JS Tip 590: Leading Through Change, Part I

The Reasons

Look around. 

The world is upside down. The virus. The economy. The justice system. The social system. The political system. 

We’re seeing things and events we’ve never seen before. 

Change. Massive change.

So what do we as leaders do about it?  

The Background

In the 1990s, Jeff Hiatt worked as an engineer at Bell Labs. He analyzed why some projects succeeded and others failed: “What made the difference?”

He looked at 2,600 organizations around the world. He found a common thread:

• The projects that succeeded were led by those who could adapt. Who could adjust. Who could recognize and use change to their advantage.

In 2003, he captured and published his findings in ADKAR: A Model for Change in Business, Government and Our Community. The book became a classic in managing change.

This begins our series on leading through change.  

The Acronym

“ADKAR” is an acronym. Each letter represents a principle: 

A: Awareness. The recognition of current events and an understanding of their consequences. And the ability to share that understanding.

D: Desire. The willingness to actively support and participate in the change. And, again, the ability to share that willingness. Inspire that willingness. 

K: Knowledge. The learning necessary to make the change happen or to use the oncoming and inevitable change to advantage. 

A: Ability. The skill to convert knowledge to action. To implement the change. Or use the change. And get others to act with you. 

R: Reinforcement. The means of encouragement. Rewards from “Good job!” to national recognition. Strengthening—buttressing—the ongoing change effort. 

We’ll explore these principles in the next weeks. 

Stuart Levine in Forbes Magazine puts it this way: “Embrace change or get left behind.” Scary stuff.

If you have questions or comments, let us know. We love this stuff.

We’re grateful to Hollie Doyle for this discussion. She knows this stuff. She uses this stuff. She lives this stuff.

Thank you, Hollie.