A simple, direct outline for creating effective strategic Change Management plans. Designed for Internal Communications, valuable to anyone who wants to drive successful, lasting business and change outcomes.

1. The Seven-Step Change
Management Plan
A CONCISE, ACTIONABLE APPROACH FOR COMMUNICATORS
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2. Change management plans
The role of Internal Communications as strategic partners to leadership continues to
grow and evolve.
To be truly effective, we need to be able to quickly and efficiently provide meaningful
input into the big picture. This means expanding our skill set beyond traditional
communications planning to include more strategic capabilities.
Change Management planning – with communications at its core – is one of these
strategic skills.
Many Change Management plans tend to be overly complicated. Corplandia believes
in simplicity. The seven simple steps in this outline will help you crystallize the key
essentials of an effective change plan in a crisp, succinct manner.
The result will be a clear guide to successfully managing change.
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3. Creating a change management plan
Immerse yourself in the overall change initiative(s)
Make sure you are thoroughly read in on all the projectdocumentationand background.
Meetwith key stakeholders ifyou have questions.Getas much information as you can
before diving into the plan.
For each initiative, understand and plot the details of the program(s)
1. Define the Change: Whatis the initiative? Goals? Objectives? Outcomes?
2. Stakeholders:Who is involved and how?
3. Benefits and Challenges:What are the benefits and challenges?
4. Obstacles:Are there any obstacles to success?
5. Approachand Actions: How will the plan Objectives be addressed?
6. Timeline: When will the programs begin and end?
7. Success Metrics:Whatdoes success look like and how will itbe measured?
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4. 1. Define the change
Understand and map out the Goals, Objectives, and desired Outcomes
◦ This will enable you to chart the “from-to” state, typically for process change
and behavior change (you may also want to plot desired attitude or emotional
transformations, understanding that these are more difficult to measure)
◦ A Goal is where you wantto be and Objectives are the steps taken to reach the
Goal
◦ Avoid the pitfall of mapping Goals withoutassigning Objectives
◦ If you don’t,your plan will jump from Goals to Execution,withoutclarifying the
steps to be taken to achieve the goals
◦ Execution is tied to Objectives,notGoals
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5. 2. Stakeholders
Account for all stakeholders (not just those implementing or manifesting the change)
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Driving Those leading the change project
Informed Those who don’t have an active role in the change plan but who need
to be updated on progress
Engaged Those who are actively involved in communicating and activating the
change
Impacted Those who are affected by the change

6. 3. Benefits and Challenges
Clearly state the benefits of the change
◦ To the organization
◦ To the impacted employees,Business Units,teams,regions,etc.
◦ To the interested butunaffected parties
Capture any challenges the project faces
◦ These are hurdles to cross,not impediments to success
◦ Could be people,processes,or infrastructure
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7. 4. Obstacles
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Map out any obstacles to success
◦ Obstacles are impediments thatcould preventthe projectgoing forward
◦ These are blockages thatcommunications or activations won’taddress,
elements thatwill require executive-levelinputand/or redirection
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8. 5. Approach and Actions
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Map out the overall Approach to delivering on the Objectives identified in
Step 1
◦ This is the high level view on how the Objectives will getdone,e.g.,“a
combination ofstrategic push communications and employeeexperience
activities thatwill....”
◦ Include Key Messages
Map out the distinct, concrete Actions to be takento achieve the Objectives
◦ Communication is only one componentand often supports a larger Action
◦ Make sure Actions clearly link to Objectives and indicate how the Action will
deliver the Objective
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9. 6. Timeline
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Include a high level timeline from beginning to end
◦ Include key dates
◦ You’ll create a separate detailed workplan thatcaptures incremental dates for
individual Actionsteps
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10. 7. Success Metrics
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Define in clear terms what success looks like
◦ Capture process,behavior and attitude changes
◦ The timeframe from startto fully changed behavior (3-5 years)
Measuring success is the key to the whole plan
◦ Capture,in crystal clear terms,how you will know the plan is working
◦ What will you measure and how will you measure it?
◦ Are there thresholds to success? Percentages?
◦ Be sure to indicate the ways you will capture and express results to your
audience
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11. Budget Implications
Budgets for most large scale change management projects are established as part of
the overall Change Project, with a line item for Change Management and/or
Communications
As part of the communications-based change management plan, capture any budget
items or extensions you see on the road ahead, particularly for communications,
rollout or launch activities
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12. Reimagining the relationship between people and work
Corplandia is an LA-based communications agency that specializes
in employee strategies and internal communications. Our goal is to
make the relationship between employees and employers healthy,
functional, and productive.
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