questions

I wish I could give you a firm answer, but unfortunately, it depends. The planning timeline to work through the Change Questions framework will depend upon several factors, including the complexity of the change. If you have a fairly straightforward change, you can probably work through the questions quickly—perhaps in a week or less. I have worked with change teams who have completed all Change Questions in a rough format in one day. For a more complex transformation, if your team meets once a week with deliverables due the following week, it could take several months or so to lay the groundwork, achieve alignment, and lay out the required deliverables and actions.

You may be wondering what level of complexity your change has so that you can anticipate your planning timeline. No single definition can be applied unilaterally. It is also possible that two initiatives that are exactly the same in terms of the change itself may have vastly different levels of complexity depending upon things like the size of the organization, the number of languages spoken, the level of resistance to the change, and other variables. You and your team can consider the variables and barriers surrounding the proposed change and use your best judgment as to the complexity and corresponding planning timeline.

When you move through the questions, you can consider all of the steps involved. However, if your organization already has an approach that covers one step or if that step does not apply to your organization, there is no need to do it. Also, the size and complexity of the change will be a factor when considering which steps to follow. For example, if your change takes place in a very small department with good communication, it is doubtful that you will need a formal communication plan. You will find that each time you use the framework it becomes easier and somewhat more comfortable for your team to move through the steps. You will develop “go to” tools that will help in all future Change Initiatives.

Since all of the areas within the Change Questions overlap and fold back on each other, once you familiarize yourself with the framework and use it once or twice, you will probably feel comfortable jumping from topic to topic in an order that best suits your organization and the specific change you are implementing. A few of the steps build on a prior step, but in practice, I often change the order of the questions as appropriate. For example, if a major training activity will be necessary and the change team has limited access to training professionals, we usually move the capability-building portion forward in the process so that training material development does not slow down the implementation.

The guide provides you with the following information in a paper format:

• Answers to FAQs on how to use the Change Questions.

• Sample meeting agendas for each meeting.

• Deliverables and after-meeting work to be completed for each Change Question.

• Recommendations on additional people to invite to various meetings

(i.e., communications, human resources, and subject-matter experts).

• A brief overview of each of the Change Question elements.

• Additional areas to consider when answering the questions.

The digital workbook provides you with the following information in an electronic format:

• All of the information referenced in the guide above, plus:

 Copies of the forms presented in the Change Questions book as fillable PDFs for you to complete electronically, print, and share with others.

 Examples of how to complete each of the forms.

It is recommended that you use the guide when your preference is to facilitate the Change Questions in a non-electronic, brainstorming format such as using a whiteboard or flipchart to record your answers. When using the questions in this manner, it will be helpful to have the book available to reference for sample forms and examples.

The digital workbook can be used to facilitate the Change Questions in the following ways:

• On a video teleconference

• In conference rooms with a display screen

• Where each person has the digital workbook on his/her laptop to follow along while the scribe records team answers to the questions on a designated laptop.

There is no charge for the digital workbook as it is included in the price of the Change Questions book.

Once you use the link or QR code to access the digital workbook, you can download it to your computer. You will type in your own answers to the Change Questions and complete the forms provided. You can then save your work to your computer, send your work to others, and print the workbook as desired. You will especially want to share the workbook with others while working through the questions when gaining buy-in, gathering feedback, and getting alignment on your answers to the Change Questions.