ADKAR Model for Change

ADKAR Model

Introduction

The ADKAR model was first published by Prosci in 1998 after research with more than 300 companies undergoing major change projects.

ADKAR is a goal-oriented change management model that allows change management teams to focus their activities on specific business results.  

The goals or outcomes defined by ADKAR are sequential and cumulative.

Framework for Change Initiatives

Business Dimension of Change

The business dimension of change includes the typical project elements. 

Business need or opportunity is identified.

Project is defined (scope and objectives).

Business solution is designed (new processes, systems and organizational structure).

New processes and systems are developed.

Solution is implemented in the organization.

People dimension of change

Effective management of the people dimension of change requires managing five key goals that form the basis of the ADKAR model:  

Awareness of the need to change

Desire to participate and support the change

Knowledge of how to change (and what the change looks like)

Ability to implement the change on a day-to-day basis

Reinforcement to keep the change in place

Awareness

Awareness is the first building block of Prosci's ADKAR Model. Any successful change begins with the answer to one of the most basic questions about change: Why? It is human nature to want to understand the reasoning behind an action or a required change.

It means sharing both the nature of the change AND answering why this change is needed.

In a 2005 study with 411 companies undergoing major change projects, the number one reason for resistance to change was lack of awareness of why the change was being made. Project managers of these major change initiatives

stated that employees and managers alike wanted to know the business reasons for the change.

Awareness Another viewpoint is that employees do not need to

know the reasons behind every change. They think that employees are compensated for performing a job, and if that job should change, employees should just do those new tasks rather than ask why a change is needed.

Building Awareness can be much more difficult than it sounds. For example, do you trust the leadership team of the change message? Do you believe the reasons they are providing about why the change is needed.

As a change manager, you will need to understand the activities that drive Awareness, and those "resisting factors" or restraining forces that prevent the awareness message from taking hold with your audiences.

Awareness

Awareness

What builds Awareness of the need for change? Communications from others

Access to information

An event

An observable condition

Potential Resisting Factors: Comfort with the status quo

Credibility of the source or sender of the message

Denial that the reasons for change are real

Debate over the reasons for change

Rumors or misinformation

General perception of the people closest to me (if different than the public message)

Examples: Sponsor messages, Managers’

conversations, General employee communications, Catastrophic disaster, Weakening financial performance

Desire Once an individual has an understanding of why a

change is needed (Awareness), the next step in successful change is making a personal decision to support and participate in the change.

Creating desire poses a challenge, in part because of the limited control we have over another person’s choices. Unlike awareness-building, where we can take definitive steps to generate awareness of the need for change, creating the desire to change remains elusive and, by definition, not under our direct control.

For example, I may be aware that my PC monitor contains some lead, but I may not be willing to recycle my computer. Awareness enables people to begin the process of evaluating a change, but does not necessarily result in a desire to change.

Desire Likewise, in the workplace, managers can develop

new processes, tools and organizational structures. They can purchase new technology and promote new values for their organization. However, they cannot force their employees to support and engage in these changes.

A common mistake made by many business leaders is to assume that by building awareness of the need for change they have also created desire. Understanding the underlying factors that influence an individual’s desire to change is an important first step to achieving this element of the ADKAR model.

As with Awareness, Desire is only achieved when the individual would say to us, "I'm in - I will be part of this change"

Desire

What builds Desire to support and participate in a change? Likelihood of gain or achievement

(incentive)

Fear of consequence (risk or penalty)

Desire to be part of something (to belong)

Willingness to follow a leader you trust

Alternative is worse

Potential Resisting factors: Comfort or security with how things

are now

Fear of the unknown

Change not aligned with a person's self-interest or values

No answer to What's In It For Me? (WIIFM)

Negative history with change on a personal level (low confidence of success)

An individual’s personal situation - financial, career, family, health

An organization's track record with change

Tactics for building Desire: Active and visible primary sponsor,

Strong sponsorship coalition, Personal engagement by coaches, Proactive management of resistance, Employees involved in the change process - help create the solution, Incentive programs aligned with the change

Knowledge

Knowledge is probably the building block that poses the fewest issues. Because organizations have a long and rich history with delivering training - most even have an entire department dedicated to training along with specialists that focus on education. However, training is not the only way to develop knowledge.

From a change management perspective, it is important to recognize two distinct types of Knowledge. The first is Knowledge on how to change, and the second is Knowledge on how to perform effectively in the future state

Knowledge is only effective when the individual already has Awareness and Desire. Without these you cannot effectively create the Knowledge that is necessary for a change to be successful. 

Knowledge (contd..)

“Green” Hotels Association introduced a change in 1993 that has spread throughout hotels in the United States and impacts many business and vacation travelers. After a trip to Germany, Patricia Griffin, founder and president of “Green” Hotels Association, returned with an idea to change the way hotel guests treated bath towels. On the surface, this could appear to be a daunting challenge. How could one person initiate a change that would impact thousands of hotel guests? It began with the printing of a small card that would hang on the towel rack in hotel guest rooms. The card essentially says: Each day we use millions of gallons of water and tons of detergent in hotels to wash guest towels that have been used only once. Decide for yourself. A towel on the rack means: “I will use it again.” A towel on the floor or the tub means: “Please exchange.”

Knowledge (Contd..) By 2005, “Green” Hotels Association’s guest cards could

be seen in more than 150,000 guest rooms. Hotels are reporting significant savings in water, utility and detergent costs. This change has helped conserve water and reduce operating expenses while protecting our environment. Fifteen years earlier most hotel guests would have laughed at the suggestion that towels be reused. Many people would consider this nothing more than a cost-savings attempt by a “cheap” hotel manager. Imagine the reaction of hotel guests to a sign that reads, “Please reuse your towel. It saves us money.” Yet, in this case, “Green” Hotels Association was able to successfully implement this change, and nearly every major hotel chain now uses similar towel cards in their guest rooms. What was different about how this change was managed that made it a success?

Knowledge (Contd..)

If you analyze the simple text on this card, notice that awareness is the starting point. Many hotel guests may have never considered the implications associated with the simple process of washing towels. The card then states clearly: “Decide for yourself.” This simple expression captures the essence of desire. It is ultimately up to each hotel guest to participate or not participate in the program

Finally, the card states how to change: “Hanging up the towel means I’ll use it again” and “A towel on the floor means please exchange.” This phrase captures the how or the knowledge component of the change in very simple terms. Within this simple card the first three elements of the ADKAR model are realized. Since the fourth phase, ability, is the simple act of placing towels back on the towel bar, the change took hold. The reinforcement for sustaining the change comes from two sources; first the hotel guests’ gratification that they have helped in a small way with a large environmental issue, and second, the hotel’s expense reduction from using less water, electricity and detergent.

Ability

While Knowledge and Ability can seem similar, there can be a very large gap between the two. An example that illustrates this gap is playing golf. While someone can gain the Knowledge by working with a golf pro - learning how to approach the ball, how far apart the feet should be, that it is important to keep one's head down when following through, how to swing correctly - it may take many years for this Knowledge to translate into Ability in terms of performance on the golf course.

Ability

What fosters Ability to implement the required skills and behaviors?

Practice Time Coaching or role modeling

behavior Access to right tools Feedback

Potential Resisting Factors:

Inadequate time available to develop skills

Lack of support resources Existing habits contrary

to the desired behavior Psychological blocks  Limitations in physical

abilities Individual capabilities

(personal limitations)

Tactics for fostering Ability:

Direct involvement of coaches, Access to subject matter xperts, Performance monitoring, Hands-on practice during training, Availability of expert resources to help employees

Reinforcement

Reinforcement is the final element of the ADKAR model and is achieved when the necessary mechanisms are in place to sustain the change.

It is a natural tendency to resort to what we know. In fact, there is research emerging about how the brain functions that suggests it is not just a natural tendency, but in fact physiological tendency.

With effective reinforcement, you avoid losing momentum from the initial deployment of the change and you can prevent employees from reverting to old ways of doing work.

One of the reasons Reinforcement can be difficult, from a change management perspective, is that once a change is finished, we are often already moving on to the next change. It takes concerted effort and time to make sure a change "sticks“.

Reinforcement

What builds Reinforcement to sustain the change?

Celebrations Rewards and recognition Feedback Corrective actions Visible performance measurement Accountability mechanisms

Potential Resisting Factors:

Rewards not meaningful or not associated with achievement

Absence of reinforcement for accomplishments

Negative consequences including peer pressure for desired behavior

Incentives that directly oppose the change

The ADKAR® model 

A work scenarioIf you are an employee in an organization undergoing

change, your reaction to the change and how you are viewed by the organization will be directly affected by each of the five elements in the ADKAR model.

Take for example the implementation of a new software tool. If the change is implemented and you believe it was not needed (i.e., you were not aware that any changes were required), then your reaction might be: 

“This is a waste of time.” “Why change if it was working just fine before?” “If it ain't broke, don't fix it.” “They never tell us what’s going on!”

A work Scenario

If someone had taken the time to explain that the old software would no longer be supported by the vendor, and that new software was necessary to meet the needs of your customers, then your reaction (based on this awareness) would likely be very different: 

“How soon will this happen?”  “How will this impact me?”  “Will I receive new training?” Take this same example one step further. Assume you were made

aware that a change was required, but you had no desire to participate or support the change.  

“What’s in it for me.”  “I doubt they are really serious about this.” Now the tables are turned, and you may become the target of an

emotional response from individuals within the organization. You may be labeled as difficult, inflexible or unsupportive. Some may say you lack initiative or vision. You may be called a cynic or pessimist.

Changing a child's behavior

Changing unwanted behavior in children follows the ADKAR model well. Children first need to know what they are doing is wrong. This awareness often comes when an upset parent tells the child he is doing something wrong. Simply knowing it is wrong, however, will not stop most children. Their natural inclination is to test the boundaries and push the limits. Consequences, either positive or negative, are usually required. These consequences impact the child's desire to change. However, the process cannot stop here. Given proper motivation to change, children need a role model to understand what the proper behavior looks like. They need examples so they can obtain the knowledge of what the correct behavior is. Next, they need practice in order to obtain the fourth result of ADKAR, ability. Few children can change immediately; it is an ongoing process requiring them to develop new skills and habits. They need time to develop the ability to act in a new way. Finally, children need reinforcement to keep the good behavior going. This may be in the form of positive encouragement or other types of rewards.

Coaching a sport

In this case study example, a parent was attempting to improve the batting style and skill of his son playing baseball. Dad was concerned that his son's batting was not up to the level of the other boys on the team. He searched the Internet for batting videos and purchased a tape for his son. For weeks he tried to get his son to watch the video on batting mechanics. With some parental persuasion, Dad was able to get his son to watch part of the tape. After that, the video was left untouched.

The father's attempt to educate his son failed and resulted only in a frustrated parent. He finally sat down with his son and asked him why he would not watch the tape and use it to improve his batting. His son replied that he just enjoyed playing baseball with his friends, and it did not matter to him if his batting was as good as some of the other boys.

In this example the father skipped elements of the ADKAR model (from awareness to knowledge). His son had no desire to change and was content just to be out there playing the game. Dad’s efforts to build knowledge failed because his son lacked the desire to change.

Exercise Briefly describe the personal change you are trying to implement with a friend, family

member or work associate: 1. Awareness. List the reasons you believe the change is necessary. Review these

reasons and rate the degree to which the person you are trying to change is aware of the reasons or need to change (1 - 5 where 1 is no awareness and 5 is total awareness).

  2. Desire. List the factors or consequences (good and bad) for this person that create a

desire to change. Consider these motivating factors, including the person’s conviction in these factors and the associated consequences. Rate his/her desire to change on a 1 - 5 scale.

  3. Knowledge. List the skills and knowledge needed to support the change, including if

the person has a clear picture of what the change looks like. Rate this person’s knowledge or level of training in these areas on a 1 to 5 scale.

  4. Ability. Considering the skills and knowledge identified in the previous question,

evaluate the person’s ability to perform these skills or act on this knowledge. Rate this person’s ability to implement the new skills, knowledge and behaviors to support the change on a 1 - 5 scale.

  5. Reinforcement. List the reinforcements that will help to retain the change. Are

incentives in place to reinforce the change and make it stick? Rate the reinforcements as helping support the change on a 1 to 5 scale.