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Programme 4
ADKAR® change management
Organisations change one person at a time. Find where people are stuck and focus support there.
The model
The five ADKAR® elements
The programme is built on the Prosci ADKAR® Model, which describes five outcomes each person needs to achieve for a change to succeed. ADKAR® is a registered trademark of Prosci, Inc.
| Element | Meaning | Typical actions |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Understanding why the change is necessary | Sponsor messages; the business case in plain words; the cost of not changing |
| Desire | Choosing to take part in and support the change | Address “what’s in it for me”; involve people early; manage resistance; managers as coaches |
| Knowledge | Knowing how to change and what success looks like | Training; job aids; clear new procedures |
| Ability | Applying the new skills and behaviours in practice | Practice and on-the-job coaching; time and tools; remove barriers |
| Reinforcement | Sustaining the change and not slipping back | Recognition; measures and feedback; consequences; celebrate early wins |
How the programme works
From assessment to adoption
Describe the change
Name the change and the groups it affects.
Assess each group
Score each group against the five elements. A simple 1 to 5 score works.
Find the barrier point
The earliest element that has not been reached. Focus support there first.
Build the plans
Sponsor roadmap, communications, coaching, training and resistance management.
Track and reinforce
Keep going until the new way is the normal way.
Link to OPI
Individual and organisational change together
ADKAR® works at the level of the individual. The OPI Influence Model works at the level of the organisation. Awareness and Desire link to role-modelling and fostering understanding; Knowledge and Ability to developing talent and skills; Reinforcement to formal mechanisms.
Formats
Typical options
- 1-day briefing for leaders and sponsors.
- 2-day practitioner workshop, applied to a change the participants are leading.
- Coaching support during a live roll-out.
Using AI in ADKAR®
Faster insight, human conversations
| Where AI helps | How | Human check |
|---|---|---|
| Assessing readiness | Analyse pulse surveys and open comments to estimate scores by group and spot the barrier point. | Managers validate with real conversations. |
| Communications | Draft tailored messages for each audience and stage of the change. | Sponsors approve and deliver them personally. |
| Resistance | Summarise themes from feedback and suggest responses. | People decisions stay with managers. |
| Knowledge and ability | Create job aids, FAQs and practice scenarios; an assistant answers “how do I…?” questions. | Content owners check accuracy. |
Example
Night shift and the paper permit
IllustrativeAn electronic permit-to-work system is rolled out. Day shift adopts it quickly; night supervisors keep using paper. An ADKAR® check shows they have Awareness but not Desire: nobody explained what is in it for them, and their manager still signs paper permits. The manager role-models the new system and night supervisors help refine it. Adoption follows.
Talk to us about your performance gap
Email our consulting advisor at advisor@oscarinitiatives.com or call +60 16 323 7799.