One frequent observation from the projects I support is that project teams and their sponsors often adopt an insular approach. They decide against involving their target groups in the change process. They usually do this consciously to “not burden” the business or avoid interference with the project’s target product. But that’s short-sighted. While it may reduce the initial complexity and avoid hassle and effort, not involving the affected groups in the design phase eventually leads to increased resistance and decreased effectiveness of change initiatives. So, in this article, I’d like to explore how embracing co-creation enhances the outcome of change efforts and actively engages key stakeholders, thereby reducing resistance.
The Power of Co-Creation
Co-creation is a strategic approach in which change managers actively involve stakeholders in the planning and implementation of change. This collaborative process ensures that the initiatives reflect the leadership’s vision AND resonate with those impacted by the change. Organizations can craft more effective and inclusive strategies by integrating insights and feedback from various stakeholders into the change process.
There are two significant benefits to involving your target group in designing a change:
- Enhanced Solutions: Co-creation leads to more innovative and effective solutions as it combines diverse perspectives and expertise. This collaborative approach often uncovers unique insights that might not be evident to the change team alone.
- Increased Engagement, Buy-In, and Ownership: Co-creation fosters a more dynamic engagement with stakeholders. It transforms them from passive change recipients to active participants, enhancing their overall commitment to the initiative. This goes much beyond simple engagement. When stakeholders are involved in creating change initiatives, they are more likely to buy into and support the final decisions. This sense of ownership can significantly reduce resistance, as stakeholders feel their voices have been heard and valued.
Let’s look at an example: In a project to implement a new Learning Management System, instead of dictating how the system should be configured and rolled out, we formed a co-creation group including the obvious mix of HR and IT colleagues, but also colleagues representing the end-user community and their perspectives. This group participated in everything from system selection to the system design to the rollout phases. This effort seemed like a burden to many in the beginning – as you needed to onboard non-experts to the ins and outs of system implementation. Often, we assume that we know our end users’ thoughts and preferences best, but project settings like this always bring some surprising ideas and outcomes.
Co-Creation Mechanisms
Co-creation doesn’t necessarily mean that the end user is sitting at the table for every project meeting and decision. Here are some simple ideas that balance the effort while ensuring proper representation:
Workshops and Feedback Loops: Plan for workshops where stakeholders can express their needs and concerns and suggest features that would address their daily challenges.
Focus Groups: Try to find a representative mix of colleagues that you can involve when needed. For a recent project, we asked every country to nominate users for a focus group, which we can involve for early interviews, sparring, and even testing.
Pilot Testing: Before full implementation, it may make sense to conduct a pilot test with selected departments or teams. Plan some additional time and use the feedback from these sessions to adjust and improve the system, ensuring it meets the actual needs of your users.
Practical Advice: Involving a Senior Business Co-Sponsor
My favorite trigger to ensure a maximum degree of co-creation is to appoint a senior business co-sponsor. Often, sponsors will come from the functional areas that drive the change or from IT. However, having a senior business leader on board and engaged naturally increases the pressure to co-create, test, and create feedback loops with the affected business groups, bringing a heightened level of accountability and commitment to the process. At the same time such a business sponsor adds credibility to the project and helps drive the change into their own organizations.
Takeaway: The philosophy of co-creation in change management is grounded in the belief that those who are affected by change should have a hand in shaping it. This approach improves the outcomes of change initiatives and builds a supportive and engaged community within the organization.
How have you incorporated co-creation into your change management practices? What impact has this had on stakeholder engagement and the success of your initiatives? I’d be curious to learn from your experiences!
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