What does a change manager do? (Roles & Responsibilities)

Before a butterfly can fly, it passes through a series of evolving stages. In the same way, an organization must evolve to survive in an ever-changing world. As change is constant in the business world, effectively managing it is a challenging task. Change managers, who are responsible for managing organizational transformations with refinement and precision, are at the forefront of this critical task.

The change manager's responsibility is to ensure employees are well-informed about the changes that occur and that they have the required tools for the change. With the help of ITIL foundation certification online courses, you can start your journey to becoming a change manager.

Who is the Change Manager?

The change manager manages all changes during their full lifecycle. Their major objective is to support positive changes with minimal disturbance to corporate operations.

Change managers serve as strategic leaders, collaborating with senior management to build change management strategies, identify potential risks and impediments, and devise mitigation techniques.

Example: If an organization's employees struggle to complete tasks on schedule, the change manager steps in. They will create procedures and instructions and train others to complete the same activity in fewer hours.

What Does a Change Manager Do?

• Change managers are responsible for a company's change management activities and guide how they are carried out. 
• They develop and implement ways to help employees embrace workplace changes, such as ensuring a smooth transfer to new project management software or creating a flexible remote work policy.
• They work closely with other important stakeholders to ensure that changes correspond with business strategic goals. 
• They collaborate with project managers to maintain smooth operations, assess progress, and make required changes. 
• It is the change manager's responsibility to analyze employee experiences and provide solutions to ensure a seamless transition.
• They also manage training programs to ensure that employees have the necessary skills and expertise to adjust to changes.
• Change managers look at the risks and rewards of planned organizational changes. They evaluate potential difficulties and develop strategies for mitigation to overcome them.

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Change Manager Roles and Responsibilities

A change manager's roles and responsibilities vary depending on the organizational level. The following organizational phases define the roles and responsibilities of a change manager at three different organizational stages:

Entry-Level

Roles

An entry-level change manager's role includes assisting senior change managers with the implementation of change management plans and strategies. They help in assisting with the setup of a transformation management office to assist change drivers. 

The change managers at this level must create and maintain suitable structures, methods, policies, procedures, and reporting. This in turn helps the organizations to develop change management programs.

These change managers participate in stakeholder analysis to determine key stakeholders and their concerns about planned changes. They also help to organize and coordinate training sessions and workshops for workers affected by change. 

Responsibilities

At this stage, it is the change manager’s responsibility to support the implementation of change management efforts such as communication, training, and stakeholder engagement. They must maintain reliable records of change management activities, such as meeting minutes, stakeholder feedback, and progress reports.

Entry-level change managers must conduct stakeholder analyses to identify key stakeholders and their concerns. They contribute to the development of engagement strategies for meeting stakeholder requests and gaining support for change projects.

These change managers are also responsible for helping to design communication plans and resources, like emails, presentations, and newsletters, to ensure that change initiatives are communicated consistently.

Mid-Level

Roles

A mid-level change manager's role is to be a team member who works well both individually and in groups, sharing expertise and cooperating with others. They possess strong analytical skills, allowing them to detect process gaps and strive for continuous improvement. 

The role of the change manager is to be process-oriented with great attention to detail. Capability to form strong collaborations right away between technology and business teams, as well as internal stakeholders.

Responsibilities

A mid-level change manager is responsible for leading change management activities for specific projects or tasks and helping cross-functional teams meet project objectives. They guide and support junior change management team members, providing best practices and assisting them in developing their skills and capabilities.

It is the change manager's responsibility at this level to evaluate the impact of the suggested modifications on employees, processes, and systems, identify potential risks, and develop mitigation techniques to reduce disruption. They create complete change management plans and strategies that detail tasks, deadlines, and resource requirements for successful change implementation.

Senior-Level

Roles

A senior change manager must know about change management and cultural disciplines and have previous experience in leading large-scale change efforts, including culture transformations.

They must have a strong understanding of business models and corporate strategy, with a demonstrated ability to convert business priorities into solutions. Experienced in managing experienced individual contributors, whether directly or indirectly, is also a key role to be played by the senior managers.

Responsibilities

Senior-level change managers have the responsibility to develop and implement overarching change management strategies, frameworks, and techniques to help the organization navigate challenging and revolutionary changes. They must shape the direction of organizational change initiatives to align them with business objectives and priorities.

Senior managers create training materials and conduct training sessions to communicate process changes. These managers collaborate with project management to guarantee smooth operations, monitor progress, and make appropriate changes.

It is the change manager's responsibility at this level to communicate modifications to all impacted and responsible parties in servicing. They are also required to work with senior leadership to achieve buy-in and support for change initiatives, influence decision-making, and foster a change-ready and adaptable culture.

What Makes a Good Change Manager?

Soft Skills

• Leadership

Leadership is a necessary change management skill. It is critical to guide employees through organizational changes and assign jobs to the appropriate people.

• Organization

Organization is a skill that can enhance change management. Developing a clear change management strategy requires the organization of a wide range of information, including employee responsibilities, project goals, deadlines, and other critical details.

• Communication

Communication is also necessary for effective change management. Change managers must speak with their employees about why their organization is making changes and what they need to know to do their jobs.

• Listening

Listening carefully is another necessary ability for change management. Throughout the organizational change process, pay close attention to employee feedback. This can assist your firm in making a change that everyone involved supports, increasing the likelihood of its success.

Hard Skills

• Analytical Skills

Interpreting data correctly to find out any problem in a company and how to tackle it is a key skill required by change managers. This could include going over documents or listening to comments from staff and stakeholders.

• Research Abilities

Having research abilities might help your firm prepare for the change. You can look into other companies' change management tactics and methods to get ideas for your own.

• Project Management

Experience in project management can help you grasp all aspects of implementing an organizational change. This includes the change management plan, resources, outcomes, responsibility, and other components. 

Change Manager Job Requirements 

Change managers typically have a degree in business, economics, management, organizational change management, or human resources, though requirements vary by occupation. Employers may favor individuals who have a master's degree or professional change management qualifications. You can apply for a professional course through IT Service Management courses online.

Having experience in change management or comparable roles and an understanding of project management best practices can give you an advantage. Candidates will also need a solid understanding of the ideas and practices of change management approaches.

Example: 

A standard change manager job description and requirements can take the following form: