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Activate Frontline Managers in Change Management

Develop frontline managers to influence organizational change ability.

  • Frontline managers are often informed of the change at the same time as the broader workforce and are rarely consulted before key decisions impacting their teams are made.
  • Despite being in the prime position to influence employees to adopt change, managers’ knowledge and expertise of their teams and functions are left untapped. Managers are also not provided with the necessary support or training to be effective leaders of change.

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Our Advice

Critical Insight

  • Given their proximity and daily interactions with employees, frontline managers are best suited to support, influence, and lead employees through change. Equip frontline managers with the training and tools necessary to effectively navigate their dual role as both the recipients and leaders of change.

Impact and Result

  • Create a standard plan to involve frontline managers at all stages of change, communicating key change messages, consulting on key decisions, and participating in training to be effective leaders of change.
  • Evaluate frontline managers on key change abilities and curate a resource toolkit for frontline managers to address gaps and facilitate successful implementation and sustainment of change in the front lines.
  • Monitor the effectiveness of the toolkit and establish a regular cadence to update the toolkit.

Activate Frontline Managers in Change Management Research & Tools

1. Assess current state of manager involvement and change abilities

Assess the organization’s current change management approach by identifying gaps in frontline manager involvement, developing a standard plan to involve frontline managers in change management, evaluating frontline managers’ change abilities and setting goals and metrics.

Activate Frontline Managers in Change Management Storyboard
Activate Frontline Managers in Change Management Executive Briefing
Standard Focus Group Guide
Frontline Change Management Workbook
Case Studies: Activate Frontline Managers in Change Management

2. Create a toolkit to develop managers’ change abilities

Create a toolkit to develop managers’ change abilities by reviewing McLean & Company resources for change abilities, selecting resources, reviewing logistics and capacity required, and creating an action plan to launch the toolkit.

Frontline Manager Change FAQ Template
Change Reactions and Responses Tactics Catalog
Sustainment Owner Planning Template

3. Deploy toolkit and iterate based on data

Develop a plan to communicate and share the toolkit with frontline managers, then deploy the toolkit and establish a regular cadence to measure the effectiveness of the toolkit and explore opportunities to facilitate addition learning opportunities.

Standard Participant Training Session Evaluation Template
Frontline Manager Change Self-Assessment Tool

About McLean & Company

McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

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Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 6 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Assess current state of manager involvement and change abilities
  • Call 1: Review the organization’s current change management approach and identify gaps in frontline manager involvement.
  • Call 2: Develop a standard plan to involve frontline managers in future change initiatives and set goals and metrics to track effectiveness of the toolkit.

Guided Implementation 2: Create a toolkit to develop managers’ change abilities
  • Call 1: Review McLean & Company resources for change abilities and discuss resources to include in the toolkit.
  • Call 2: Review logistics and create an action plan to launch the toolkit.

Guided Implementation 3: Deploy toolkit and iterate based on data
  • Call 1: Discuss a plan to communicate and share the toolkit with frontline managers.
  • Call 2: After implementation, review and discuss opportunities to improve the toolkit and explore opportunities for additional learning.

Contributors

  • Lisa Blanchet, Consultant, Lisa Blanchet Coaching & Consulting
  • Barry Cousins, Practice Lead, Info-Tech Research Group
  • Dr. John Daly, Professor, Department of Communication Studies, University of Texas at Austin
  • Marjorie Derven, Managing Partner, HUDSON Research & Consulting
  • Rachael Fehl, Senior Manager, Continuous Improvement Program Management, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service
  • Hilary Green, Director, Change Management, Scotiabank
  • Jeniele Jemmott, Change Management Specialist, Region of Peel
  • Jennifer Mcmillan, Talent and Learning Development Manager, Article
  • Kip Soteres, Consultant, Soteres Consulting
  • Jason Swisher, Senior Organizational Change Management Specialist, Retirement System of Texas
  • Yvonne Thevenot, Senior Advisor, Osborne Interim Management
  • Billie Wright, VP, People Operation, Nava

Related Content: Change Management

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