – they say ‘Game on!’
That is the workforce we want.
When we have a coalition of managers, coaches and players who are all working towards building resilience to change, and organizational change management
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