Why create a change management policy & what to include

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.