Winston Churchill famously said, 'To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.’ Change is critical when future-proofing your agency. When change is about to take place, everyone, from leaders to staff, must speak clearly and frequently about what’s happening, why it’s good, and how to deal with any hiccups. In addition, creating a friendly and open environment for change to thrive is also important.

Key Elements for Managing Change

Communication leaders must have open discussions with agency principals and department managers about effectively driving change and ensuring its successful implementation. According to a recent report from Axios HQ, 48% of C-level leaders have to get more involved in projects than they typically should, but only 14% of workers feel aligned with business goals.

These statistics show a clear disconnect between management and staff. It demonstrates a significant misalignment in how relevant internal communications are, how clear and engaging they are, and what topics are vital to teams, all leading to undefined change management fundamentals.

At Applied, we build our change management strategy around three core principles:

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  People

  An essential part of change management is including everyone involved. For example, if you’re introducing new technology that ensures your agency operates on standardized, relevant data, everyone needs to see how this helps customers and makes their jobs easier. By talking to employees early and often and explaining what’s changing and why, you’ll gain their support and enthusiasm for the change.

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  Process

  It's vital to have a roadmap that shows how your changes will improve existing workflows and processes. With the support and expertise provided by your technology partner, you can create a step-by-step plan for where to start, how to implement changes, and how to keep up with new processes. Adjusting your processes as you figure out what worked and what didn’t ensure everything runs smoothly and successfully.

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  Technology

  Technology investments should encompass all aspects of your business, from empowering staff to connecting with customers and carriers. It must integrate with your existing applications to deliver a consistent user experience and create a single view of your business.

Making Change Work for Everyone

Focusing on why change is needed, getting everyone involved, and offering support are fundamental to a good change management strategy. Positively reinforcing the benefits, like enhanced customer experience and employee satisfaction, will encourage everyone to embrace change. Listening to team feedback and including the team in decisions is also essential. It makes them feel valued and excited about what’s coming.

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