Change Enablement
Client:
Consumer Goods Company
Impact:
Achieved on-time delivery of a system that met real business needs. Empowered Change Champions to lead the rollout and training.
From Resistance to Readiness – A Stakeholder-Led Transformation at a Consumer Goods Company
The Challenge
A consumer goods company initiated the implementation of a cross-regional Trade Promotion Management (TPM) system, starting in the U.S. and extending to the U.K. While the U.S. launch proceeded smoothly, the U.K. rollout encountered unexpected resistance. What was initially expected to be a straightforward system of replication became a pivotal lesson in stakeholder engagement, assumption breakdowns, and the critical importance of integrating Change Management (CM) from the start.
When Assumptions Fail
Despite the project’s early momentum, the U.K. launch was soon derailed. The project team had assumed stakeholder dynamics mirrored those of the U.S., where Sales held primary ownership. However, in the U.K., Finance was the critical stakeholder, and they had not been adequately involved. This misstep led to a significant breakdown in trust, with the Finance team outright refusing to participate in User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
Key Issues Identified
- Misidentification of primary stakeholders
- Absence of Change Management during early phases
- Lack of clarity, engagement, and ownership across teams
- Project risks include delay, rising costs, and eroding trust
Change Guide's Approach
Recognizing the growing resistance, and with support from Change Guide’s change management experts, the team adopted a phased strategy based on the CUSP framework: Control, Understanding, Support, Purpose.
To signal a shift, the team led a kickoff with the PM and technical teams to foster open conversation and re-establish trust. As part of this effort, the team also identified impacted groups, drivers/resistors, and selected change champions. This phase was about confronting discomfort head-on. By identifying and mapping the right stakeholders, including overlooked finance leaders, the team created visibility and began restoring confidence.
With the groundwork laid, the project progressed into active stakeholder engagement. While confusion persisted, stakeholders were now engaged in conversation and listening. This was the project’s turning point. Stakeholders went from passive recipients to co-creators. Meetings shifted from tense and transactional to collaborative and productive. Business process mapping enabled teams to articulate their operational realities, and clarity began to replace frustration.
By this point, engagement had turned into momentum. Now, stakeholders need tools and support to lead the change themselves. In collaboration with stakeholders, Change Guides co-created Change Impact Guides, training materials, and a long-term sustainment plan.
Finally, it was the business teams, not consultants, that took the reins in training and adoption. The MS Teams group became a hive of productive discussion, breaking silos that previously hindered communication. The shift from resistance to leadership was complete.
The Results
This case study highlights that Change Management is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. Their journey proves that stakeholder resistance is often rooted in unmet needs, not opposition to progress. By reestablishing Control, building Understanding, offering Support, and grounding the work in Purpose (CUSP), the organization transformed skeptics into champions.
Key Takeaways
• Resistance = Feedback: Use it as a diagnostic, not a deterrent.
• Involve Change Management early: Early integration saves time, money, and trust.
• Co-creation is key: Solutions built with stakeholders are owned by stakeholders.
• CUSP works: Aligning control, understanding, support, and purpose makes change real.
• Distinct but aligned roles: Project Management and Change Management must collaborate without redundancy.
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