OCM Is What Makes the Operating Model Stick

When we rolled out a new access request flow a few years ago, the technology worked exactly as designed. The forms were clean, the logic was solid, and the approvals routed perfectly. On paper, it was everything we wanted.

But the first week told a different story.

Managers were still forwarding emails instead of using the new form. App owners weren't sure what information they were expected to review. A few people didn't even know the change had gone live. Nothing was broken, people just didn't have what they needed to do the new work.

That's when it clicked. OCM isn't about communication. It's how the operating model becomes real.

We sat down with a handful of approvers for fifteen minutes each and asked what slowed them down. We simplified the request form so the decision data was right in front of them. We wrote a one-page "what to approve" guide and recorded a short walkthrough. By the next wave, adoption jumped because the change finally made sense in their day.

This is the part of the operating model most teams underestimate, the part where people actually do the new work the model requires.

Small, human-centered adjustments, not big campaigns, are what make the Modern Identity Operating Model stick.

❓Where have you seen small changes make the biggest difference in adoption?

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