I recently attended the 2024 CommunityLIVE conference in National Harbor, Maryland, and I left feeling inspired by the conversations and sessions I attended.

One story that’s really stuck with me weeks later from a change management in HR perspective is that of Naviant customer Cindy Rutledge, App Dev Manager at the Florida Office of Attorney General. Her presentation walked us through her journey of expanding OnBase across her department and broader organization, which included navigating common tricky obstacles and sharing powerful tips for managing the people side of change.

I’m passionate about helping other HR professionals understand the impactful influence they have in leading organization-wide change management efforts. So naturally, Cindy’s lessons offered multiple immediate “aha!” moments for me that I knew I had to share with my fellow HR peers.

Keep reading to get the top 5 lessons in change management that I believe HR professionals need to know about.

5 Lessons in Change Management All HR Leaders Should Know

1. The Importance of Executive Buy-In

Cindy shared that one of the most critical factors in the success of FL OAG’s digital transformation was securing executive buy-in. Cindy and her team had known for some time that change was needed, and they had even tried to propose change by going from their level and up from there rather than securing executive buy-in from the start. This soon changed though, and the spark that truly brought them momentum came with the hiring of a new CIO and a visionary chief of staff who championed the need for modernization and wholeheartedly supported Cindy and her team’s ambitions. This change introduced a new mindset that constantly questioned, “Why do we do this?” without accepting the response “Because that’s how it’s always been done.”

Thanks to having these champions on board, Cindy and her team were able to secure the necessary budget and resources. Their support also meant that the change initiatives were prioritized, which has helped them make consistent progress. To this day, FL OAG’s champions continue to support and even suggest new initiatives, helping Cindy and her team continually improve their organization’s processing. To get some advice on how to gain executive buy-in, check out this blog.

2. The Value of Having a Strong Team to Support You

Building a capable and dedicated team is another cornerstone of successful change. FL OAG didn’t used to have access to a project manager or a business analyst, and Cindy shared that once they were able to get these resources on board, it made a world of a difference. These roles were crucial in managing the complexities of the transformation process.

Another key component of building a powerhouse of a team that Cindy shared was partnering with Naviant as their business partner, and later, Naviant’s Managed Services team. She explained that it’s not just important to choose the right business partner for you, but to truly maximize that resource. Cindy and her team found that their collaboration with Naviant ensured that the project was not just a content repository upgrade but a comprehensive overhaul that added meaningful functionality. Working with a Managed Services team has been pivotal, too, helping FL OAG with both their system and training their users and IT staff, which has been fantastic for knowledge transfer and helping users feel comfortable with the solution.

The lesson here is clear: having a strong, well-rounded team and reliable partners can greatly enhance the effectiveness of your change initiatives.

3. Work Directly with Your Users Throughout the Journey

Change can be scary, especially for the employees whose systems and processes they interact with daily are changing. To address this, Cindy and her team have worked closely with users from the beginning to help them become acquainted with the changes and start seeing the benefits sooner as a result. And as we briefly explored in lesson #2, they also prioritized thorough training sessions and continuous support to help their users adapt to all the changes. You can get tips on building a strong training program for your employees in this blog.

One important detail that Cindy mentioned was that users didn’t just sit down and immediately get excited about the change – after all, it was a big change! But with plenty of practice and time, they got the hang of things and understood how beneficial the changes could be to them. As people-focused HR professionals, I think this reality is important to keep in mind. Changing your company culture to embrace change takes time, and so does getting the hang of a new process. Patiently guiding your employees through change, keeping them engaged, and offering them support as it’s needed is crucial.

4. Expand Your Solution One Step at a Time

Since implementing their OnBase solution, Cindy and her team have progressively added more tools into the mix, from workflow to integrations to WorkView, which is a low-code app building tool. Workflow has helped FL OAG optimize its processes with a long list of use cases, and its many integrations have helped to create a seamless ecosystem across its organization with its various systems. And they’re only beginning to realize the power WorkView brings, letting you build apps quickly even without developer experience.

But what really struck me was that they didn’t implement all of these additions from the start – they took a phased approach, learning the ins and outs of integrations and workflow and eventually learning how to apply WorkView. It’s a clear reflection of FL OAG’s commitment to continuous improvement (more on that in lesson #5!) As change leaders for our organizations, taking this approach to slow and steady progress is a fantastic way to ensure that we’re taking the strategic, sustainable route.

5. Embrace the Long-Term Journey of Continuous Improvement

Digital transformation is not a one-time project. It’s an ongoing journey of continuous improvement. Cindy and her team strive for the goal of continuous improvement in all that they do – it’s so ingrained in their strategy that it’s been hard to avoid mentioning it in every lesson! But it’s so vital to a sustainable, effective digital transformation that it bears repeating.

As Cindy said, “This isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. We may never see the end of this journey. Really, we hope that we don’t, because there needs to be continuous improvement, which means more modernization as we go along.”

I think that’s an excellent way to put it, too. Sure, it can be daunting to imagine a constant stream of mini change management initiatives as HR professionals. But considering all the perks that can come from constantly improving our organizations, it’s all more than worth it.

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