In the latest HCI Webinar, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Karen Ball about the Prosci ADKAR model of change management. Below is a summary of the main points from their conversation! Check out the full episode and let us know what you think!
Watch the episode here:
Quick Recap
Karen and Jonathan discussed the ADKAR model, a change management model that Karen found particularly powerful. They explored the model's sequential nature and its application in individual and organizational change, with Karen sharing her personal experience and the model's origin story. The conversation concluded with Karen emphasizing the importance of understanding change as an individual process and the role of the ADKAR model in facilitating change.
Exploring the ADKAR Change Management Model
Jonathan and Karen discussed the ADKAR model, a change management model that Karen found particularly powerful. Karen, a 40-year professional, discovered her passion for change management in 2006 when she was introduced to the ADKAR model. She highlighted the model's sequential nature, with five building blocks: awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement. Karen shared her experience as an IT professional, working on large-scale corporate compliance initiatives, and how she saw the importance of adoption for realizing benefits. She also mentioned her role as an end user advocate, which she later learned was part of the change management discipline. The conversation ended with Karen expressing her excitement to share her insights further.
Exploring the ADKAR Model in Change Management
Karen shared her personal experience of discovering the ADKAR model, which she found to be the missing piece in understanding change management. She explained how the model provides a framework for seeing change through the lens of individual progression and sequence. Jonathan expressed his interest in the story behind the model and asked about its development and evolution in the context of change management. Karen agreed to provide more insights on the origin and evolution of the ADKAR model.
Exploring the ADKAR Model for Successful Change
Karen discussed the ADKAR model, developed by Jeff Hyatt, an engineer who worked at Bell Laboratories in the late 1990s. Hyatt was fascinated by the question of why some changes succeed while others fail. He studied change patterns with over 700 organizations and discovered that the people side of change was the most significant aspect. The model, which stands for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement, is not about activities but about outcomes. Karen emphasized that the model can be applied in any context of change, at any size, and can be used to measure success. Jonathan reminisced about his own project on the origin stories of organizational development, appreciating the power of understanding the innovators behind these movements.
ADKAR Model: Individual and Organizational Change
Karen and Jonathan discussed the ADKAR model, focusing on its individual and organizational change aspects. Karen emphasized that change is individual and that successful individual change leads to successful organizational change. She also mentioned the book's incorporation of ADKAR stories from around the world, both personal and professional. Jonathan highlighted the three ADKAR advantages: focusing on individuals, facilitating group change, and improving organizational change. He asked Karen to elaborate on how the model facilitates individual change, which she did, mentioning the diagnostic assessment and action-oriented nature of ADKAR.
Understanding Change and Supporting Individuals
Karen discussed the importance of understanding change as an individual process that aggregates into organizational change. She emphasized the need for organizations to acknowledge and support the people side of change, and for individuals to recognize their own change journeys. Karen also highlighted the role of the ADKAR model in facilitating change by providing a common language and process. Jonathan agreed with Karen's points and added that change management has evolved to focus on change agility and continuous improvement. The conversation concluded with Karen encouraging individuals to connect with her for more information on her work and the ADKAR Advantage book.
Listen to the webinar here:
