The Secret Sauce of Change Management: Harnessing the Power of Unofficial Influencers

After decades in Human Resources, from large corporate offices to nimble beauty start-ups, the core truth of effective change management became obvious to me early on: successful change doesn’t flow from lofty emails or fancy PowerPoint decks. Real transformation seeps into the organization through the people everyone naturally gravitates toward—the unofficial influencers. These are the employees other people listen to at the water cooler, those who always seem “in the know.” If you want your change to stick, you need these people on board, and you want them on board early.

The Unofficial Influencer: Your Secret Weapon

Every organization has formal leaders, but just as important (and often overlooked) are the informal leaders. Think of the person whose opinion always matters in a meeting, or the one people ask what’s really going on. I always make it a point to identify these unofficial influencers during any change initiative. Once you get this person’s buy-in or, better yet, make them a change champion, the rest of the team often follows suit with surprising speed and ease.

Example: The Water Cooler Talker

Let’s say you’re rolling out a new performance management system. Policy mandates and executive endorsements only go so far. If Jenny, the go-to for hallway insights, is skeptical, the gossip will be too. But if you make Jenny an early adopter—give her sneak previews, involve her in pilot groups, maybe even ask for her feedback—you’ll find her quietly spreading positive word. Her stamp of approval is worth more than any e-blast you could write.

Tips and Strategies for Unleashing Change Champions

1. Map Your Influencer Network

Start your change management plan by asking:

• Who do people turn to for information, unofficially?

• Who asks the best questions in all-hands?

• Who always gets pulled into project launches, even off the org chart?

Meet with these people. Don’t just announce change to them, engage them. Ask for input, let them shape the process, and genuinely listen.

2. Enlist Influencers Early—And Publicly

Make your influencer an open and early adopter. Feature them in town halls, ask them to share their personal experiences with the change in newsletters or team meetings. Their visible engagement is infectious.

3. Foster Authenticity

Your influencer’s power comes from their authenticity. Don’t script them. Let them ta