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The Prosci ADKAR Model Overview Ebook
The Prosci ADKAR Model Overview Ebook
ADKAR Model
ADKAR Assessment 15
Actionable Steps 17
Having the clearest vision or the most effectively designed solution to a problem will not,
alone, produce successful change. The secret to leading successful change is rooted in
something much simpler: how to facilitate change with one person.
Change happens at the individual level. For a group or organization to change, all the
individuals within that group or organization must change. This means that to effect change
in our organizations, businesses and communities, we must first understand how to effect
change one person at a time. The Prosci ADKAR Model is a framework for understanding
and managing individual change. It provides structure and tangible guidance for leaders who
want to motivate change in others.
ADKAR is an acronym for the five outcomes an individual needs to achieve for a change
to be successful: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement. When applied
to organizational change, this model allows leaders and change management teams to
focus their activities on what will collectively drive individual change and produce
organizational results.
The outcomes or goals defined by the ADKAR Model are sequential and cumulative. They
must be achieved in order. For a change to be implemented and sustained, an individual must
progress through each, starting with Awareness.
Prosci founder Jeff Hyatt originally conceived the ADKAR Model through his early research
to align traditional change management activities with project goals and results. The ADKAR
Model was first used to determine the effectiveness of change management activities like
communication and training in achieving desired organizational change results.
For example:
1. Awareness of the business reasons for change. Awareness is a goal or outcome of early
communications related to an organizational change.
2. Desire to engage and participate in the change. Desire is a goal or outcome of sponsorship
and resistance management.
3. Knowledge about how to change. Knowledge is a goal or outcome of training and coaching.
4. Ability to realize or implement the change at the required performance level. Ability is a goal
or outcome of additional coaching, practice and time.
5. Reinforcement to ensure that change sticks. Reinforcement is a goal or outcome of adoption
measurement, corrective actions, and recognition of successful change.
In identifying the outcomes of change management activities, the ADKAR Model provides
a useful framework for change management teams in both the planning and the execution
of their work.
Changes come to life on two dimensions: the organizational or project side of change and the
people side of change. Successful change is a result of both dimensions of change maturing
simultaneously (see below). Project management and change management are complementary
disciplines with a common purpose of producing results and outcomes.
Successful Change
Business Concept & Post-
Implementation
Need Design Implementation
Let’s look at two examples of the ADKAR Model in application, the first in a personal change
scenario and the second in a professional change scenario. Try the ADKAR activity that follows
to enhance your understanding of the model and its application.
Note that each of the five elements of the ADKAR Model represents a particular result that
you are trying to achieve. Also note that all elements are cumulative and must be performed
in order. If, for example, we skip past the desire to start exercising, all attempts to learn how
to exercise (to build knowledge and develop ability) will be less effective, if not futile.
Using exercise as our example, it is easy to trace how change occurs on a personal level
through the ADKAR Model. Now, let’s consider how this framework applies to employees
experiencing change in a professional environment and how you can influence their progress
toward the desired outcomes.
Awareness
If the organization implements the new software, and employees are not aware that any
changes are needed, their reaction might be:
A natural human reaction to change, even in the best circumstances, is to resist. Awareness of
the business or organizational need to change is a critical component to overcoming resistance.
If, on the other hand, employees clearly understand that the old software version will no longer
be supported by the vendor, or that new software will help them meet customer needs more
effectively, the reaction (based on increased awareness) could look very different:
The employee’s personal motivators or barriers contribute to their level of desire to use
the new software. Each person could have their own unique reasons for engaging or
resisting—sometimes reasons that are not even related to the change.
If an employee has no desire to change, they may be labeled as difficult, inflexible, pessimistic
or unsupportive. The best person to help a resistant employee is their direct manager or
supervisor, who is usually closest to the employee and able to translate the change into
the employee’s personal context. People managers need to engage in coaching conversations to
help connect the change to personal motivators and to identify how barriers can be removed
or minimized.
Knowledge
Only after building awareness and desire should we begin
providing detailed knowledge of how to use the new
software. Unfortunately, organizations commonly see
a change coming and the first step they take is to send
employees to training. The result of this approach is
that the training is not highly effective. Employees
are not engaged in the detailed functionality of the
software because they are not prepared to learn. They
may not even know why they are there in the first
place. To make the most of a training investment, it
must come after initial awareness and desire building.
To bridge the “knowledge-to-ability gap,” employees will benefit from hands-on coaching and
practice using the software before go-live. This practice could take place in a formal training
setting or by working through a simulated live environment. What matters is that the employees
using the software have the opportunity to try it out, make mistakes, and ask questions in a
safe environment. Often, employees simply need time to adopt the changes. The best thing we
can do is give them time to practice.
Reinforcement
The final element of the ADKAR Model is reinforcement. The human brain is wired for habit.
We are physiologically programmed to revert to our old habits. When reinforcement is not in
place, we see employees using workarounds or relying on their old spreadsheets instead of
the new software. You may hear things like:
Now that you understand the Prosci ADKAR Model, let’s put it into action. This exercise will
clarify the key elements and help you start applying the model yourself.
Instructions:
1. Identify a friend, family member, work associate or employee whom you would like
to see adopt a particular change. Choose an individual who is not having success, despite
your best efforts to support them through the change.
2. Answer the questions in the table below with this person in mind. Use the table for your
answers, notes and scores.
3. Once you have completed the table, take a moment to review the scores. Highlight all
areas that scored a 3 or lower.
Briefly describe a personal change in behavior you are trying to influence a friend, family member,
neighbor or work associate to make:
AWARENESS RANK
A
Review the reasons for
change and ask yourself
the degree to which
the person is aware of
these reasons.
DESIRE RANK
D
List the factors or consequences (good and bad) for this person that
create a desire to change:
K
List the skills and knowledge needed for the change, both during and
after the transition:
ABILITY RANK
A
Considering the skills and knowledge from above, evaluate the
person’s ability to perform or act in the new way. Are there any
barriers inhibiting their ability?
REINFORCEMENT RANK
List the reinforcements that will help to sustain the change. Are
R
incentives in place to help this person make the change stick? Are there
incentives not to change?
Once you have completed the table, take a moment to review the scores.
Highlight all areas that scored a 3 or lower. Start with your first highlighted area.
If you identified awareness as the first low-scoring area, this is where you should begin.
If awareness is not firmly in place, working on desire, knowledge or ability will not make
the change happen.
Actionable Steps
If awareness is needed: Discuss and explore the reasons and benefits for this change, both on
the organizational level and on the individual level.
If more desire is needed: To move this person forward, address their inherent desire to
change (which may stem from negative or positive consequences). The motivating factors must
be great enough to overcome the individual’s personal threshold to resisting the change.
If more knowledge is needed: Avoid dwelling on reasons for change and motivating factors.
The this could be discouraging to somebody already at this phase. Instead, offer education and
training for the skills and behaviors necessary to move forward.
If more ability is needed: At least two steps are required. First, time is needed to develop
new abilities and behaviors. Second, ongoing coaching and support is required. A one-time
training event or an educational program may not be adequate. Consider outside intervention,
continued support and mentoring.
If more reinforcement is needed: Investigate whether the necessary elements are in place to
keep the person from reverting to old behaviors. Address the incentives or consequences for
avoiding the new behaviors.
The Prosci ADKAR Model is based on the understanding that organizational change happens
one person at a time. It is effective, easy to grasp, and applicable to virtually any organizational
setting. And if a change is failing, you can use the ADKAR Model to diagnose problems and gaps,
identify corrective actions, and improve the success of your change projects and initiatives.
The ADKAR Model provides the structure and direction you need to plan effectively for change.
From digital transformations and new operating processes to organizational restructuring
and culture changes, The ADKAR Model aligns your project changes with the people side of
change—which results in more successful outcomes.
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