As I mentioned in my post on 4/17, I recently learned about the ADKAR change management model and its one I anticipate utilizing in my future experiences in management and leadership. The intent of this model is to move from the current existing reality to a desired new result or a changed outcome and to mitigate resistance to organizational change efforts on the part of staff. There are many reasons that staff may resist change including concerns about job security, concerns about their ability to understand and consistently operate under new expectations, concerns that the change doesn’t align with organization, department, or team goals, or uncertainty about the impact of the change, to name just a few.
This model starts with Awareness, which can be defined as communicating the clear reasons the current situation is unsustainable and the “why” that a change is needed. The model then moves to Desire, which can be defined as gaining the active engagement in the change management effort of staff. This can be accomplished a variety of ways but one especially effective means is designating change leaders to share specific examples of how the change will benefit the organization, department, group, or individual. Both Awareness and Desire are part of the Current situation.
Next, the model moves to Knowledge, which can be defined as what staff, departments, or groups need to know to facilitate the change. That can be training and education on new systems or processes, as well as understanding how their responsibilities and resources will be impacted. The 2nd A in the model is Ability, this can be defined as bridging the gap between what the individuals know about the change effort and their ability to skillfully perform within the new model, structure, or system. Knowledge and Ability are part of the Transition from the Current reality to the Future or desired outcome of the change effort.
Finally, the model requires Reinforcement to maintain the change effort long-term. The absence of motivation or other reinforcing actions to help employees stay the course may result in their reverting to the old way of doing things. This occurs for a variety of reasons one of the most common is that it requires less mental effort to do what they’ve always done than to remember to use new process. Leaders must reward the positive outcomes publicly, coach individuals related to mistakes or behavior issues privately, and continue asking for feedback to further refine the process.
What are your thoughts about this model? Is it one you’ve heard of? Have you tried it? What were the results?
Art by Nick Fewings
