Framework library · Change management
ADKAR model
ADKAR describes change from the point of view of the person who has to change: they need to know why, want to take part, know how, be able to do it in practice, and have it reinforced. The elements come in order, and the first one that is weak is where the change is stuck.
Use it when
- A change is not taking hold and you need to find where it is stuck.
- You are planning a change and want to make sure each of the five needs has an action against it.
- Different groups react differently to the same change and need different help.
Avoid it when
- The change is organisational design, such as structure or strategy, rather than what individuals do. Use Kotter or the 7S framework for that layer.
- People are resisting because the change is wrong. ADKAR assumes the change is right; check that first.
- You want to score the whole organisation at once. Score each affected group separately.
How to run it
Pick one group and one change
For example, field engineers moving to a new work-order app. ADKAR works person by person or group by group.
Score each element from 1 to 5
How strong is it in this group today? Base the score on what people say and do, not on what has been communicated.
Find the barrier point
The first element scoring 3 or less. Work there first; later elements cannot hold while an earlier one is weak.
Choose actions for the barrier
Awareness: the case for change from a credible sender. Desire: what is in it for them, and what they lose. Knowledge: training. Ability: practice, coaching, time. Reinforcement: recognition, measures, removing the old way.
Re-score after the action
The barrier moves forward as each element is fixed.
Work through it
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Mistakes to avoid
- Jumping to training (knowledge) when the real gap is desire.
- Scoring from the project team's view rather than the group's.
- Forgetting reinforcement, so people drift back to the old way within months.
Where it comes from
Developed by Jeff Hiatt, founder of Prosci, in the 1990s, and set out in ADKAR: A Model for Change in Business, Government and Our Community (2006). The scoring prompts here are our own, not Prosci's assessment. Source.
ADKAR is a registered trademark of Prosci, Inc. This page describes the model independently and is not endorsed by Prosci.
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The frameworks here are free to use as they stand. If you would rather work through the question behind this one with us, these are the ways an engagement starts.