--- title: Top 5 Actions for Managing Change Risk description: Top 5 Actions for Managing Change Risk image: https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/image_banner_for_blog.png --- [![Changefirst_logo_Hubspot.png](https://blog.changefirst.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo/Changefirst_logo_Hubspot.png?width=174&height=61&name=Changefirst_logo_Hubspot.png "Changefirst_logo_Hubspot.png")](http://www.changefirst.com) [Contact us](https://changefirst.com/contact-us) [+44 (0) 1444 450777](tel:+44-0-1444-450777) [Solutions](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-solutions) ### Solutions Change Management Solutions matched to your specific business needs. #### [![orgainizations](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/orgainizations.jpeg) For Organizations Engage more of your people in change with a cost effective and scalable solution that builds sustainable capability.](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-solutions/organisations) #### [![consulting-firms](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/consulting-firms.jpeg) For Consulting Teams Digitalize and differentiate your Change Management practice, quickly on-board new hires and create ‘sticky’ client relationships](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-solutions/consulting-firms) #### [![change professionals](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/change%20professionals.jpeg) For Change & Project Experts Deliver strategic projects, support Executives through continuous change and add new tools, skills and Certification to your playbook](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-solutions/change-and-project-professionals) #### [![technology companies](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/technology%20companies.jpeg) For Technology Companies Take advantage of the missing ingredient in your Adoption Services model. 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digital OCM platform](https://www.changefirst.com/change-management-products/roadmap-pro) Training [Leaders, Heads of Business & Steering Teams](https://www.changefirst.com/training/executive) [Change, Project and Internal development professionals](https://www.changefirst.com/training/change-agent) [Line Managers, local teams, HRBPs & Communication Experts](https://www.changefirst.com/training/manager-and-local-teams) [Employees, large groups & accidental/new change agents](https://www.changefirst.com/training/on-demand-individual) [Project and Programme Managers (Introductory)](https://www.changefirst.com/training/change-projects-introductory) [Project and Programme Managers (Intermediate)](https://www.changefirst.com/training/change-projects-intermediate) [Train-the-Trainer](https://www.changefirst.com/training/train-the-trainer) [Content licensing](https://www.changefirst.com/training/content-licensing) [Certification](https://www.changefirst.com/training/certification) [Application Coaching and Consulting](https://www.changefirst.com/training/application-coaching-and-consulting) Methodologies [PCI® - People - Centred Implementation](https://www.changefirst.com/methodologies/pci) [PAI – Personal Adaptability Inventory PCI®](https://www.changefirst.com/methodologies/pai) Resources [Whitepapers](https://www.changefirst.com/resources) [Videos](https://www.changefirst.com/resources#videos) [Blogs](https://blog.changefirst.com/) [About us](https://www.changefirst.com/about-us) [Contact](https://www.changefirst.com/contact-us) # [Welcome to the Changefirst Blog](https://blog.changefirst.com) # Top 5 Actions for Managing Change Risk Posted by [David Miller](https://blog.changefirst.com/author/david-miller) *By David Miller, CEO, [Changefirst](http://www.changefirst.com)* ![5 actions for managing change risk](https://blog.changefirst.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/image_banner_for_blog.png?width=575&height=200&name=image_banner_for_blog.png "managing risk") Recently I spoke to a group of project managers about change management. We discussed what change data can actually tell you about change projects. And, in particular, what does it tell you about the risks to project success and how can they potentially be managed better. I presented data we have collected from our Initiative Legacy Assessment (ILA) tool. This is a substantial database that we have been collecting through our e-change portal since 2007. It examines the history of change projects and what change leaders can learn from past implementations that can applied in new projects. It's probably our most used tool. Anyway, for those of you interested the TOP 5 ACTIONS I presented (based on the risks the ILA identified) are: 1. Reward and recognise people for their contribution to change 2. Increase the involvement of people impacted by the change 3. Engage with informal influencers across the organization 4. Help middle and front line managers to role model the change that is required 5. Increase visibility of the actual solution and plan to the organization Interestingly the top five actions are mostly about influence and soft skills. In particular I think they are all actions that change agents can achieve with support from sponsors. So no one is saying "I'm worried we don't have a communication plan" but rather it's the actions that help them build commitment that are missing. One of the interesting observations from the audience was that some of the data seemed to be counter to what we had learned about change when we engage in conversations with project leaders or change leaders. For example, executives don't take the 'right' actions to ensure change happens. This could, of course, mean the data is not accurate or more likely it means that the risks in change projects are more nuanced than our discussions allow and/or we have built a mythology around change that self-perpetuates through the narratives we use to describe change projects. In reality, for organizational change agents I'm not sure it really matters. What seems important is that organizations use tools to diagnose their own change risks and have change agents who are skilled in interpretation and actioning of those outputs. It's a project by project process. In the current review of our analytics we are noticing that commitment levels can be increased by the end of projects. More about that in a future blog. --- | [**Sign up to a 14-day FREE Trial today**](http://www.changefirst.com/e-change-free-trial) for Changefirst's enterprise change management platform -[e-change](http://www.changefirst.com/e-change)®. With it’s online skill building, comprehensive change planner, change diagnostics toolkit and collaborative tools you can be sure you will be able to apply change tools and techniques to projects and build your change skills and attributes. | | --- | ![David Miller](https://blog.changefirst.com/hubfs/David%20200x200.png) Posted by [David Miller](https://blog.changefirst.com/author/david-miller) David Miller is the Chairman and Founder of Changefirst, a global training and consulting organisation which specialises in Organisational Change Management. He has helped organisations successfully implement major change for the last 25 years. Initially as a Senior Executive for American Express and more recently with clients ranging from HSBC, BT, Roche Pharmaceuticals and The Linde Group. David was a regular speaker at a range of Change and Transformation events globally on key industry themes including Agile Change Management and the use of digital in Change Management. Find me on: [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-miller-changefirst/) Tags: [change management](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/change-management), [CEO Viewpoint](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/ceo-viewpoint), [change agent](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/change-agent), [change communication](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/change-communication), [Change sponsors](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/change-sponsors), [Change toolkit](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/change-toolkit), [Front line managers](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/front-line-managers), [Leadership](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/leadership), [Middle managers](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/middle-managers), [Project managers](https://blog.changefirst.com/topic/project-managers) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ### Leave a comment Search Blog ### Keep me updated ### Recent Posts ### SHARE THE BLOG ### Posts by Tag [![](https://changefirst.com/images/Icons/Social_LI.svg)](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/changefirst) [![](https://changefirst.com/images/Icons/Social_TW.svg)](https://twitter.com/Changefirst) [![](https://changefirst.com/images/Icons/Social_VM.svg)](https://vimeo.com/changefirst) [![](https://changefirst.com/images/Icons/Social_FB.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/Changefirst-129807110363683/) [Website T&Cs](https://info.changefirst.com/website-tcs)    |     [Security Policy](https://info.changefirst.com/security-statement)    |     [Privacy Policy](https://info.changefirst.com/privacy-policy)    |     [Cookie Policy](https://info.changefirst.com/cookie-policy)