Actually, I meant… (Take 47)

READ TIME - 5 MINUTES

"So the staff numbers I gave you last week... they're not quite right," said Nathan from Corporate, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

"And that whole end-of-financial-year impact we discussed? It's actually going to affect different teams than what I originally said."

Mel felt her stomach drop as she looked at her change impact assessment - the one she'd spent weeks crafting based on Nathan's initial input about team structures and business cycles.

The one that was shaping her entire stakeholder engagement approach and training schedule.

Through the window, she could see the first autumn leaves starting to fall. Just like her carefully planned change approach, everything was up in the air again…

"Plus," Nathan added, clearing his throat, "remember how I said the regional teams would be minimally impacted? Well..."

"Okay, wait, I need a coffee," Mel said, pulling out her KeepCup. "Time to figure out what's really going on here."

If your SMEs keep shifting the goalposts about who's impacted and how, don't stress.

Here's a practical, step-by-step approach to getting to the real story (inspired by Lean Change Management principles):

1. Cast Your Net Wide (But Smart)

First up, you need to talk to the right people - and spoiler alert, it's more than just your SMEs.

Get out there and chat with:

  • Your formal SME reps (obviously!)

  • Team leaders and supervisors

  • The quiet achievers who've been there forever

  • Your front-line superstars

  • The folks handling customer complaints or issues

  • Regional team members (they often have different realities)

  • Those unofficial 'go-to' people every team has

Pro tip: Wrap each chat by asking "Who else should I be talking to?" - you'll be amazed at the network that unfolds.

2. Listen For The Patterns

Now this is where it gets interesting.

Don't just collect information - look for the themes that keep popping up:

  • What stories are you hearing over and over?

  • Where do different areas agree or disagree?

  • What ‘surprises’ keep surfacing?

  • Which impacts seem to worry folks most?

  • What business cycles or pressure points keep coming up?

Pro tip: Create a simple mind map or use sticky notes to track these patterns - they're gold for shaping your change approach.

3. Keep It Flexible (Your Change Approach, That Is)

Here's the thing - your change approach needs to be more yoga instructor than drill sergeant.

Build in flexibility by:

  • Writing your change approach in pencil, not pen

  • Creating modular pieces that can shift on/off your Change Canvas as needed

  • Building in buffer time for the unexpected

  • Having a Plan B (and C) ready for critical activities

  • Being upfront with stakeholders about the knowns and unknowns

Pro tip: Think of your change approach like your favourite playlist - you might shuffle the order, but the hits are still there.

4. Set Up Your Reality Check Routine

Make it easy to stay on top of evolving impacts:

  • Schedule regular 15-minute check-ins with key people

  • Create a simple impact tracker (nothing fancy - a whiteboard works!)

  • Use Teams/Slack channels for quick pulse checks

  • Build a monthly 'What's changed?' review into your rhythm

  • Keep your change network in the loop

Pro tip: Morning coffee runs are great for informal check-ins - just saying!

5. Share What You Learn

This is crucial - keep the communication loop going:

  • Update your project team weekly

  • Share insights with other change managers

  • Feed patterns back to your SMEs

  • Keep your Sponsor across major themes (just FYI so they can look good in meetings)

  • Document key learnings for future changes

Pro tip: A quick "Here's what we're hearing..." email can save hours of meetings later.

Bottom line?

Don't beat yourself up when your first version of your change plan needs tweaking.

That's not failing - that's getting it right.

Look, at the end of the day, changing information isn't a crisis - it's just part of the journey.

Your job isn't to nail everything in the first conversation; it's to build an approach that gets better and better as you learn more.

That's it for this week.

Next Tuesday we're tackling what happens when your Change Champion Network is drowning in BAU - don't miss it!

See you then,

Team EVER

PS: Someone pass this on to you? 

Nice, you’ve got cool friends! Subscribe here to snag your own practical change insights every Tuesday.​

​

Kate Byrne