The Power of Partnership: Project Managers and Change Managers Working Together
Successful transformation doesn’t happen by accident. Projects succeed when two disciplines, Project Management (PM) and Organizational Change Management (OCM), work hand in hand. At LaMarsh Global, we view this partnership as essential: the PM prepares the project for the organization, while the OCM practitioner prepares the organization for the project. Both roles bring unique value, and together they ensure business results are achieved.
The Value of the Project Manager
The Project Manager is responsible for guiding a project through its lifecycle, encompassing initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. Their focus is on scope, schedule, budget, resources, and risk. A strong PM ensures that:
- The project delivers on its technical objectives. Requirements are precise, milestones are defined, and deliverables meet quality standards.
- Resources are coordinated. The right people, tools, and budget are aligned to support progress.
- Risks are managed. Potential disruptions are identified, mitigated, and tracked.
- The project stays on schedule. The PM safeguards the critical path, ensuring tasks are completed on time.
Simply put, the PM makes sure the work gets done.
The Value of the Change Manager
The OCM Manager (or Change Practitioner) focuses on people—the human side of change. Their role is to prepare, equip, and support individuals and groups through transition. A strong OCM Manager ensures that:
- Stakeholders are engaged. Sponsors, leaders, and employees understand their roles and are ready to act.
- Resistance is addressed. Concerns are surfaced and managed early to prevent delays or derailment.
- Communication is clear and timely. Messaging answers “what, why, and how,” reducing uncertainty.
- Capabilities are built. Training, coaching, and reinforcement are in place so employees can adopt and sustain the change.
The OCM Manager ensures that people are ready, willing, and able to embrace the project’s outcomes.
The Intersection Points
The strongest results come when PM and OCM integrate their work. Key intersection points include:
- Planning and Scope: Aligning project milestones with change management deliverables (e.g., communication campaigns, sponsor engagement, training rollout).
- Risk Management: Recognizing that high resistance is a risk to the project’s critical path and must be managed alongside technical risks.
- Readiness Activities: Sequencing project tasks with readiness assessments, stakeholder engagement, and reinforcement strategies.
- Governance: Including OCM updates in project status reporting, so leadership sees both technical and adoption progress.
Integration ensures that the project’s success criteria (on time, on budget, and on scope) are directly linked to adoption and business outcomes.
Why Integration Matters
When PM and OCM activities run in silos, projects can deliver on paper but fail in reality. The system may be implemented, but employees resist using it. Processes may be redesigned, but leaders fail to model new behaviors. The result: wasted investment, missed goals, and frustration across the organization.
By contrast, when PM and OCM activities are integrated:
- All tasks—technical and human—are included in the project plan.
- Critical path risks account for adoption barriers, not just technical dependencies.
- Change management activities begin earlier, identifying risks and building sponsor support before the project team even starts execution.
- The organization is prepared for the project, and the project is ready for the organization.
Starting OCM Early
A common misconception is that change management begins when the project team begins execution. OCM activities start sooner. Identifying stakeholders, preparing sponsors, and assessing readiness are essential before technical design is finalized. This early start allows the OCM Manager to influence decisions that directly impact adoption and ensures the organization is not “surprised” by the change later.
The LaMarsh Perspective
Drawing on decades of experience, LaMarsh Global has witnessed the consequences of underestimating the people side of change: delayed timelines, missed milestones, and unrealized ROI. We’ve also seen the power of strong partnerships: when Project Managers and Change Managers integrate their disciplines, organizations achieve both implementation and adoption—delivering sustainable business results.
Bottom line: The PM prepares the project for the organization; the OCM Manager prepares the organization for the project. Success requires both. Integration isn’t optional; it’s the foundation for realizing the full value of change.
Want to learn more? Explore our workshops and advisory services or contact us to begin your journey with Managed Change™.
