Human Change

Human change refers to the process of influencing individuals—whether it be oneself, a team, or an entire organisation—to think, feel, and act differently in order to achieve a specific, agreed-upon outcome. This concept is critical in any change initiative because, regardless of the plans put in place, the success of those plans hinges on human behaviour. For instance, if a team decides to implement a new workflow process, it will only be effective if the individuals involved actually make the choice to participate and follow through. Human change is about guiding and encouraging these behavioural shifts, ensuring that the desired outcomes are realised.

To facilitate human change, a structured approach like the ADKAR model is often used. This model, developed by the research organisation Prosci, outlines the stages individuals must go through to successfully implement and sustain change.

ADKAR stands for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement. First, individuals need to be aware of why the change is necessary. Then, they must develop a desire to make that change. Once motivated, they need the knowledge of how to change and the ability to implement it. Finally, reinforcement ensures that the change is maintained over time. 

This model helps organisations systematically guide people through the change process, increasing the likelihood of achieving long-term success.

One of the most significant challenges organisations face in implementing human change is the frustration that arises when employees do not change their behaviours simply because they have been told to do so. 

Despite having well-designed project plans or top-tier deployments, many change initiatives fail—around 70%, according to some studies—because there is a disconnect between what the organisation expects and what the employees actually do. The root of this issue is that change cannot be effectively mandated; it requires guiding individuals through a process where they choose to embrace the change. This highlights the importance of using models like ADKAR (awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement) to drive successful and sustainable change.

The methodologies we choose or design, such as Lumina Learning, ADKAR, and the Values Journey model, stand out from other human change frameworks because they are grounded in practical, everyday language and are designed to be accessible to everyone in an organisation. 

Unlike traditional change management approaches, which have historically focused on project management and only recently started considering the human side of change, our tools are specifically tailored to address the human aspects from the outset. Lumina Learning, for example, is a psychometric tool that values diversity and avoids labelling, making it applicable and relatable to all employees, from the CEO to a gas engineer. 

This focus on pragmatism ensures that our methods are not just theoretical or abstract but are actionable and easily understood by every individual, which is crucial for effective and sustainable change.

One of the most common fears organisations face when considering large-scale change is the belief that it is simply too difficult to manage, especially the human aspects of change. This fear often stems from a misconception that change is an intangible, "fluffy" concept that cannot be systematically addressed. 

While many change initiatives are simply abandoned as a result, some leaders might resort to hoping that their employees will naturally adapt to the changes or believe that sheer force of will, charisma, or personal heroics can drive the change. This approach is not sustainable and often fails to engage the entire organisation. 

To overcome these fears, it is crucial to adopt a structured and pragmatic approach to change, such as the ADKAR model, which provides clear steps to guide individuals through the change process, making the transition more manageable and less daunting for everyone involved.

The changemaker approach to behavioural leadership focuses on fostering congruence among leaders, which is key to creating sustainable culture shifts within an organisation. This involves ensuring that leadership teams are not only consistent in their behaviours but also share a common belief system around how they lead and the culture they wish to cultivate. 

The Values Journey tool, for example, is used to help leaders align their actions with the desired cultural outcomes. This approach emphasises the importance of leaders "walking the walk" and holding each other accountable for maintaining the agreed-upon values and behaviours. By promoting diversity in leadership styles while ensuring that all leaders are committed to the same cultural goals, this method helps to break away from outdated leadership models that rely on charisma or personal heroics, fostering a more inclusive and sustainable organisational culture.

The Values Journey model is a proprietary tool used by changemaker to connect an organisation's core values to tangible business results, with culture at the centre. Many organisations claim to have certain values, like integrity or curiosity, but often fail to reflect these values in their day-to-day culture, leading to a disconnect between stated values and actual behaviour.

The Values Journey model addresses this by defining specific behaviours that represent each value. For instance, if an organisation values curiosity, the model helps identify the behaviours that embody curiosity at all levels of the organisation. It then goes further to consider the experiences these behaviours create for colleagues, customers, or other stakeholders. In this model, culture is essentially the collective experience people have when interacting with the organisation.

The model also highlights how these experiences influence personal beliefs. For example, if a customer consistently experiences honesty and transparency when dealing with an organisation that values integrity, they form a belief that this organisation is trustworthy. These beliefs, in turn, drive actions, such as choosing to continue doing business with the organisation, leading to tangible outcomes like increased revenue.

The Values Journey model helps organisations map out how their values translate into everyday behaviours, how these behaviours shape the experiences and beliefs of those they interact with, and ultimately how these beliefs influence actions that impact business results. This creates a clear, actionable pathway from values to outcomes, ensuring that the organisation's culture and practices are aligned with its stated values.

Key indicators of a successful human change initiative include strong buy-in from employees, evidenced by their commitment to new processes even if they initially disagree; the speed of adoption, where quick uptake of new practices indicates effective implementation; and the sustainability of the change, ensuring that new behaviours and systems remain in place over time. We help clients achieve these outcomes by aligning leadership with the change, ensuring they model desired behaviours, and establishing clear, measurable milestones to track progress and adjust as needed.

The first step in any major change initiative is achieving clarity of purpose—understanding exactly what the organisation wants to achieve. This means making sure everyone has a common understanding of the goals, even if the final solution isn't clear from the start. Once the purpose is clear, the next step is defining the process or journey to achieve those goals. We support clients by helping them establish this clarity and then guiding them through both the structural and human change processes, ensuring that the journey is well-planned and aligns with their objectives.

Emotional intelligence is crucial in managing change because change inherently increases discomfort and triggers strong emotional responses. Neuroscience tells us that our five senses feed into the limbic region of the brain, which processes emotions and triggers fight, flight, or freeze responses before our rational brain even gets involved. By helping clients understand this process, we equip them to better manage their emotional reactions during change initiatives. This awareness is essential as it helps individuals navigate the discomfort of change more effectively, leading to more successful outcomes.