Change is a common thread that runs through all businesses regardless of their scale, sector, or longevity. When managing a business, organizations often find themselves compelled to introduce changes that span across their management methods, the technology they use, personnel dynamics, and even cultural factors. To mitigate negative impacts and safeguard both quality and financial viability, effective management of change becomes imperative.
For these purposes, experts have developed a variety of change management models that serve as guidelines that direct organizations through the planning phase and assist them in implementing changes with greater success. Lumiform provides comprehensive checklists and inspections that play a pivotal role in facilitating the management of change process.
Table of contents
1. What is change management model?
2. Why are change management models important?
3. Three top change management models you should know.
3.2 ADKAR model
3.3Lewin’s change management model.
4. Lumiform’s solution for change management audits
What is change management model?
A change management model refers to a structured framework that organizations adopt to navigate and successfully execute transformative changes within their structure, processes, or culture. When an organization recognizes the need for change, it becomes imperative to establish a well-defined approach to implementing these changes. Relying solely on intuition and optimism that things will work out can be precarious, given the substantial risks involved.
The concept of change management entails strategies and actions designed to introduce transformations into the fabric of an organization. These transformations have the potential to resonate across the entirety of the organizational spectrum or can be tailored to refine specific processes, restructure frameworks, and enhance operational workflows.
These models serve as invaluable roadmaps, offering a structured guide to lead your organization through the complexities of change. They offer a systematic process for identifying key areas of transformation, planning the implementation, engaging stakeholders, managing resistance, and ultimately driving the change towards its intended goals. In essence, change management models provide a proven blueprint for orchestrating change.
Why are change management models important?
By adopting various change management models, companies learn which best practices they can leverage in a change project. Sometimes, a model can be directly applied, while often a combination of several may prove helpful. In either case, a more effective methodology for change management can emerge from this. Lumiform’s solution, for instance, offers change management templates to assist you in this process.
Change projects are often extensive, complex, and costly. A reliable change management model assists in encompassing all the factors necessary to ensure that employees and other stakeholders are aligned with your goals. Furthermore, it streamlines the development of a change management workflow that can be utilized for all new changes. This way, you don’t have to start from scratch each time.
Three change management models you should know.
In recent decades, various methods and frameworks have emerged for implementing change management in companies.
8-step process model
The 8-Step Process Model, introduced by John Kotter in his book Leading Change, is a transformative approach born from extensive research involving 100 organizations undergoing change. Kotter, a Harvard Business School Professor and change expert recognized the recurring mistakes within change processes and sought to address them.
His insights were detailed in the article Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail, published in the Harvard Business Review in 1995. To counter these pitfalls, Kotter crafted a comprehensive solution, which he presented in his 1996 book Leading Change.
Kotter’s model is grounded in eight distinct phases, each representing a crucial step toward effective change implementation. These stages are best visualized as a sequential staircase, forming a structured pathway to successful transformation. Collectively, they’re known as Kotter’s 8-Step Model.
The process includes a sense of urgency, followed by the formation of potent guiding coalitions. A vision and strategy are then meticulously developed and subsequently communicated to the organization. The management of change continues with the removal of obstacles and the empowerment of employees to take action. In the end creating short-term. wins, consolidating gains and strengthening change by anchoring change in the culture are the last step who leaders and managers will proceed for a successful implication of the changes.
ADKAR model
The ADKAR Model of Change Management, crafted by Jeffrey Hiatt, the visionary behind Prosci, stands as an outcome-centric approach to managing change with the goal of mitigating resistance within an organization. Functioning as the cornerstone of Prosci’s change management methodology, the ADKAR Model operates on a result-driven basis, employing distinct milestones as markers throughout the change process.
It compels each individual engaged in the transformation to attain these milestones, recognizing that different individuals may progress through distinct goals at varying paces.
For instance, while one person might already possess the desire to embrace change, another might still be in the process of grasping the necessity for change. This individualized progression reflects the ADKAR Model’s essence, which seeks to navigate change by advancing individuals collectively through five pivotal stages:
- Awareness: The primary step aims to cultivate a comprehensive understanding among all members of an organization regarding the imperative nature of change.
- Desire: The second stage is dedicated to nurturing a shared and enthusiastic aspiration for change, achieved by actively engaging and persuading all parties involved.
- Knowledge:Ensuring that individuals possess unfettered access to crucial information, this phase empowers them to contribute meaningfully to the change initiative.
- Ability:The fourth facet concentrates on enhancing the skills and competencies of employees, offering targeted training opportunities to facilitate their dynamic participation in the transformation.
- Reinforcement: Anchoring the model, this stage entails continual collaboration with employees and stakeholders even after the change is enacted, ensuring they remain informed and engaged as the processes evolve.
Lewin’s change management model
Lewin’s Change Management Model, rooted in Kurt Lewin’s Force Field Theory, presents a profound insight into the dynamics of organizational change. According to this theory, restraining forces exert a significant influence on both group and individual behaviors, ultimately shaping the trajectory of change efforts.
In contrast, driving forces serve as motivational agents, guiding employees towards the envisioned new state. However, it is the restraining forces that underscore potential resistance to change, acting as formidable barriers to change initiatives.
Lewin emphasizes the paramount importance of achieving equilibrium between these forces. Effective change communication and active employee involvement are crucial strategies in this pursuit. Bridging skill gaps through comprehensive training becomes instrumental.
Change agents take on the responsibility of employing stress management techniques, ensuring adherence to compliance, and offering compelling rationales for the impending change.
This approach is structured around three distinct phases:
- Unfreeze:This phase involves an analysis of existing processes. The goal is to acquire a precise comprehension of the adjustments required to attain desired outcomes. Integral to this phase is the active involvement of employees, fostering clear communication about expectations and anticipations. By ensuring stakeholders are informed and prepared, the groundwork for forthcoming changes is laid.
- Change:This phase marks the transition into the new state. It involves the practical implementation of planned changes. Maintaining open lines of communication with all affected employees is essential during this period. Offering steadfast support through the transformational process is vital to managing apprehensions and uncertainties.
- Refreeze:To prevent regression to former behavioral patterns, the refreeze phase focuses on anchoring the change. Employing a control strategy becomes imperative to sustain the change’s lasting impact. Evaluation of new processes’ functionality and the measurement of goal attainment are crucial components of this phase. By doing so, the organization secures the longevity of the change and its alignment with desired objectives.
Lumiform’s solution for change management audits
Lumifom provides inspection and auditing services to businesses in various industries. By doing so, Lumifom becomes an effective tool for monitoring and improving a company’s change management processes, which can make it easier for them to ensure that safety, health, and environmental risks are controlled when a company makes changes in its facilities, documentation, personnel, or operations..
Making a commitment to the way changes are managed not only benefits the operations and culture, but it can also improve a company’s long-term profitability and reputation. It’s essential to keep in mind that honesty and flexibility are critical during the process of applying changes to the fabric of your organisation.
