Hi ya Savvy Strategists…

If there is one thing that’s as sure as the F’n sun…it’s change.

And with A.I. (and technology) speeding up EVERYTHING…this year is bound to need some fast adjustment in your business.

But change is hard.

Ever tried pushing a boulder uphill? That's what forcing change feels like without the right tools. But what if you could turn that boulder into building blocks, making change feel natural instead of painful?

Meet ADKAR - a practical framework that breaks down change into five simple steps for you to think through, so you can lead your team.

Here are the steps:

Think of it as your GPS for getting people from sigh of frustration to "let's freaking do this!"

Disruption is hitting businesses faster than ever, so if you think you can just force change on your people willy nilly and not have em jerked around and pissed off…think again.

Instead, at least THINK THROUGH what you’re doing using this simple model.

Let me explain.

First, you have to meet people where they are at and face into your current reality.

There are two steps to this.

Awareness is about people understanding why the status quo isn’t cutting it. Few people take action out of a vacuum. And don’t assume they know there is a problem or something that could be better. Instead, demonstrate the ripple effects of why what is happening isn’t working. Help them become aware of the journey you went on to determine change is needed.

Picture Sarah, a startup founder rolling out a new project management system. Instead of dropping it on her team like a bomb, she shares eye-opening stats about time wasted on their current setup, and how it’s a pain for everyone.

Once they know the specific problems the change will fix and why it’s important, move to step 2.

Desire is about helping your people understand what’s possible, listened to their concerns and feedback, and if still happening - get buy in.

To help them understand what’s possible, focus on how life could be different and better once the change has been implemented. In other words - you want to answer the question: “What’s In It For Me?” (WIFM). If you can show the ripple effects, and tell the story of how each person will benefit, it is way easier to get everyone’s buy in. If you can’t make it personal, then at least tell the story of how someone else in the company is benefiting from the change. WIFM doesn’t have to be directly personal, often people are happy to do something if they understand What’s In It For Others as well.

It’s important through this process to listen to their concerns and answer their questions. If someone doesn’t understand the change, or has unspoken concerns or fears around it, then they won’t have much desire. Address the obstacles - and the desire will grow.

Back to Sarah from our example above. After sharing the challenges of the current system, Sarah discussed with the team how the new system would make their lives easier in practical and tangible ways. She asked for feedback, answered questions, and navigated plans for their concerns. This helped create a desire in the team for change - because they could see what was uniquely possible for them - even in their unique situation.

Once you connect the change to personal wins for your team, move onto the next phase.

We’re now in the TRANSITION phase (see image above).

Knowledge involves equipping your team with the understanding and skills needed to navigate the new change. You want to brainstorm and focus on what targeted training and clear information about the new procedures, systems, or behavior is needed - and then make it happen.

Sarah realized for her team, 30 minute hands-on training sessions every morning for a week would get the job done, instead of boring video lectures.

Knowing what to do doesn’t mean your team is executing well. Ability is about putting that knowledge into practice effectively. This stage emphasizes honing skills through hands-on experience, addressing obstacles, and providing guidance to ensure individuals can successfully execute the change in real-world scenarios.

If possible, consider executing in lower stakes environment while your team get’s their “sea legs” under them.

It’s important that you treat the change as a skill development process, with leaders and managers providing feedback as the change is refined. Often leaders equate knowledge with ability, and they stop giving support and guidance before their team feels comfortable in their ability. Then, a few weeks later, the leaders often have too high of expectations - when they never helped form Ability.

Instead, be sure to bake in time and training to ensure ability grows, BEFORE holding your team to perfect standards. Knowledge is NOT enough.

Sarah ended up giving her team two weeks to test-drive the system on small projects, and then had a quick session to break down what was working, what wasn’t, and what needed improved. This session revealed a gap in training, which allowed a massive leap forward in ability for all involved. Everyone then felt ready to roll it out where it mattered most.

You’ve arrived! But don’t relax…

To make the change last, reinforcement locks in new habits and processes. This involves ongoing support, celebrating successes, and monitoring progress to keep individuals committed, preventing them from slipping back into old patterns and solidifying the change over time.

The most important gap I see at this stage is celebrating wins and tracking them.

What you focus on, expands. Make sure when you’re implementing change, you have something tracking if you’re are winning. And then CELEBRATE if you are!

Sarah had a game built around the change transition, and everyone knew exactly how they were contributing to the score and if they were winning. This made it fun, and easy to track the impact of the change.

Til next time.

- Vince

A detailed explanation from Whatfix offers practical tips on implementing the model, making it easy to understand with real-world examples.

A video from Prosci uses a real-world example to illustrate each stage, making the model relatable and memorable.

An episode from "The Inner Game of Change" features Joanne Rinaldi discussing the model with expert insights, ideal for practical application.