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Knowledge Train

Change management: models, steps, and best practices

Change management is a structured approach to transitioning organisations, teams, or individuals from a current state to a desired future state. This guide explains core principles, leading frameworks, challenges, and actionable best practices for successful organisational change.
Change management: models, steps, and best practices
Contents

What is change management?

Change management refers to the systematic process of planning, implementing, and overseeing organisational changes to achieve desired business outcomes.

Change management encompasses strategies, techniques, and tools that help organisations prepare for, execute, and sustain change, whether related to processes, technologies, culture, or organisational structure.

Effective change management seeks to minimise disruption, address resistance to change, and strengthen engagement among all stakeholders.

Importance of change management

Organisational change is inevitable as businesses adapt to evolving markets, technologies, and regulations. By using structured frameworks and engaging leadership, organisations can minimise risks, foster innovation, and achieve sustainable success.

Effective change management ensures smooth transitions, maintains productivity during transformation, increases return on investment, and supports employee engagement.

Here are some reasons why change management is important.

External factors

External factors play a big role in organisational change. Globalisation and the rapid developments in new digital solutions are forcing organisations to respond. Ignoring such external factors is likely to jeopardise your organisation’s success.

Nokia was once the biggest mobile phone company in the world, but it almost went out of business. That’s because it didn’t keep up with changes in mobile technologies. As a result, Nokia’s products didn’t appeal to consumers, and its market share rapidly declined.

Making ideas succeed

Many organisations use change management methodologies to enable ideas to succeed. Working alongside project managers who deliver new capabilities into an organisation, change managers and change agents help ensure staff are able to fully utilise the new capabilities.

Enabling cross-functional changes

Almost every functional unit within a modern organisation relies on change management to enable it to:

  • Align the change plan to the business’s overall strategy.
  • Improve internal and external services and requests.
  • Track and resolve issues.

Engaging people with the change process

A key part of managing change in an organisation is to engage those people affected by a change initiative. Staff will be involved in the change process eventually, therefore communicating and engaging with staff about a change plan early helps lay the groundwork for its later success.

Preparing for organisational transition

Change managers are often appointed to make organisational change go smoothly. They use change management frameworks to make changes such as:

  • Restructuring job roles.
  • Restructuring business processes.
  • Implementing new technologies.

Decreasing resistance to a change initiative

Resistance is inevitable in any change initiative because people often find it unsettling being asked to work in new and different ways. So, change managers can often expect a denial reaction from staff. It takes time to overcome those reactions. When change managers are transparent from day one, the less resistance they are likely to face.

Improving performance and productivity

When an organisation adapts improved ways of working, it tends to increase productivity. At the same time, it encourages innovation. As a result, it guarantees improved performance and places an organisation in a healthier environment better able to succeed.

Reducing costs

When positive change is applied correctly, it helps to reduce waste and therefore reduce costs. Effective change management helps an organisation make smart choices. It increases productivity, decreases risks, and helps to improve the profitability of an organisation.

Change management principles

  • Clear communication: Ensure transparency and regular updates throughout the process.
  • Leadership involvement: Leaders must champion change and encourage desired behaviours.
  • Stakeholder engagement: Involve and listen to those affected by the change.
  • Process improvement: Focus on refining and optimising business processes.
  • Proactive risk management: Identify, assess, and mitigate potential challenges.
  • Continuous feedback and adaptation: Monitor outcomes and adjust strategies where necessary.

Change management processes

  1. Identify the need for change: Recognise drivers such as technological advancements, market shifts, or process inefficiencies.
  2. Define the vision and objectives: Set clear goals for what the change will achieve.
  3. Engage stakeholders: Involve key groups early to build support and address concerns.
  4. Develop a change management plan: Outline actions, timelines, resources, and communication strategies.
  5. Implement the change: Launch the initiative, ensuring leadership guidance and active support from change agents.
  6. Manage resistance to change: Identify the sources of resistance and address them through communication and support.
  7. Monitor progress and reinforce: Use metrics to track success and celebrate milestones.
  8. Sustain change: Embed new ways of working into culture and practices for lasting results.

Change management frameworks

Several change management frameworks guide organisations through transitions. The most prominent include:

Kotter’s 8-Step Process

  1. Establish a sense of urgency
  2. Form a guiding coalition
  3. Create a vision for change
  4. Communicate the vision
  5. Empower broad-based action
  6. Generate short-term wins
  7. Consolidate gains and produce more change
  8. Anchor new approaches in the culture

Example: A retailer launching a new digital platform began with urgency around changing customer expectations, formed a cross-functional team, communicated a compelling vision, and celebrated early improvements to build momentum.

Lewin’s Change Model

  • Unfreeze: Prepare the organisation to accept change by challenging the status quo.
  • Change: Transition through adoption of new behaviours and processes.
  • Refreeze: Stabilise the organisation by embedding changes into everyday practice.

Example: A manufacturer seeking to improve quality first destabilised old habits, implemented new protocols, then reinforced behaviours through training and recognition.

ADKAR model

  • Awareness of the need for change
  • Desire to support the change
  • Knowledge of how to change
  • Ability to implement change
  • Reinforcement to sustain change

Example: In a software roll-out, employees learned why the upgrade was essential (Awareness, Desire), received hands-on workshops (Knowledge, Ability), and were rewarded for adoption (Reinforcement).

Change management challenges

Organisations frequently encounter obstacles when managing change. Common challenges include:

  • Resistance to change: Employees may fear job loss, uncertainty, or increased responsibilities.
    Solution: Foster open communication, involve employees in decision-making, and provide adequate support.
  • Poor communication: Inadequate information can cause confusion and low morale.
    Solution: Communicate regularly, using clear and consistent messaging across channels.
  • Lack of leadership commitment: Without executive support, initiatives may falter.
    Solution: Gain leadership buy-in and ensure visible commitment throughout the transition.
  • Cultural misalignment: Change may conflict with existing organisational culture.
    Solution: Integrate change efforts with culture change and organisational development strategies.
  • Insufficient resources or planning: Poor planning can delay or derail change projects.
    Solution: Invest in project management, transition planning, and risk assessment.

Change management and business functions

  • Organisational development: Change management techniques are often a core part of organisational development, aiming for long-term improvement in effectiveness.
  • Project management: Integrating change management with project management ensures project deliverables are adopted and sustained.
  • Business transformation: Large-scale initiatives such as mergers or digitalisation depend on robust change management for success.
  • Stakeholder engagement: Identifying and actively involving key stakeholders is crucial in minimising resistance and ensuring buy-in.
  • Leadership: Strong, credible leadership drives the success of change initiatives through clear direction and support.

Change management best practices

  • Establish clear communication strategies tailored to different stakeholder groups.
  • Appoint dedicated change agents to guide and support the change process.
  • Use data to inform decisions and measure progress through key performance indicators (KPIs).
  • Encourage feedback from employees at every stage.
  • Provide training and support to build new skills and confidence.
  • Integrate change into company culture to ensure lasting results.
Summary of key frameworks used in change management
Model Core Steps Main Focus
Kotter’s 8-Step 8 outlined steps Building urgency, vision, momentum
Lewin’s Change Unfreeze, Change, Refreeze Preparing, transitioning, embedding
ADKAR Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement Individual adoption stages

Related concepts in change management

  • Organisational development: A discipline focused on improving organisations through planned interventions in processes and culture.
  • Stakeholder engagement: The ongoing process of involving those impacted by change in planning and implementation.
  • Leadership in change management: The role of leaders in inspiring, directing, and supporting people through transitions.
  • Risk management: Identifying, analysing, and mitigating risks that arise during change initiatives.
  • Process improvement: Reviewing and enhancing business processes to align with new goals.

FAQs

What is change management and why is it important?

Change management is the process of guiding organisations, individuals, or teams through transitions. It is important because it enables smoother implementation of change, reduces resistance, and ensures that strategic objectives are achieved efficiently.

What are common change management frameworks?

The most common frameworks are Kotter’s 8-Step Process, Lewin’s Change, and the ADKAR framework. Each provides a structured approach to planning and implementing change.

How do you overcome resistance to change?

Overcome resistance by communicating benefits clearly, involving stakeholders, offering support and training, addressing concerns promptly, and recognising employee contributions throughout the transition.

What role do leaders play in change management?

Leaders set the direction, communicate the vision, build trust, allocate resources, and provide motivation and support to drive successful change.

How can employees be engaged during change initiatives?

Engage employees by involving them early, asking for input, addressing worries, providing training, celebrating successes, and continuously seeking feedback to make improvements.

Change management and business change management

Change management is crucial for business change management and project change management. Organisations benefit from change management best practices and effective change management communication. Change management consulting supports the use of a change management framework or various change management frameworks. Change management implementation requires a clear change management plan.

Frameworks and principles used in change management

Change management in organisations uses frameworks such as the ADKAR approach by Jeff Hiatt. These change management principles guide the change management process and related change management processes. Change management resources, including change management software and tools, support change management strategies and change management strategy execution.

Change management techniques and training

Change management techniques and change management training help the change manager lead the change process. A robust change strategy enables employee change management and management change. Management of change is about managing change and ensuring organisational change and organisational sustainability.

Project management and business strategist roles

Project management, business strategist roles, and product owner responsibilities are involved in business functions and driving change. Resistance to change and being resistant to change present barriers. Managers and Scrum Masters play a critical part in enabling change and supporting strategy.

Research, insights, and organisational capabilities

Prosci research and global studies show organisations thrive when they embrace transformational change. Insights from practitioners, guides, and blogs offer advanced methods and frameworks. Success in change management is achieved through readiness, communication, and collaboration within systems and business functions.

Context, policy, and organisational environments

Capabilities, industry settings, and context impact change management. Effective processes require involvement of members and stakeholders at all levels. Change management policy, program deployment, and configuration ensure sustainability and improved delivery. Organisational cultures and environments influence the pace and success of change management.

Change management

Change management is the structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organisations from a current state to a desired future state.

Change management utilises the ADKAR framework to guide organisational transformations effectively.

Resistance to change is a significant hurdle in change management that managers must address.

Jeff Hiatt is a prominent figure in the field of change management, known for developing the ADKAR approach.

Change management helps businesses navigate digital transformation smoothly and efficiently.

Business strategists often include change management in their plans to ensure successful project outcomes.

Sustainability in change management ensures that changes are long-lasting and beneficial for all stakeholders.

Product owners play a crucial role in change management by aligning product development with organisational goals.

Organisational change is a core component of change management, focusing on aligning people and processes.

Change management is essential for effective project management and meeting organisational objectives.

The CIPD provides valuable resources and training on best practices in change management, enhancing strategy execution.

Change management fundamentals and why it matters

Change management is the structured approach organisations use to shift processes, culture and technology with the least disruption and the greatest chance of sustainable adoption.

Adkar and individual transitions

The ADKAR approach focuses on Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement to help managers guide individuals through change.

Leadership role in change management

Strong leadership anchors change initiatives by modelling behaviours, securing resources and clearing organisational barriers.

Business strategist perspective

A business strategist aligns change efforts with market strategy, ensuring projects deliver measurable value and competitive advantage.

Change management plan essentials

A clear change management plan maps stakeholders, timelines, communication and training so everyone understands what success looks like.

Managing resistance to change

Resistance to change is normal; practical responses include listening, coaching, building quick wins and adjusting plans to reduce friction.

Organisational change management in practice

Organisational change management combines sponsorship, stakeholder engagement and performance metrics to embed new ways of working.

How to map stakeholder influence?

Use influence-impact matrices to focus efforts where sponsor support and stakeholder resistance will determine adoption outcomes.

Change management frameworks/h4>

Frameworks such as ADKAR, Kotter and Lewin provide different lenses for sequencing activities and measuring progress.

Effective change management techniques

Techniques include coaching, scenario planning, process re-design and role-based training aligned with project milestones.

Communication and engagement strategy

Regular, two-way communications reduce uncertainty; engagement activities create ownership and surface practical issues early.

Training, e-learning and online courses

Blended learning—workshops plus e-learning—helps staff acquire required skills without compromising operational delivery.

Project management and integration

Integrating change management with project management ensures timelines, risk registers and benefit realisation are synchronised.

Product owner and delivery teams

Product owners translate strategy into backlog priorities that reflect both technical and people readiness needs.

Planning for sustainability and long-term adoption

Sustainability depends on governance, metrics, refresher training and changes to policies that reinforce new behaviours.

Communication, training and learning design

Learning designers should combine practical exercises, job aids and follow-up coaching so training changes day-to-day practice.

Change management tools and technology

Tools range from simple dashboards to digital platforms that track adoption, training completion and feedback loops.

Data analytics for adoption monitoring

Analytics show usage patterns, help prioritise interventions and make the case for continued investment in the change.

Roles and responsibilities for managers

Managers translate strategic goals into team-level expectations and shield teams from unnecessary disruption during transitions.

Aligning organisational culture with new ways of working

Cultural alignment requires rituals, leadership visibility and reward systems that encourage the desired behaviours.

Designing a practical change management plan

Plans should be pragmatic, time-boxed and focused on the smallest achievable scope that proves the approach and creates momentum.

Change management strategies for complex systems

Strategic change management coordinates multiple initiatives so that interventions complement rather than conflict with one another.

Risk identification and mitigation

Risk registers that include people risks (resistance, lost knowledge) are as important as technical risks during transformation.

Embedding change through measurement

Measure adoption, performance and user sentiment to understand whether the change is delivering the intended outcomes.

Leadership in change management: practical actions

Leaders should sponsor visibly, attend workshops, and participate in comms to demonstrate commitment and set expectations.

Exact change management

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Change management

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Tools, methods and frameworks that support delivery

Choosing the right mix of methods and tools reduces duplication and aligns training, governance and technical delivery.

Scrum and Agile approaches for change projects

Agile approaches such as Scrum allow incremental delivery and faster feedback, useful where requirements evolve during transformation.

Plan-do-check-act and continuous improvement

PDCA cycles help teams test changes at small scale and learn quickly before wider rollout.

Lean techniques to reduce disruption

Lean thinking simplifies processes so teams can adopt changes with fewer handoffs and less rework.

Using pilots and phased rollouts

Pilots let teams test training, tooling and governance in a controlled environment before scaling up.

Coaching and change agents

Change agents and internal coaches accelerate adoption by offering hands-on support and local credibility.

Roles for sponsors and senior managers

Sponsors champion change at executive level, secure resources and remove organisational barriers to progress.

Working with vendors and software development teams

Coordinate vendor delivery with people change activities so feature releases map to readiness and training schedules.

Leading change initiatives: case examples

Short case examples help readers see what worked, why, and which metrics showed improvement.

Practical tactics for managers and practitioners

Practical tactics are small, repeatable actions that managers can use today to increase adoption and reduce rollout risk.

Building engagement and quick wins

Identify early, visible wins that demonstrate value and build momentum across teams and stakeholders.

Addressing common barriers to success

Common barriers include unclear objectives, weak sponsorship and insufficient training; tackle them with targeted fixes.

Creating measurable objectives and KPIs

Define adoption KPIs such as task completion rates, system logins and task time reductions to track progress.

How to sustain change beyond go-live?

Post go-live governance, refresher training and reward mechanisms help sustain new behaviours beyond initial launch.

Engaging the workforce and building capability

Capability-building includes role-specific learning paths, shadowing and accredited online courses for continual development.

Management of change and governance

Effective governance clarifies decision rights, escalation routes and funding for ongoing support.

Tools that support communication and tracking

Use collaboration platforms, dashboards and automated reminders to keep stakeholders informed and work visible.

Questions practitioners ask

This short FAQ style section answers pragmatic questions that surface in daily delivery.

What does good stakeholder mapping look like?

A good map segments stakeholders by influence and impact, and pairs each group with tailored engagement activities.

Measuring success and continuous improvement

Measurement turns opinions into evidence and guides where to invest in coaching, training and process changes.

Data, analytics and evidence-based decisions

Use quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback to build a robust picture of adoption and to justify next steps.

Research and evaluating impact

Research methods, including surveys and observational studies, help teams understand behaviour change and outcomes.

Metrics that matter to sponsors

Sponsors focus on benefits realised, cost avoidance and time to value when judging success.

Continuous feedback loops

Feedback loops—from helpdesk tickets to pulse surveys—reveal friction points and opportunities for adjustment.

How often should metrics be reviewed?

Review cadence depends on pace of change; weekly during intense rollout, monthly thereafter until adoption stabilises.

Lessons from organisational change

Lessons include the need for visible sponsorship, frequent communication and iterative improvement cycles.

Practitioner checklist for handover

Include documentation, training completion records, governance contacts and a risks register when handing over to operations.

Conclusion and next steps

Change management succeeds when leadership, clear plans and focused capability-building come together to support people through adoption.

Start with a pragmatic plan, use pilots to learn, measure progress and keep communications simple and timely to sustain outcomes.