Change management models and theories

Change management, a process involving tools, principles, and procedures, guides organisations and individuals through transformation from their current state to a future state. With the business world evolving faster than ever, organisations must adapt quickly to stay competitive. Having an effective change management strategy is critical for organisational success.
In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most popular change management models and theories that provide frameworks to implement change initiatives successfully.

Table of Contents

• Why change management is important for organisations
• Popular change management models
  • Lewin’s change management model
  • McKinsey 7-S model
  • Kotter’s 8 step change model
  • ADKAR model
• Choosing the right change management model
• Integrating change management theories
  • Theory E and Theory O
  • Satir’s change management model
  • Bridges transition model
• Implementing change management successfully
• FAQs
• Conclusion

Why change management is important for organisations

Here are some key reasons why organisations need change management:

• Supports organisational change: A structured change management approach increases the likelihood of achieving desired business outcomes from organisational change and transformation programmes.
• Minimises resistance: People are inherently resistant to change. Change management helps overcome this resistance by involving employees early and helping them understand the need for change.
• Accelerates adoption: A focus on communicating with and training employees will speed up the adoption of change across the organisation.
• Improves morale: Times of change can be unsettling for employees. Change management creates transparency and gives people a voice during the change process.
• Enhances engagement: Engaged employees are more likely to take ownership of change. Change management fosters engagement by providing clarity around the change.

Popular change management models

Over the years, experts have developed several change management models consisting of processes, activities, and steps to follow when implementing organisational change. Let’s look at some of the most popular ones.

Lewin’s change management model

Developed in the 1950s, Lewin’s model views change as a process with three distinct stages:

1. Unfreeze: This first stage involves preparing for change by making people aware of the need for change and motivating them to accept change.
2. Change: The actual implementation of the changes takes place at this stage through training, communication, and the involvement of employees.
3. Refreeze: The changes are stabilised, and people’s behaviours are refrozen into the new ways of working.

Lewin’s simple three-step model provides a high-level overview of the change process.

McKinsey 7-S model

The McKinsey 7-S model looks at seven key organisational elements that need to be aligned to enable successful change. These elements are:

1. Strategy: The plan to achieve goals
2. Structure: How the organisation is structured
3. Systems: The processes and IT systems used
4. Shared Values: The Organisational Culture
5. Style: Leadership style and how key managers behave
6. Staff: The capabilities of the employees
7. Skills: The capabilities of the organisation

This model emphasises assessing and addressing all seven elements during periods of change.

Kotter’s 8 step change model

Developed by John Kotter, this model presents an 8-step process for implementing change:

1. Create urgency and inspire people to move
2. Build a team. Assemble a group to guide change
3. Get the vision right. Create a vision to direct the change effort
4. Communicate: Share the vision and strategy
5. Remove obstacles: Enable action by removing barriers
6. Create short-term wins: generate, recognise, and communicate wins
7. Build on the change: Continue to drive change and achieve more wins
8. Make it stick: Reinforce the changes to make them permanent

Kotter’s incremental model emphasises the importance of following all eight sequential steps to effect transformation.

ADKAR model

The ADKAR model is an individual change management model with five outcomes:

1. Awareness of the need for change
2. Desire: To support and participate in the change
3. Knowledge: On how to change
4. Ability: To implement the required skills and behaviours
5. Reinforcement: To sustain the change

ADKAR focuses on what is required of individuals for change to be successful.

Choosing the right change management model

Here are some criteria to consider when selecting a change management model:

• Size and scope: Larger and more complex changes may require more structured models like Kotter’s.
• Change impact: Assess how disruptive the changes are and choose accordingly.
• Culture: Models must align with and accommodate the existing culture.
• Past experience: leverage models that have worked well in the past.
• Capabilities: Ensure sufficient organisational capabilities to execute the model.
• Leadership support: Leaders must endorse the chosen model.
• Ease of use: Simpler models are easier to communicate and implement.

The model must fit the specific circumstances of the organisation. There is no one perfect model; it is about selecting the right one tailored to the situation.

Integrating change management theories

In addition to the process-driven change management models, there are change management theories and approaches that can complement the practical models.

Theory E and Theory O

Theory E focuses on economic value and emphasises processes, structure, systems, and authority relationships. Theory O focuses on organisational culture and human relationships. Both hard (Theory E) and soft (Theory O) approaches offer useful perspectives and should be integrated where possible.

Satir’s change management model

Virginia Satir, a psychologist, developed this model to view change through people’s psychological transitions. It has five stages: late status quo, resistance, chaos, integration, and new status quo. Understanding emotional transitions helps manage the human experience of change.

Bridges transition model

William Bridges’ model focuses on transition rather than change. It outlines three phases of transition that people go through psychologically: ending, neutral zone, and new beginning. Recognising these phases can help manage the stress of transitions.

Implementing change management successfully

Here are some tips for effectively implementing change management:

• Get strong leadership support and commitment.
• Assign change management roles and responsibilities.
• Develop a structured change management plan.
• Analyse change impacts and assess readiness.
• Create tailored communications for all stakeholders.
• Provide frequent training and coaching.
• Evaluate and address resistance promptly.
• Share wins, results, and success stories.
• Gather feedback regularly and refine the approach.
• Reinforce changes through incentives and recognition.
• Conduct post-implementation reviews to capture learnings.

With careful planning, stakeholder engagement, and sustained effort, organisations can implement changes smoothly. The right change management approach enables transformation.

FAQs

Q1: Why is change management important?

Change management is crucial because it provides structure and support to effectively transition people and organisations to new ways of working. Without change management, organisational changes are likely to be haphazard and unsuccessful, leading to wasted time and resources.

Q2: What are some key change management models?

Some widely used change management models include Lewin’s three-stage model, McKinsey’s 7S model, Kotter’s 8-step approach, and the ADKAR model. Each provides a framework with different emphasis based on the situation.

Q3: How do you choose the right model?

Consider factors like scope and scale of change, culture, past experience, capabilities, leadership support, and ease of use. The model must align with the specific needs and context of the organisation. There is no one perfect model.

Q4: How can you gain buy-in for change?

Communicate early and often, involve staff, explain the rationale, provide training, share wins, gather feedback, address concerns, empower people to participate, use change agents, and reward positive behaviours.

Q5: How do you sustain change over the long term?

Anchor changes by modifying policies, processes, systems, and structures. Continually monitor progress and impact. Keep communicating and reinforcing the change through leadership messaging, training, incentives, and celebrations. Maintain momentum.

Conclusion

Change is inevitable, and organisations must adapt quickly to changing business environments. A structured approach to change management enables successful transformation. Models like Lewin’s, McKinsey’s, and Kotter’s provide frameworks, while theories offer psychological context. Choosing an approach tailored to the situation and effectively executing it is key. With the right focus on people, processes, and culture, organisations can implement changes smoothly for maximum benefit.