Thatâs what MI-GSO | PCUBEDâs survey of 2,500 project managers in over 120 companies showed.
Change management is the process of ensuring that the change actually works because it has the intended effect and employees effectively adopt the new way of working.
Of the increasing number of companies utilizing a change management approach, fewer still properly gather data on the process to see if itâs going as intended. This is often due to the complexity and uncertainty of what to track, how, and what to do with the results.
We know how challenging it can be to measure the success of change management, but weâll show you exactly how you can do it.
â… [T]he employee experience is essential to change management, when leaders are charged with supporting their teams through adjusting to new and different ways of working. It helps to think of employees as customers. Customer experience teams evaluate the customer journey before, during, and after the experience of a product or service. Similarly, change management teams must assess the employee journey before, during, and after the implementation of a changeâand both teams must define outside-in metrics to do so.â
As with everything, you must start with defining WHY you are wanting to make this change in the first place.
Many organizational changes fail before they begin. Why? Often, because no reason has been provided for the change they want to make.
No matter how good a new process, system, or platform may be, you need a clearly defined endpoint.
There are two major reasons why you need to establish the âWhyâ of any change prior to beginning any rollout.
Implementing organizational change initiatives comes with substantial costs, risks and disruptions To justify these impacts and steer projects successfully, companies must measure key aspects of change management.
Monitoring progress provides data to identify what’s working well and what needs adjustment Metrics pinpoint where more support or mitigation is needed to keep stakeholders aligned and engaged,
This article details key indicators and methods to track during change efforts. Follow these best practices to maximize results.
Conduct a Readiness Assessment
Before launching a change initiative, survey employees to gauge their readiness This baseline understanding identifies potential pitfalls and resistance points
Assess their:
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Awareness – Do staff know about the upcoming change and impacts?
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Understanding – How well do they comprehend the reasons and benefits behind it?
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Support – What is their current perception and commitment to the change?
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Involvement – How much have they been involved in shaping the plans?
Also uncover concerns, preferences and suggestions for the project. Then revisit these areas throughout implementation to monitor progress.
Improved scores indicate your readiness building tactics are working. Low or declining results signal more intervention is required.
Track Participation and Engagement
Employee participation throughout the change journey is vital. Measure involvement in activities like:
- Kickoff events
- Trainings
- Transition workshops
- Pilot testing
- Feedback surveys
High attendance and enthusiastic participation demonstrates engagement. Low turnout or apathy means you must better convey the “what’s in it for me” value.
Also observe email open/click rates, intranet page views, social posts and visits to change support hubs. Employees proactively seeking information indicates you’ve piqued their interest.
Quantify Stakeholder Buy-In
The most vocal critics often garner disproportionate attention. But gauging broad stakeholder sentiment is crucial.
Use surveys and interviews to quantify:
- Leadership alignment – Do managers demonstrate commitment through actions?
- Employee buy-in – What percentage have “bought into” the change?
- Supplier readiness – Are external partners ready and willing to transition?
Strong endorsement from 80%+ of stakeholders signifies smooth sailing ahead. Lower support means more work swaying skeptics.
Segment by department, location or role to pinpoint pockets of resistance. Address issues and recheck levels to see if tactics are moving the needle.
Gather Feedback
Continuous employee feedback allows you to take the organization’s “pulse” and course correct quickly.
Gather input on:
- Communications – Are messages clear, sufficient and credible?
- Concerns – What worries or uncertainties are top of mind?
- Suggestions – What recommendations do they have to improve the process?
Make gathering feedback easy through multiple channels like surveys, email, town halls, and one-on-one meetings. Demonstrate you’re listening by reviewing input individually and in aggregate to identify actionable patterns.
Measure Training Effectiveness
Training equips employees with the knowledge and skills to adopt changes. Ensure it hits the mark by tracking:
- Attendance and completion rates – Are people partaking?
- Assessment scores – Do participants comprehend the material?
- Utilization – How frequently are new skills being applied on the job?
- Proficiency gains – Are competence levels improving over time?
Insufficient attendance, poor comprehension or underutilization indicate your training needs an overhaul. Deliver additional job aids or support to boost adoption.
Check Employee Satisfaction
Major change can be unsettling. Use pulse surveys and performance reviews to monitor:
- Morale
- Workload and stress levels
- Job security fears or turnover risks
- Trust in leadership
- Confidence in the organization’s direction
Declining employee satisfaction suggests change fatigue, loss of trust or excessive uncertainty. Provide reassurance, adjustment periods and morale boosters. Avoid forging ahead at all costs.
On the flip side, rising satisfaction indicates people feel energized by the improvements being made. This positive momentum will push success forward.
Analyze Support Tickets and Questions
The types of support requests and questions employees submit reveal potential pain points. Monitor:
- Technical issues – Are new tools or processes presenting challenges?
- Process clarity – Are handoff or approval protocols confusing?
- Job role concerns – Do employees feel ill-equipped or displaced?
- Communication deficits – What important information is lacking?
Address frequent questions and concerns through targeted communications like FAQs, training refreshers, or simplified tool instructions.
Evaluate Milestone Progress
Major change initiatives have phased rollout plans. Assess progress milestones like:
- % of locations/departments transitioned
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of employees trained
- Implementation costs vs. budget
- Business process redesigns completed
- Technology integrations functional
Lagging or stalled metrics indicate roadblocks requiring attention like budget overruns, skill gaps, or leadership priorities.
Celebrate achieving milestones to build momentum. But avoid declaring victory prematurely before benefits are cemented and new behaviors ingrained.
Link to Business Performance
Ultimately, changes are meant to improve business results. Tie initiatives to key performance indicators like:
- Customer satisfaction
- Sales or productivity
- Quality or accuracy
- Cost savings
- Response times
- Revenue growth
Positive trends demonstrate the business case. If the needle doesn’t budge or moves the wrong way, assess whether flawed change execution is to blame.
Adjust Tactics Based on Data
The payoff of tracking change management metrics comes from taking action on insights uncovered.
Use data to:
- Increase communication frequency around struggling areas
- Extend training and support for complex transitions
- Provide job aids where skills are lacking
- Reassign resources to get back on schedule
- Meet with resistant groups to address concerns
- Work one-on-one with struggling employees
- Celebrate and publicize change successes
Measurement without action is wasted effort. Adjustments keep momentum flowing towards the finish line.
Change leaders often focus intensely on project plan logistics but fail to monitor stakeholders’ mindsets and adoption. This oversight leaves them flying blind.
Measuring change management effectiveness provides crucial insights to guide supportive interventions, not just hoped-for assumptions.
Assess readiness upfront. Then continually gauge engagement, buy-in, proficiencies, concerns, and satisfaction. Link to business outcomes to validate the ROI.
Armed with data, you can make changes to people-related elements when needed rather than plowing ahead rigidly. React in real-time until the desired change sticks.
What does a successful culture change look like in your organization?
A successful culture change is first admitting that there is no end goal. Your implementation strategy needs an end point, but you have to accept that it will never be perfect.
At no point will you be able to say âthatâs good enoughâ because culture is something that needs to constantly be watched, improved, and evolved for the long-term health and happiness of your employees and your company.
Once you are comfortable with that, you can decide what measurements will mean that youâve succeeded enough to transition out of the implementation phase (knowing that youâll need to maintain a level of vigilance and support every day to ensure your culture remains healthy).
If âtransparencyâ is an important part of your culture, you might set a goal of making 90% of company documents and process transparent by the end of the year. Itâs a hefty goal that puts you miles ahead of where you were, but also has room to grow over time.
Give Employees A Reason To Care
No matter how much you might wish âreceiving a paycheckâ was enough incentive for people to care about a change, itâs not.
If a change seems like itâs being done solely to do it, with no good reason or benefit whatsoever, it will be resisted. This is especially true at companies that have a history of constantly implementing new changes one after another.
Everyone likes to be kept in the loop to know why things are happening, good and bad. This purpose also acts as an anchor for the other questions you need to answer.
Knowing WHY you are doing something means all your goals and objectives will point in the right direction.
It is this direction that helps everyone work together to accomplish a specific vision.
How to Measure Organizational Change Management
How do you measure change management effectiveness?
Here’s how to measure change management effectiveness. Methods of measuring. Most change management practitioners these days are asked to measure the results of their efforts and report back on them to project sponsors and company leaders. Measurements usually include surveys, tests, assessments, and observations of the activities completed.
How do you measure success in change management?
There are two levels to effective change management. Your employees make the changes in their work, and the company provides them with the processes, tools, and systems that smooth the transition. Measuring success in change management starts by taking a look at a few key performance metrics at both levels. According to Prosci, this can include:
What are change management performance metrics?
The metrics for this level of performance measure the completion, execution and effectiveness of the application of the Prosci Methodology. The change practitioner is primarily accountable for achieving the change management performance metrics. The metrics are typically activity-oriented and could include: 2. Individual performance
How do change management practitioners measure success?
Most change management practitioners these days are asked to measure the results of their efforts and report back on them to project sponsors and company leaders. Measurements usually include surveys, tests, assessments, and observations of the activities completed. It’s also important to track the success of business outcomes.
