Most organizations say they want innovation.
Then they tell the people who enable it to stop spending time on it.
This is one of the quiet contradictions I see in technology adoption again and again, and over the years I have had many discussions with managers about it. Some listened, and others…well, I guess it just wasn’t the right time…
What are Champions aka Tech Champions*?
*Hereafter mentioned as Champion(-s).
A Champion is a trusted employee who helps others adopt and use technology effectively. They do this because they care about making tools actually work in everyday work. A Champion is the bridge between technology, people and processes.
Microsoft Champion Program
Read about the Microsoft Champion Program here and how you can set up your own: Champion – Microsoft Adoption
 | The Champion is the name of the role in the organization. The expertise is described in the Microsoft Specialization and certification: Microsoft Service Adoption Specialist A Champion will over time develop skills and knowledge within each of these areas. Some may focus more on the organizational development, and others more on the technical competence. However, as a Champion you will work across all these skill sets. |
Recommendation:
Minimum one or two of your organizations Champions get the Microsoft Service Adoption Specialist certification, as this will provide them with the skill set to train the rest of your champions, other key roles and end users.
Read more about it here: Become a Service Adoption Specialist – Microsoft Adoption
“Go back to your real job!” 🤨👉
Asking your Tech Champions to return to their “old” job, is costing organizations far more than they realize.
The project finishes.
The implementation is declared “done.”
And the people who stepped up as champions are told:
“Thanks for your contribution, now it’s time to get back to your real job.”
At first glance, this might seem reasonable. After all, the tool is live, everyone has access, and the project budget is closed.
This is where one of the biggest misconceptions about digital transformation quietly does its damage.
Champions are not a project role. They are a business asset.
Let’s start with the uncomfortable truth:
Technology does not create value. People do.
❤️🔥Champions are the people who make that value real.❤️🔥
Yet many managers still see champions as:
- A temporary role
- A “nice-to-have”
- Something employees can do if they have spare time
- Or worse: a distraction from “real work”
This mindset doesn’t just slow adoption, it actively drains motivation, engagement, and learning culture from the organization.
Imagine saying this to HR…
Let’s try a simple comparison.
Imagine saying:
“Now that everyone is onboarded, we don’t really need HR anymore.”
Sounds absurd, right?
That’s essentially what happens when organizations say:
“The system is live, we don’t need champions anymore.”
Onboarding is not the same as mastery.
Access is not the same as value.
And go-live is not the same as sustainable change.
What actually happens when champions are shut down
When champions are told to “stop spending time on that champion thing,” several things happen, often silently:
- Motivation drops: “Why did I bother learning all this?”
- Initiative disappears: “Better not stick my neck out next time.”
- Learning slows down across the team. Technology matures; and the organization matures with it. Who’s paying attention to tech updates, and make sure that the organization is ready for it, and sort out which tech update to pay attention to and prioritize, and which not to?
- IT becomes more isolated again.
- Managers lose a trusted bridge into real user needs.
- They might even lose a great, smart and engaged employee, as they rather work a place where they are appreciated for their tech savvy and contributions, and where they experience that their employer wants to invest in them.
And perhaps most damaging of all:
You teach people that curiosity and initiative are punished, not rewarded.
That’s a lesson no organization can afford right now, if they ever could afford it…
🏆The companies that get this right see something very different 🦸🦸♂️🦸♀️
| In contrast, organizations that actively invest in champions don’t see them as a cost, they see them as leverage. |  |
They understand that a champion in a department or other place in the business:
- Stays up to date on technology
Not because they’re told to. They do it because they’re curious and invested. And they bring back that updated knowledge and insights to their organization, to help improve processes, update training, etc. and align it with a continuously maturing organization. - Helps colleagues work smarter
Often in small, everyday moments that never turn into support tickets. - Solves problems early
Before they escalate into frustration, shadow IT, or resistance. They are many times working across the organization and can see patterns in behaviour, technology or needs and can mitigate problems before they occur. - Acts as a bridge between IT and the business
Translating needs, constraints, and opportunities in both directions. - Builds future-ready skills and competence
Not just for themselves, also for the whole team. The Champions play the organization good. - Anchors technology in business goals
Ensuring technology tools and good practice methods effectively support how the organization wants to work and the visions and goals that the company tells the rest of the world that they are doing.
This is not theoretical. It’s observable, repeatable, and measurable.
Champions don’t replace managers, they make managers stronger
Here’s another misconception worth clearing up:
Champions are not trying to take over leadership.
They are not undermining managers.
They are not “mini-IT departments.”
They are force multipliers.
A good champion:
 | – Reduces dependency on central support. – Surfaces improvement opportunities early. – Helps managers see where tools support, or block, real work. They can even help remove blockers and enable and amplify the support. – Creates psychological safety around learning and asking questions. |
In short: champions make your job as a manager easier, not harder.
“But we don’t have time for this…”
This is where many conversations stop.
🏃➡️Time is tight.
🏃➡️Budgets are under pressure.
🏃➡️Delivery matters.
All true.
And, here’s the paradox:
Organizations that “don’t have time” for champions often spend far more time later fixing avoidable problems.
Rework, low adoption, frustration, inefficient processes, and disengaged employees are all far more expensive than allowing a small percentage of time for champions to operate.
This is not about people being champions full-time.
It’s about recognizing the role, legitimizing the time, and valuing the impact.
🛣️So, how do we do it? Where do we start?
All above might seem overwhelming. Still, it doesn’t have to be. Even for a small organization investing in a couple of people to own and run technology adoption is well worth the investment. The principles can be followed regardless of if you are a small or big organization. You can even start with just one department, or one project, and build gradually, as your organization matures. Make this into an integral and natural part of your organization, just like HR, or other important processes are.
Follow the guides on Microsoft Adoption: https://aka.ms/BuildChampionsProgramGuide & Champion Program, and the template you can add to your Microsoft 365 tenant for several Champion Management tools.
Tip! The Champion Leaderboard, that you find here (and is part of the template mentioned above), can be a good place to measure the activities Champions are providing the organization.
🤔A quiet question worth asking as a manager
If someone in your team:
- Took responsibility
- Learned new skills
- Helped others succeed
- Found energy and purpose in contributing beyond their job description
Would you really want to tell them:
✋“That’s nice, now please stop.”
Or would you rather ask:
🏅“How can we use this better?”
A final thought
Champions are not a phase.
They are not a trend.
And they are certainly not a distraction.
They are one of the clearest signals that an organization is serious about learning, collaboration, and long-term value creation.
So the next time a project ends, instead of saying:
“Go back to work.”
Try saying:
“Let’s figure out how we keep this competence alive.”💡
Your people, your business and your baseline, will thank you for it!
Images in this blog post are for the most part created using Microsoft Copilot or Microsoft Copilot Create.