Introduction
Every business leader who launches an important change initiative faces a crucial question: who steers this in the right direction? Is the project manager the right person to also manage the human side of the change, or does this require a separate specialist? This decision has a profound impact on the ultimate success of your project. In this article we give a clear, practice-based answer to the question of whether you should separate or combine these roles.
Building the house versus turning it into a home
The most effective way to understand the difference is with an analogy. Think of your project as building a new house. The Project Manager is the architect and the contractor. Their focus is on the technical side: delivering the house on time, within budget and to specification. The Change Manager is the interior designer and family adviser. Their focus is on the human side: making sure that the family wants to live in the new house, knows how everything works and feels comfortable there. In short, they help them turn it into a real home.
You can build a technically perfect house, but if the family refuses to move in, hates the layout and does not understand the new technology, the project has failed. The same applies to organisational change. A perfectly implemented IT system that nobody uses delivers no value.
Why separating the roles should be the norm
Based on countless projects and research, the conclusion is clear: keeping the roles separate leads to better results. Here are the four main reasons:
- Conflicting priorities: A project manager is held accountable for meeting deadlines and budgets. When the pressure rises, the 'soft' side of change, such as communication or training, is the first thing to be sacrificed. A separate change manager acts as the conscience of the project and protects the focus on adoption.
- Different skills and mindsets: Project management requires strong organisational, analytical and logistical skills. It is about creating order and structure. Change management requires deep empathy, influencing skills and insight into human psychology. They are fundamentally different disciplines.
- Bandwidth and focus: On any project of any size, both roles are a full-time job. A project manager is busy managing risks, suppliers and timelines. A change manager is occupied with stakeholder analyses, coaching leaders and managing resistance. One person cannot possibly give both tasks the attention they need.
- Credibility and trust: The change manager often serves as a safe channel for employees to voice their concerns. If the person pushing through the project timeline is the same one asking for honest feedback, employees will be reluctant. As a neutral party, a separate change manager builds trust more easily.
The exception to the rule: when combining is possible after all
Of course, not every organisation has the budget for two separate roles on every initiative. You can consider combining the roles only when strict conditions are met:
- The change is small and incremental: Think of a minor software update with limited impact on a small, technically proficient team.
- The project manager is a 'unicorn': The person has proven, deep expertise and a successful track record in both project and change management.
- The organisation has a high change maturity: Leaders and managers are already highly skilled at leading change and the culture is very adaptable.
A crucial caveat: even if the role is combined, the work of change management must still be explicitly planned with its own tasks, timelines and resources.
The ideal model: an integrated partnership
The most successful projects do not just have a PM and a CM; they have a PM and CM who work together as a seamless team. They create an integrated project plan in which technical milestones and change milestones depend on each other. The PM's risk log contains people-related risks identified by the CM. Communication is coordinated: the PM communicates the 'what' and 'when', the CM the 'why' and 'what's in it for me?'
Think of project management and change management as the two engines of an aircraft. You need both not only to take off, but also to reach your destination safely and successfully. Separating the roles is an investment that ensures your project is not only delivered, but actually delivers the value you had in mind.
Your action points for successful change
Evaluate your next project: Is the impact on people large enough to justify a separate change manager? The investment pays off in adoption.
Define the roles clearly: Make sure the responsibilities of the project manager (technical delivery) and the change manager (human adoption) are clear to everyone.
Encourage a partnership: Make sure your PM and CM operate as an integrated team from the start of the project, with a shared plan.
Combine roles only as a last resort on small projects, and make sure the change management tasks are explicitly planned.
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