Change Management for Field and Back Office Teams in the Energy Sector
Digital transformation in the energy sector is picking up speed. With regulations tightening, decarbonisation goals becoming more urgent and infrastructure showing its age, the need for change is clear. But even with significant investment in new systems and tools, many transformation efforts still fall short.
Why? Because people often get left out of the picture.
This piece explores a more human approach to change. One that starts with empathy, focuses on behaviour and brings field and back-office teams into the heart of the journey. Based on years of hands-on experience, I share what it really takes to make transformation stick and feel meaningful.
Transformation Starts with People
It is easy to think of digital transformation as a technology project. But systems do not change organisations, people do, especially in high-stakes environments like energy, where safety, precision and trust are essential.
The research backs this up. Whether it is McKinsey, Prosci, or the World Economic Forum, the message is consistent. The biggest blockers to change are not technical. They are cultural, behavioural and rooted in trust.
So let us shift the conversation. This is not just about rolling out new tools, it is about helping people work differently and better, in ways that make sense to them.
Understanding the Realities of Work
Field teams often work in unpredictable and sometimes risky environments. They need tools that are reliable, mobile friendly and designed to support their independence. If they are sceptical, it is usually because they have seen technology fail them before.
Back-office teams are managing compliance, data and planning across disconnected systems. What they want is clarity, integration and less friction in their daily work.
Leaders and sponsors are responsible for delivering results while keeping operations steady. They need to see real adoption, not just implementation and they need a story that connects strategy with reality.
If we do not design with these different needs in mind, even the best tools can end up unused.
What Gets in the Way
Even with better access to digital tools, many organisations get stuck in endless pilots. People are often worn out from previous transformation efforts. There are concerns about job security or being monitored. Training does not always reflect the actual work people do. Tools sometimes do not fit into existing workflows and often, there is just not enough clarity about why the change is happening.
These are not just technical problems. They are human ones. And they need to be met with empathy, structure and a deep understanding of how people experience change.
A More Human Way to Deliver Change
A people first approach starts with listening. Spend time with teams, from depots to boardrooms, to understand how work really happens. Use that insight to design tools that support rather than disrupt.
Bring people into the process. When frontline teams help shape the tools they will use, they are more likely to trust and adopt them. Co-creation builds ownership.
Do not try to do everything at once. Deliver in small, manageable steps. Test, learn and adapt. This keeps momentum going and ensures the tools evolve with the people using them.
Make training relevant. Embed it in real workflows. Use peer coaching and just in time resources to build confidence and capability.
And finally, tell a story that resonates. Build governance that supports trust and alignment. Focus on what really matters such as how people are using the tools, how they feel about them and what outcomes they are achieving.
Human Centred delivery in action
In the Control Room transformation, we focused on people from the start. We identified how the change would affect field teams, back-office staff and senior leaders. Field teams needed tools that worked in unpredictable environments and supported their independence. Back-office teams wanted clarity and less friction. Leaders needed confidence in adoption and a clear link between strategy and outcomes.
We engaged early by spending time with each group to understand their work. We brought them into the design process through workshops and prototyping. This helped shape tools that felt relevant and built trust.
Training was embedded in real work with peer support to build confidence. We shared stories that connected the change to safety efficiency and sustainability.
This approach reflected the article’s key points. Leading with empathy focused on behaviour and made people part of the journey. Adoption became meaningful because people felt seen supported and involved
Lessons for Leaders
Empathy is powerful. Take time to understand how your people work. Adoption is the real goal. It is not about what you deliver, it is about what gets used. Support needs to be tailored, because one size fits all training rarely works. Celebrate the small wins because they build belief and momentum. Make it relatable, people connect with stories, not strategies.
People Power Transformation
At its core, digital transformation is not about systems. It is about habits and habits only change when people feel seen, supported and involved.
When we put people at the centre, transformation becomes something we build together. It becomes more than possible, it becomes meaningful
By Louise Harper
Louise Harper is Head of Delivery at Skewb. To speak with her about this topic in more detail, you can connect with her on LinkedIn.
