The Change Roles That Matter
Sponsor, champion, owner, and super-user—defined clearly
Happy Thursday. This week’s note is about role clarity—the simplest change-management “unlock” that prevents initiatives from stalling after early enthusiasm.
The idea in 30 seconds
Many initiatives fail because roles are fuzzy. When “everyone owns it,” no one owns it.
The framework
Define these four roles (in one paragraph each):
Sponsor: provides air cover, resources, and prioritization
Owner: accountable for outcomes and decisions (day-to-day)
Champion: peer influence + clinical credibility; surfaces friction
Super-user: workflow coaching + real-time support; reduces burden
Common failure pattern: a champion without an owner, or an owner without sponsor air cover.
A quick example
A pilot had enthusiastic champions but no sponsor commitment for sustainment. It succeeded briefly, then drifted. Assigning an owner and sponsor cadence prevented decay.
How to measure it
Named individuals for each role (yes/no)
Champion coverage by unit/service line
Super-user response time during go-live weeks
Reliability by unit (who needs coaching?)
One action for this week
For one initiative, write the names next to Sponsor/Owner/Champion/Super-user. If you can’t, that’s the work.
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