Evaluating Change Management Frameworks

One-size-fits-all change strategies? A myth that refuses to die. For meaningful transformation to happen, change efforts must be tailored to the unique DNA of each organisation. That’s where the Change Kaleidoscope comes in – a robust framework by Julia Balogun and Veronica Hope Hailey designed to help managers craft context-sensitive change strategies. ☑ What makes it unique? ↳ It recognises that no two organisations face change in the same way. ↳ It provides a structured way to diagnose context before selecting interventions. The framework is built around three concentric rings: ☑ The Outer Ring ↳ Defines the broader strategic change context. ↳ Helps leaders understand the environment in which change will take place. ☑ The Middle Ring ↳ Focuses on specific contextual factors—organisational culture, history, and readiness. ↳ Encourages a nuanced view of challenges and opportunities. ☑ The Inner Circle ↳ Offers a set of ‘design choices’ for change agents. ↳ Helps managers select tactics that fit their unique organisational landscape. Why does this matter? 1. It replaces generic solutions with tailored, strategic interventions. 2. It respects organisational complexity rather than oversimplifying it. 3. It increases the likelihood of change being adopted and sustained. If you want change to stick, stop chasing universal formulas. Start by deeply understanding your context, and let frameworks like the Change Kaleidoscope guide your choices. P.S. If you like content like this, please follow me.

I was recently reminded of the significant grounding power of Prosci's five tenets of #changemanagement and the associated plain language questions that can unlock obstacles and provide focus. When I am on stage to share the mindset that people are indeed on the critical path of #changesuccess with a group that may not know much about change management (i.e. executives and senior leaders), this is one of the frameworks I lean on regularly. Why? The first three tenets do not mention change management, but describe the nature of change and how it happens. Then, in the fourth tenet, change management is positioned as the solution to the realities of successful change (or as an antidote when change has been left to chance). Tenet five closes the loop by connecting adoption back to the project's purpose. Prosci's Five Tenets of Change Management + Plain Language Questions: Tenet 1: We change for a reason. Question 1:Why are we changing? T2: Organizational change requires individual change. Q2: Who has to do their job differently (and how)? T3: Organizational outcomes are the collective result of individual change. Q3: How much of our outcomes depend on adoption and usage? T4: Change management is an enabling framework for managing the people side of change. Q4: What will we do to support adoption and usage? T5: We apply change management to realize the benefits and desired outcomes of change. Q5: How will driving adoption and usage improve results? When I'm engaging senior leaders, I usually lead with the five question and only concluded with the connection back to the discipline of change management. How have you used the five tenets framework in your work?

Navigating change is hard — Change management often focuses on soft issues : - Culture - Motivation - Leadership But managing these alone is not sufficient to navigate change. These soft factors don’t directly influence the outcomes of many change programs. That is why focusing on the hard issues become essential to navigate change successfully in organizations. Research shows that 2 out of 3 organizations still fail to navigate change well, And more often than that, the issues arises from the lack of focus on the hard factors. There are 4 factors that determine the outcome of change management — 1. Duration How long the duration of the change will be, it is important to review it from time to time. This can happen through effective reviews — -Scheduling milestones  - Assessing their impact  - Corrective actions from time to time 2. Integrity This is the reliance on teams, managers, supervisors to execute change projects successfully. This can happen through clarity — - Each employee’s role - Accountability of work  - Commitments and tasks undertaken 3. Commitment Commitment starts from top management - when the leaders show their enthusiasm and commitment to change, a change initiative is 5 times more likely to succeed. This can happen through — - Communicating the need for change  - Building staff support to show commitment - Conflict resolution in the team and employees 4. Effort Change managers should assess how much effort is required to change over to new processes. This can happen through — - Understanding % increase in effort - Regular feedbacks from employees  - Effective delegation and updated roles This DICE framework to assess the hard factors help organizations navigate change successfully. And while the soft factors are equally important, it is equally important to focus on the hard factors. How do you navigate organizational change?  Let’s discuss in the comments. If you’re struggling with change and are ready for strategic leadership initiatives to navigate change successfully, DM me “CHANGE”.