The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Change Practitioner (Internal Promotion)
2-3 years at Mid-levelSkills to master
- Independently managing communications and training for smaller projects, conducting thorough impact assessments, and effectively managing routine resistance. You'll need to show you can own a workstream.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully delivered 2-3 significant change workstreams with positive adoption metrics.
- Consistently received strong feedback on stakeholder engagement and communication clarity.
- Demonstrated initiative in identifying and proposing solutions to change challenges, rather than just escalating.
- 2
External Change Management Consultant
3-5 years in consultingSkills to master
- Working across diverse industries and organisations, quickly diagnosing change challenges, and developing client-facing change strategies. You'll have seen a lot of different ways of doing things.
You're ready to move on when
- Experience leading change workstreams for multiple clients, often with tight deadlines.
- Strong ability to quickly build rapport and credibility with new client stakeholders.
- Proven capability to adapt change methodologies to different organisational cultures and contexts.
- 3
Project Manager with Change Focus
4-6 years in project managementSkills to master
- A deep understanding of project delivery, scope management, and risk mitigation, combined with a strong appreciation for the 'people side' of change. You'll have seen the impact of poor change management firsthand.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully managed projects that involved significant business process or system changes.
- Actively incorporated change management principles into project plans and stakeholder engagement.
- Recognised the importance of adoption metrics alongside traditional project delivery metrics.