Change Champion Program Template

Purpose

The Change Champion Program is a company initiative aimed at empowering employees to become agents of change within the organization. It focuses on developing leadership skills, fostering a culture of growth and continuous improvement, and maintaining a positive attitude toward change. Participation in the program offers numerous benefits to both the employee and the business!

Before you get started.‍

This template was designed to help leaders implement a champion program with their selected champions. For more information on what a change champion program is and how it might benefit your organization, you’ll want to read Change Champions: The Ultimate Guide to Business Transformation.

Welcome Champions!

If you’re here, then congratulations on standing out as a change champion! This means you have the knowledge, skills, and aspirations to serve as an agent of change in the organization. That’s pretty awesome!

What is the change champion program?

The change champion program is a company initiative designed to empower employees to develop their leadership skills and drive positive change within the organization. Our mission is to nurture a culture of growth and continuous improvement while maintaining a positive attitude toward change.

To kick things off, here’s a special video message from our executive leadership team, expressing their gratitude for your participation in this program and the importance of your role as a change champion.

[Insert recorded video]

Program Targets

1. Champions are organizational advocates.‍

Champions serve as the voices and advocates for our team. They’re great at communication and use that skill to identify inefficiency and productivity gaps through various feedback methods. 

Teams rely on champions to collate and surface feedback effectively, empowering them to act quickly. This streamlined approach significantly reduces the time required for leadership to provide direction and strategy, enabling project teams to build processes and systems from the perspective of the people who would use them every day. 

By amplifying the voices of individuals within the business, champions help ensure that the heart of the organization remains at the forefront of every decision.

2. Champions are training experts.

Champions dedicate regular time each week to 1-on-1 training and content development. 

By carving out this time for focused learning, they are better equipped to build and share knowledge with the team — improving efficiency and productivity. Moreover, champions are resourceful and know how to find answers when needed. 

Whether through internal or external resources, they are committed to continuous learning and development, allowing them to stay ahead of the curve and contribute to the overall success of the organization.

3. Champions are great beta testers.

Champions enjoy fine-tuning processes or testing our products or services to find issues. They possess the knowledge and experience necessary to identify potential improvements and continually provide insightful feedback to project stakeholders. 

This helps our team catch minor issues before our goods and services are released internally or to the general public — preserving trust and confidence in the business all around. 

4. Champions create a positive workplace culture.

Champions are great at fostering a collaborative environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing feedback. They inspire their peers to maintain a positive attitude and work together effectively. With their proactive approach to problem-solving, a champion rarely encounters a challenge they can't overcome with the help of the team.

Champions are also valuable assets in times of uncertainty. They are adaptable and can pivot quickly to address new challenges or unexpected obstacles. They’re quick to identify potential roadblocks and can develop creative solutions to keep initiatives on track.

Furthermore, champions can have a cascading effect on the rest of the team. By setting a high bar for performance and accountability, they inspire their colleagues to strive for excellence and continuously improve. They can act as mentors and role models, sharing their expertise and guiding their team members to achieve their highest potential.

5. Champions help to reduce costs.

Champions bring significant benefits to an organization beyond their ability to implement change — they can also have a substantial impact on the company's bottom line.

These top contributors are skilled in their area of expertise and deeply understand the systems and processes required to achieve our goals. As a result, they can reduce costly learning curves and minimize the time required for new team members to get up to speed. 

By leveraging their knowledge and experience, champions can help the company achieve budgetary goals by implementing cost-saving best practices and streamlining workflows.

They often align their efforts to support our company's key performance indicators (KPIs) and work to drive down operational costs by continually improving processes and product performance. 

Sound like you?

Let’s talk commitment.

As a change champion, you will maintain the knowledge required to successfully train others, adhere to new policies, and consistently demonstrate the use of new systems and processes.

You’ll commit up to one hour each day to provide feedback to stakeholders, offer training and support to peers, work on special projects, and share updates with the team.

To ensure success, you’ll participate in a kick-off meeting at the start of each new initiative. You’ll then attend recurring bi-weekly meetings with other members and change stakeholders to discuss wins, challenges, updates, and action items.

Lastly, you’ll keep your leader informed of the important work you’re doing in this space during 1:1s and log major milestones or projects in [Insert performance management tool].

Special Projects

Champions may be assigned special projects related to KPIs or improvement efforts. 

As a representative of the broader team, project stakeholders will look to you for thoughtful feedback throughout the program, which may include interviews, surveys, or hands-on activities.

But don’t worry, these projects will be appropriately worked into your workload with your manager.

Your #1 responsibility as a change champion.

In addition to your expertise and knowledge, we value your positive influence in nurturing a culture of growth and improvement. By maintaining a growth mindset and fostering healthy communication, you can help create a fun and positive experience for the team.

So what’s in it for you? ‍

Champions are valuable assets to the organization, so it's natural to expect a return on your time, energy, and dedication to our company's growth. 

Being part of a champion program offers numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth. You’ll gain exposure to new skills and experiences you might not have been exposed to before which can be an invaluable part of your career trajectory. You’ll also develop a reputation as a trusted partner, which can lead to mentorship or future opportunities for leadership. Invaluable!

‍That said, we offer both one-time discretionary bonus compensation for major initiatives and will also review your champion program work during annual merit increases.

You in?

Woo-hoo! Let your manager know you're officially committing to the opportunity.

We’ll drop a kick-off event on your calendar to reaffirm the purpose and goals of the program.

Following the meeting, you can pop this change champion badge [⭐] at the end of your name in our internal communication and training systems to show off your new designation and let people know they can connect with you on important changes until [X date].

We’re looking forward to building the future with you!

Questions?

Have a question about this program? Reach out to [Insert Name], VP of Operations and Change Champion Program Director.