Introduction: The Era of Continuous Disruption

Today’s organizations face an onslaught of changes, from digital transformation efforts and economic uncertainty to shifting political tensions. Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) report that navigating these disruptions through organizational design and change management is more challenging than ever. Yet, despite the ramp-up in strategic change initiatives, employee willingness to support organizational change has dropped precipitously — from 74% in 2016 to just 38% today, according to recent Gartner research.

Why the decline? After years of top-down directives and frequent pivots, employees feel exhausted, sidelined, and increasingly disengaged. “Change fatigue” has set in, causing many to question whether their organizations truly value them as people. As Gartner notes, 82% of workers say it’s important to be viewed as individuals, not just employees.

Enter open-source change: A collaborative approach to change management that aims to reverse fatigue by involving employees — not just as end-users or passive recipients, but as active co-creators and co-pilots of change.

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What Is Open Source Change?

Open source change management turns the traditional top-down model on its head. While executives still guide the overarching vision, employees at all levels participate in critical decision-making and planning. Think of it less like a hierarchical directive and more like a collaborative project, where the best ideas win, transparency is the norm, and employees are truly involved throughout the change journey.

According to Gartner research, organizations that successfully adopt open-source change are:

• 14x more likely to achieve change success
• Able to reduce the risk of change fatigue by 29 percentage points
• Likely to see intent to stay rise by up to 19 percentage points

When employees feel seen, heard, and empowered to shape the future, their energy toward change skyrockets — and so do the odds of a successful transformation.

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Three Critical Shifts for Open Source Change

Below are three fundamental shifts your organization must embrace to reap the benefits of open-source change.

1. Involve Employees in Decision-Making

One of the first steps in open-source change is welcoming broader input on key decisions. While this might feel daunting — “Won’t it slow things down?” “How do we ensure everyone’s voice is heard?” — it pays off significantly. Gartner found that involving employees in decision-making increases change success by 15%.

How to Get Started

• Establish Smaller Focus Groups: Instead of a massive “everyone’s invited” approach, create targeted groups based on specific expertise or perspectives.
• Ask the Right Questions: Be clear on what you need from these groups. Are you seeking new ideas, critiques of existing plans, or feedback on feasibility?
• Maintain a ‘Meritocracy’ Mindset: This isn’t about voting on every decision; it’s about ensuring the best insights rise to the top, no matter the source.

When employees see that their input tangibly influences the direction of the change, they become invested co-creators rather than reluctant passengers.

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2. Shift Implementation Planning to Employees

Too often, leaders design beautiful, high-level change strategies without fully understanding the day-to-day workflow realities of their teams. The result? Implementation plans that look great on paper but flop in practice.

Handing over implementation planning to the employees doing the work improves the plan’s relevance, feasibility, and acceptance. In fact, when employees primarily own implementation planning, change success increases by 24%.

Practical Tips

• Provide a Clear Framework: Offer a succinct “from-to” outline — where we are now, where we’re going, and why it matters.
• Empower Teams to Fill in the Gaps: Allow them to map out the “dos and don’ts” based on their unique processes and workflow constraints.
• Review and Refine: Leaders become facilitators, guiding teams to ensure alignment with overall strategy while still allowing autonomy.

The bottom line: By letting employees customize the “how,” you get a plan that’s more creative, more practical, and more likely to stick.

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3. Engage in Two-Way Conversations Throughout

Communication in many change initiatives is often one-sided: Leaders or project teams talking at employees. Open-source change flips this dynamic, replacing broadcasts with genuine, ongoing dialogue.

Why It Matters

• Builds Understanding: Employees “getting it” is a major driver of acceptance — they don’t have to necessarily like everything, but they need to understand the reasoning.
• Fosters Ownership: When employees can voice their concerns, ask questions, and feel heard, they become participants in making the change work.

Ways to Foster Dialogue

• Live (or Virtual) Town Halls: Incorporate Q&A segments with a voting mechanism so employees can ask the most pressing questions.
• Feedback Loops: Use collaboration tools or surveys that allow employees to post ideas, reactions, and potential improvements as the project evolves.
• Department Huddles: Encourage local team leaders to host weekly or monthly check-ins dedicated to the change initiative.

Sustaining two-way communication not only boosts transparency but also maintains momentum and morale — critical ingredients for combatting fatigue.

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The Impact: A Culture of Shared Success

By adopting an open-source strategy, you create an environment where employees are co-creators of their own future. This collaborative approach goes far beyond completing a single project; it fosters a culture of agility, resilience, and collective problem-solving that can drive continued success.

Even amid tough economic times, employees who feel seen, heard, and empowered are more likely to stay, grow, and innovate within the organization. Instead of resisting change, they become the driving force behind it.

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Getting Started with Open Source Change

• Begin Small: Pilot open-source principles with one department or initiative. Collect feedback and learn from early missteps.
• Provide Clarity and Guardrails: Let employees know where their voice will have the greatest impact, and where organizational constraints exist.
• Celebrate Wins: Recognize and reward teams that bring forth innovative ideas, demonstrating that employee-led change is valued.
• Commit to Ongoing Dialogue: Keep communication flowing, even after the initial change launch. Sustained engagement fosters continuous improvement.

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Conclusion: A Leap Toward Lasting Transformation

Open-source change management isn’t just another buzzword; it’s a response to real employee needs in an era of unprecedented disruption. By involving employees early and often, giving them ownership over how change is implemented, and maintaining open dialogue, you’ll strengthen buy-in, reduce fatigue, and enhance the likelihood of long-term change success.

At Leap Change, we see open-source change as a bold leap toward a more human-centric, future-ready organization — one where everyone is an active participant in shaping what’s next. If you’re ready to move beyond top-down directives and embrace a culture of transparency and collaboration, open-source change could be your ticket to success.