We’ve all experienced difficult change in our personal lives, and it can be tough to navigate, whether it’s a big life change or a more minor adjustment. So it’s no wonder why change in the workplace can be so hard on employees. A big new initiative might leave you wondering, “Is my job about to get cut?” and a relatively minor tweak to a business process you use daily might spark the question, “What else are they going to change?” or “Why can’t we keep doing it the way we always did it?”
So, to ensure that necessary organizational changes can be implemented successfully, we need to guide our employees through them with care. That’s where change management comes in.
What is Change Management?
Change management is the approach taken by an organization to support its employees, teams, and organization as they embark on an organizational change. Change is becoming more dynamic in today’s fast-paced world, so it is even more imperative than ever for organizations to be purposeful in how they support transition within the organization.
As the examples at the start of this blog illustrate, change truly is synonymous with stress. In fact, the two go so closely together that the psychological unit of measure for life stressors is “Life Change Units.” According to the Holmes Rahe Stress Scale, six of the top 43 life stressors correspond to change in the workplace. Even a positive change, such as a promotion, triggers stress. It’s natural that change management is integral to any new initiative within a company, but oftentimes change can be one of the hardest parts. Before we examine how to do change management the right way, let’s look at what NOT to do:
Why Change Management Efforts Fail
Many organizations don’t lack effort when it comes to change management, but they do lack a structured approach to change, and this is one of the top obstacles to successful change management. When initiatives stall, it is usually due to a predictable set of failure points rather than a single catastrophic mistake. Common pitfalls include underestimating the impact on people, communicating in one direction instead of creating dialogue, and declaring victory too early. These patterns show up regardless of company size or industry, especially when technology and process changes intersect.
Failed change efforts often share similar symptoms. Leaders may not feel the need to devote much time towards explaining why a change is coming or how it’ll play out, out of the assumption that employees will get on board because the business case is clear as day to them as project heads, but employees lack the context they possess to have this understanding. Overlooking this human element creates a gap that only further fuels resistance, workarounds, and a quiet slide back to old habits. Without deliberate change management, organizations end up with expensive tools that are inconsistently used, inconsistent data, and frustrated teams who feel like change is being done to them, not with them.
We are no stranger to managing change, as Naviant helps organizations confront change management head-on. Implementing new technology alongside a process overhaul can be a shock to any organization, if not done right. Our engagement methodology clearly outlines a planning phase that allows us to lay the groundwork for the project and address three key areas of effective change management:
1. Winning the Team’s Support
Effective change management includes contributions from everyone, from your CEO to your Subject Matter Experts and the people on the front lines. Instead of limiting input to a small project team, invite those who will design, use, and support the new processes every day. This mix of perspectives helps you surface real‑world challenges early and build solutions that work not only on paper, but in practice. When people see their day‑to‑day realities reflected in the final design, they are far more likely to support the change.
There’s also tremendous power in building a team of Change Agents who can advocate for your initiative to their peers, as well as help you refine your plans. Start by identifying key stakeholder groups and bringing representatives from each into workshops, interviews, and design sessions. Use these touchpoints to ask what they need to be successful, what they worry might go wrong, and what has or hasn’t worked in past initiatives. This dialogue builds trust as well as requirements. Often, the voice that is loudest in resisting change can become the project’s biggest champion if that person feels genuinely heard. By giving skeptics a constructive role, from validating process steps to piloting new workflows, you can take an employee-centered change management approach and turn resistance into ownership and create internal advocates who help carry the change forward long after go‑live.
2. Providing a Fresh Set of Eyes
When you are close to a process, it is easy to overlook inefficiencies and workarounds that have become “normal.” Inviting a fresh set of eyes, whether from another department, an internal process improvement team, or an external intelligent automation partner, can help you see your current state more clearly. Begin by having these reviewers work alongside your employees to understand how work is really done and why certain steps exist. This helps distinguish between activities that are truly required and those that remain only because “we’ve always done it this way.”
With objective perspective, experience from other parts of your organization or industry, and awareness of best practices, you can challenge the status quo in a constructive way. Use this lens to highlight quick wins that relieve everyday pain points, as well as larger changes that will position your organization for long‑term growth and scalability. Share examples of what “better” looks like, such as simpler approvals, clearer handoffs, or fewer manual tasks, so your teams can visualize the benefits. This combination of outside perspective and close collaboration helps you move beyond small tweaks and toward a future state that is streamlined, compliant, and easier for your teams to embrace.
3. Clearly Defining the Expectations
Part of what makes change stressful is the “unknown.” When people are unsure how their roles will shift or what success looks like, even positive changes can feel threatening. By clearly defining objectives and outcomes early, as well as keeping regular communications surrounding the initiative’s progress (both the good and the bad) you reduce anxiety and give employees a sense of control. Work with your leaders and project team to translate high‑level goals into specific, measurable outcomes that everyone can understand and rally around.
At the end of your planning phase, create a detailed solution design that outlines the future‑state process, including roles, responsibilities, decision points, and technology touchpoints. Treat this design as a shared blueprint that guides configuration, training, and adoption activities. Refer back to it regularly so preconceived ideas or individual preferences do not quietly reshape the project as it progresses. When expectations are documented, communicated, and revisited throughout the project, your teams know what is changing, why it matters, and how their work contributes to success. That clarity helps your organization move through change with greater confidence and less resistance.
Measuring Change Management Success
Many organizations track project timelines and budgets but overlook whether the change itself is sticking. Adding a few simple measures can reveal where people are struggling and where they are thriving. Useful indicators include system adoption rates, usage of new processes, error or rework trends, and employee feedback on training and communication. Looking at these measures regularly allows leaders to adjust support instead of waiting until resistance shows up as missed targets or customer issues.
Measurement does not have to be complex to be effective. A short pulse survey after key milestones can surface whether employees feel prepared, informed, and supported. Adoption dashboards can show which departments are using new tools as intended and which may need additional coaching or process refinement. When organizations treat change management as something they can measure and manage, rather than a one‑time event, they are better positioned to sustain improvements and continue evolving as business needs change.
Learn How Naviant Can Help Your Organization Manage Change
Acceptance of change is essential to long-term success, and with the help of Naviant, you and your organization will have the tools necessary to embrace the future with open arms. While we cannot promise a completely stress-free process overhaul, we can do our part in lowering your score on the Holmes Rahe Stress Scale.
