The Human Side of Change Management

I was asked recently, “Why is change management so hard in business? We use ADKAR which seems foolproof, but for some reason we still stagnate and have so much conflict”. 

We often overestimate the power of a good plan and underestimate the friction people feel when habits, expectations or identity are challenged. Unspoken frustration builds, trust erodes, momentum stalls and culture quietly takes the hit. Tools like ADKAR can reduce that friction—but they only work when combined with a deeper understanding and connection to your team. Let’s take a brief look at ADKAR for those who don’t know it and then, the secret ingredient that will actually make ADKAR work.  

ADKAR in Practice 

ADKAR, developed by Prosci, is a simple, sequence-driven model for individual change that scales across teams and organisations. It’s less ‘theory’ and more checklist: 

• Awareness of the need for change. 

• Desire to participate and support the change. 

• Knowledge on how to change. 

• Ability to implement the required skills and behaviours. 

• Reinforcement to sustain the change.

  
  

Each step builds on the last. Miss one, and the others suffer. That’s what makes ADKAR so useful—it doesn’t just show what needs to change; it helps diagnose why people are stuck or disengaged.

Imagine introducing a new maintenance reporting platform. The business case is clear, SOPs are updated, training is delivered. Two months later, usage is patchy and workarounds are back. ADKAR helps you ask the right process questions: Do people really understand why this matters? Do they care? Have they been shown how to use it under pressure? Is anyone reinforcing the new behaviours? Resistance becomes data, not defiance.

However, ADKAR won’t help you understand how to communicate the answers to all those process questions. Four out of the five steps in ADKAR require you to connect with the team. That’s where different tools come in. 

Why Connection Matters

You see we speak and write in a way that makes sense to us. But rarely do we modify our words so they’re appealing to the desires of the other person.

ADKAR assumes we’ve done the work to connect with people. But how do we connect? Imagine if you knew what motivates an individual at their core, could predict their conflict sequence, and what strengths they bring (and don’t bring) to the table. Do you think you could communicate better with them then?

During each stage of ADKAR, you would tailor your messaging to the team’s three core motivators. Because when you don’t, part of your team will feel pushed rather than drawn into the change. That’s instant friction. 

You would communicate reasons that bridge between their motivation and behaviour, not solely yours. A single “one size fits all” reason won’t cut it. You need reasons that resonate with each motivational driver if you want broad buy-in and to prevent unnecessary conflict.

You would also have a map for how each person moves through conflict. You’d be ready and able to predict rub points—between individuals, teams and priorities. How good would it be to anticipate flashpoints, respond earlier and keep relationships intact through change, rather than see them implode like we’ve all experienced at some stage.

Baking It into Leadership

Now instead of seeing these as project tools, imagine them as your leadership language. Team members can safely say, “I get why we’re changing, but I’m not confident in how to apply it,” and leaders know how to respond—with clarity and support, not pressure and blame.

High-performance environments already rely on structured tools for safety, maintenance and crew coordination. ADKAR adds to that list.

Now it’s time to add the missing ingredient that’s been used by millions of people around the world across national and global brands in support of the personal and emotional reality.

Change will never be completely frictionless. But when we stop treating it as a policy rollout and start leading it as a human endeavour, the cost—to culture, trust and performance—drops dramatically. Matter of fact, the reverse happens. Change becomes an opportunity to build culture, trust and performance instead.

If you want your next change initiative to stick, don’t just tell people what’s happening. Guide them through it with a method and language that works for them – it’s easier than you think.

And, I’d love to show how you can create your own map in as little as 30 days.   

Want to kick off 2026 with excellence? Come along to the Beyond Communication Breakfast on Wednesday 03 December in Brisbane and see how. 

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