Change Management Readiness Scorecard 2026
Change Management Guide 2026
Change Management Models 2026
Sponsorship System 2026
Many change efforts fail at go live for one reason. Readiness is assumed, not checked.
This article gives you a practical readiness scorecard with clear gates, role based actions, and a weekly review cadence so leaders can decide what is ready and what needs a fix.
Quick Answer
A change management readiness scorecard is a short set of checks that confirm three things before go live.
People know the new standard, managers can coach it, and the system can support it without workarounds.
Use this scorecard when
- You are launching a new tool, process, or operating model.
- You have multiple teams and inconsistent local practices.
- You need a clear go or no go decision with evidence.
What it prevents
- Training completion that does not translate into real work.
- Manager confusion and mixed messages after launch.
- Silent workarounds that break reporting, controls, and quality.
External references for change process language:
Prosci change management process,
Kotter eight step process,
ASQ change management overview.
The readiness scorecard
This scorecard is built for speed. It favors checks you can verify with evidence.
Use it as a gate before launch, then keep it in place for the first four weeks after go live.
| Area | Check | Evidence | Minimum bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outcomes | Success measures are defined for this release | Two to five metrics with baseline and target date | Named owner for each metric |
| New standard | Roles have clear start stop continue expectations | One page role brief for each critical role | Managers can explain it in plain language |
| Managers | Managers have a weekly script and escalation path | Script, office hours, and top three FAQs | Managers commit to a weekly reinforcement slot |
| Training | Training includes practice in real scenarios | Practice tasks and a simple proficiency check | Pass rate target set for critical roles |
| Support | Help path is clear and staffed | Support hours, channel, and response time target | Known owner and triage rules |
| Process and tools | Top friction points have fixes or workarounds with owners | Friction log with due dates | No unknown critical blockers |
| Comms | Messages explain the expectation and what changes this week | Message map and manager talk track | One message per week, not a one time blast |
Internal reading: use Change Impact Assessment Template to define role impacts, and
Coaching for Leaders to build manager coaching habits.
External references for step based plans:
Asana change management process and
Atlassian change management steps.
Go live gates and decision rules
A go live decision is a risk decision. Use simple rules so the meeting ends with a clear result.
If a gate is not met, pick one of three options: delay the release, reduce scope, or add short term support with a due date.
Green gate
- Critical roles have role briefs and manager scripts.
- Support path is staffed with clear triage rules.
- Proficiency checks show acceptable quality.
Red gate
- Managers do not have time slots for reinforcement.
- Training is completion only with no practice tasks.
- Known critical process or tool blocker has no owner.
Internal reading: set sponsor actions and weekly decisions with
Change Management Sponsorship System 2026.
Role based actions before go live
The most common readiness gap is leadership behavior, not comms volume.
Use this checklist as part of the readiness review and treat it as a gate.
| Role | Action before go live | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Executive sponsor | Confirms priorities and stop doing list | Written tradeoffs and a short message for managers |
| Business owner | Defines the new standard and edge case rules | Role briefs and examples of good work |
| Managers | Schedule weekly reinforcement and office hours routing | Calendar slot and escalation path posted |
| Change lead | Runs the readiness review and fixes loop | Friction log, decision log, weekly updates published |
Internal reading: if multiple initiatives overlap, standardize gates and templates with
Business Change Office.
Adoption signals for week one through week four
Early adoption is the time to act. Track a small set of signals weekly and fix friction fast.
Avoid vanity measures like total logins unless they tie to critical steps.
Leading signals
- Manager reinforcement rate for critical teams.
- Proficiency checks on real work samples.
- Friction volume and median time to fix.
- Usage in critical steps of the workflow.
Outcome measures
- Cycle time and rework for the changed process.
- Defects, exceptions, and compliance misses.
- Customer experience measures where relevant.
- Cost and productivity after stabilization.
Weekly readiness review agenda
Run this meeting weekly for four weeks before go live, then keep it for four weeks after go live.
Keep it short and decision focused.
Agenda for thirty to forty five minutes
- Readiness gates status for critical roles.
- Training and practice results, proficiency checks.
- Top friction items, owners, due dates.
- Support load, response times, top issues.
- Decisions, tradeoffs, owners, dates, publish updates.
External reference: Prosci publishes a three phase process with deliverables tied to phases, which aligns well with readiness gates and review cycles.
See Prosci 3 Phase Process.
Copy templates
Readiness scorecard
Release name: Go live date: Critical roles: Gates status: Outcomes defined: Role briefs ready: Manager script ready: Practice tasks ready: Proficiency check pass rate: Support path staffed: Top friction blockers closed: Top three risks: 1 2 3 Decision: Delay, reduce scope, add support, other Owner: Date:
Manager weekly script
This week standard: One good example: One common mistake: Practice task: Top blocker: Escalation path: What we will check next week:
Friction log
Date: Team: Role: Signal: Example: Root cause guess: Impact: Fix option: Owner: Due date: Status:
Decision log
Date: Decision: Reason: Owner: Due date: Who must be told: Where posted:
Internal reading: if comms and resistance are active issues, see
Change Management Communication and Resistance Playbook.
FAQ
What is change management readiness
Readiness means critical roles have clear expectations, managers can coach those expectations, training includes practice, support can handle volume, and top friction issues have owners.
How do I decide go live or delay
Use gates. If a red gate is present, delay or reduce scope. If gates are green and support is staffed, proceed and track weekly adoption signals for four weeks.
Where can I read common change management steps
See Asana change management process,
Atlassian change management steps,
and ASQ change management overview.
What model should I use
Models are useful for shared language. Many teams reference Kotter for leader actions and Prosci for phased planning.
See Kotter eight step process and
Prosci 3 Phase Process.
