Successfully implementing change processes with data-based personas

Why do we need personas in the change process?

Successful change management is characterized by a systematic approach that follows a clear plan and a structured procedure. It is important to consider the perspectives and needs of all those involved and to communicate changes transparently and empathetically. After all, in order to establish change sustainably, everyone involved must contribute to the change. The success of a change process can then be monitored and further optimized using measurable criteria.

Data-based change personas are considered valuable tools in change managementthat support companies in driving change in an empathetic and employee-centered way. They prevent resistance on the part of the workforce and guarantee smooth - and personal - communication that really gets through. The goal: to accompany all employees individually and precisely through the change process.

data-driven personas represent a group of employees who are characterized by similar traits, interests or working methods , for example. They are based on data and provide information about the individual needs of all those involved. Using data-based change personas, managers and change managers know exactly what employees expect from the change, but also what fears and uncertainties are associated with it.

In the following, we take a look at four scenarios to see how the use of personas can change a change process.

1. promote empathy

In order to save costs, a large pharmaceutical company is restructuring the territories of its sales representatives. Visits by medical specialists then follow a specific process, which the employees document in a new CRM tool. This multitude of changes is met with resistance, especially from long-serving and older employees. Tensions within the team are also inevitable as a result of the new allocation of territories - some employees not only lose long-standing business partners, but also important sales in order to achieve their personal goals.

Especially when several far-reaching changes are imminent, data-based change personas help managers and decision-makers to drive change forward with empathy. Specifically, personas reveal potential employee concerns in advance. This enables managers and change managers to better understand them and address them in a targeted manner: Through the right timing, an understanding approach, demonstrating the benefits of this measure, assurances of support - for example through training, accompanying visits and, above all, personalized communication.

2. improve communication

A software company introduces new project management software. The developers are enthusiastic about the new functions, while employees in the marketing department think the software is too complicated and excessive. The reason for this is that developers use their expertise to understand the tool's functions more quickly than colleagues who otherwise have less contact with software. Other or even fewer functions may also be relevant for marketing in their day-to-day work.

What is needed at this point is a communication strategy that emphasizes the relevant benefits in a department-specific way and training that picks up employees according to their level of knowledge. In the case described, data-based change personas help to communicate the benefits of the software in a way that is understandable for everyone involved. The personas provide information about preferred formats, the right tone of voice and what kind of language can contribute to successful communication - depending on which stage of the change process the target group(s) is/are in. Honest and comprehensible communication plays a particularly important role in change management, as it ...

• ... promotes employee confidence in the change process.
• ... promotes acceptance of change.
• ... encourages active dialog between all participants.
• ... resistance is reduced because all employees feel understood.
• ... promotes motivation and inspires employees to actively participate in the change process.
• ... generates empathy
• ... improves team cohesion - across departments and hierarchies

3. personalize measures

A large care provider is introducing a new electronic patient file system. The challenge: While it is natural for Generation Z employees to plan and document their work with digital tools, older nurses are more used to working with paper files. Employees also have different learning habits. While most care staff prefer to be trained via video format, others expect a detailed and personal introduction to the new software.

In such cases, the development of data-based change personas helps to design measures such as training and support offerings in such a way that they meet the needs of different characters. Specifically, different data-based personas can be used to personalize measures in detail: From the right format, to the structure and preparation of further training measures that correspond to the learning habits of employees.

4. reduce resistance

A production company is automating part of its production line. Some employees fear that they will lose their jobs. By developing personas that represent typical production employees, managers can respond to employees' fears at an early stage and take measures to show them new prospects and training opportunities.

Change works best when everyone shapes it together. It is therefore important to identify resistance at an early stage and to promote willingness to change. data-driven personas reveal potential fears before they arise. They provide information about which measures are used when in the change process, which roles exist within the organization and what influence they can have on the change, for example:

• Change ambassadors: open to new ideas, types of innovation adaptation: more innovators/early adopters, multipliers
• Pragmatic: Implement new things when the benefits are clear
• Traditionalists: very loyal, rather skeptical of new things, need guidance, explanations, exchange in peer groups

Personas in change management: Conclusion

data-driven personas enable employee-centered change management, as ...

• ... potential obstacles can be identified in good time,
• ... they ensure empathetic communication that addresses the needs and fears of everyone involved,
• ... they promote acceptance for new ideas and processes and
• reduce uncertainties and resistance

Industry-specific support in change management
with the Persona Institute

The Persona Institute offers companies industry-specific support in the development and application of data-based personas in change management. Using representative data from more than 12 countries and more than 1000 markets, the Persona Institute creates industry-specific, data-driven personas. This gives companies detailed insights into the lives of their employees. In addition to the persona sedcard, the playbook provides companies with data-based recommendations for action for decision-makers, managers and change managers, optionally with accompanying consulting.