Using The Adkar Model As A Structured Approach For Change Management
Using The Adkar Model As A Structured Approach For Change Management
Using The Adkar Model As A Structured Approach For Change Management
CONTENTS
Introduction 3
Conclusion 16
INTRODUCTION
Percent of Study Respondents Who Used ADKAR as a structured change management approach
In addition to asking participants why they selected ADKAR as their structured approach to
change management, this study also explored what steps participants took to begin using ADKAR
as their structured approach to change management.
Iterative assessements
Participants were asked to reflect on and identify the impacts that they had seen in their
organization when ADKAR was used as a structured approach to change management.
Participants reported on broad impacts and project-specific impacts.
Broad Impacts:
Project Impacts:
IMPACTS ON COMMUNICATIONS,
RESISTANCE AND GO-LIVE
Participants also identified the impact of using ADKAR as a structured change management
approach on communication, resistance management and go-live.
14%
Yes
No
86%
1 To identify stakeholders
More than two-thirds of participants reported using ADKAR to identify the root cause of resistance.
Of those who used ADKAR to identify the root cause of resistance, 90% reported that it was
effective or very effective for this purpose.
31%
Yes
69%
No
10%
Extremely effective
35% 35%
Somewhat effective
65%
Neither effective nor
ineffective
55%
Almost half of the participants in the study reported using ADKAR as criteria for evaluating go-live
readiness on a project.
47% Yes
53%
No
Those participants who reported they used ADKAR as a criteria for evaluating project go-live
readiness provided details of how they used ADKAR in this way:
2 In readiness assessments to
determine go-live
The second most common use of ADKAR in Before the go-live date, we
determining project go-live readiness was the need to have 40% to 50% of
creation of a readiness assessment. While most the workforce [through] the
participants reported creating an expectation of desired stage of ADKAR.
where they wanted the organization to be prior
to go-live, those expectations varied. Examples of
how participants determined go-live are listed on
the right.
CONCLUSION
Research has shown that having a structured approach to change management is a key factor in
having a successful change management initiative. Participants in this study demonstrated how
ADKAR can be a key part of a structured and successful change management approach: acting
as an assessment tool, providing guidelines and other foundational elements for structuring
key parts of a change management program, and facilitating important conversations about the
change throughout the organization. ADKAR is an important part of a structured approach to
managing change in an organization.
That grim reality is no longer the case. Now, frontline leaders are able and willing to take on new
product, process and system launches during even the busiest times. By the time a change is
underway in their branches, they are bought in for both the business and personal reasons for the
change and are equipped with the knowledge and ability to implement it. What has changed from
just a few years ago? The application of ADKAR is now done ahead of time on projects.
As with other large and geographically dispersed organizations, this Canadian bank strives to unify
and streamline customer experience across its branches to better serve its millions of customers.
To do this, leadership is consistently refining and improving their customer experience by pushing
out new processes and procedures to its branches. These projects are the definition of people-
dependent projects as the customer experience comes to life primarily in the interaction between
employees and clients.
Like many other organizations are experiencing today, this bank saw a series of project failures
not due to any technical issues or project management failures but from lack of adoption by
frontline employees. These failures created an environment where managers and employees were
fearful of change. There was an expectation that something would go wrong on every project, and
many resources were applied post-launch to address these issues. It became clear that a larger
investment needed to be made to increase adoption and usage, and so the bank began investing
more in its change management competency.
An original framework was purchased and, though it acted as a good first step down the path of
growing and eventually instilling a change management competency, it was internally inconsistent
and did not go far enough in providing a structured framework and common language for change.
From this first purchase, leadership found they needed something that could provide them with
guide posts for a change project and help them collect information to prioritize their resources
and efforts on individual projects. They needed a robust tool that was easy to use, accessible and
could be explained to someone who lacked a change management background. They found that
ADKAR, combined with their internally developed change management methodology, met those
needs.
People are clear about what their expectations are on the change management side of
things rather than having us come in and say, ‘I hope you thought about this concept
or theory.’ People like knowing what change management is, and ADKAR allows them to
understand what skillsets they need to be successful in it.
Change management and ADKAR has allowed the bank to do “more change with less noise.”
The organization has seen an increase in consistency and predictability on projects as well as
faster adoption and proactive engagement with changes. Leaders feel they can proactively and
impactfully help their people through change rather than trying to force them through it. Project
managers are able to ramp up readiness pieces in advance of launches, and change happens
faster because each person in the organization knows what they need to do in advance of the
change.
People can read ADKAR and dismiss it. You need to get them to actively do it to see the
benefits and impacts it has on their organization. Make it mandatory, measure it, take it
from the theoretical and put it into practical, actionable steps for them. It will be more
difficult than you think, but you can do a lot with it, and the benefits will be long lasting
and impactful.
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