SPONSOR RESOURCES FOR AN EPIC JOURNEY Travel Tips: Your Checklist for Effective Sponsorship Prepare Yourself for the Epic Journey Understand the business reasons for the Epic change. You can quickly do this by reviewing the Epic Key Messages available on epic.houstonmethodist.org. The better you can articulate the Key Messages, the more confident you become at answering the “Why Epic?” question when asked by team members. Determine how your groups are impacted by Epic. Stay engaged with your SMEs and request monthly updates. Review the Epic website for project updates. Identify potential risks early. Use your team’s past history of dealing with change as a predictor of future risks. For example, does your team struggle to get all employees to training? Are there some team members who may be hesitant to make this change? Early identification of risks allows you to plan accordingly. Actively and Visibly Participate throughout the Transition to Epic Model your support of the change through personal example and hands-on involvement when possible. Make sure to meet with your team members frequently to provide progress updates and communicate your expectations. They need to know you are holding them accountable for supporting the transition to Epic. Be sure to consistently attend team meetings, as opposed to delegating this task. Your attendance and participation will demonstrate that, despite your busy schedule, you are making your team and Epic a priority. Build and Maintain a Coalition of Support Create buy-in with peers and key stakeholder groups. Clarify roles and establish expectations for mid-level and front-line managers. Solicit and listen to management feedback. Ensure that change messages and support for the change are cascaded throughout the organization. Hold management accountable for their support and address any concerns. Equip your leadership team to manage change by keeping them informed of decisions that affect the way employees do their jobs. Visit epic.houstonmethodist.org or scan here: