Course: The Art of Change Management Training

Practical Change Management , A Hybrid Programme for Emerging Leaders and Frontline Managers

Your Audience/Level

Primary , emerging leaders (first line supervisors through newly promoted mid level managers) and their line managers
Secondary , HR business partners, project leads, transformation programme sponsors who also want to get practical, applied skills supporting frontline change
Level , Practitioner

This programme is for individuals who will be required to lead or coach others through change management 3 to 24 months after the course.

Design Preference and Format

- Format: 3 x 2 hour virtual live sessions (pre work required), plus one full day, face to face or hybrid capstone workshop plus 4 weeks of post workshop micro coaching (30 minute one to one drop ins)
- Rationale: Short, sharp online builds vocabulary and alignment; The face to face day embeds practice via role play and challenge from others in the room; coaching supports application to the job
- Alternative configuration if logistics force change: One full day online morning and afternoon split plus four weekly 90 minute facilitated clinics

Delivery Mode , Hybrid First Approach

- Asynchronous pre work plus digital simulations
- Synchronous virtual sessions for knowledge transfer
- In person capstone for high impact practice and peer learning

Why hybrid first? It respects dispersed teams across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth while also providing local cohorts an opportunity to apply the learnings. Works for national rollouts.

The Brief

Programme Overview (High Level)

- Objective: Give emerging leaders the pragmatic tools, behaviours and confidence to lead their teams through incremental and transformational change
- Philosophy: Change managing is a people discipline, not a project checklist. We stress human systems, not simply process maps
- Unique feature: A bias toward practice. Attendees leave with a ready to deploy, one page change plan for an actual initiative they own

One Headline Fact to Prioritise

Evidence matters: Prosci research demonstrates that projects with excellent change management are five times more likely to meet their objectives compared with those with poor change management. This programme prioritises those practices.

Two Controversially Positive Views That Some of Your Readers Will Share

- Short, practical programmes beat long theoretical courses every time , practical confidence trumps certificates
- More coaching and less glossy communications please! A well trained supervisor will do more to entrench change than the best crafted email campaign

Learning Outcomes (Behavioural and Metrics)

By the end of the programme, participants will:

1. Demonstrate a one page change plan for an active project (behavioural)
2. Use behavioural 3 core communication moves to minimise resistance and to create momentum
3. Leverage a stakeholder influence map and mechanics for next steps to nudge two passive stakeholders to active advocates in four weeks (measurable)
4. Increase team readiness scores on a pre/post survey by a measurable amount (target: +15% readiness increase)
5. Complete role play assessment: Leading one team member through a role based conversation
6. Report higher confidence in leading change (baseline to post self rated confidence metric change: +25% target)

Pre Work (From Participants Prior to Session 1)

- 20 minute diagnostic survey: current change readiness, typical barriers, personal style
- 30 minute eModule: "The People Side of Change" , a fast theory hit, ADKAR/COM B translated to the front line leader (practical)
- Participants prepare and bring to the day an anonymous change brief that is no more than half a page but no less than a paragraph

Module by Module Map (Detailed)

Module 0 , Kick off and Alignment (Async + 30 Min Welcome)

- Purpose: Align on expectations and distribute participant briefs; introduction to the cohort community
- Activities: Short video from sponsor (where available), Cohort Charter Tech Check
- Outputs: Confirmed personal change brief; Buddy pair finalised

Module 1 (Virtual, 2hrs) , Sense Making: Why This Change and Where People Sit

Core content:
- Rapid sense making: how to read an Organisation's appetite for change
- Mapping the human system: stakeholders, informal networks, hidden cliques
- Quick tools: one page stakeholder influence map; change readiness pulse

Activities:
- Live micro case: small groups map stakeholders for a sample retail transformation scenario
- Peer feedback: two rounds of structured critique

Outputs:
- Draft stakeholder map for personal project

Module 2 (Virtual, 2 hours) , Communication That Actually Moves People

Core content:
- What communications do: why they don't inform , they shape identity and expectations
- Three high impact moves: (1) Connect to individual purpose, (2) Acknowledge loss, (3) Offer next steps
- Channel choices for different audiences (frontline audience; team leaders; executive)

Activities:
- Role play: three short scripted conversations between line manager to team member; peer to peer; sponsor to manager
- Rapid rewrite: participants transform a 'stale' comms memo into a world class 90 second team talk

Outputs:
- Team talk script
- A checklist leaders can use

Module 3 (Virtual, 2 hours) , Getting at the Resistance

Core content:
- Why resistance matters
- The psychology of resistance: fear, identity threat, workload pressure
- Surface vs deep resistance: what to probe for when someone says "I'm fine"
- Rapid diagnostic tool: Your five minute version for triaging resistance

Activities:
- Breakouts to practice your triage interviewing; decode genuine blockers from convenient objections
- Group reflection on what you miss if you treat "resistance" as negativity

Outputs:
- Personal playbook for handling resistance

Capstone Day (Face to Face/Hybrid, Full Day) , Practice, Test, Embed

Morning: Immersive simulations
- Simulation 1: Town hall style briefing under pressure with live interference (surprising questions, system outage)
- Simulation 2: Cross functional negotiation , participants represent different business areas with conflicting pressures

Afternoon: Applied design and peer coaching
- Build the 1 pager change plan
- Peer coaching clinics: by themed starter (communication/stakeholders/capability gaps)
- Final product: Executive 10 min pitch (to sponsor/senior leader) , each present their plan and receive structured feedback

Outputs:
- Finalised one page plan
- Peer/facilitator feedback
- Action commitments

Post Workshop Micro Coaching (4 Weeks)

- Weekly 30 minute individual check in/follow up to address barriers and ensure implementation
- Optional cohort clinics (60 minutes)/peer to peer Q&A troubleshooting
- Mid point progress check in and pulse survey

Evaluation and Measurement (What Success Is Tracked)

- Pre/post readiness survey (quantitative): baseline and 4 week follow up; target +15% readiness lift
- Behavioural proficiency: coached practicum observation of role play, pitch using a 6 point rubric
- Manager observation checklist: managers complete a short form at week 4 validating on the job application (for example, used stakeholder map in the field, held team talk)
- KPI linkage: where possible/feasible, tag training outputs to transformation KPIs (for example, pre/deployment sprint adherence rate or help desk ticket count)
- Longitudinal pulse check in: optional quarterly 3 month for cohorts that are rolled up into larger transformation assessment

Learning Activities and Teaching Philosophy

- Blend of cognitive/experiential learning: 30% concept knowledge, 70% practice
- Adult education approach: Make it relevant and apply immediately, peer learning principles; psychological safety practice
- Methods: Facilitated discussion, simulator scenarios (where available) with micro debriefing following simulation branches, role play with peer/tutor feedback on anchored competencies followed by experiential trial run of those new performance behaviours utilising real life tools

Materials and Resources (What They Get)

- 1 page change plan template, stakeholder map , influence on the one pager
- Course participant workbook containing checklists and scripts
- Pre work elements (an eModule, a few short readings)
- Recorded micro lessons available in an online community for 8 weeks
- Access to sample case studies drawn from cross industry practice (retail, banking, healthcare) , anonymised

Facilitator Requirements and Notes

- Facilitator mix: lead facilitator (senior change practitioner) plus co facilitator (behavioural coach) plus sponsor present for capstone
- Ideal facilitator background: line change experience in operations or HR; comfortable role playing and facilitating challenging conversations
- Cohort size: best 10 to 16 participants. Maximum 24 for virtual only format
- Logistics: room design for capstone that facilitates breakout circles, and practice theatres

Practicalities and Budgeting

- Standard investment benchmark = $495 including GST per person for the core 3 x 2 hour virtual plus capstone day (with volume discounts for cohorts larger than 20)
- Inclusions: ALL facilitation; Participant materials and online system implementation support
- Tools or technology requirements: Zoom or Teams (anything that can do breakout rooms); LMS for pre work elements; diagnostics survey tool
- Locations: Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane/Adelaide/Perth including Canberra. Central location preferably Parramatta or Geelong for regional representation
- Confidentiality: All personal change briefs are confidential. We value internal sensitivity , first please seek permission from the sponsors before sharing

Risk Mitigation (What Might Go Wrong and How Will We Mitigate)

- Low attendance: manager endorsement, calendar holds, pre work deadlines to reinforce commitment
- Sponsor absence: Require at least 1 sponsor touchpoint before the capstone; Provide a recorded sponsor message if unable to attend
- Practical transfer failure: built in coaching and manager check ins can help bridge theory to practice gap
- Tech failure: Pre session tech check for Zoom recordings or facilitation backup plan for all phone based breakout facilitation

Cultural and Contextualisation Notes (Australia Centric)

- Australianise scenarios to typical local conditions: union relationships in operations, franchise networks, a state level regulatory change for healthcare
- Respect geography: Create hybrid design environments for teams split across capital cities as well as regional hubs such as Geelong
- Tone: direct, pragmatic , Aussie workplaces love action rather than corporate waffle

Evaluation Framework (Kirkpatrick Style Adapted)

- Level 1 (Reaction): Immediate session feedback, Net Promoter style question, Average target greater than 80% satisfaction
- Level 2 (Learning): Pre/post knowledge checks and role play rubric (target improvement thresholds on rubric scores)
- Level 3 (Behaviour): Manager checklist at week 4, evidence of at least two applied tools in practice
- Level 4 (Results): Where change initiative KPIs are available, measure adoption/error rates/cycle time improvement aligned with project sponsor. Quarterly reporting recommended

Sustainability and Scaling

- Train the trainer: Identify alumni champions via a 2 day certification programme for training internal facilitators
- Selection of graduates become coaches
- Material library: Templates, simulations for practice from recorded sessions available
- Clear a period of time, say quarterly, for skill refresh
- Community of practice: Cohort clinics (quarterly), regional meets in Melbourne forum, online discussion groups to talk about what worked and what didn't

Session Agenda and Timing (To Be Adapted for Practical Capstone Timetable)

- 09:00 to 09:30 Arrival, cohort check in, sponsor framing
- 09:30 to 11:00 Simulation block 1 (town hall) plus structured feedback rounds
- 11:00 to 11:15 Break
- 11:15 to 12:45 Simulation block 2 (cross functional negotiation)
- 12:45 to 13:45 Lunch and reflective peer coaching
- 13:45 to 15:15 Build one page plan (workshop) and peer review
- 15:15 to 16:30 Executive pitch and feedback
- 16:45 to 17:00 Commitments, next steps, close

Sample Scoring Rubric (Short Form)

- Clarity of communication: 1 to 6 (1 = jumbled, ho hum communication; 6 = crystal clear, highly compelling communication)
- Stakeholder strategy: 1 to 6 (1 = no evident strategy; 6 = clearly defined and realistic strategy)
- Mitigation of risks: 1 to 6 (1 = no mention of what would be done if problem arises; 6 = excellent/specific actions taken to mitigate the risk)
- Coaching readiness: 1 to 6 (1 = no evidence of coaching ability; 6 = excellent coaching and mentoring capability demonstrated)

Delivery Handover (What Happens Post Training)

- Participant action logs: each participant provides their 30 day action log
- Manager sign off: agreed manager commitments to support behaviour change
- HR/Transformation alignment: we provide a summary for the transformation office, summarising cohort progress and next steps agreed

Common Traps We Avoid

- Overwhelming leaders with too many frameworks , it's just three repeatable moves
- Running a training day as an event that gets abandoned 'back at the ranch' , every participant's initiative is in the mix
- Thinking communication equals engagement , we train for conversation not broadcasting

Why This Works (Brief, Brutally Honest)

Because it was built for how Business people work. Short bursts of learning. Actual practice. Manager involvement.

Because change is not in the policy documents. We do it in conversations at the kitchen table, in the morning stand up, in your inbox , we programme those moments.

Because one great manager can save a transformation. Not flashy communications. Not a big report. Genuine coaching at scale.

Facilitator Cheat Sheet (Top 10 Techniques)

1. Start with purpose , always
2. Name the loss
3. Implement the three moves for rapid change talk
4. Map unanointed networks , they are more fluid than organisation charts
5. Run quick 5 minute readiness pulses
6. Coach don't command
7. Develop small wins and make them visible
8. Make the material practical , no more than a page
9. Test communications in role play first
10. Follow up. Relentlessly

Optional Extras (Value Adds)

- Executive briefing pack: 90 min sponsor masterclass
- Advanced simulation day: multi team conflict scenario for cross functional leadership
- Digital adoption clinic: practical tools to land behaviours onto a new system

Quality Assurance and Trainer Accreditation

- Trainers calibrated against standard facilitator rubric
- Session audits: scheduled peer observations/participant sampling
- Review of participant workbooks and templates to ensure they are aligned with best practice

Timings and Rollout Plan (Example)

- Week 0: sponsor briefing, participant nominations
- Week 1: pre work, diagnostic
- Weeks 2 to 3: virtual sessions one to three
- Week four: capstone day
- Weeks five to eight: micro coaching
- Week twelve: follow up pulse and manager debrief

Final Notes , An Open Aside

You can go to Adobe and buy some expensive software and hope that culture catches up. Or you could teach folks to have better conversations. The latter is cheaper and more productive.

Change management so often falls flat on its face because we try and deal with it in a committee manner. Train line managers, not committees. Simple. Relentless. Effective.

Managing change effectively requires practical tools and genuine commitment from leadership at all levels.