Individuals and Change Flashcards
ADKAR 1-41
What is ADKAR a framework for?
A framework for understanding change at an individual level.
“The ADKAR model provides a primary framework to bring together new and traditional methods for managing change and is instrumental in diagnosing failing changes.“
What is the first A
Awareness represents a person’s understanding of the nature of the change, why the change is being made and the risk of not changing. Awareness also includes information about the internal and external drivers that created the need for change,
as well as “what’s in it for me.”
Why is this change necessary?
Why is this change happening now?
What is wrong with what we are doing today?
What will happen if we don’t change?
What is the D
Desire represents the willingness to support and engage in a change. Desire is ultimately about personal choice, influenced by the nature of the change, by an individual’s personal situation, as well as intrinsic motivators that are unique to each person.
What is the K
Knowledge represents the information, training and education necessary to know how to change. Knowledge includes information about behaviors, processes, tools, systems, skills, job roles and techniques that are needed to implement a change.
What is the last A
Ability represents the realization or execution of the change. Ability is turning knowledge into action. Ability is achieved when a person or group has the demonstrated capability to implement the change at the required performance levels.
What is the R
Reinforcement represents those internal and external
factors that sustain a change. External reinforcements could
include recognition, rewards and celebrations that are tied to
the realization of the change. Internal reinforcements could be
a person’s internal satisfaction with his or her achievement or
other benefits derived from the change on a personal level.
Which factors influence how readily people recognise the need for change? (Awareness)
- A person’s view of the current state
Individuals who strongly favor the current state and who have significant time, energy or money invested in how things are done today may initially deny the reasons for change or discredit those reasons in favor of maintaining the status quo. - How a person perceives problems
This second factor relates to a person’s cognitive style and how
they internalize new information against the backdrop of their
current perceptions.
Dr. Michael J. Kirton, in his book Adaption-Innovation, writes about two cognitive styles of business managers on a spectrum of more adaptive to more innovative.
Adaptors more readily anticipate challenges and threats from within the system.
Innovators are more ready to anticipate events that might beckon or threaten from outside, such as the early signs of changing tastes and markets or significant advances in technology that have not yet been fully exploited. - Credibility of the sender
The credibility of the sender of awareness messages directly impacts how an individual will internalize that information. Depending on the level of trust and respect for the sender, recipients of the message will view the sender either as a credible source or someone not to be believed. - Circulation of misinformation or rumors
For example, if business managers have withheld information from employees about the change, and rumors have spread among employees, these rumors may have clouded the facts and have created barriers to building awareness. - Contestability of the reasons for change
Some changes will have external and observable reasons that are difficult to dispute. These conditions are more often present in changes that are a reaction to an external event or trend, or are driven by forces outside of the organization.
E.g. The reason why the change is needed is compliance with a new law. The risk of not changing includes fees or penalties.
When there are no external reasons, thenet result is that a reasonable person may debate the grounds for the change.
Does the elements of ADKAR follow an order?
The elements of the ADKAR model fall into the natural order of how one person experiences change. Desire cannot come before awareness because it is the awareness of the need for change that stimulates our desire or triggers our resistance to that change. Knowledge cannot come before desire because we do not seek to know how to do something that we do not want to do. Ability cannot come before knowledge because we cannot implement what we do not know. Reinforcement cannot come before ability because we can only recognize and appreciate what has been achieved.
When does the lifecycle of ADKAR begin?
After a change has been identified. From this starting point, the model provides a framework and sequence for managing the people side of change.
Building awareness of the need for change requires which components to be addressed?
- What is the nature of the change and how does the change align with the vision for the organization?
- Why is the change being made and what are the risks of not changing?
- How will the change impact our organization or our community?
- What’s in it for me (WIIFM)?
What factors contribute to an individual’s or group’s desire for change? (Desire)
- The nature of the change (what the change is and
how it will impact them)
A person or group assesses the nature of a change on a variety of levels that include “What is the change?” and “How will the change impact me?” This is often termed “What’s in it for me?” or WIIFM. They will determine if the change represents an opportunity or a threat. - The organizational or environmental context for
the change (their perception of the organization)
Because each person’s experience is unique, this assessment of the surroundings will vary from person to person. In the workplace, this organizational context includes the success of past changes, how much change is already going on, reinforcements or rewards that were part of past change, the organization’s culture and the overall direction of the organization. - An individual’s personal situation)
Personal context includes all aspects of a person’s life situation, including family status, mobility (are they in a position to be flexible in terms of where they live?), financial security, age, health, career aspirations (are they where they expected to be at this point in their career?), relationships at home and at work, educational background, upcoming personal events and past success in this work environment (promotions, recognition, compensation). - What motivates them (those intrinsic motivators
that are unique to an individual)
Personal motivators are those inherent attributes that make us individuals. They range from the desire to help others and make a difference in our world, to the avoidance of pain or negative consequences.
What factors will impact the successful achievement of the knowledge element of the ADKAR model?
- The current knowledge base of an individual)
For some changes, a person may already have the required knowledge. In other cases, as with the salespeople in the computer manufacturing case study, the knowledge gaps can be large. - The capacity or capability of this person to gain additional knowledge)
Some people pick up new information easily, whereas others struggle to learn new processes or tools. - The resources available for education and training)
Some companies have extensive resources and funding to deliver training. Other firms struggle to provide any type of structured education to support a change. Resources could include the availability of subject matter experts, instructors, classroom facilities, books and materials, equipment and systems for student use, and funding to support the training program overall. - The access to, or existence of, the required knowledge)
Some parts of the world have very little access to educational institutions and subject matter experts. Organizations that do not have Internet connectivity also have limitations in terms of their access to knowledge. For other types of changes, the knowledge may not exist, or may not be fully developed.
Which factors can impact a person’s ability to implement change?
- Psychological blocks)
Psychological barriers to change are complex issues that we can recognize as real in terms of their effect, but that we are not always sure how to handle.
Public speaking, for example, is a fear shared by many. - Physical abilities)
Individuals with limited dexterity or arthritis cannot type without tremendous effort. - Intellectual capability)
- The time available to develop the needed
skills)
Time can be a factor for many types of change. If a person cannot develop the required skills in the needed time frame, then the change could fail, even if the person might have the potential to develop these abilities given more time. - The availability of resources)
The availability of resources to support a person during this developmental period will also play a role. Resources could include:
* Financial support
* Proper tools and materials
* Personal coaching
* Access to mentors and subject matter experts
Which factors contribute to the effectiveness of reinforcements?
- The degree to which the reinforcement is meaningful to the person impacted by the change)
In general, change is reinforced when recognition and rewards are meaningful to an individual. Meaningful from an individual perspective would include several attributes of the recognition:
* The recognition or reward applies to the person being recognized
* The person providing the recognition or reward is someone the individual respects
* The reward is relevant or valuable to the person being recognized - The association of the reinforcement with actual demonstrated progress or accomplishment)
* When changes are new and when the difficulties of changing are the greatest, opportunities present themselves for celebration. These moments can be turning points for the change. Identifying and acting on these opportunities is a critical part of reinforcing the change.
* The converse is also true. If no accomplishment has been made, any attempt at rewards or recognition can backfire. Using recognitions or rewards in the absence of
demonstrated achievement reduces the value of the recognition
now and in the future. - The absence of negative consequences)
When a person experiences a negative consequence for exhibiting the desired behavior, the change process is impeded. E.g. peer pressure into conforming to the old ways of working. - Accountability systems to reinforce the change)
Accountability for continued performance is one of the strongest forms of reinforcement. For example, individuals who have initiated a fitness program to address health issues are much more likely to sustain the change if they have some type of accountability mechanism.
Does the creaation of awareness always lead to desire for an individual?
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.
