A steering group oversees and guides the digital change project. Representatives should be included in this group from different levels of the organisation affected by the digital change. It can be useful to include a representative from Occupational Health (for a focus on employee wellbeing) and a Communications expert (to help drive communication from the steering group), although the group should not be larger than 10 people. 

A key task for this group is to agree on the aims, overarching goals and outcomes of the digital change through open discussions that consider different perspectives. The steering group should meet at regular intervals to review updates and communication activities, and to decide on important next steps. A process should also be set up to actively involve and engage relevant employees at appropriate stages of the digital change. Setting up a steering group using these steps can help to promote active employee engagement and demonstrates broad ownership and responsibility across different stakeholders.

To lead the steering group through the different stages of the digital change process, a project champion should be appointed. The best project champions are those with strong communication skills and a good understanding of the organisational culture and the different parts of the organisation. Having a project champion can help to create awareness, engage different decision makers and promote enthusiasm towards the change. It is important that the project champion and steering group have the necessary autonomy to make decisions. This empowers them to effectively drive the digital change forward in line with the principles of responsible and sustainable digital transformation.

A key task for the steering group is to develop a communication plan to ensure that employees are informed about progress at each stage of the project. The communication plan should include:

• Expected communications at all stages of the digital change project, the specific purpose of communicating the message, and the team or group of employees who need to receive it.

• An outline of the key content of each message, the method of delivery to employees (orally, visually, or in writing), and when it will be delivered.

• A description of who is responsible for delivering each message to employees, how the message will be crafted or designed, and what feedback and evaluation channels will be available for employees.

Including a communications point on the steering group’s regular meetings can ensure that the communication plan is regularly reviewed and action taken as a result of feedback if necessary. It is important to communicate with employees through a mix of oral, visual, and written media to ensure that messages about the progress of digital change reach employees with different communication preferences. Moreover, in line with socio-technical principles, communications should use understandable language and sufficient detail to allow employees to make decisions and take action where appropriate.