Master Change Management: Create Community

When leading change, one of the most overlooked yet vital elements is creating a sense of community. Without it, even the most well-planned initiatives can struggle to gain traction and fail to achieve the desired outcomes. At Wonder Services, we emphasize the importance of building community as a core component of our ALICE methodology, which stands for Acting with Authenticity, Leading with Love, Inspiring Others, and Creating Community.

In this blog, we’ll explore three key stages where creating community can significantly impact the success of your change initiatives.

1. Build Community During the Design Phase

Creating community starts long before the change is implemented—it begins during the design phase. At this stage, you need to identify key stakeholders who will be most affected by the change and bring them together to form a community. This approach not only gives them a voice in the design process but also helps you gather valuable insights that can improve the outcome.

For instance, during one of my early change initiatives, we were introducing a significant shift that would greatly impact the roles of executive admins. Recognizing their influence and the potential ripple effect on the organization, we organized special design sessions just for this group. These sessions provided a safe space for them to discuss their concerns, ask questions, and understand how the changes would unfold.

By involving them early on, we built a strong foundation of trust and engagement. This community remained active throughout the project, staying connected during testing, training, and beyond. The result was a more seamless adoption of the change, with the executive admins becoming strong advocates for the initiative.

2. Strengthen Community Pre-Training

The next critical phase for building community is during the pre-training period. This is when you can address any gaps in communication and ensure that key groups within your organization are fully informed and prepared for the upcoming changes.

In one of my previous roles, we were rolling out a new technology that was vastly different from what our procurement team was used to. Despite our efforts to keep middle management informed, we began hearing concerns that the buying team was feeling left out and uninformed. To address this, we created a weekly optional forum specifically for the buyers. This was a space where they could ask questions, express concerns, and provide feedback.

This pre-training community not only helped the buyers feel more connected and informed but also allowed us to gather valuable insights that we hadn’t considered. This proactive approach transformed initial resistance into enthusiasm, ultimately leading to a successful implementation.

3. Sustain Community During and After Training

The final phase where community is crucial is during training and post-implementation support. During this period, it’s essential to create communities around your core user groups—those who will be the go-to resources for others during the transition.

For example, in a procurement change initiative, core user groups might include the buying team, accounts payable, and sourcing team. These groups should have regular forums, ideally twice a week during training, where they can ask questions, share experiences, and clarify any uncertainties. This continuous support ensures that they are well-prepared to assist others and helps prevent the spread of misinformation.

Additionally, if you’re using a train-the-trainer approach, it’s vital to create a community for your trainers. Trainers face unique challenges during the rollout, and having a dedicated support network where they can discuss issues, share solutions, and receive guidance is critical to the overall success of the training program.

Why Community Matters

Creating community is about more than just organizing meetings—it’s about ensuring that no one goes through change alone. When people feel connected and supported, they are more likely to embrace the change and work together towards a common goal. Community fosters unity, reduces resistance, and builds a collective sense of ownership and commitment to the change.