Part 1: Initiate and plan
STEP 1
Do your pre-work
All initiatives require some level of pre-work to get started. Articulate the need or opportunity driving the initiative, be clear on the desired results, and start to identify your role, key stakeholders, and impacted groups. The clearer you are in the beginning the better you’ll communicate your initiative and the more successful it will be in the long run.
At this stage, start to consider how much resistance your initiative will face. Common triggers include:
- The implementation of proprietary software within Red Hat.
- Decisions and actions that seem inconsistent with Red Hat culture.
- Requiring people to make changes to their job responsibilities, daily workflows, or business processes.
- Impacting people’s personal lives, such as benefits programs.
For all projects
Spend a few minutes thinking about your initiative and ask yourself: What need or opportunity does it meet? If you’re wildly successful, what benefits will you, your team, and Red Hat see? What impact do you hope to make on the associate experience?
Complete the Change Management Foundations worksheet for questions and tips to consider. Take a first pass at the Change Impact Assessment worksheet too. (Here’s why.)
Additional notes
Standard complexity
Gather the core team to discuss the basics of your initiative, and review your answers in the Change Management Foundations and Change Impact Assessment worksheets.
Less complex
You can probably do this step on your own, with perhaps a little input from a few collaborators or stakeholders.
More complex
Gather the core team to discuss the basics of your initiative, and review your answers in the Change Management Foundations and Change Impact Assessment worksheets. Use this information to help devise a business plan or project charter if needed.
STEP 2
Identify which aspects of your initiative are open for feedback and which aren’t
In an ideal world, all decisions would be open and all initiatives would be collaborative efforts.
In the real world, legal restrictions, the competitive market, media, and time or resource constraints can limit your ability to share information or gather feedback.
In this step, you’ll identify and plan for opportunities and challenges to sourcing feedback on your initiative.
For all projects
Should you be transparent? Should you be inclusive? In most cases, yes. Determine what you are able to share and with whom. Be prepared to explain your rationale for not including stakeholders or inviting their feedback on some (or all) aspects of the initiative. Begin to organize your thoughts in the Communications Plan worksheet. Start a decision log to document decisions, so you can remember and explain the reasons for them in the future.
Additional notes
Standard complexity
If you’re unable to be transparent, you (and your working group or business partners) still benefit from logging your decisions and creating a common fact base of shared details and information.
Less complex
No additional work is needed.
More complex
Throughout the process, make note of input that will not be used due to conflict with aspects you were unable to share. This may require special care in your communication and change management.
STEP 3
Identify key stakeholders
It isn’t always possible to gather feedback from all impacted audiences. This is where assembling a team of trusted stakeholders to whom you can reach out for specific feedback and support becomes especially helpful.
Your stakeholders will also become your initiative’s greatest ambassadors when it’s time to launch.
For all projects
Make a list of your key stakeholders. These are the people you’ll be looking to for additional guidance and support throughout the duration of your initiative. They may include business partners in different functions, connections you have from other geographies, executive sponsors, or steering committee members. Aim for a group of stakeholders that will represent the diversity of your impacted audiences and who will share their feedback openly—even their disagreement.
Additional notes
Standard complexity
Use the Stakeholder Assessment worksheet to identify your stakeholders and track their feedback on your initiative over time. Use the tool to clarify your expectations of each stakeholder and identify how often you’ll want to engage them during your initiative.
Less complex
Your stakeholder list may look less like a traditional stakeholder list and more like a list of people you would feel comfortable turning to for general guidance and support. Think about those who have experienced or led a similar initiative in the past and who would be willing to meet with you to share their wisdom.
More complex
Complete the Stakeholder Assessment worksheet to identify your stakeholders, clarify expectations, and track the feedback they provide throughout your initiative. Invite your project team to review and add to the list to ensure that you’re capturing key perspectives.
STEP 4
Clarify expectations
When everyone has a shared understanding of the initiative and timelines, you will spend more time collaborating and problem solving, and less time debating and arguing.
Worried that you’re too late? Should have started this process sooner? Don’t panic.
For all projects
Present clear expectations about which problem(s) you’re trying to solve, who will make the decision(s), the type(s) of feedback desired, and the timeline for the overall initiative, including opportunities for feedback.
Feedback could include defining a problem, offering potential solutions, or exploring the potential impact. Welcome and consider all perspectives, regardless of their tenure or rank. Differences of opinion are beneficial to your decision-making process. For the best input, choose communication channels that are familiar and comfortable for your stakeholders.
Additional notes
Standard complexity
Begin to use channels identified in your Communication Plan to engage your stakeholders and revise your approach as needed throughout the process (e.g., intranet, email, in-person meetings). Consider a survey to quantify sentiments, concerns, and opinions. Work closely with leaders whose teams may be disrupted or resistant. Equip them from the earliest stages of your initiative so they can communicate with their teams.
Less complex
Schedule a team meeting to discuss the problem and why it needs to be addressed, and provide some details in the meeting invitation. Or discuss via email or chat if your team collaborates more effectively that way.
More complex
Begin to use channels identified in your Communication Plan to engage your stakeholders, and revise your approach as needed throughout the process (e.g., intranet, email, in-person meetings, town halls). Consider a survey to quantify sentiments, concerns, and opinions. Work closely with leaders whose teams may be disrupted or resistant. Equip them from the earliest stages of your initiative so they can communicate with their teams.
Worried you’ll be inundated with feedback? Ask managers or passionate individual contributors to discuss this with their teams, consolidate feedback, and share it with you. Or start by identifying a small group who you trust to provide valuable and diverse input, and meet with them first.
Step 5
Assess risks, limitations, and potential cultural impacts
It’s tempting to ignore uncomfortable topics. But at Red Hat, we have learned that the longer you wait to discuss things like risks, limitations, and known objections, the more time and emotional energy you will have to spend having those discussions.
If you’re working on something that’s historically controversial, be prepared to talk about (and listen to) the finer details with your colleagues.
For all projects
Share your perspective on these topics. Proactively and directly ask your stakeholders for input on these topics.
Help everyone understand the reasoning behind decisions and changes before they feel the impact.
Additional notes
Standard complexity
Document what you learn as part of your Stakeholder Assessment. Review your decision log and all of the worksheets from your Change Management Workbook and make any needed changes.
Less complex
Consider whether anything you learn warrants making adjustments to your plans. Review your decision log and all of the worksheets from your Change Management Workbook and decide whether your initiative warrants completing the Stakeholder Assessment worksheet.
More complex
Document what you learn, as part of your Stakeholder Assessment. Review your decision log, all of the worksheets from your Change Management Workbook, and your project charter or business plan. Make any needed changes. Ensure that the project team and sponsors are aware and supportive of these changes.
Step 6
Build a common fact base
It takes a little time and effort, but creating a central source of information about your initiative will bring many benefits now and in the future.
You can review the information to jog your memory when trying to answer questions about past decisions. And your collaborators can easily find the documents they need, all in one place.
You can refer new project team members or stakeholders to your common fact base to learn about the initiative. People can track your initiative’s progress rather than asking you for updates. And you can send a link, instead of composing a lengthy email, when someone wants to learn more about your initiative.
For all projects
Create a shared document, slide deck, or intranet page that can be modified as needed. Publish the decision-making process and task list with key dates, feedback opportunities, and time constraints. Include a summary statement of the problem and why it is important. Add your ideas, research, and documents, now and in the future. Document the risks, limitations, and concerns. (Why do all this work?) (Give me a template.)
Additional notes
Standard complexity
Anticipate revising the problem statement as you gain input from others. Present some potential options for solutions, and explain that other ideas are welcome.
You can decide how much effort to put into researching options or drafting potential solutions before engaging others for input. Just remember: Don’t get too attached to your initial ideas.
Less complex
Keep it simple. A common fact base should make your life easier, not harder. Even a few notes will help jog your memory.
More complex
Share how you identified and defined the problem. Reinforce the rationale behind the initiative and alignment with Red Hat culture and strategic objectives. Even if your initiative is confidential, your common fact base can aid your communication planning and messaging.
Step 7
Champion collaboration and promote channels for feedback
When people have the opportunity to contribute to your initiative and they see that feedback shapes your decisions, they become more flexible on the details and more trusting of the outcome.
If you are unable to seek broad input or your actions cannot change in response to feedback, then it will be important to listen empathetically to your colleagues’ concerns and seek to understand how this will impact them.
Consider how you will design a positive associate experience.
For all projects
Engage internal customers and stakeholders early on, especially those who may disagree. Seek out diverse and underrepresented perspectives (e.g., geographies, ethnicities, departments, job levels, genders, age groups, etc). Communication channels could include focused (e.g., focus groups, interviews) and broad (e.g., intranet, email, survey) channels. Summarize initial or pre-existing feedback and add it to your common fact base.
Additional notes
Standard complexity
Execute on your communication plan to gather input and keep stakeholders informed. Ensure that stakeholders and other feedback contributors understand the types of input you need and which channels to use. (You may need to remind them throughout the project.)
Less complex
Use simple surveys, 1:1 conversations, or team meetings.
More complex
Execute on your communication plan to gather input and keep stakeholders informed. Recruit a team of ambassadors from affected stakeholder groups to promote two-way communication within their areas. Activate them early if a decision has already been made and you need to gain buy-in retroactively. Seek support from the appropriate stakeholders to assess change readiness.
Step 8
Evaluate training needs
If your initiative involves any behavior change—no matter how small—you’ll need to consider training and enablement needs. It won’t matter how motivated people are to change their behavior (to adopt your new tool or try a new process) if they don’t know how.
For all projects
Make a preliminary list of potential training or support needs to make your initiative successful in the long term. These may change as you gather more feedback.
Additional notes
Standard complexity
Refer to your Change Impact Assessment and Stakeholder Assessment worksheets, and if some of your stakeholder groups appear resistant or hesitant about your initiative, engage the initiative's leaders or appropriate stakeholders for support.
Less complex
Refer to your Change Impact Assessment worksheet and talk with your stakeholders to understand what training or support will be helpful.
More complex
Share your Change Impact Assessment and Stakeholder Assessment worksheets with the stakeholders or leaders, and explore the possibility of conducting a change readiness assessment.
Step 9
Plan for long-term sustainability
Successful initiatives don’t end when a product is launched or a decision is made. If you want your initiative to succeed in the long term, you have to plan for the long term—and that planning starts now.
In this step, you’ll start to identify what support your initiative will need after launch—not just training, but also communications, enablement resources, and more.
For all projects
As ideas are presented and refined, consider the long-term implications. Continue to refine the list of training or support needs in the Training Plan worksheet, as you learn more about what will make your initiative successful long after its initial launch. These may change as you gather more feedback.
Additional notes
Standard complexity
Complete the Sustainability Plan worksheet and revisit it regularly throughout your initiative, inviting your project team and key stakeholders to weigh in as well. If additional training will be needed post-launch, revisit your Training Plan to ensure that those needs are captured.
Less complex
Consult the Sustainability Plan worksheet to help identify long-term needs for your initiative. Connect with any business partners (e.g., Red Hat® University, the help ticket system owner) you will need help from.
More complex
Complete the Sustainability Plan worksheet and revisit it regularly throughout your initiative. Work with your project team and key stakeholders to make sure you’re not overlooking anything. If substantial training will be needed post-launch, consider reaching out to Red Hat® University for support or guidance on how to best meet those needs. And if you anticipate receiving a lot of questions or concerns post-launch, this is the time to start planning your support processes.
What's my role in this project?
I’m leading or managing this initiative.
- Champion "the open way" of doing things.
- Determine scope.
- Monitor alignment with business priorities and objectives.
- Share rationale.
- Recognize contributions.
- Communicate updates.
I’m impacted by this initiative or I’m contributing feedback on this initiative.
- Make solution-oriented contributions.
- Identify areas for potential failures.
- Respect each others’ inputs.
- Understand that input may not be used.
- Encourage others to contribute.
I'm working on this initiative.
- Maintain alignment with business priorities.
- Set appropriate expectations.
- Balance the Red Hat values of freedom, courage, commitment, and accountability.
- Base initiatives upon collective intelligence, including input from stakeholders.
- Give credit where credit is due.
- Explain the "why" and the "what’s in it for me" (WIIFM).
- Deliver a positive associate experience that enhances life at Red Hat.
What is the "associate experience"?
At Red Hat, we call our employees and colleagues our “associates,” and we care about the experiences they have as Red Hatters.
If you are familiar with the concept of a “user experience” or an “employment experience,” that’s what we are concerned with. What is the daily experience of working at Red Hat like, for our colleagues? How do each of us, as Red Hatters, individually contribute to that experience? What can we do to create a positive associate experience?
Think of how often you are asked questions such as, “How was your experience with us today?” or “How was everything today?” when you are a retail customer or restaurant goer. Our goal, when making decisions and changes or leading projects, should be to consider, design for, and care about our colleagues’ experiences, in much that same way.
I doubt there will be any resistance. Why should I do a change impact assessment?
It’s easy to underestimate the potential for resistance, when you are fairly confident that your initiative will be beneficial or frictionless. Consider these questions:
- Have you explored the potential impact, or are you making the assumption that the initiative will be low friction?
- How have similar actions, decisions, or changes been received in the past? Is this a historically controversial issue?
- Are there any small groups or minor processes that might be impacted more heavily than others? You will want to ensure that you understand the potential impact of any proposed changes.
Ultimately, being sensitive to the potential impact of initiatives will support the project’s success. When in doubt, assume that there will be resistance and take a high-complexity approach. You can always scale back some of the steps, where it makes sense to do this.
Should I be transparent? Should I be inclusive?
When you share information and gather input, you improve your ability to make good decisions. Shift your mindset away from "should" and ask yourself, "How could I be transparent?" and "In what areas could I include others?"
Consider these questions:
- What are the regulatory or policy-related reasons you are unable to be open?
- What are the privacy or confidentiality issues?
- What are the risks to Red Hat’s business if you are transparent with others about the initiative?
If your answer to these questions was "little to none," then you should probably be open. Even when transparency introduces risk, look for ways to safely gather input from a representative sample. Document what you learn, to help people make sense of your decisions and actions in the future. And be open to making some changes later, as you discover new and unanticipated impacts.
It’s important to recognize that sometimes we have personal reasons for not being open.
- Are you afraid of losing control of the outcome?
- Are you worried about being criticized?
- Are you embarrassed about prior failings or missteps becoming evident?
We’ve all felt that way. Be honest about the situation, and find the courage to live Red Hat’s values of freedom, courage, commitment, and accountability—especially when it’s hard.
What’s a stakeholder? A collaborator? An impacted associate or impacted audience?
Stakeholders are anyone (internal or external to Red Hat) who has a higher degree of influence over decisions than the average impacted associate. They are often leaders in their team or function, or they hold some sort of formal or informal influence over the initiative.
Impacted associates (or an impacted audience) is anyone (or a group) who may be directly or indirectly affected by the initiative.
Collaborators are anyone who offers support or input, based on their unique perspective, knowledge, or insight. Impact to them does not necessarily extend beyond their input.
An individual may be a stakeholder, an impacted associate, a collaborator, or all three.
Is it too late? I should have started this process sooner.
At times, we will all neglect to follow this process or get started at a later phase. You might have been handed someone else’s decision and been told to implement it. Or maybe the initiative grew more complex than you anticipated. Do not panic. Instead, evaluate your approach so far.
- Did you actively engage your stakeholders?
- Did you look for input on key decisions?
- Did you make any changes to your design based on input received?
- Did you take an informal “holler if you object” approach, because the initiative was small or could be easily reversed?
You may have been following a very open and engaging process already, so using this resource may only reinforce what you’ve accomplished. But maybe there is opportunity for more openness?
If so, use the questionnaire and process steps to determine what work you have missed or overlooked. Let it help you determine the appropriate level of effort and how to best move forward.
Whose ideas and opinions should I listen to?
Even though we don’t all get a vote in every decision, everyone has a voice at Red Hat. There is value in education and experience; there is also value in a fresh perspective.
Exploring diverse, sometimes conflicting ideas, is fundamental to the open approach. Try to focus on the merit of an idea, not the tenure or hierarchical rank of the person who provides it.
And remember to gather relevant data and research too.
Historically controversial issues at Red Hat
There are a handful of issues that often generate controversy and upset within Red Hat, including:
- Decisions, policies, or changes that impact associates, such as rewards and wellness programs.
- Changes to associates' work environment (physical or tech).
- Implementation of proprietary technology within Red Hat.
- Data privacy or sharing of people’s personal information.
If your initiative involves any of these themes, you should likely consider it "high complexity" and make your process as open, inclusive, and transparent as possible.
Why is this worth all the effort?
For initiatives of any size, decisions will need to be made throughout the project. As initiatives become more complex or enduring, the number of decisions tends to increase.
Establishing an open approach to your decision making at the beginning of the initiative will help support transparency and collaboration throughout the process.
When you actively engage your stakeholders in this way, you improve the chances for a well-received outcome; you’ve taken them along on the journey.
How do I design a positive associate experience?
Consider these five design principles:
Make it frictionless: Simplify. Make things easy, accessible, and seamless. Tear down silos. Make the small things work before they become detractors. Integrate for scalability. Orchestrate for consistency.
Champion the company and the individual: Start with vision and context. Recognize each individual’s role in the bigger story. Build the narrative on top of a solid Red Hat foundation. Champion support for each other and Red Hat.
Open, responsibly: Freedom, with accountability. Solving, not just imparting. Progress, not provocation. A voice, but not always a vote. Wide choice, but not limitless.
Dare to be different: We’re no longer the scrappy startup. We’ve grown into an enterprise. And we’re as enterprising as we’ve ever been. We must keep evolving, taking risks, challenging the norm, leading through innovation. We innovate the processes we adopt, the platforms we enable, and our approach to our work.
Contribute to global goodness: Red Hat is the best place to make a difference together. We begin with empathy, humanness, and connection. There is no us versus them. We understand different needs, cultures, and dynamics, globally and locally. And we choose meaningful work based on value, utility, and impact—for our associates, our customers, and the world.
