How HR Leaders Can Embrace Their Role as Change Champions

As SHRM’s CHRO and a lifelong HR professional, I’ve seen firsthand how HR leaders drive meaningful change across organizations. I’ve also watched the list of obstacles preventing them from doing so effectively grow longer over time.

Change is accelerating faster than most leaders are ready to accept. Between 2019 and 2023 alone, the rate of change affecting businesses jumped 183%, according to Accenture. Growing economic and financial pressures continue to constrain stretched teams. And let’s not forget: Humans are hardwired to resist change, making even necessary shifts difficult to embrace.

Still, HR leaders remain unfettered. They know effective change management drives employee trust, strengthens engagement, and supports business continuity. Today, nearly one-third of CHROs (30%) cite organization design and change management as a top priority, according to SHRM’s CHRO Priorities and Perspectives report.

But leading transformation isn’t easy. With more disruption ahead, HR leaders must step up and step into their role as change champions. Let’s start by acknowledging what gets in the way.

Closing the Leadership Gap to Drive Change

One of the most common mistakes leaders make is failing to share the destination or define success. Skipping this step often leads to resistance, which causes 39% of transformations to fail, according to McKinsey & Company.

Consider this: There are two ways to go for a drive. You can get behind the wheel knowing where you’re going and why — or you can just drive. Most of us wouldn’t even get in the car without a destination. The same goes for change. People are far more willing to engage when they understand what’s in it for them.

Another pitfall is under-communicating the change. When paired with limited stakeholder buy-in or assigning ownership to one person or group, the odds of success shrink quickly.

The good news? HR leaders are well-positioned to close the gap.

Ensuring Your Culture Supports Transformation

An effective change starts with a strong culture. Before taking action, set your culture up for success. 

Think of your culture as a four-legged stool. Each leg represents a key element that keeps your culture balanced and able to support sustainable outcomes.

1. A culture of learning.
2. A culture of innovation.
3. A culture of collaboration.
4. A culture of inclusion.

If you get those four legs right, the employee sitting on that stool will feel like they work in a culture of care. And that matters — because employees who believe they’re cared for are far more likely to engage and navigate change with you.

How to Lead a Smooth Transformation Effort

Change will naturally feel overwhelming, but it becomes more manageable with a solid framework. SHRM recommends eight essential steps to guide your efforts:

1. Create a sense of urgency.
2. Build a guiding coalition.
3. Form a strategic vision and initiatives.
4. Enlist a volunteer army.
5. Enable action by removing barriers.
6. Generate short-term wins.
7. Sustain acceleration.
8. Institute change.

Obstacles can pop up anytime, but a few optimizations can smoothen the process.

Assemble strong stakeholders. Gather your critical thinkers, doers, and domain experts, and ensure everyone knows their role in addressing change.

Know thy workforce. Be clear on who makes up your workforce and what’s needed (such as upskilling, reskilling, or hiring) for change to succeed.

Begin with the end. Communicate the destination first — the positive or accretive value the change will bring the organization — and then get into the logistics.

Frame change as progress. Position change as a natural evolution versus a reaction, explaining how it strengthens the organization’s longevity.

Be intentionally transparent. Transparency is tantamount to effective change but must be planned and purposeful. Announcing change too early can cause unnecessary alarm. Tools such as a Gantt chart can help you stage your communication and optimize delivery.

Communicate often. Keep communicating change — even when it feels like you’ve said it five times. (Five times may still not be enough.)

Establish feedback loops. Invite feedback and use it to refine your strategy. Many smart voices provide feedback that can create better business outcomes.

HR's Future-Forward Trajectory

Change is inevitable — but managing it well can mean the difference between surviving and thriving. Successful change management can help retain critical employees, engage your workforce, and bolster operational agility. If you nail it, you could see a positive impact on customers, translated into higher net promoter score or stronger loyalty.

From my perspective, HR is uniquely positioned to lead transformation. HR leaders are change agents by nature. They understand the value and necessity of change, can guide the organization through change, and can support employees practically and emotionally.

Navigating change won’t happen overnight and requires gumption and ongoing development. But with the right mindset and approach, change can elevate and future-proof organizations, and I’d implore HR leaders to take their place at the forefront.