Sharing the change: Partnering with other Change Managers smoothly

When you’re a seasoned Change Manager, rather than always flying solo or working with more junior Changies, there may be times when you find yourself working with another more experienced Change Manager. You might worry that you’ll step on each other’s toes or struggle to share the Change work, but truly this can actually be a great opportunity to bring more ease and peace into your project, your plan, and your day. Here are my 7 top tips for partnering with other Change Managers smoothly.

Sharing Tip #1: Enjoy the break

Often as Changies, we are high achievers working hard on stressful projects with fast, urgent deadlines. When you’re working with another seasoned Change Manager who is switched on and super cluey, it can be nice to take a breather and a break and let someone else take the reins for a bit. You can just enjoy that lull and be there to support and partner them. 

Sharing Tip #2: Realise their expertise doesn’t dampen yours

You get to the point where you've led so much change or you're really confident in who you are and your skills, that it doesn't detract from your own expertise or your own profile when somebody else takes the lead. I don't always need to be in the leadership position. I actually quite enjoy when somebody else steps up, because often it does fall to me. It can be a nice rest from always having to be the person who's taking the lead on things. Picking up particular parts in particular projects still gives you time to shine, can help develop your expertise or particular skill sets, and will give you great stories and examples for job interviews.

Sharing Tip #3: Enjoy the companionship

I once worked on a big operating model change. There was a Change Manager working on the whole of the change, and I was brought in to help with a smaller urgent piece. Once that was underway and set up for success, I then moved into the whole of the change and we just partnered and we were good buddies. We traveled together for the launches, hit it off, and I jumped in for anything that they needed help with to fill the gaps of Change with them. For example, I picked up a special piece of the project developing, building and planning the onboarding of 50 new coaches.

Sharing Tip #4: They’ll really appreciate your help

Another time I was working with a Change Lead who worked at the portfolio level, while I worked at the program level. I’m a good Change Manager, so they were happy and appreciative that I was working on that part of the change and I’d just check in with them and see what they wanted me to do and needed help with. If they’re treating you as a more junior person, just enjoy the break! It depends on the personality of that other seasoned Changie. Some will treat you like a junior resource. Others will be grateful that somebody good is partnering with them and you can cover a section and then dovetail into the work they’re doing and potentially be true partners together.

Sharing Tip #5: Let them know your skills

Sometimes it's just about saying, “Hey, did you know that I’ve got these skills?” Or “Is there more that you'd like me to do?” And if you aren't getting enough or you're clashing a little bit with them, you can always escalate to your Head of Change or Program Manager and say, “Hey, I’ve got a bit of capacity. Is there anything else you'd like me to work on and do?” And then let that other Change Manager know. It’s really just about managing the relationship with them, and as mentioned it can depend on the personality of that other Change Manager. 

Sharing Tip #6: Do an agreed work breakdown

A really great approach is actually getting together with that other Change Manager and actually scoping out everything that needs to happen across the program. You could go: 

• Here's everything that needs to happen in my area of the change. 
• Here's everything that needs to happen in your area of the change. 
• Here's everything that needs to happen across the whole change holistically. 

And you could potentially then work out where that breakdown happens and who's going to do what. Talk with them, negotiate with them, agree with them: what they'll cover, what you'll cover. And then you could also set up rhythms with them, too. You could set up a weekly catch up with them where you talk about the change from each of your different areas. 

Sharing Tip #7: Use collaboration to reduce change fatigue

You can have co- tracking, a shared Change Plan, introduce yourselves to each other stakeholders, and partner with them really well. Especially if there's a holistic change you're both working on, as then it will feel aligned to everybody else. Sometimes, if one Change Manager's going off on one plan/tangent and another's going off on another, people can feel a bit conflicted, especially if there's any crossover or if they're hearing mixed messages. Try and find some collaboration with that Change Manager from the work breakdown and each other’s resources and plan then try not to duplicate to the business i.e. make sure that your comms don't blast the business where one of you sends at 10.00am and the other at 11.00am. Even if you can’t work off one plan because you have different projects and stakeholders, if and where you can align or people will be receiving both, try to collaborate and combine.

So if you’re job-sharing in the Change space with another seasoned Change person, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water! There’s so many options and opportunities to have an enjoyable, easy and peaceful experience - for you, them, AND your leaders and teams. 

These are exactly the kinds of challenges and questions I answer on our Leading Successful Change coaching calls. Registrations for my September Group Cohort for Leading Successful Change close tonight and this will be the last cohort for 2024 with 6 weeks of bonus Coaching Calls. If you’d like to grow your change confidence and find a life of freedom and flexibility, join LSC before the registration deadline tonight Tuesday 24 September 8.00pm AEST (Sydney time).

CLICK HERE to join my September Group Cohort of Leading Successful Change before the registration deadline

Lata xx