This three-part Advisor series delves into a common challenge modern organizations face: successfully navigating digital transformations in an ever-evolving ecosystem. Part I explained the challenges associated with change in digital transformations and explored an innovative solution to those challenges that leverages data analytics and generative AI (GenAI). Here in Part II, we continue discussing how a reimagined change management office (CMO) is vital for digital transformation and look at the CMO “solution catalog,” levels of program engagement, and enablers for a successful CMO.

CMO Solution Catalog

The solution catalog includes a CMO framework to successfully drive initiatives within digital programs. The framework consists of two CMO segments: a central consulting team and a locally deployed operational change management team (see Figure 1). The central consulting team understands the vision and intent of the digital program, performs a GenAI-assisted readiness and risk assessment for the program, and performs a fit-gap analysis to identify which change solutions to deploy from the service catalog.

The service catalog will typically consist of five solutions: (1) portfolio management, (2) capability development, (3) planning and deployment, (4) adoption and sustainment, and (5) assessments and advisory. At a high level, several initiatives are associated with the various solutions/services (see Table 1).

The central consulting team, comprised of seasoned professionals and industry experts, is responsible for aligning with the program’s vision and objectives. They utilize customized, AI-enhanced assessments to identify gaps in people, processes, and technology, recommending appropriate solutions from a comprehensive service catalog. This team plays a pivotal role in guiding organizations toward their strategic goals, offering a well-defined “roadmap” for digital transformations.

The consulting team centralizes change management efforts within the organization. It manages knowledge resources and ensures consistency in communication and training approaches.

The operational change team, composed of locally deployed professionals, implements the interventions recommended by the consulting team. This team focuses on enhancing change adoption and engaging end users. It provides comprehensive reporting and visibility on issues back to the consulting team, facilitating the modification of strategies and solutions. This change team will also enable the program members to drive change initiatives in their respective groups and teams.

Levels of Program Engagement by the CMO

The CMO adapts its engagement strategies to align with diverse digital program preferences and needs, leveraging emerging trends in AI and data management:

• At the initial level (“Guide me!”), the CMO provides basic advisory services, assisting the program in navigating their transformation journey. This includes brief assessments and advice over a short period, focusing on optimizing customer experiences through AI-driven insights and streamlined data processes.

• For program seeking more involvement, the “Help me!” stage offers in-depth support. Here, the CMO deploys experts to troubleshoot and enhance operational efficiency, utilizing tools to identify and resolve workflow bottlenecks, and improve data utilization for more informed decision-making.

• In the “Do it for me!” phase, the CMO takes full control, providing comprehensive planning and deployment services. This includes driving the program initiatives toward successful completion.

• For programs desiring greater autonomy, the “Enable me!” level focuses on empowering internal teams. The CMO provides specialist coaching to enable the program to independently navigate complex digital transformation.

• At the most collaborative level (“Do it with me!”), the CMO engages in a partnership approach, involving end-to-end portfolio management. This includes co-creating future strategies with the program teams for a continuous transformation journey.

Overall, the CMO’s multitiered approach offers customized solutions across different engagement levels, ensuring programs receive the optimal blend of guidance, expertise, and autonomy to meet their unique transformation goals.

Enablers for a Successful CMO

Enablers for an effective and successful CMO include:

• A flourishing CMO, demands robust support from leadership at all levels: executive, middle management, and front-line staff. Central to this is the communication by the leadership team about the CMO’s vision and its crucial role in realizing the organization’s strategic objectives.

• GenAI can be a game-changer for a successful CMO. It enhances the effectiveness of CMO by providing deep, data-driven insights, quickly. By predicting outcomes based on historical data and current trends, GenAI helps in setting realistic and attainable goals. Gen AI can optimize project timelines through predictive scheduling and trend analysis, aiding in setting accurate timeframes.

• The need for clearly defined, standardized, yet scalable processes for managing change initiatives becomes pivotal. These processes must be adaptable across the organizational spectrum, and the team executing them should be adept in various change management methodologies, agile concepts, project management, and stakeholder engagement.

• In measuring the success of change initiatives, the CMO should rely on data-driven metrics. Access to relevant data and analytics tools is desirable. This approach integrates the philosophy of change management with the agility of “continuous exploration,” “continuous integration,” and “continuous delivery.”

Part III of this Advisor series will provide a real-world implementation success story and discuss the challenges associated with creating a CMO.