Change Management Playbook

Most changes fail at implementation, not design. The ADKAR model tells you why and how to fix it.

Keywords

change management, ADKAR, organizational change, reorg, process change, tool migration, strategy pivot, change resistance, change fatigue, change communication, stakeholder management, adoption, compliance, change rollout, transition

Core Model: ADKAR Adapted for Startups

ADKAR is a change management model by Prosci. Original version is for enterprises. This is the startup-speed adaptation.

A — Awareness

What it is: People understand WHY the change is happening — the business reason, not just the announcement.

The mistake: Communicating the WHAT before the WHY. "We're moving to a new CRM" before "here's why our current process is killing us."

What people need to hear:

• What is the problem we're solving? (Be honest. If it's "we need to cut costs," say that.)