Why create a change management policy & what to include
- Dan Hawtrey
Managing change is challenging for every organisation and its employees, especially in the fast-paced and ever-changing current business environment. Working patterns, use of technology, the services offered to customers and organisational culture are just some of the areas where there has been a shift in the past few years, and navigating through that change can take a lot of effort, at the organisational, team and individual level.
A change management policy is essential for guiding organizations through transitions while minimizing disruption and resistance. This policy should include objectives, roles and responsibilities, communication plans, and procedures for managing change. Effective change management ensures that all stakeholders are informed and engaged throughout the process, reducing the risk of project failure. Regular policy reviews and updates to the policy ensure it remains relevant and effective in addressing new challenges and opportunities.
In this article, we will explore different types of change management policies, the features that should be included in the policy, and how to disseminate the policy throughout the organisation.
What are change management policies?
Change management policies can be considered the documented, “official” position on how an organisation approaches change management relating to different projects and initiatives. A policy might detail an overall philosophy as well as processes, methodologies, roles, criteria for success, budgeting and more. A change management policy could be a separate document or documents, or appear within a wider policy.
What are some of the different types of change management policy?
Change management policies can vary based on the organisation’s scope and focus. Some policies may cover the whole change management methodology and philosophy, while others may be more specific to managing change in certain areas to reduce risks.
More comprehensive policies will cover a broad range of change management areas, such as project management, IT change management, stakeholder management and changing user behaviour. Generally, these policies might have an overarching philosophy and set of steps, but then also provide detailed guidance on how to apply the methodology to different scenarios. This may be an integral part of an organisation’s overall project methodology.
Sometimes change management policies are more specific to a certain scenario or use case and means there could be more than one within any organisation. For example, there might be a very specific policy for IT change management, which outlines the detail process that must be followed to ensure that technology changes are implemented correctly, as well as adopted.
What are some examples of change management policies?
Examples of change management policies include:
- Details of the overall preferred change management methodology followed by an organisation.
- The change management approach to the roll-out of technology and applications.
- Change management effort around company restructures or around Mergers & Acquisitions activity,
- Approaches to launching a new product or service and the internal change management required.
Defining the scope of the policy
When developing a change management policy, it’s essential to define the policy’s scope and focus. This will help determine what needs to be included in the policy. The scope of the policy should clearly state who the policy applies to, what processes it covers, and to what extent it must be followed.
Establishing a definition of a policy provides the clarity that employees need and better positions it as an “official” document, which can then be placed in a central policy library that’s easily accessible to everyone. This will also help ensure that the change management policy is visible, findable and up to date.
What should be included in a change management policy?
There is no standard set of elements to include in a change management policy and in practice policies may vary considerably from organisation to organisation, or even from function to function. However, here are some common features that are included in change management policies.Scope
- As mentioned earlier, the scope of the policy should clearly state who the policy applies to, what processes it covers, and to what extent it must be followed.
Policy information
- The policy should also include information such as the version of the policy, the date it was issued, the date it was last reviewed, who is responsible for the policy, and who has reviewed the policy. This helps to ensure that everyone understands the importance of the methodology and that they are confident they are using the latest version.
Definition of change management and relative scenarios
- It’s helpful to define what is meant by change management. This term can mean different things to different people and cover elements such as adoption, support, training, communications, stakeholder management, user research and more. It is also useful to explain the different use cases that the change management policy covers, such as external projects, internal projects, IT changes and technology roll-outs, product launches and more.
Steps for change management
- Most change management methodologies have defined steps that indicate the kind of change management effort required over the lifespan of a project and potentially beyond. These steps should be clearly outlined in your policy, providing an overview of what needs to be done at each stage and also the reasoning behind it.
- Very often change management policies are based on a change management philosophy such as ADKAR, which is a popular five-step model that we use here at Content Formula. With ADKAR, each step relates to different stages of changing user opinion and behaviour, so there is a very logical sequence and rationale behind the different stages.
Detail of change management techniques
- The change management policy also needs to cover the detail of some of the specific change management techniques and tactics to follow, so that people can make the right change interventions and actions at the optimum time. Techniques outline in the policy could also be illustrated and supported by useful assets such as diagrams, presentations and even spreadsheets. There could also be specific techniques around areas such as budgeting, risk reduction, documenting change processes and more.
Link to valuable resources
- Change management is a topic where there tend to be a lot of useful resources available, as well as expertise. Your policy might include links to valuable resources, both internal and external, that can be useful reference points. There may also be a team or experts that people can contact to ask questions or seek support.
How should I disseminate a change management policy?
The way you disseminate a policy is important and will depend on factors such as whether it is mandatory, how often it is updated and if it is just being applied to a specific group such as project managers. Generally, it should sit where all your other policies sit – ideally in an easily accessible policy library, perhaps available through your intranet. Here a policy management solution like Xoralia can help in establishing one source of truth where policies can easily be found.
A policy management solution can also help you inform employees about the policy or when there are changes. If the policy is mandatory or very important, you can use employee attestation features so that all employees or a particular targeted group have confirmed they have read and understood the policy; with Xoralia you can even ask them questions to help embed understanding of the policy.
Implementing a change management policy
Change is an inevitable part of organisational life, and it is essential that organisations are prepared to manage change effectively. Creating a change management policy ensures there is a structured and systematic process in place and will help employees and organisations navigate the ever-changing workplace.
If you’d like to see how Xoralia can support you with your change management policy, then book a demo!
The story behind Xoralia
3 benefits you can expect from Xoralia
Make it easy to find policies
Centralised policy library with powerful search and filtering
Reduce administrative burden
Automations and notifications so that all policy tasks are carried out on time
Demonstrate compliance and best practice
Sophisticated tracking and dashboards to drive and measure compliance.
And lots more!
What our clients say
AppSource review
Uniting excellence in integration and features for seamless policy management
Rian Stuart
IT Manager
TwinStream
G2 review
Improved efficiency and complicance with Xoralia
Nadja Boyum
VP Marketing & HR
Boyum IT
How to get started with Xoralia
Step 1: request a demo
Fill out our form and we will be in touch to arrange a time. You can even book a time yourself.
Step 2: get a price proposal
If you think Xoralia is for you ask us for a quote. This will set out any options you may have.
Step 3: install and launch
We’ll install Xoralia in your environment (or you can do it yourself). We’ll provide training and support to get you up and running quickly
Here's what you'll get
-
Central policy library
-
Search and filter tools
-
Mandatory read policies with attestations
-
Quizzes
-
Notifications and alerts
-
Employee dashboard
-
Line manager dashboard
-
Works on mobile, in Teams and SharePoint
-
New policy creation workflows
-
Policy update workflows
-
Review and approval gates
-
Policy version history
-
Compliance dashboard
-
Audit trail
-
Full reporting
And last but not least:
-
Professional implementation service and support
-
Evergreen software – frequent updates and improvements
-
Comes with our "it just works" support warranty – we’ll fix any bugs, often before you even notice
Ready to get started?
Connect with us to streamline your policy management and ensure effortless compliance.
Perfect policy management solution for Microsoft 365 users.
I highly recommend Xoralia to any organisation seeking a robust and user-friendly policy management solution.
Xoralia seamlessly integrates with Microsoft 365, particularly with SharePoint and Teams, aligning perfectly with our company's daily workflow..Rian Stuart, IT Manager, Twinstream