Introduction: why this action matters for adoption
Informal gatherings between management teams are a practical change-management intervention, not a social extra. They create a live setting where managers can make sense of the change, test messages, ask uncomfortable questions, compare local impacts, and align on what they will do next. This matters because organizational change becomes real only when individuals adopt new behaviors, routines, systems, or decisions in their day-to-day work [Prosci ADKAR Model]. (prosci.com)
Managers are especially important because employees often look to their immediate manager to understand “what this means for me.” Prosci describes people managers as communicators, liaisons, advocates, resistance managers, and coaches during change [Prosci CLARC, 2025]. Gallup also estimates that managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement across business units [Gallup, 2015]. (prosci.com)
What this action is and when to use it
This action uses a recurring or purpose-built informal forum—such as a manager coffee, regional leadership huddle, peer roundtable, lunch-and-learn, stand-up, or community of practice—to support adoption. It sits in the category of facilitated live engagement and learning. It is not a broadcast, celebration, or open-ended venting session.
Use it when managers need to translate the change for their teams, when rumors are moving faster than formal communication, when resistance is emerging, or when local leaders need to practise a new behavior before asking employees to do it. CIPD notes that employee voice can happen formally or informally, including through team meetings and intranets, but genuine two-way communication requires managers to listen and act on feedback [CIPD, 2026]. Informal networks can also reinforce old norms or help leaders identify obstacles and allies, so existing management networks are often valuable change channels [MIT Sloan Management Review, 2021]. (cipd.org)
Preparation: inputs, stakeholders, materials, timing, and decisions needed
Before the gathering, define the adoption outcome. For example: “Managers can explain the change in two minutes, answer the top five employee questions, and identify one local barrier.” Prepare the change story, known decisions, undecided items, impact summary, adoption risks, FAQs, and any behavior or process that managers need to practise. McKinsey’s influence model emphasizes role modeling, understanding and conviction, reinforcement mechanisms, and skills development, so the session should include more than information-sharing [McKinsey, 2015]. (mckinsey.com)
Bring the right stakeholders. The sponsor should clarify direction, the change manager should facilitate, the project or product lead should answer technical questions, and selected people managers should contribute local realities. If resistance is high, include trusted peer managers and informal influencers, not only senior leaders. If the change is early, use the session to listen and sense-check. Near go-live, use it to rehearse messages, practise workflows, and agree escalation routes. After deployment, use it to review adoption data and remove barriers.
Step-by-step facilitation guide
Open with the adoption purpose. State why the group is meeting, what outcome is needed, and what will happen with the input. Make clear whether the session is for consultation, alignment, rehearsal, or decision support.
Set conditions for candor. Explain that questions, risks, and disagreement are useful data. Psychological safety matters because people are more likely to speak up when they do not fear embarrassment or punishment [HBS Working Knowledge, 2023]. (library.hbs.edu)
Anchor on the change story. Briefly cover why the change is happening, who is impacted, what is changing, what is not changing, and what managers are expected to do. Avoid overloading the group with slides.
Surface local impacts. Ask managers what their teams will find confusing, risky, or difficult. Capture issues visibly and distinguish between questions, decisions, risks, and change requests.
Practise the hard moment. Use a realistic scenario: an employee challenges the rationale, a team member refuses to use the new process, or a customer-facing team must explain a service change. Practise the manager response, then refine the wording.
Align on manager actions. Agree what each management team will do before the next milestone: hold a team conversation, nominate super users, gather questions, update a local work instruction, or escalate a barrier.
Close the loop. Summarize decisions, owners, due dates, and unanswered questions. PMI emphasizes that change activities need measurement, feedback, comprehension checks, and reinforcement; measuring once is not enough [PMI, 2015]. (pmi.org)
Example: how this could be applied in a real change initiative
A company is implementing a new CRM and changing how sales managers review pipeline quality. Formal training is scheduled, but managers are privately worried that the process will slow their teams down. The change manager adds a 30-minute segment to the existing weekly sales-manager coffee.
In the first session, managers map likely objections and identify two fields in the CRM that need clearer definitions. In the second, the sales director explains the business reason for the change and managers practise a five-minute team briefing. In the third, after go-live, the group reviews adoption data, identifies workarounds, and agrees which issues are training gaps versus system defects. The informal setting helps managers align before employees receive mixed messages.
Roles and responsibilities
Role | Responsibility |
Sponsor | Sets direction, explains why the change matters, removes barriers, and models commitment. |
Change manager or adoption lead | Designs the session, facilitates discussion, captures issues, and tracks follow-up. |
People managers | Translate the change for teams, raise local risks, coach employees, and reinforce new behaviors. |
Project or product lead | Provides accurate solution details and confirms what can or cannot change. |
HR, L&D, or communications partner | Supports manager capability, learning materials, and message consistency. |
Common mistakes to avoid
Treating “informal” as unprepared. A casual tone is useful; a vague purpose is not. Managers quickly disengage if the session has no decision, practice, or follow-through.
Using the session as a disguised cascade. If leaders talk for the whole session, it is not live engagement. The value comes from sense-making, questions, and manager-to-manager alignment.
Ignoring resistance. Resistance is often information about unclear rationale, capability gaps, workload concerns, or misaligned incentives. Prosci’s people-manager role includes identifying and mitigating resistance, not simply repeating key messages [Prosci CLARC, 2025]. (prosci.com)
Failing to close the loop. Asking for feedback and then doing nothing damages trust. CIPD’s guidance on employee voice stresses that managers need to listen and act on feedback [CIPD, 2026]. (cipd.org)
Measures of success or adoption indicators
Measure type | What to look for |
Participation quality | Target managers attend, ask specific questions, and bring local examples. |
Manager readiness | Managers can explain the change, describe team impacts, and handle common objections. |
Issue resolution | Questions are answered, risks are assigned, and recurring barriers decrease. |
Behavior change | Managers hold team briefings, coach new behaviors, and stop reinforcing old workarounds. |
Adoption outcomes | Usage, compliance, proficiency, cycle time, quality, customer impact, or benefits metrics improve after follow-up. |
Checklist for the change manager
Define the adoption outcome for the gathering.
Choose whether to use an existing forum or create a temporary one.
Confirm sponsor, facilitator, SME, and manager participants.
Prepare the change story, FAQs, impact summary, and practice scenario.
Decide what is open for input and what is already decided.
Create a visible issue, risk, and action log.
Include time for manager questions and rehearsal, not just updates.
Send a concise follow-up with owners and due dates.
Review adoption indicators before deciding whether to repeat, stop, or redesign the gathering.
Optional reusable template: 45-minute informal manager gathering agenda
Time | Segment | Facilitator prompt |
0–5 min | Purpose and outcome | “By the end, we need managers ready to explain the change and raise unresolved barriers.” |
5–12 min | Change story | “Here is why this is happening, what is changing, and what is expected of managers.” |
12–25 min | Manager sense-making | “What will your teams find unclear, difficult, or risky?” |
25–35 min | Practice | “Pair up and practise responding to the most likely employee concern.” |
35–42 min | Actions and escalations | “What will you do this week, and what needs sponsor or project-team help?” |
42–45 min | Close | “Here is what we captured, what will happen next, and when we will report back.” |
References
Prosci. The Prosci ADKAR® Model. No publication date shown.
https://www.prosci.com/methodology/adkar
Prosci. CLARC: The Role of People Managers in Change Management. Published June 28, 2021; updated April 24, 2025.
https://www.prosci.com/blog/clarc-the-role-of-people-managers-in-change-management
McKinsey & Company. The science of organizational transformations. September 1, 2015.
https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-science-of-organizational-transformations
CIPD. Employee voice factsheet. April 6, 2026.
https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/factsheets/voice-factsheet/
Harvard Business School Working Knowledge. Four Steps to Building the Psychological Safety That High-Performing Teams Need. June 14, 2023.
https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/four-steps-to-build-the-psychological-safety-that-high-performing-teams-need-today
MIT Sloan Management Review. Use Networks to Drive Culture Change. November 30, 2021.
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/use-networks-to-drive-culture-change/
Project Management Institute. Measure twice, change once: practical strategies for change management. October 10, 2015.
https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/practical-strategies-for-change-management-9887
Gallup. Managers Account for 70% of Variance in Employee Engagement. April 21, 2015.
https://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/182792/managers-account-variance-employee-engagement.aspx