What are the most common mistakes you make with change management models?

None of the change models will help you deliver a Change program. They are signposts to consider when you create a change delivery plan. For example, Kotters "Enlist A Volunteer Army" not relevant when I need to change four text boxes in an ERP system. Starting with "AWARE" in ADKAR fails to examine alignment of the business case and organisation roadmap and pillars before starting to communicate, and "REPEAT?" When you've moved to a new building, you don't need to constantly remind people not to go back and work in the old one. None of these models will help you deliver a change project. All of them have points to consider.

Change models are simply lists of raw ingredients you can select for the recipe of change you are making. Each ingredient has a specific flavour and can interact with other ingredients to create new tastes, but you need to write the recipe fresh each time. I'm yet to find a single change that follows a model end to end. Often I refer to models when working with senior leaders to help their understanding of how I'm planning a change activity, as they are concepts they understand. I might be using only a sprinkling of that particular model 'flavour' but it's familiar and helps them make meaning from my plan.

The most common mistakes include choosing the wrong model, not adapting it to the organization's context, goals, and challenges, not engaging stakeholders, not leveraging the organization's strengths and addressing its challenges, and failing to measure and sustain the change. To avoid these mistakes, you should select the model that best suits your type, scope, and pace of change, as well as your organizational culture, structure, and resources. Identify and leverage your organization's strengths, opportunities, and assets and how they can support your change goals. Engage stakeholders, communicate the change vision, and address their concerns and feedback. Measure and sustain the change by monitoring progress, and adjusting the plan.

picking the wrong model is like using a hammer when you need a wrench. Sure, Kotter's 8-step or Lewin's 3-stage are popular, but they won't fit every situation. The secret sauce? Match the model to your specific needs—your team, your pace, and the change you're after. It's not just about what change you're making, but how your organization can best adapt to

Change management models offer vital theoretical knowledge, but their success depends on adapting them to real-world dynamics. Imagine it like ice hockey: players must know the stroke technique, but how they hit the puck varies with their position, puck speed, and opponents. Similarly, change managers need both model expertise and adaptability for factors like organizational culture and specific change contexts. The most common mistakes occur when rigidly following models without considering real-world nuances. Like hockey players, change managers must be flexible and responsive to succeed. In short, change management models serve as valuable foundations, but their true power emerges when they are viewed as adaptable customized tools.

Facing strategic, people and technological change, the roadmap is to develop a support framework that doesn't focus on a specific change management model, but on change management best practices. One of the things I've found useful is to develop a hybrid model from the main change management models depending on the context of the transformation project and the culture of the business unit I'm supporting. These change management best practices fall into five dimensions : alignment, ongoing communication and stakeholder engagement, preparing for change, operationalizing change, and monitoring pain points during the transition.

When ever we encounter a situation in which beliefs are being questioned we must be aware of hermeneutics - the fact that context determines meaning, irrespective of whether it’s about religion or about change. Despite all enlightenment, some people regress into almost religious patterns when challenged with a situation they haven’t previously encountered or that seems threatening to them: Rather then engaging in careful observation and critical thinking they chose the “easy route” and decide to “stick with the model”, albeit that may not be a good fit at all. My recommendation is to be more eclectic & constructionist: take what you need from any model, and add what ever else is missing from others - to successfully lead the change.

Embrace agility in your change management approach. Sticking too firmly to a model can be likened to forcing a square peg into a round hole – it just doesn't fit. Remember, these models are guidelines, not rules etched in stone. For instance, a sudden market shift might require a quicker move than planned. Be prepared to pivot, taking cues from the real-time developments in your organization, ensuring a more natural, effective progression.

Based on my experience as a change manager, I can affirm that it is rare for a single model to solve all change management problems. It is highly recommended to use models as "toolboxes," meaning they are knowledge frameworks that need to be adapted, combined, summarized, or expanded according to the needs, company culture, expected outcomes, and available time. Models should be seen as "guidelines" rather than rigid tracks.

Before commencing any change project agree on what and when you are willing to change the scope and when you are going to stay the course. Even when faced with challenges and roadblocks. It's essential you get agreement on this as a team in the planning stages and identify any issues or concerns well ahead of the need to change course/direction. Buy in from all team members is key to getting commitment around this. If you don't do this work together you are at real risk of making poor decisions when pressure and chaos happens.

All the change models talks about from the change, benefits and organization point of view. When the change process does not answer the "what is it in for me" question, the change will fail as it does not address the people element. Two key factors to be considered 1. Ensure people are emotionally connected with the change 2. Then, educate your people with substantiating logically points with benefits, outcome etc In most cases, this is done vice versa or point 1 is missed in most cases. When people are not bought in, you will face following challenges - Demotivated group - People highlight past failures - Political game - Set-up silos - Don't follow the process - Divert attention and focus - Lack of honesty

Recall Peter Drucker’s quote, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” The same idea holds true for these - and all - Change Management models. Getting the people element wrong (or ignoring it completely) means the change will fail. People are the customers, the employees, the drivers behind process, the managers and leaders, and the stewards of technology. In other words, people are the true medium through which you will create success or failure for a change. Change models sit on top of that foundation.

In my opinion, this is the biggest mistake of all, because change management is essentially about managing the human side of change processes. Modifying processes is relatively simple compared to the need to raise awareness and engage people to act differently. Changes can have a significant impact on employees, including stress, uncertainty, and mistrust. Some managers often make the mistake of not considering this impact and harming team performance and morale.

At its core, change management revolves around people. While structured plans and milestones are pivotal, the heart of change beats within your team. Imagine redesigning a workspace without considering the employees' comfort. Your efforts will fall flat. Engage with the emotional landscapes of your stakeholders, building trust and communication. Remember, systems don't change – people do.

Engaging employees through active listening is a critical step for a successful adoption of change. Taking the time to listen to concerns and integrating that information into the plan is a major win for gaining employee trust. Acting with sincerity and transparency that that change is intended to be benefit the employee, the client and the organization and not intended to be a detriment. As people fear change, championing the positives is a great start to boosting the desire for change.

Understanding your organization's unique fabric is vital in effecting change. It's like modifying a recipe while respecting its original flavor. Ignoring the ingrained culture and context is like not considering a strong prevailing wind while setting a sail; your journey may get off course. Remember to intertwine your change strategy with the unique pulse and rhythm of your organization, turning potential roadblocks into avenues for growth and alignment.

Organization culture doesn't exist - Organizational Cultures exist. It's important to consider that every organization has it's own cultural DNA and multiple personalities. Some traits are positive and some are not. Before undertaking change get honest about the cultural personality of your brand. Remember cultures are not just "how we do things" but are the factors that impact how employees deliver day to day. It's the factors that shape how employees perceive their role and their place in the broader organization. To get context you will need to undertake respectful truth telling with the workforce to understand what has not worked in the past and why. What needs to look and feel different moving forward.

The measurement model is important to determine during the *planning* phase of change…and not something you chase after once the bus is rolling down the hill. Think through how you’re designing the system or process(es) to direct the desired behavior, then identify those behavior “events” that are measurable (i.e. submitting a QA report). Those events are either 1.) activities, or 2.) outcomes that flow from those activities. If you can measure both types, great, but do *not* set performance targets or goals on the activities. Set them on the outcomes that flow from the activities. …and don’t forget to find and track the key indicator(s) that tell you if people are actually doing the desired behavior.

Imagine training for a marathon and not tracking your progress. Implementing change without measurement is similar. It's essential to gauge the impact of your efforts continually. Data-driven insights act as your compass, guiding refinements. And beyond initiation, think long-term. Like maintaining a garden, nourishing and pruning regularly, ensuring your change efforts bloom and integrate seamlessly into your organizational ecosystem.

To deliver sustainable change you are ultimately creating a different organizational DNA. This is why you need a holistic model that joins the dots across key business functions and design different as required. Organizations must design the systems and people to sustain the change and reshape it as needed moving forward. Hence any change project must build capability within all relevant teams ( not just leadership) in key areas including: - change design/management - entrepreneurial thinking - project management Change is not sustained as the workforce simply does not have the skillset, insights and space to continue the work undertaken.

The common mistake while choosing change models is a lack of awareness about the change readiness levels and alignment. Change projects are a two-way street. While a clear top-down direction is essential, distributed leadership across levels and employee participation is equally important to make it a success. Develop your Change Model by Identifying CONTENT – CONTEXT – PROCESS Enabling OWNERSHIP – EMPOWERMENT – TRUST Align the model with- 3C'S of business objective- Company, Customer, Competition 3 C's of business ethics- Compliance, Consequence, Contribution 3 C's of people participation- Collaboration, Creativity, Context This will help understand whether change is developmental, transitional or transformational.

We could also revisit the Kubler-Ross model in describing the Phases of "Feelings" an individual experience during change phase. While this model could describe SOME of what an individual experience, we should remember that: 1. This model usually brought up from the perspective of how an individual will resist change at some point (because of so called "grief"). Whereas there are posibilities that change intitiatives are accepted in more positive ways or acceptance across the phases. 2. The model should be considered from an iterative cycle point-of-view, where an individual who already overcome the resistance could be very well "dipped" again into the down side of feels.

About 70% of all change initiatives fail. It's pretty brutal. Challenges come up along the way from "unknowns", which give rise to learning opportunities. Models are simply frameworks to help you hang your analysis, logic and thoughts. They will help you to analyse, evaluate and plan, but don't make the mistake of thinking the models will manage the process of change for you.