3 Ways to Enhance Change Management for Beginners

The purpose of the Change Management process is to ensure that we are able to address risk, while still maximizing the successful implementation of changes within our environment. But when we are just starting out, Change Management can often be a point of inefficiency or frustration, impacting not only the IT support teams which are using the process, but also across the organization.

With a few targeted improvements; however, IT support teams can bring significant value to the organization while laying the foundation for more robust processes in the future.

Here are the top three areas to focusing on making improvements:

1. Implement Simplified Change Types

A simplified categorization system reduces confusion, increases the speed of approvals, and ensures that the right stakeholders are involved at the right time. This clarity results in fewer delays, increased confidence in the process, and a reduction in the number of emergency or failed changes.

What do I need to do to make this happen?

• Define clear change types: Begin by categorizing changes into three basic types: standard, normal and emergency. Standard changes are pre-approved, repeatable tasks with minimal risk. Normal changes require approval based on risk and impact. Emergency changes require urgent attention to deal with service impacting incidents.
• Set up governance for each type: For each type, establish clear governance, including who needs to approve the changes and what risk assessments may be needed based on the level of impact. For example, standard changes should follow a pre-defined template, requiring minimal oversight. Normal changes may have varying levels of oversight and approvals based on the potential risk and may include review meetings to discuss. Emergency changes may have an escalated path to approval given the nature of the change needed to correct issues.
• Train the team: Ensure that the entire IT support team, as well as key business stakeholders, are aware of the new categorization process. This training can be done through a combination of workshops, documentation, and quick reference guides that are easily accessible.

2. Establish a Basic Change Advisory Board (CAB) Structure

A well-functioning CAB provides the necessary governance, transparency and accountability, ensuring that changes are aligned with business objectives and that risks are adequately managed. Even in organizations with low maturity, a CAB reduces the likelihood of unauthorized changes, minimizes outages and increases overall operational stability. In many cases, this review can help to re-enforce what changes should be reviewed there and which ones may need to use another change type.

Where to start?

• Identify key stakeholders: Start by identifying which stakeholders should be attending the CAB meeting. Keep in mind that this can change over time. In the beginning, it may only include those who are implementing the change as well as IT team leaders, service owners and representatives from departments most affected by changes. Keep the group small and focused to ensure meetings are efficient.
• Set up regular, short meetings: Schedule regular CAB meetings, even if it’s just a weekly 30-minute session. Make sure that those that are participating are aware that they will need to walk teams through the change they are looking to make. Determine the type of changes that will be reviewed at the CAB. Will you review all changes, only the normal changes coming up or emergency changes that recently occured?
• Prepare the meeting: No matter if you use a ITSM platform to manage your changes or a simple spreadsheet, make sure that the meeting is well prepared. Provide a solid agenda of the changes that are being reviewed in the meeting invite to help those who may be impacted. This allows all participants the ability to pose specific questions about the changes during the meeting. After all, the point of this meeting is to ensure that we discuss the change in full to prevent any unforeseen issues that perhaps the implementer is not aware of.
• Have the meeting: During the meeting, review all upcoming changes and discuss any potential risks, conflicts and details about the change. This provides a layer of oversight without overwhelming the team with bureaucracy. Then, review the meeting afterward and look for areas of improvement.

3. Track and Report on Key Metrics to Drive Improvement

Tracking key metrics allows the organization to identify areas of improvement, reduce failed changes and improve overall service quality. Metrics-driven improvements create a feedback loop that helps IT leaders make informed decisions, justifying investments in more robust change processes down the road.

How do I get this Implemented?

• Select key metrics: For organizations just starting out, focus on a few critical metrics such as the number of failed changes, percentage of emergency changes, and the time it takes to review and approve changes. These metrics give a clear picture of process efficiency and areas of risk.
• Establish a simple reporting mechanism: Use a simple dashboard or weekly report to track these metrics. Even if you don’t have sophisticated reporting tools in place, you can start with manual tracking in spreadsheets. The key is consistency and visibility. Once you see what is happening it will be easier to paint the picture to other teams and leaders within the organization.
• Use metrics to drive conversations: Review these metrics regularly during CAB meetings or leadership reviews. Highlight trends and use the data to prioritize improvements. For instance, if there’s a spike in emergency changes, it could indicate the need for better planning or further review on where root cause of these issues is coming from.