Measuring Change Management Success

I keep returning to Damon Centola’s research on how #change spreads. Not because it’s clever. Because it’s true. Centola found that change doesn’t move like information. You can’t push it through announcements or clever messaging. It spreads through behavior, #trust, and networks. He calls it complex contagion, and it tracks with what I see inside organizations every day. People don’t change because someone at the top says so. They change when they see people they trust doing something new. Then they see it again. Then maybe one more time. That’s when it starts to feel real. That’s when it moves. Here’s what Centola’s research shows actually makes change stick: - Multiple exposures. Once isn’t enough. People need to encounter the new behavior several times from different people. - Trusted messengers. It’s not about role or rank. It’s about credibility in the day-to-day. - Strong ties. Close, high-trust relationships are where change actually moves. - Visible behavior. People need to see it being done, not just hear about it. - Reinforcement over time. Real change takes repetition. One wave won’t do it. This flips most #ChangeManagement upside down. It’s not about the rollout or coms plan. It’s about reinforcing new behaviors inside the real social structure of the organization. So, if you are a part of change, ask your team and self: 1. Who are the people others watch? 2. Where are the trusted connections? 3. Is the behavior visible and repeated? 4. Are you designing for reinforcement or just awareness? Change isn’t a #communication problem. It’s a network pattern. That’s the shift. That’s the work. And that’s what I help teams build.

Most change initiatives don't fail because of the change that's happening, they fail because of how the change is communicated. I've watched brilliant restructurings collapse and transformative acquisitions unravel… Not because the plan was flawed, but because leaders were more focused on explaining the "what" and "why" than on how they were addressing the fears and concerns of the people on their team. People don't resist change because they don't understand it. They resist because they haven't been given a compelling story about their role in it. This is where the Venture Scape framework becomes invaluable. The framework maps your team's journey through five distinct stages of change: The Dream - When you envision something better and need to spark belief The Leap - When you commit to action and need to build confidence The Fight - When you face resistance and need to inspire bravery The Climb - When progress feels slow and you need to fuel endurance The Arrival - When you achieve success and need to honor the journey The key is knowing exactly where your team is in this journey and tailoring your communication accordingly. If you're announcing a merger during the Leap stage, don't deliver a message about endurance. Your team needs a moment of commitment–stories and symbols that anchor them in the decision and clarify the values that remain unchanged. You can’t know where your team is on this spectrum without talking to them. Don’t just guess. Have real conversations. Listen to their specific concerns. Then craft messages that speak directly to those fears while calling on their courage. Your job isn't just to announce change, but to walk beside your team and help your team understand what role they play in the story at each stage. #LeadershipCommunication #Illuminate

They were hemorrhaging money on digital tools their managers refused to use. The situation: A retail giant in the diamond industry with post-COVID digital sales tools sitting unused. Store managers resisting change. Market volatility crushing performance. Here's what every other company does: More training on features. Explaining benefits harder. Pushing adoption metrics. Here's what my client did instead: They ignored the technology completely. Instead, they trained 200+ managers on something nobody else was teaching; how to fall in love with change itself. For 8 months, we didn't focus on the digital tools once. We taught them Change Enthusiasm®, how to see disruption as opportunity, resistance as data, and overwhelm as information. We certified managers in emotional processing, not technical skills. The results were staggering: → 30% increase in digital adoption (without a single tech training session) →  2X ROI boost for those who embraced the mindset →  25% sales uplift in stores with certified managers →  96% of participants improved business outcomes Here's the breakthrough insight: People don't resist technology. They resist change. Fix the relationship with change, and adoption becomes automatic. While competitors were fighting symptoms, this company cured the disease. The secret wasn't better technology training, it was better humans. When managers learned to thrive through change, they stopped seeing digital tools as threats and started seeing them as allies. Most companies are solving the wrong problem. They're trying to make people adopt technology. We help people embrace transformation. The results speak for themselves. What would happen if you stopped training on tools and started training on change? ♻️ Share if you believe the future belongs to change-ready organizations 🔔 Follow for insights on making transformation inevitable, not optional

Last month, while facilitating a session inside of a leadership development program, a complex topic came up: How do you lead change when you didn’t make the decision (and maybe don’t agree with it?) What do you do when you're expected to rally your team around a decision, new policy, new process etc. when you may not have made (or even agree with) all while feeling empathy for those impacted. It's a tough nuanced situation, no easy answers. But here were a few key insights and ideas that emerged from our discussion: - Check yourself first before leading others: Since people model and watch what leaders say and do, before showing up for others make sure to check in with yourself. Do your own self-awareness and reflection work internally so you can process the change and be itentional about how you show up, communicate and act with your people - Empathy/Clarity aren't mutually exclusive: For particuarily charged or controversial changes to policies/programs that are truly beyond your control, you're still responsible for making sure those things are carried out/results delivered. At the same time, you can acknowledge the pressure/challenges that these changes create. Diverse perspectives matter, and as a leader, you can hold space for empathy, while also reinforicing accountability to exepctations. It's not about choosing one or the other, but about navigating both with intention. - Help Your people find their agency: Few things are more disempowering than feeling like you have no voice or control. Engage your team in ways that invite agency and ownership. When people can shape and have a voice in how they have to respond to change, they can feel more invested in making sure that they're committed to seeing it out, versus feeling it was imposed on them - Listen/Respond/Share: It's unrealistic to expect everyone to agree happily with every big change. What matters is creating that forum for people to express their perspective in an honest but healthy way. Listen with curioisty, use your role as a leader to share feedback through the right channels and follow up so your team feels heard and valued. I don’t think there are silver bullets or playbooks, but I think we came up with some great ideas and thought starters. If you’re a leader who’s had to navigate this, I’d love to hear what’s worked for you! #leadership #change

Most change initiatives are measured by one number: Adoption. Did people start using the new system? Did they attend the training? Did they log in? But just because something was adopted doesn’t mean the change worked. Adoption tells you if people used it. It doesn’t tell you how well they’re using it or whether it made anything better. To really measure change success, you need to go deeper: – Is behavior actually different? Are people making decisions in a new way? Are old habits starting to fade? – Is performance improving? Has the change helped teams deliver better results, faster service, fewer errors, or stronger collaboration? – Is the change sustainable? Are people still using the new way of working 3, 6, 12 months later or did things quietly go back to how they were? – Do people understand why the change matters? Real change sticks when people connect it to their purpose, not just their process. Success isn’t just about launch day. It’s about what happens after, when the excitement fades and the real work begins.

Blending IO psychology with digital innovation flipped the results of our last tech rollout. Most teams never connect these dots—here's why it changes everything ↓ Tech implementations often fail not because of the technology, but due to human factors. The deployment to a large international pharma company was heading for disaster until we brought in IO psychologists. They helped us understand: - How different personality types interact with new systems - The impact of change on team dynamics - Ways to reduce resistance and boost adoption We tailored our approach based on these insights: - Customized training for different learning styles - Change champions selected based on influence networks - Communication strategies aligned with team cultures The results were staggering: - 94% adoption rate within 3 months - 40% increase in user satisfaction scores - 25% boost in productivity post-implementation Key takeaway: Technology and human behavior are deeply intertwined. By considering both, we unlocked synergies we never thought possible. Next time you're planning a tech rollout, remember: The most powerful integration isn't between systems, but between tech and human psychology. Embrace this approach to transform your digital initiatives. PS - and if you know this story, you also know how it set me on the path for my PhD in IO Psychology.

Harsh truth: No matter where you sit in an organization, if you can't connect what you do...your value at the organization is limited. Here’s what leaders need to know about transformation: 1. Empathize with Your Team's Current State • Take the time to genuinely understand the challenges, fears, and aspirations of your team members • Put yourself in their shoes and consider how their current circumstances are impacting their motivation and performance • Acknowledge their struggles and demonstrate that you've been there too, building trust and rapport 2. Define a Clear and Compelling Destination • Articulate a vivid vision of where you want to lead your team or organization • Paint a picture of the future state that is both ambitious and achievable, inspiring your team to stretch beyond their comfort zone • Communicate this destination consistently and passionately, rallying your team around a shared purpose 3. Break Down the Journey into Manageable Steps • Deconstruct the transformation process into specific, actionable milestones • Identify the critical skills, resources, and mindset shifts required at each stage of the journey • Celebrate progress along the way, recognizing the efforts and achievements of your team as they move closer to the destination 4. Empower Every Team Member to Be a Change Agent • Emphasize that transformation is not just the responsibility of leadership, but of every individual in the organization • Encourage team members to identify opportunities for improvement within their own roles and spheres of influence • Provide the tools, training, and autonomy necessary for team members to drive change at all levels 5. Accelerate the Speed of Transformation • Recognize that in today's fast-paced business environment, the speed of transformation is a critical competitive advantage • Foster a culture of experimentation and iteration, encouraging your team to rapidly test and refine new ideas • Streamline decision-making processes and remove bureaucratic barriers that slow down progress Remember, transformation is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process of growth and adaptation. As a leader, your role is to create an environment where transformation can thrive, and to inspire your team to embrace the challenges and opportunities that come with change. Join the 12,000+ leaders who get our weekly email newsletter. https://lnkd.in/en9vxeNk

Lesson from 15+ years of change work: Tech projects don’t fail because the system breaks they fail because adoption breaks. 👉 I’ve watched it happen again and again: 💸 Millions invested. ⚙️ The system goes live. 😬 And then… resistance sets in. People log in, but they hesitate. Old habits creep back. Frustration bubbles under the surface. Not because the technology didn’t work. But because the people weren’t ready to work with it. And here’s what many forget -> AI isn’t just innovation, it’s a technology rollout. And like any rollout, it needs to follow the same change management protocols that ensure people adapt, adopt, and thrive with it. That’s why Change Management isn’t optional. It’s the missing piece. And the ADKAR model shows us exactly where adoption breaks: A- Awareness: ☑️ Do people truly know why AI is being introduced? ↳ Awareness means leaders explain how AI connects to strategy, purpose, and people. Not just efficiency metrics. D- Desire: ☑️ Do they actually want to use it, or do they fear it? ↳ Desire grows when organizations emphasize partnership. AI as a tool to amplify human work, not erase it. K- Knowledge: ☑️ Do they know how to use AI in their day-to-day? ↳Training isn’t a one-time webinar. It’s real-world, role-specific, hands-on guidance. Without this, AI sits idle. Knowledge is about building confidence, not just checking a compliance box. A- Ability: ☑️ Can they actually apply what they’ve learned? ↳It’s one thing to sit through training. It’s another to open your laptop Monday morning and use AI in your workflow. Ability grows when people get coaching, safe spaces to experiment, and reinforcement to move from theory to practice. R- Reinforcement: ☑️ Will the change stick when it gets hard? ↳The real test comes months later, when stress rises and habits try to return. Reinforcement means leaders recognize wins, reward adoption, and keep the momentum alive so AI becomes part of culture and not just a short-term experiment. Ignore change management, and AI becomes another tool people resist. Embrace it, and AI becomes the spark that transforms how we work, lead, and grow. The difference isn’t the tech—> it’s the people. ♻️ Repost if you’re investing in people, not just tech. For More on AI + Future of Work→ Janet Perez

I’ve seen this play out too often: A CEO decides their organization needs to embark on a lean transformation. The first step? Hire someone from Danaher or another organization known for operational excellence. The next step? Quickly abdicate their own leadership role in driving the change. Suddenly, the transformation is in the hands of an outside “prophet,” while the leadership team sits on their hands, waiting for direction. This approach misses the mark entirely. Lean isn’t something you delegate. It’s not a program or a checklist. It’s a cultural transformation, and that starts with the CEO and senior leadership fully owning the change—not outsourcing it. If you’re serious about transformation, ask yourself: What will I stop doing to make time for leading this effort? How will I set the example for others to follow? Am I willing to confront the brutal realities within my organization, starting with my own role? Lean succeeds when leadership is all in—not just in words, but in action. Anything less, and you’re just rearranging deck chairs. So here’s the challenge: Are you leading the change, or are you outsourcing your responsibility?

70% of change initiatives fail. But yours doesn’t have to. I’ve led 35+ corporations through change with a 100% success rate over 30 years. Here’s one of the biggest reasons why. Success in change isn’t about having the perfect plan. It’s about avoiding the traps that cause failure. 🔵 My 2 Biggest Discoveries: 1️⃣ Companies Fail for the Same Reasons At the start of each project, I ask the management team to list the causes of failure from past change projects. When we review the lists, we always see the same problems repeated. The first few times, I was surprised. But after seeing it in every organization, the conclusion was clear: ➨ Organizations are not learning from their past mistakes. 2️⃣ The “Inhibitors of Change” When I analyzed the failure lists from over 100 change projects, the same issues appeared again and again: resistance, derailment factors, misalignment, lack of momentum, etc. This leads to my second discovery: ➨ There are a limited number of Inhibitors that consistently cause change efforts to fail. I spent two years identifying and classifying these Inhibitors and developing counterstrategies to overcome them. I call this the Inhibitors Strategy. Since then, every change project I lead includes an Inhibitors Strategy. With 35+ corporations transformed and a 100% success rate, I believe this is the key to successful change in large organizations. 🔵 3 Components of an Inhibitors' Strategy Identify Past Inhibitors ↳ Spot specific derailment factors ↳ Document forms of resistance ↳ Analyze where momentum was lost Plan Countermeasures ↳ Create a countermeasure for each Inhibitor ↳ Build feedback loops into your action plan ↳ Include safeguards from the start Overcoming Inhibitors ↳ Design strategies that counter derailment factors ↳ Build systems to spot Inhibitors during implementation ↳ Add countermeasures to your 3-month action plan Remember: your strategies are created by the best minds in your organization. Yet 70% of change projects still fail. I can’t say the Inhibitors Strategy is the only reason for our 100% success rate. But it’s a big part of it. 👉 The secret to success in organizational change isn’t better project management. It’s removing the Inhibitors of Change. Make the reasons for your past failures the foundation for success in your next change effort. What Inhibitors have you seen derail change in your organization? _____________   ♻️ 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 to help other organizations succeed in their change effort 🔔 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 Jacques Fischer for strategies to  ↳ Manage change  ↳ Evolve the culture  ↳ Improve leadership  ↳ Develop high-performance organizations 𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑵𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝑰𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝑺𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 #humanresources #hr #culturechange #changemanagement