Chapter 31 — Change management
Lesson map
Lesson 31 published. Map, example, EX091.
flowchart TD
N0["Learning outcomes"]
N1["31.1 People and change"]
N2["31.2 Handling resistance"]
N3["31.3 Champions"]
N4["31.4 Sustaining change"]
N0 --> N1 --> N2 --> N3 --> N4
N4 --> EX["Worked example"]
EX --> Q["Exercise EX091"]
Logical drawing
flowchart LR
N0["Learning outcomes"]
N1["31.1 People and change"]
N2["31.2 Handling resistance"]
N3["31.3 Champions"]
N4["31.4 Sustaining change"]
N0 --> N1 --> N2 --> N3 --> N4 --> Q["EX091"]
[Learning outcomes]
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v
[31.1 People and change]
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v
[31.2 Handling resistance]
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v
[31.3 Champions]
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v
[31.4 Sustaining change]
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v
[Worked example] --> [Exercise EX091]
Learning outcomes
You will (1) plan the human side of governance changes; (2) handle resistance; (3) sustain new practices.
31.1 People and change
Governance changes how people work, and people may resist changes they do not understand. When Harbourline introduces drop-down store codes, some store managers complain that it slows them down. Amara learns that technical changes fail when the people affected are not involved early. She studies a simple approach: explain why the change matters, involve those affected in design, provide support during the transition and celebrate early successes so that the new practice gains credibility among staff. Amara applies these steps to the drop-down change.
31.2 Handling resistance
Amara visits two stores where managers resisted the drop-down. She learns that the list was sorted by code rather than store name, making selection slow for staff who know stores by name. She asks IT to sort by name and show codes alongside. Complaints stop. She explains that resistance often contains useful information about design problems, and that listening to it improves changes rather than merely overcoming opposition from difficult staff. Amara writes a short note on the episode for the governance group to read.
31.3 Champions
Amara recommends a network of data champions: one person in each store and team who receives extra training, answers colleagues' questions and passes feedback to stewards. Champions are volunteers given a small amount of time each month. She notes that champions make governance visible locally and spread knowledge faster than central communications. The first champions meeting produces several practical suggestions, including a laminated guide to common codes for each till. The guide is printed for every store within a month and updated whenever codes change.
31.4 Sustaining change
New practices fade without reinforcement. Amara proposes including data responsibilities in induction for new staff, mentioning data quality results in store performance reviews and refreshing training annually. She also suggests that the governance group share short success stories in the staff newsletter. Dr. Lindqvist notes that sustaining change requires attention long after launch, because organisations naturally drift back toward familiar habits when attention moves to other priorities. The governance group adds a recurring item to its agenda to check that these reinforcements are actually happening.
Worked example
Amara involves affected staff, fixes a drop-down sorted by code that caused resistance, creates a data champions network and sustains change through induction, reviews and success stories.
Synthetic case. Changes are synthetic.
Errors and limits
Treating resistance as obstruction misses design problems it reveals.
Exercises
- EX091 — Drop-down fix. What fixed the drop-down complaints? Rubric: 3 = sorting by store name with codes alongside;; 2 = partly correct;; 1 = vague;; 0 = none.
- EX092 — Champion role. What do data champions do? Rubric: 3 = answer questions locally and pass feedback to stewards;; 2 = partly correct;; 1 = partial;; 0 = none.
- EX093 — Champion suggestion. What did the first champions meeting suggest? Rubric: 3 = a laminated guide to common codes for tills;; 2 = partly correct;; 1 = vague;; 0 = none.
Continue studying — lesson 31 (chapter 31 of 40)
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