Meet Christy Renier, Consultant in Change Management

Christy Renier is a change management and communications professional. In March 2016, she left the corporate world to go to work as a change management consultant. In January of this year, she launched Renier Consulting, LLC which is her very own Change Management and Communications consulting business.

Christy is just putting the finishing touches on her new website, so keep an eye on www.renierconsulting.org. You can also learn more about her by visiting her LinkedIn page.

1. What made you decide to leave the corporate world?

There were many factors that went into my decision to leave the corporate world. When I was young, I dreamed of starting my own business some day. My dad was a business owner, so you can say it is in my blood. I also saw how hard he worked his whole life and knew my timing was critical. So, instead of going into business for myself, I went to work for a global Fortune 500 company, knowing that my dream would come true one day. Now, here we are nearly 17 years later, and I've been working with the same Fortune 500 company. Throughout the years I've gained a wide range of global business experience and honed my industry knowledge, so I was feeling confident that if I were on my own, I could deliver expert services with a professional experience for my clients.

Next, I had a fantastic support system:
- a business mentor who encouraged me,
- a family that supported me, and
- a strong professional network.

The time was right; the time was now...!

2. How did you come to focus on change management in your work?

For me, there really was no other choice. Change management is my passion because I care about people. And, at the heart of change management, it is all about people. Over the past 17 years, I've worked in a variety of the "softer sides" of IT which tend to fall under the change category: training, technical documentation, project management, resource management, organizational design, executive communications, and strategic planning.

So, when I combine my passion with my skills and experience, I invoke what I like to call the "trifecta for success." Passion(Skills + Experience) = Trifecta Success. So, choosing my focus was as simple as P(S+E).

3. What exactly does change management mean?

Change management, simply stated, is the act of managing the "people side" of an organizational change. An organizational change is when a company takes action to make an improvement in some way, such as reduce costs, improve revenues, solve problems, align work and strategy, or improve efficiency/effectiveness within the company. People can have a reaction as a result of this change, both internally and externally. Having a robust change management strategy and a rock star change manager on your project team will is improve the likelihood of success and the overall return on investment for the project.

4. Why does communication have such an important role in change management?

The majority of the communications roles I have had over the past 17 years were related to change management activities... and at the heart of every great change management strategy is a solid communications plan. Managing the human side of change is heavily based on communications. It is extremely important for leaders to be authentic and honest when communicating with people who will be impacted by any company changes. Employees should feel respected and well informed every step of the way.

Thanks, Christy!