Plan, align, and mobilize. Once the vision has been established and committed to, the next step in the change process is developing an overall game plan that focuses on aligning and mobilizing the organization for execution. The specifics of any program will obviously be driven by the BPM initiatives in play at any point in time. As stated, the specific starting point and the ultimate journey should be driven by the organization's particular pain points and the value contributed to shareholders. It is also useful from a change perspective to illustrate the transitions that may take place. Exhibit 3 provides a simple framework that highlights the transition from the current state to a more advanced state.

Once you have determined each individual step in the overall sequence of the BPM initiatives, the next course of action is to determine the specific set of change interventions that will be required. Using any of a variety of assessment frameworks, you can test your organization to determine how ready it is to deal with the implications of the impending BPM initiative. These frameworks can range from interview guides to more elaborate maturity profiles, such as the one in exhibit 4. Created by a project team and tested with stakeholders through interviews and surveys, a performance management maturity profile provides a basis for assessing the current capabilities of an organization's performance management and displaying differing maturity levels across varying dimensions along a capability level continuum. Frameworks such as these provide a perspective on issues including the power and clarity of the change vision, the ability to deliver the outcomes and benefits, leadership's roles and resolve, and levels of commitment. For example, is the strategic vision understood, compelling, comprehensive, and operational? Are the benefits in the business case quantifiable and sustainable? Is there a need to enhance leadership teamwork? What communications are needed to build commitment and manage resistance? What governance structures are needed for effective execution? Though by no means exhaustive, these illustrative questions help to shape the overall change program. One of the most important aspects of managing and mobilizing change is governance. An effective governance structure must be tailored to the change program, with each member's role clearly understood by both team members and stakeholders. The goal of governance is to maintain focus on planned outcomes, scope, risk, and priorities. To create effective and streamlined governance, planners must consider the groups, roles, authorities, timelines, and reporting processes that must be involved. Typically, large initiatives can require a sponsoring executive committee, project management office, steering committees, business advisors, and project teams.

Executive committee. An executive committee's role encompasses the enterprisewide activities associated with establishing the BPM strategy. The committee clarifies and interprets the strategy, empowers the project management office, resolves major issues encountered in executing the change strategy, and provides guidance on priorities.

Project management office. The project management office is the primary vehicle to define, coordinate, harmonize, oversee, and track progress on executing against the change strategy. It will align the set of strategic initiatives with the overall strategy, assemble individual projects for each strategic initiative, launch the projects, and exercise project control. The project sponsor, typically finance, should have oversight of this team and it should be comprised of representatives from IT and affected business units.

Stakeholder steering committees. Stakeholder steering committees are specifically designed to help resolve disputes, acquire resources, and ensure projects achieve their objectives. The committees perform administrative oversight functions and are not expected to provide content-related support. Each steering committee is composed of a small number of executives who are knowledgeable about the project, but are largely independent with respect to the project's outcome and can remain unbiased in procedural matters.

Business advisors. Business advisors provide the project teams with expert advice on content-related elements of the project. Business advisors include subject-matter experts from the functional areas who advise the project team on project content. These advisors represent the final owners of the project's results, and as such, have a stake in the project's outcome.

Project teams. Project teams are tasked with the day-to-day implementation of the change strategy. With an aligned change plan and governance in place, the organization can move toimplementation and transformation.