6 Key Factors to Consider When Creating a Change Management Plan

In January 2000, AOL, the world's largest internet service provider, and Time Warner, a media conglomerate, announced what was one of the biggest media mergers in history.  It was a deal set to make them a media powerhouse worth $350 billion and poised to dominate both traditional and digital media in the new millennium. Contrary to everyone’s optimism at the time the merger unraveled in less than a decade. Today the separate companies are worth only a fraction of their previous combined valuation. 

There are many reasons for the failure of this particular merger - including the dot-com bubble burst and dial-up becoming a faint memory for more than half of today’s internet users. Two of the more primary mistakes made present during AOL-TimeWarner’s merger also seem to befall a significant number of M&A ventures that fail – underestimating cultural misalignment and overestimating the potential synergies post-merger. Simply put, even organizations with ample opportunity and resources can be felled by the challenge of adequately preparing for and implementing change.

What is Change Management?

Change Management programs are plans that enable companies to implement new processes, systems, and strategies to achieve superior business performance.

Implementing robust systems like Salesforce and HubSpot is pivotal for organizations aiming to enhance customer relationship management and streamline marketing efforts. After the initial implementation these systems need to change and scale along with the organization, making the need to create consistent efficient change integral to the survival of any growing company. Yet still McKinsey reports a staggering 70% of change management initiatives fail to meet their objectives and BCG cites that “at least half of all change initiatives fail to deliver the anticipated value”.

The success of initiatives like these rely heavily on effective change management. According to McKinsey, when people are truly invested in change, change initiatives are 30% more likely to stick. Their data underscores the critical importance of a well-structured change management plan to navigate the complexities of system integrations and to ensure successful adoption across the organization.

Six Key Factors to Consider When Developing a Change Management Plan:

1. Well-Defined Milestones

According to a BCG survey of over 288 executives (more than 75% of which were from organizations with annual revenue of over $1b) the number one killer of change initiatives was a lack of well-defined milestones with clear impact metrics. They identified that in most cases a roadmap of where the organization needed to be and when was simply not enough. Successful change initiatives partner their roadmaps, or paths of clearly set milestones, with a clear understanding of the risks, impacts and value of the initiative which enable the whole organization to build confidence in the potential success of the transformation effort. BCG terms this the “Initiative Roadmap”:

“An initiative roadmap articulates the key risks of and lead indicators for delivering the financial and operational impacts; it ensures that these are tested at critical points, and it signals when and how financial and operational outcomes will be triggered. Conventional change efforts typically have overall financial and operational goals, but the roadmap approach of tying such goals to individual milestones proves to be a far more successful way to achieve the promised value.”

2. Clear Communication

A study by the Harvard Business Review, in conjunction with Strativity, found that poor communication was credited as the main reason for change failure 62% of the time. Often employees resist change when they don’t understand why it’s happening or how it benefits them. Effective communication bridges that gap by building trust, reducing uncertainty, and aligning everyone to the same goals.

When consultants at Axiss.io help clients implement big change projects we work with them to develop clear communication channels and standards long before go live. Then once we’re underway we utilize tools and tactics, like regular release notes and weekly check ins, to ensure all end-users are aware of and empowered by new changes.

3. Stakeholder Engagement

Early involvement of stakeholders also increases buy-in and reduces resistance. Change impacts different teams in different ways, and without buy-in from leadership adoption rates drop. Studies show that involving stakeholders early increases the likelihood of a successful implementation. Using frameworks like Prosci’s ADKAR Model (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement), which emphasizes engagement at all levels, can help instill confidence and create individual responsibility for the initiative in every member of your organization.

4. Comprehensive Training Programs

Employees who don’t feel confident using a system are less likely to adopt it. Conversely, companies that treat training as part of a broader transformation are more successful. Significant system development should always be paired with role-specific end-user training and should ideally be available at (or before!) go live. And, for changes that are smaller or rolled out over time, clear training and process documentation can be amply valuable. 

Remember – Fostering an environment that encourages ongoing learning will continue to be key in reducing the risk of failed technology deployments.

5. Continuous Support and Resources

Change doesn’t stop after go-live. Providing ongoing assistance helps address employee questions and issues, facilitating smoother transitions and long-term adoption. Providing post-implementation support can look different depending on the organization—such as internal champions, help desks, or user communities. For instance, some Axiss.io consultants have seen great success supporting adoption by holding “office hours” on the day of or following releases. This enables end users to feel empowered to engage with new changes right away and also gives leadership a venue to gauge sentiment.

6. Monitoring and Feedback Mechanisms

"What gets measured gets managed". Beyond communicating and emphasizing the benefits of the change leaders should track and incentivize positive engagement with the changes. Research from Harvard Business Review and Forrester highlights that organizations that track adoption rates, gather user feedback, and iterate on their change management plans are more successful in sustaining those changes. 

If your team sees improvements as a result of the change initiative, celebrate those wins! Reinforce confidence in the possibility of change by implementing feedback loops and openly linking feedback to future change initiatives.

Conclusion

Cultural mismatches, lack of alignment on goals, and inadequate integration planning led to one of the most infamous corporate missteps in history. And this isn’t just a risk for Fortune 500 companies—businesses of all sizes can fall victim to poor change execution. But just because the AOL-Time Warner collab went the way of "dial up" internet doesn’t mean your next change initiative has to. Every organization is unique – a one-size-fits-all change model rarely works – but whether you're integrating new software or shifting your go-to-market approach, the key is to balance best practices with common sense. 

A well-crafted change management plan doesn’t just follow industry frameworks; it considers the dynamics of your people, processes, and business goals. That’s where expert guidance can help. When we build and implement RevOps-focused change management plans at Axiss.io it isn’t just about technology—it’s about making sure every system change is aligned with revenue goals and adopted by the teams responsible for driving pipeline, conversion, and retention. We focus on helping our partner anticipate roadblocks, foster alignment across teams, and ensure their transformations drive long-term success – because when it comes to change, making it happen is just as important as making it stick.