Tech implementations, whether an ERP, CRM, or AI tool, are about more than technology—they’re about people. The human side of change is often the hardest to manage, and without the right team in place, even the most sophisticated systems can fail to deliver results.

Change managers play a critical in guiding organizations through these transitions. They ensure stakeholders are engaged, leaders are aligned, communication is clear, and employees are well-trained to adopt new processes. Getting the right-sized team is important: too many resources strain budgets and reduce efficiency, while too few jeopardize deliverables and timelines.

At Propeller, we’ve worked with organizations of all sizes on tech implementations and know what it takes to right-size a change management team. To simplify this process, we’ve developed a tool to ensure every implementation has the right people, in the right roles, at the right time.

# Key Responsibilities of Change Management Teams in Tech Projects

Change managers do a lot of heavy lifting to ensure a smooth transition during tech implementations. These projects often involve integrating new systems, upgrading existing systems, or managing large-scale rollouts—making change manager responsibilities both critical and complex:

  • Stakeholder Engagement: Identifying those most affected by the change, understanding their specific needs, and keeping them informed and engaged throughout the process.
  • Leadership Alignment: Working with senior leaders to ensure they are aligned on project goals and prepared to champion the change.
  • Communication Planning: Developing a plan to ensure everyone understands the changes, their reasons, and how they will be impacted.
  • Training Design and Delivery: Creating and delivering training programs that help employees learn new systems, processes, and ways of working.

Right-sizing your team ensures these activities are properly resourced. Whether it’s aligning leadership or rolling out global training initiatives, having the right balance of expertise is critical to a successful implementation.

Related Content: ERP Implementation Journey: 4 Steps to Success

# Balancing Act: The Impact of Team Size on Change Management Success

Getting the right number of change management resources is a delicate balance that can make or break a tech implementation. It impacts:

  • Budget: Overstaffing change managers stretches budgets, leaving less for other critical project elements. Conversely, understaffing can lead to costly delays and rework if change deliverables fall behind.
  • Timeline: Right-sizing ensures that essential change activities occur on schedule. Whether it’s a phased CRM rollout or a global ERP launch, achieving milestones relies on having sufficient personnel available at the right times to deliver communication, training, and engagement activities.
  • Resource Allocation: Properly sizing your change management team ensures talent is allocated where it’s needed most without leaving skilled team members idle or overworked.

# Avoiding the Pitfalls of Overstaffing and Understaffing

However, achieving this balance isn’t always straightforward, and the consequences can be high. Misjudging the team size can lead to inefficiencies, strained resources, employee burnout, or, worse, an unsuccessful implementation.

  • Overstaffing Risks: Having too many change management team members can create inefficiencies, leading to overlapping roles or idle time. This can also waste valuable budget that could be used enhancing training programs or refining communication strategies. It can also lead to frustration among underutilized team members, ultimately impacting morale and the quality of work delivered.
  • Understaffing Risks: On the other hand, a lean team can be stretched thin, resulting in missed deadlines and burnout. Without sufficient resources, crucial activities like stakeholder engagement or training delivery may fall behind, delaying the project timeline. This can also impact the quality of change management support, leading to inadequate adoption of new systems and resistance from stakeholders who feel unprepared.

By understanding these potential pitfalls, organizations can take proactive steps to right-size their change management teams effectively.

Related Content: Navigating Change Fatigue: Data-Driven Strategies for Leaders

# A Tool to Determine Your Change Management Needs

To avoid these pitfalls, using a structured tool to assess how many resources you need is helpful. Prosci recommends that 10% of project costs be dedicated to Change Management costs. As a rule of thumb, 10% is a good starting place. However, to outline your team's resource needs, we suggest a more thorough approach to staffing a change team effectively. That’s where our Right-Sizing Scorecard comes in.

# What is the Right-Sizing Scorecard?

The Scorecard is a simple yet effective tool that evaluates key factors influencing the size and composition of your change management team. It provides tailored recommendations based on your project’s unique characteristics, helping ensure your team is neither over- nor under-resourced.

# How to Use the Scorecard:

  1. Gather Project Details: Collect as much information about your project as possible to ensure you can accurately assess each category, including:
    1. Organization size and impacted audience
    2. Scope and complexity of the technology
    3. Internal partners and resources available
    4. Change management requirements
    5. Geographical considerations
    6. Timelines
  2. Evaluate Each Factor: Assign a rating of low, moderate, or high to each category based on your project’s unique characteristics.
  3. Tally Your Scores: Combine your ratings to determine whether you need a small, medium, or large change management team. For example:
    1. Small Team: Primarily low scores. Fits within criteria that suggest minimal support is needed, likely requiring only one dedicated change manager to handle core activities.
    2. Medium Team: A balanced mix of low and moderate scores. Requires a moderate level of engagement and typically a small team of change management resources to support various areas like stakeholder engagement, communication, and training.
    3. Large Team: Predominantly moderate to high scores. Indicates high complexity and significant impacts, requiring a larger team (often 4+ dedicated change management professionals). This team may include specialized roles or subsets focused on specific workstreams such as communication, stakeholder engagement, and training.
  4. Adjust Based on Context: While the tool produces an initial estimate for you to scope from, consider additional factors before finalizing your staffing needs, such as:
    1. Organizational culture
    2. History of change programs success
    3. Internal needs and resourcing availability
    4. Overall change capacity and saturation levels

Related Content: Change Analytics: Using Data to Guide Change Management Strategy

    # Download Propeller Right-Sizing Scorecard

    Download the full Right-Sizing Scorecard template and instructions here or contact our team for a personalized consultation.

    Download Guide

    # Practical Tips for Using the Tool

    1. Use Current Data: Align your scorecard inputs with the latest project details for accurate scoring.
    2. Reassess Regularly: Project needs can shift—be ready to adjust the size of your change management team as the scope changes.
    3. Collaborate with Internal Teams: Leverage support from internal communications, human resources, and learning and development teams to reduce the change resourcing burden.
    4. Focus on Critical Phases: Prioritize having the right number of resources during high-impact phases like go-live prep or critical stakeholder training sessions.
    5. Factor in Cultural Considerations: For global implementations, consider how cultural differences may impact communication and training needs, adjusting your resourcing as necessary.
    6. Adjust for Strategic Alignment: Align the size of your change team with the strategic importance of the project. More critical initiatives might justify a larger team to ensure success.

    The Right-Sizing Scorecard provides a clear and actionable framework to help organizations set their change management teams up for success.

    "No two projects are the same. The right team size ensures every change initiative gets the focus it deserves, from start to finish."

    Riley Smith

    People & Change Director, Propeller

    # Conclusion: The Benefits of Getting It Right

    Right-sizing your change management team is key to delivering successful tech implementations. It ensures resources are used effectively, timelines are met, and budgets stay on track. With a structured approach like the Right-Sizing Scorecard, you can make informed decisions about your team size and set your project up for success. Remember, it’s not just about having people—it’s about having the right people in the right roles.

    Change Management Consulting Services

    Contact Propeller for expert change management support tailored to your tech implementation needs. Let us help you build a team that ensures success at every step.

    Let's Chat