Like all project managers, I’m used to thinking in terms of scope, schedules, dependencies, resourcing and risk. Delivering outputs and outcomes efficiently and effectively lies at the heart of what I do. However, there’s a critical part of that delivery equation that can’t be forgotten – the people side of change.

Because no matter how well-planned a project is, if the people it impacts aren’t ready to adopt the change it represents, the benefits won’t land. If its sponsors aren’t vocal, budget may not be found and if stakeholders aren’t engaged, progress may fizzle out completely. People aspects are the preserve of the change manager and that’s why coordination between project management and change management is so important if a project is to be successful.

Two sides of the same coin

Project managers are responsible for delivering the solution. Change managers are responsible for ensuring people are ready, willing and able to adopt it. It’s not a case of one role being more important than the other – it’s about working together to achieve success. When aligned effectively, this collaboration can create a seamless delivery experience from initiation to adoption.

That said, alignment doesn’t happen automatically.

Let’s say you’re a project manager overseeing the replacement of a legacy IT system. Your focus is on technology, timeframes and deliverables. Meanwhile, your end users are navigating a maze of uncertainty, habit change and new workflows. How can you ensure that your users will be ready to adopt your new system when you are ready to deliver it? This is where engaging a change manager early in the process becomes essential.

Change managers can work alongside you using structured methodologies to help plan communications, training, sponsorship and resistance management – not as an afterthought, but as a key and integrated part of holistic delivery planning.

Building the bridge between project and change activities

Aligning project and change management can be hugely beneficial for a project but achieving the right balance can sometimes be difficult. Here are several of the key challenges you might encounter – and how you can tackle them.

1. Siloed mindsets and operational stove-pipes

Project managers and change managers often operate in their own little bubbles. Project teams focus on delivering outputs within scope, schedule and budget, while change managers are busy ensuring stakeholder buy-in and smooth transitions. This separation can lead to divergent priorities, duplicated efforts and even contradictory messaging.

Solution – Break down these silos by establishing a joint planning process from day one. Create a unified project plan that combines both the technical timelines and the people-focussed change activities. Hold regular cross-functional meetings where both teams share updates and insights and adjust plans together. This collaborative approach instils a common sense of unity and shared accountability, ensuring that every part of the project moves synchronously.

2. Divergent measures of success

Project management success is characterised by on-time, on-budget delivery within the required quality criteria. In contrast, change management looks at adoption rates, user sentiment and readiness levels. When different professionals with different skills sets measure success differently, they can pull the project in different directions or even miss key signals about how it is really performing.

Solution – Develop an integrated success framework or balanced scorecard where both project and change metrics are tracked and prioritised. Align on common objectives, such as ‘successful implementation’ or ‘enhanced user capability’ and then use both the project and change teams to decide together what measuring success looks like from both perspectives. This alignment ensures both aspects are given equal weight, rather than one overshadowing the other.

3. Conflicting communication strategies

A project management team will often communicate updates using technical language while change managers tend to deliver messages tailored for emotional and practical impact. If these cover the same area then stakeholders may receive mixed signals, which can create confusion and possibly reduce levels of trust and adoption.

Solution – Create a unified communication plan that reflects both the technical and human aspects of the project, identifying key messages, audiences, channels and timing. Develop guidelines to ensure that messages are consistent in tone, timing and language. By synchronising and standardising your communications, you will build clarity and trust amongst your stakeholders.

4. Resource allocation and competing priorities

Both project and change management need resources, be that budget, staff or time. Without proper coordination, one aspect might get short-changed, particularly when focus shifts to delivering immediate milestones rather than preparing people for change.

Solution – Integrate resource planning early in the project lifecycle. Ensure that the project budget and timelines explicitly account for change management activities such as training, engagement and post-implementation support. Leaders must advocate for and allocate resources in a way that supports both technical delivery and the people aspects of change, making it clear that the ultimate success of the project depends on both.

5. Resistance to change

Staff or stakeholders may resist change, particularly if they are only hearing about the technical aspects of a project without understanding the human impact. Resistance can derail any project even if the technical delivery is perfect.

Solution – Engage stakeholders right from the start of a project. Use channels such as surveys, focus groups and interviews to understand their concerns and expectations, and design change management activities (like training and support) that directly address these issues. Demonstrate how the changes will positively impact their work and the organisation as a whole, and ensure that these messages are reinforced by local supervisors and senior leaders. Build a network of champions within the organisation who understand both the technical and change perspectives, so that they can advocate for the project and create support from within.

Final thoughts: Delivery is only half the story

As project managers, we pride ourselves on delivery – but real value is only realised when our solutions are adopted, embedded and sustained. That’s why I view change management as a critical part of the delivery function, not a separate entity.

At CMC, we bring project and change management together to help our clients deliver transformation that sticks. Whether you’re leading a system implementation, navigating cultural change or launching a strategic programme, we bring together project and change disciplines to ensure you deliver outcomes, not just outputs.

If you’re curious about how we could support your team’s change and transformation goals, connect with me on LinkedIn and we can chat about it further.

By Mark Dalrymple-Smith, Head of Portfolio, Programme and Project Management at CMC Partnership Consultancy Ltd