Change initiatives can rise or fall on the strength of their people. While leaders may set the vision and project teams manage the logistics, the real drivers of adoption often sit within the organisation itself: change champions.
These are employees who advocate for change, support colleagues, and act as the human bridge between leadership ambition and day-to-day practice. When chosen carefully and empowered effectively, change champions can dramatically increase the chances of success.
This guide explores what change champions are, why they matter, and how you can equip them to make the greatest impact.
1. What Is a Change Champion?
A change champion is not just a cheerleader for transformation. They are trusted colleagues who:
- Advocate – promoting the benefits of change within their networks.
- Support – providing guidance, reassurance, and practical help to peers.
- Feedback – relaying insights, concerns, and suggestions from the workforce back to the project team.
- Model – demonstrating the desired behaviours so others follow suit.
Key distinction: A change champion is different from a manager. Their influence is informal and peer-based, often making them more relatable and accessible.
2. Why Are Change Champions So Valuable?
Change is inherently social. People look to colleagues they trust when deciding whether to embrace new ways of working. Champions add value in several ways:
- Trust and credibility – Employees are more likely to listen to peers than corporate messaging.
- Reach – Champions extend the capacity of the change team by embedding support in every corner of the organisation.
- Early warning system – Champions identify issues or resistance before they escalate.
- Sustained momentum – Champions help keep the change alive beyond the go-live moment.
Think of champions as multipliers: for everyone you empower, you increase the reach and influence of the change programme exponentially.
3. How to Select the Right Change Champions
Not every employee is suited to the role. Choosing the right people is critical. Look for individuals who demonstrate:
- Credibility – respected by peers, not necessarily by title but by trust.
- Communication skills – able to articulate messages clearly and adapt them to their audience.
- Positive mindset – open to learning and enthusiastic about improvement.
- Influence – natural connectors who people turn to for advice.
- Resilience – capable of managing uncertainty and supporting others through it.
Pro tip: Diversity matters. A champion network should represent different functions, geographies, demographics, and personality types.
4. Empowering Change Champions: The Essentials
Once selected, champions need structure and support. Without it, they risk becoming frustrated, tokenistic, or disengaged. Empower them with:
Clear Purpose
- Define the role and responsibilities upfront.
- Explain how they fit into the overall change programme.
- Outline expectations (time commitment, activities, communication).
Training and Resources
- Provide practical knowledge about the change itself.
- Offer training in communication, coaching, and conflict resolution.
- Share toolkits, FAQs, and templates to make their role easier.
Connection to Leadership
- Give champions direct access to project sponsors or senior leaders.
- Invite them into planning sessions or feedback forums.
- Demonstrate that their voice is heard at the highest level.
Recognition
- Celebrate and thank champions regularly.
- Offer formal recognition through awards, performance reviews, or internal communications.
- Highlight their contributions in success stories.
Community
- Create a champions’ network where they can share experiences and advice.
- Hold regular forums or check-ins to maintain energy and alignment.
5. What Activities Do Change Champions Perform?
Practical tasks vary depending on the initiative, but common activities include:
- Hosting informal Q&A sessions for colleagues.
- Acting as the first point of contact for questions about new systems or processes.
- Sharing updates and stories in team meetings.
- Encouraging feedback and relaying it to the change team.
- Modelling new behaviours in everyday work.
- Celebrating early wins and encouraging participation.
Golden rule: Keep activities manageable. Champions should enhance their role, not feel overburdened.
6. Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Even with the best intentions, organisations sometimes undermine their champion networks. Watch out for:
- Tokenism – appointing champions but giving them no real influence.
- Overloading – expecting champions to shoulder all responsibility without support.
- Lack of clarity – leaving champions unsure of their purpose or authority.
- Poor communication – failing to update champions on progress or decisions.
- Neglecting recognition – forgetting to acknowledge their time and effort.
7. Case Example: Champions in Action (Fictionalised)
When a UK retail chain implemented a new digital HR platform, employees were sceptical. The system replaced familiar paper processes with self-service functionality, and resistance was high.
The organisation appointed a network of 40 change champions from across stores. These were trusted employees, not managers, who received extra training and a toolkit of communication resources.
Champions:
- Ran “lunch-and-learn” sessions to demo the system.
- Answered questions in staff WhatsApp groups.
- Fed back recurring issues to the project team, leading to quick fixes.
- Encouraged colleagues by sharing time savings and positive experiences.
Within three months, adoption rates exceeded 90%, and employee satisfaction with the new system was significantly higher than expected. The champions were formally recognised at the company’s annual awards ceremony, reinforcing the value of their role.
8. Building Change Champions into the DNA of the Organisation
Change is not a one-off event; it is continuous. By investing in change champions, organisations build lasting capability for future initiatives. Consider:
- Retaining the network – keep champions engaged between projects, turning them into ongoing ambassadors for change.
- Developing careers – position champion roles as stepping stones into leadership or project management.
- Institutionalising the model – make champion networks a standard part of your change management framework.
Final Word
Change champions are the unsung heroes of transformation. They are the people who reassure anxious colleagues, model new behaviours, and keep momentum alive when initial excitement fades. But they cannot succeed in isolation.
To harness their potential, organisations must select the right individuals, empower them with resources, connect them to leadership, and celebrate their contributions. Done well, a champion network becomes more than a project tool – it becomes a cultural asset, strengthening the organisation’s ability to adapt and thrive long into the future.
