Change management essentials: A guide for leaders

In today’s fast-paced workplaces, change is more frequent and necessary than ever, from launching new products to replacing outdated IT systems. But without proper change management, these can lead to confusion, resistance, or disruptions that undermine productivity and morale.

Effective change management goes beyond planning–it also includes communicating openly, supporting employees through the transition, and adapting to unexpected challenges along the way. This guide will break down the key concepts of change management for you and show you different effective models, along with how to create change request forms as part of the process.

What is change management?

Change management is the structured approach an organization takes to transition from its current state to a desired future state. Here are some examples of these situations:

• Implementing a new enterprise software system
• Reorganizing departments
• Changing to a remote or hybrid work model

If not handled correctly, these changes can get chaotic, cause unnecessary disruption, or lead to confusion among employees. Change management involves addressing both the human and logistical aspects so that changes are implemented smoothly and efficiently. Aside from coordinating with different teams and implementing the changes, leaders should also help employees adapt to the new processes and roles.

Aside from setting a solid foundation through thorough planning, change management also requires flexibility and responsiveness, as sudden challenges and barriers might arise. To handle these, there are many change management models to guide leaders, especially since these kinds of changes are becoming increasingly common in today’s dynamic workplaces.

Core principles of change management

While change management can vary widely depending on the organization and specific scenario, there are some key principles that define smooth change management:

Transparency

Company changes often involve processing a lot of new information, so it’s crucial to be transparent with everyone about the reasons, goals, and potential effects of the change–from day one. You might hold an all-hands meeting to kick off the change process, then send regular updates, whether through email, newsletters, or team meetings.

The goal is for the change to feel like a shared journey rather than a top-down directive. When employees understand how the change aligns with the broader mission, they’re more likely to be engaged and supportive.

Communication

Hand-in-hand with transparency, there should be clear communication throughout the whole process. Beyond simply relaying information, this involves making employees feel involved and encouraging two-way feedback. On top of regular updates through multiple channels, it’s important to listen to what employees have to say, whether through surveys or Q&A sessions. This gives you valuable insights along the way about how employees are responding, and then you can make adjustments for a responsive change process.

Empathy and employee-centeredness

Change can be understandably anxiety-inducing, bringing stress and uncertainty, which is why empathy plays a critical role. Aside from ideally giving employees enough time to process the changes, you might also give employees ways to openly share their concerns, such as through team check-ins or suggestion boxes. Resources like mental health support or designated “transition days” can also show employees that the organization values their wellbeing during the change.

Flexibility

With flexibility, companies can adapt and thrive when the unexpected happens–which is more or less a guarantee during changes. You can make flexibility a concrete part of the change process by planning periodic “checkpoints” where you can go over your progress, then make corrections as needed. For example, if you’re halfway through a change and your team realizes that some processes aren’t working properly as planned, you can still pivot, reassign resources, or adjust timelines to stay on track.

Accountability

Company changes require the cooperation of many moving parts, and it’s crucial for everyone to understand their role and take ownership of their tasks. To encourage this, map out all the key tasks and milestones for the change, then assign them to specific team members. You can then follow up by using digital tools to monitor progress and doing regular check-ins. Employees should also know who to go to if they’re facing roadblocks or need more resources.

Important change management models

Here’s an overview of some of the most popular change management models that you can follow, each with different approaches:

Kotter’s 8-step change model

This is a widely respected framework that guides organizations through transformational change with a structured approach:

1. Create a sense of urgency around the need for change and why it’s critical.
2. Build a team of influential leaders who can drive the change.
3. Develop a clear vision and strategy that outlines the desired outcome and motivates employees.
4. Share the strategy widely across the organization so everyone understands the path forward.
5. Encourage risk-taking and remove obstacles so that employees can act on the vision.
6. Celebrate short-term wins to build momentum for larger, long-term goals.
7. Consolidate the gains, using successes to drive further changes and make the change sustainable.
8. Anchor the change within the company culture so that the new practices and behaviors are already part of everyday operations.

Because of its linear, step-by-step approach, Kotter’s model gives a clearer roadmap that you might find helpful for making complex transformations.

ADKAR model

The ADKAR Model, developed by Prosci, takes a people-focused approach, focusing on individual transitions through five stages:

• Awareness: Communicate why there’s a need for change. Employees should understand why it is necessary and what risks or opportunities are at stake.
• Desire: You’ll build motivation and commitment in employees by explaining how it’ll benefit them personally.
• Knowledge: Next, provide employees with the information and training needed to implement the change.
• Ability: Support employees in developing the skills to apply the change in their roles.
• Reinforcement: You’ll give ongoing support and recognition so the new practices become permanent.

ADKAR acknowledges that successful change depends on each employee’s commitment and ability to adapt.

Lewin’s change management model

Kurt Lewin’s model breaks down the process of change into three core phases:

• Unfreeze: First, you’ll prepare employees for the change by challenging current behaviors and mindsets. You might share data or insights that show why there’s a need for transformation.
• Change: The actual transition takes place here. Employees start to pick up new ways of working–this usually requires training, resources, and ongoing support, especially since it doesn’t happen overnight.
• Refreeze: Finally, you’ll solidify the changes and reinforce the new behaviors so employees don’t revert to old ways.

Its emphasis is on the core psychological and behavioral aspects of change–and not just the logistical steps.

McKinsey 7S model

Developed by McKinsey & Company consultants, this is is a comprehensive framework that looks at seven interconnected elements:

• Strategy – Your organization’s plan and direction for achieving goals

• Structure – The organizational hierarchy and reporting system.
• Systems – The processes and procedures that guide day-to-day operations
• Shared values – The core values and culture that guide behavior across the organization
• Skills – The competencies and capabilities needed by employees.
• Style – Your organization’s overall management and leadership approach
• Staff – The people in your organization, including their roles and development.

Unlike linear models, this shows how each element influences the others–a shift in one area, such as Strategy, will affect the others (like Structure or Skills). This allows organizations to look at change holistically.

Documenting and managing changes with change request forms

An important document in change management would be the change request form, which is a formal proposal often used by contractors and stakeholders to make changes to the scope of a project. If change requests are not issued immediately, as soon as possible problems with the current project are identified, this can lead to possible legal disputes but also to expenses.

Change request forms are a tool to see what kind of change you’re dealing with, how it will impact the project and then whether it will be done or not. It’s a way to manage the process by capturing the relevant information in one consistent format. The whole team should be informed about change requests.

The main components of change request forms

A change request includes the respective changes and documents the contents and steps. This allows the change to be easily tracked in the aftermath. The topics of a change request can vary greatly depending on the company and the industry. By default, however, the following information should be included in a change request form.

1. Data about the project
2. Description of the change
3. Reason for the change
4. Impact of the change
5. Opportunities and risks of the change
6. Documents to be changed and persons to be informed
7. Attachments

Tips for issuing a change request form

A change of the original scope of work becomes necessary when various planning errors occur. A change request form documents the change process and makes possible costs and time expenditure transparent. The following steps support you in carrying out the order:

• Communicate – Notify the owner and determine whether he is considering making adjustments beyond the original scope of work specified in the contract.
• Create – In the change request, define in detail the planned work to be carried out. This requires new design documents, drawings or other specifications. A cost estimate for work, materials, etc. should also be included in the project plan.
• Submit – Submit the form together with the required documents to the contractor. Once negotiations have been completed and both parties have agreed on the terms, the work should be completed on time.
• Check – After the changes to the project have been made, contractors should carry out an inspection to ensure that the conditions set out in the issued change request form have been met. Document the inspection, using photographic material or similar.

 The benefits of a digital solution for the workflow

With digital change request forms, you can easily document and carry out the request via tablet or smartphone – online or offline. With the desktop software, you create the relevant content for your change management documents and then evaluate the collected data. Take advantage of the other benefits for your daily work:

• The flexible form builder from Lumiform helps you to convert any individual paper list into digital change request forms without much effort.
• Using the super intuitive mobile app, you and your teammates conduct change requests with ease and in no time.
• All results, images and comments are automatically bundled in a digital change request report.
• Comprehensive analyses help you to identify inefficient areas in your company more quickly and thus to continuously improve your auditing and inspection processes.
• Extensive analyses help you to uncover inefficient areas in your company more quickly and thus to continuously improve inspection processes.
• Authorize change management forms by gathering electronic signatures from all parties involved in the project.