We believe that, at its core, change management is all about an organisation’s most valuable asset, its people. Change Management is the practice of taking people through the process of learning something new, using something new, doing something different and making sure that those changes are valuable.
Change management, as defined by The Association Of Change Management Professionals (ACMP) is “the application of knowledge, skills, abilities, methodologies, processes, tools, and techniques to transition an individual or group from a current state to a desired future state, such that the desired outcomes and/or business objectives are achieved”.
The Change Management Institute (CMI), on the other hand, defines change management as “a domain of principles and practices that enable stakeholders of change to adopt the mindsets, behaviours and capabilities required for that change to deliver full business value”.
Understanding change management is essential for organisations in today’s fast-paced environment, helping them to remain competitive, adapt to market dynamics, and meet ever-evolving customer needs.
The ancient philosopher Heraclitus once claimed, “The only constant is change.”
Centuries later, Niccolò Machiavelli recognised the complexities of introducing new systems, saying; “there is nothing more difficult and dangerous, or more doubtful of success, than an attempt to introduce a new order of things.”
In fact, every era has grappled with change in new and distinct ways. Scientific Management concentrated on task-focused change, while Weberian reform emphasised structural alterations. Later, the Social Technical Systems (STS) and the Human Relations era dove deeper into modifications in systems and human dynamics.
But it wasn’t until the 1980s that change management started being recognised as a legitimate profession and change management expertise was commercialised. This monetisation was driven largely by Big 6 consulting groups and pivotal industry leaders like Daryl Conner. The 1990s saw the influence of Positive Psychology start to bloom, leading to a diverse array of change models by the 2000s.
In the last twenty to thirty years, we have seen technological and organisational change start to shift more rapidly than ever before. Organisations that were undergoing major transformations every few years now faced relentless, overlapping changes, setting a trend of continuous adaptation for the 21st century.
The modern world is characterised by fragmentation and complexity. And across the broad spectrum of industry, management strategies in different fields have developed distinct interpretations of change management, each with its unique nuances.
Today, change managers originate from a wide range of backgrounds from different industries. This diversity, while refreshing, can involve certain challenges. With varied perspectives comes potential inconsistencies in methodology, language, and foundational beliefs. As a result, clients often grapple with the decision of which approach aligns best with their needs.
One ongoing challenge in the change management industry is defining the exact role and scope of a change manager. Are they consultants, contractors, or in-house specialists? Do they lean towards hands-on implementation or high-level strategy and diagnostics? This ambiguity only exacerbates the industry’s complexity.
The industry sees a surge of professionals looking to tap into the demand for change management, however, not all of them have the required depth of experience. Luckily, the field of change management is also rich with experienced practitioners, robust methodologies, and a growing acknowledgement of its importance in ensuring business success. The task for organisations is to decide on the right ability and approach, particularly for those less acquainted with the discipline.
Change management looks a little different for every organisation. But essentially, the change management process is an approach that guides individuals, teams, or organisations through a transition from a current state to a desired future state.
It might involve assessing readiness, planning, implementing strategies, and sustaining changes to ensure their success and effectiveness. The change management process might involve using various tools and techniques, including communication, stakeholder engagement, and training, to minimise resistance and enhance adaptability.
With the increase in rapid deployment of changes in business and lean resourcing, we are seeing increasing calls for change managers skilled in agile change management in the recruiting process.
For those unfamiliar with the term, it can be unnerving! Is it just about technology releases? Are we talking Big A or little a? Is it about product development? It can be all really…so let’s step out some definitions.
Agile Change Management is a body of work that looks to support people through the delivery of change at speed with lean resourcing. It applies to both business agility transformations and the context of Agile delivery of technology and product releases or projects.
The foundations of the Agile Change Management body of work are an agile mindset, agile change practices and tools, and agile change ways of working.
The key role is the Agile Change Manager. These are people with a change management background who have upskilled to be nimbler and more adaptive in their practice. There is typically not an agile change process or methodology available. Rather change managers favour a focus on the capabilities and principles that help them deliver change at speed. The agile change capabilities that boost the success of the agile change manager are data informed decision making, transparent and visual communication, and continuous engagement.
However, the principles of agile change management aren’t exclusive to specialists. Agile change management practices are becoming universally recognised and adopted by professionals at all levels. After all, change is everybody’s business, and it seems the entire business world is finally embracing this mindset.
If you’d like to lead change more effectively, check out our Agile Change Management Course is aimed at equipping you with the necessary skills and knowledge to combine change management and agile.
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Change management ensures that organisations successfully transition from their current state to a desired future state with minimal disruption. Without a structured approach, change initiatives can fail due to employee resistance, lack of communication, or misalignment with business goals. Effective change management:
Change management directly affects business outcomes by ensuring that change initiatives deliver the intended benefits while minimising risks. When done effectively, it leads to:
There are several widely used change management models, each offering a unique approach:
Each model has its strengths, and the right choice depends on your organisation’s goals, culture, and the speed of change required.
Traditional change management models, like Kotter’s 8-Step Process and Prosci’s ADKAR Model, follow structured, step-by-step frameworks that focus on planning, implementation, and reinforcement. These models work well for large-scale, well-defined changes but can be slow to adapt in fast-moving environments.
Agile change management takes a flexible, iterative approach where change is: Continuous, adaptive, collaborative, and people-focused.
The ADKAR Model, developed by Prosci, is a people-focused change management framework that helps individuals transition through change effectively. It consists of five key stages:
ADKAR is widely used because it provides a structured way to address employee resistance, drive engagement, and ensure long-term success. It is particularly effective for project-based change initiatives where employee adoption is critical to achieving business objectives.
The success of a change initiative is determined by how well it achieves its intended outcomes while minimising disruption. One of the key indicators is adoption—measuring how many employees have embraced new processes, tools, or ways of working. If a change is successfully integrated, employees should feel confident in applying it without reverting to old habits.
Another critical factor is engagement. Gathering feedback from employees can reveal whether they feel informed, supported, and empowered throughout the transition. High levels of engagement typically indicate a smoother change process, whereas resistance or frustration may suggest gaps in communication or training.
Performance metrics are also essential in evaluating success. Comparing key business indicators such as productivity, efficiency, customer satisfaction, or revenue before and after the change can highlight tangible benefits. If the change was designed to improve operational effectiveness, measurable improvements should be evident in these areas.
Sustainability is another important consideration. A change may initially seem successful, but if old habits resurface after the initiative ends, it hasn’t been fully embedded into the organisation. Regular check-ins, reinforcement strategies, and leadership commitment are crucial to ensuring long-term success.
Ultimately, a combination of qualitative and quantitative data, including employee feedback, performance tracking, and business impact analysis, provides the most accurate picture of whether a change initiative has delivered its intended results.
We specialise in contemporary change management and leadership, enabling you and your team to develop the confidence and capability to handle fast-paced change.
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