The 12th Edition of the Best Practices in Change Management study reveals reliable insights for change professionals. So reliable, some may think of the best practices a bit like an almanac for the change management discipline. However, the study also uncovered notable shifts that may change the way you do change management. Shifts in the Change Management Data Prosci identified noteworthy shifts in the 12th edition data and findings in six key areas: Change management office (CMO) location Use of a structured methodology Budget and resources Resistance management Employee engagement Portfolio management 1. Movement in change management office location Study participants reported a notable shift in the location of the change management office. For the first time in the history of Prosci research, the most common place for the CMO to be located is the project management office (PMO) instead of human resources (HR). This shift in findings is an interesting part of the CMO's evolutionary story. Back in 2007, we asked participants for the first time, "If you have a CMO, where does it live?" The top response was HR by a 2-to-1 margin over IT, which was the second most common. The recent shift we saw in moving change management to the PMO may be a natural extension of the need for tight integration between the project management and change management functions. Our other research supports this notion. Integrating project management and change management is the No. 5 top contributor to change success. Project management challenges comes in as the sixth greatest obstacle to change management success. And aligning change management and project management is the third most identified theme in the research, where we asked practitioners what they would do differently on their next project. Today, the PMO is the most popular location with the strategy, transformation and planning office making a significant move to top of the list. 2. Less use of a structured methodology For the first time since 2011, fewer than 70% of participants said they follow a formal change management methodology. The decrease in the use of a structured methodology may be attributed to the rise of Agile and adaptive approaches in change management. In fact, study participants identified Agile change management practices as a top trend over the next five years. Organizations are embracing iterative methods that allow them to adapt to changing circumstances and respond quickly to emerging challenges. Additionally, change management is now being embedded as a core capability within project approaches and implementation methodologies, making it more of a redefinition of business as usual, rather than a separate discipline. 3. Shifts in change management budget and resources Despite a slight decrease in the percentage of change management budget reported, the latest study highlights a positive trend where there is an increase in the percentage of change management resources dedicated to supporting change management on the project or initiative. A possible interpretation is that organizational budgets are being allocated to hire change management professionals (that is, dedicated change management resources), which may be resulting in slightly smaller budgets being available to do the activities and work of change management (that is, slightly lower dedicated change management budgets). 4. Less avoidable resistance Manager and employee resistance is less avoidable than in previous studies. Participants report that resistant behaviors are something to expect and plan for as organizations continue to move forward in their changes. This is an interesting reflection of the conditions of recent years. Historically, participants said they dealt with more resistance that could have been avoided through better planning and by better supporting impacted people and groups proactively. But the nature of change today is different. There is a greater focus on the need for balance and flexibility as people experience burnout and change fatigue. These factors contribute to an environment where resistance often persists despite applying good change management, and it must be expected and planned for throughout the life of a change. 5. Greater employee engagement Employees are more engaged, according to respondents, who report a large increase in the "very engaged" category. Organizations may think of engagement as how passionate people feel about their jobs, their commitment to the organization, or the level of discretionary effort they put into their work. The organizational change created by the pandemic has led to heightened levels of engaged employees. In fact, our research on the Top Contributors to Change Success in a Post-Pandemic World, which we conducted right before the Best Practices study, revealed engagement to be an emergent theme. The same study found that employee engagement was a priority and challenge for organizations before the pandemic, and it was the second most identified theme after the pandemic. This greater employee engagement likely resulted from the need for organizations to focus on the employee experience while mitigating turnover and staffing shortages. When you look at the research we're doing in the context of the pandemic, we see employees are now saying they feel very engaged. That is a positive finding in terms of organizations reaching out to the employees and bringing them along in the in the change process. In the Participants' Words According to research participants, very engaged employees result from: "Continuous improvement in both understanding the importance of and practicing stakeholder engagement" "More engagement and co-creation of solution design with our front-line employees" "Positive experience for stakeholders when engaging, feeling valued and seeing direct outcomes from their engagement" Source: Prosci Research Hub 6. More portfolio management Managing organizational changes as a portfolio is on the rise. The number of participants that report actively managing a portfolio of changes increased from 38% to 43%. Given the amount of change organizations are experiencing, it stands to reason that we're seeing a more concerted effort to address collision and increase coherence of multiple projects and programs running simultaneously or concurrently in the organization. Much like air traffic control, portfolio management requires a high level of organization, attention to detail, and adaptability to successfully manage multiple projects and programs at once. And in the same way an air traffic controller must quickly adjust plans and handle unexpected changes, a portfolio manager must navigate shifting priorities and avoid collisions between projects to ensure that each one achieves its desired outcomes. Separately, the increase in portfolio management may be linked to the PMO overtaking HR as the top location for the CMO, as well as the rise of the Strategy, Transformation and Planning office to the third position. Specifically, the message seems to be that portfolio management is becoming critical to effective project delivery and strategy realization. Experience Prosci Research and Data Prosci research offers the latest insights in change management, from notable shifts in the Best Practices data to post-pandemic shifts in the top contributors to success, and much more. And Prosci research empowers you to experience the data and insights your way. Now you can quickly and easily find the most relevant information to your projects and initiatives, and develop focused, data-driven change management strategies that support your goals and objectives.

Despite the growth of change management as a discipline and an increased understanding of its value, many professionals find it challenging to get support for it in their organizations. Fortunately, Prosci research reveals change management's clear value in three key areas that resonate with key stakeholders. Prosci's benchmarking research studies include correlation data and other insights you can use to substantiate your claims and present a compelling case for change management. And today, you can access interactive features to find insights that are uniquely relevant to your change and organization. Correlate Change Management With Outcomes If you are a change management professional, you are well aware of the pivotal role your work plays in achieving successful project results and desired outcomes. But sharing what you do, how well you do it, and even how much people will benefit usually isn't enough for executives, project leaders, and other decision makers. You need to talk about what you deliver in tangible terms. To give you support, including resources and budget, leaders want data. Prosci's benchmarking studies offer the data and insights you need to substantiate your ideas and present a compelling case for change management. During our most recent Best Practices in Change Management research study, we asked more than 2,600 change practitioners these key questions: To what degree did the project meet objectives? To what degree was the project on schedule? To what degree was the project on budget? What is the overall effectiveness of your change management program? Analyzing their responses, Prosci correlated data from the final question on change management effectiveness with the three dimensions of project success: meeting objectives, staying on schedule, and staying on budget. The result? The more effectively they managed the people side of change, the better the outcomes. Meeting objectives The graph below shows how change management effectiveness correlates with meeting project objectives. The data points represent the percentage of participants who met or exceeded objectives in each of the change management effectiveness categories (poor, fair, good and excellent). Of the participants who had excellent change management programs in place, 88% met or exceeded objectives. Of those with good change management programs, 73% met or exceeded objectives, while 39% with fair change management programs met or exceeded objectives. Only 13%—or about 1 in 8—of those with poor change management programs met or exceeded objectives. What's especially interesting about this data is that you can achieve a threefold improvement in project outcomes simply by applying fair change management. Although we wouldn't encourage it, even poor change management can make an impact. And with excellent change management, your project is approximately seven times more likely to meet objectives than with poor change management. Given that projects typically include strategic or financial objectives, change management offers a very compelling argument for enabling project, financial and strategic success. Staying on schedule Effective change management also correlates directly with the ability to stay on or ahead of schedule. With excellent change management, your project is nearly five times more likely to be on or ahead of schedule than with poor change management. Again, in addition to meeting project objectives, the better you manage the people side of change, the more likely your project is to finish on time. This correlation underscores an important point to make with project managers who object to change management because of the time commitment. Those who believe change management will slow them down often aren’t familiar with the data, which clearly shows that projects with effective change management are actually more likely to stay on schedule. Staying on budget The figure below shows the observable correlation between change management effectiveness and the ability to stay on budget. With excellent change management, your project is nearly 1.5 times more likely to stay on or under budget than with poor change management. This chart is great for addressing another main objection from project leaders who say they understand why change management is important but don't have the budget to support it. Certainly, change management resources come with costs, and project managers must work with budget constraints. However, the data reveal that projects with effective change management are in fact more likely to remain on or under budget than those with poor change management. Avoid the Costs of Rework Effective change management reduces common project headaches, such as rework, redesign, rescoping and other consequences that arise when you neglect the people side of a change. The reality is that these consequences are far more than frustrations—they extend project timelines and add unplanned costs. Actively preparing, equipping and supporting people impacted by your project through change management mitigates and even prevents rework and other issues. Of course, change management also enables your people to successfully adopt and use the solution you're implementing, which protects your investment and ROI. Build Your Case With Supporting Data Leveraging a strong, quantitative argument will help you gain support for change management with project leaders and other stakeholders, and now you have convincing data to share. And with the interactive capabilities in Prosci's research dashboards, you can customize these correlations, drill down into the data, and present the most compelling case for change management possible.

The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the practice of organizational change management continues to impact change practitioners and their work. At Prosci, we’re conducting research to understand its impact on our discipline, including how change leaders are using AI tools and the benefits they’re reaping. We also share our strategies for overcoming AI adoption challenges in change management. AI in Change Management Research Findings Our early AI study findings in October 2023 revealed that 84% of change practitioners were at least moderately familiar with AI. Although that number has dipped to 77% a year later, only 39% of the 656 respondents in our current research say they use it in their change management work. Early reasons for not using AI stemmed from the issues cited in the graphic below. Despite increased understanding of AI tools, users report concerns and challenges related to privacy, security, risks and accuracy. Fears of job loss, lack of information, and the overall human elements of change and adoption are still concerns. Specifically, an overall lack of understanding, such as being unsure about how to use AI effectively, inadequate experience with AI, and fear of risks that have yet to be identified are top of mind. Similarly, respondents cited limited access to tools and resources for applying AI in change management, and being unfamiliar with the tools and resources available, as well as how to apply them in their change management work. Access to reliable AI tools, constrained budgets, and inadequate organizational support also contributed to this limitation. Respondents reported insufficient time and competing priorities in their daily work, which kept some from prioritizing AI exploration and learning. “It’s one more thing I don’t have time to learn.” Unanswered questions about data privacy and security concerns also impacted those surveyed, including how data would be used and protected, as well as the security of any AI systems being adopted by the organization. Finally, respondents identified inadequate organizational maturity as a reason for not using AI, including the right depth of change management expertise necessary to effectively implement AI technology in practice. Regional AI Usage in Change Management Our research of 656 respondents highlighted regional differences in AI usage, with professionals in Europe using AI in their change management practice the most, followed by the US, Australia/New Zealand and Canada respectively. Of the 656 respondents, nearly all consultants reported using AI in change management work, with 81% using it at least moderately. Respondents use AI for a wide range of activities, including communications, content creation, assessment, training and change management plans. Respondents in healthcare, education, and finance report using AI most for communications. Additionally, those in education and finance also reported using AI for change management content creation. Benefits of Using AI in Change Management What are the impacts of AI on your change management work? That’s a key question worth considering. In the early days of AI usage, key themes in the research ranged from increased efficiency to improved workload management. Respondents told us the tools they were using helped them become more efficient and productive by automating processes, quickly analyzing data, brainstorming ideas and outlines, generating draft communications and change management plans, improving response times, and much more. Respondents continue to highlight these as the core benefits of using AI: Impact of AI on Change Management Work One study participant cited using AI as an “assistant” for workload management, much like those benefitting from Kaiya. Prosci’s AI-powered Kaiya is designed to be your personal change management assistant, leveraging our comprehensive knowledge base to accelerate your work and scale your impact. Whether you need help drafting key change messages, creating sponsorship strategies, or developing resistance management tactics, Kaiya is ready to help. “Kaiya has turned 2-hour working sessions into 10-minute tasks. The time saving is incredible, and it makes me look like a rockstar.” How Practitioners Use AI in Change Management Work Change practitioners increasingly leverage AI in various aspects of change management work. AI helps streamline and automate tasks, speeds decision-making, and frees up time to focus on strategic and people-centered aspects of change. The most common use cited in our research is improving change management communications and their impacts on change. AI enhances clarity, better aligns messaging with goals, and improves stakeholder understanding. 5 Primary Ways Practitioners Use AI 1. Communications Support (for existing content) Rewrite content Grammatical assistance Filter presentations for improvements Refine communications Target copy to different audiences Obtain a starting point Perform gut-checks on messaging tone Repurpose source content for different modes (e.g., slides, image, text) and audiences Example: "Evaluate the tone of the CEO's announcement for all staff during a rebranding phase." 2. Content Creation (for new content) Write training guides Create fictional, industry-specific case studies Develop slide decks Draft communications Break complex topics into manageable chunks Create user personas Summarize communications Brainstorm creative headlines Apply a unique voice or format Example: "Break down the complex topic of organizational restructuring into smaller segments for employees, focusing on individual impacts." 3. Strategy and Planning Brainstorm different tactics to apply in a company Help build communications and training plans Suggest improvements to plans Conduct simulations and scenario planning Assemble specific change management plans (e.g., resistance management) Use as a sounding board Create outline of a change management plan Example: "Provide feedback on the proposed employee engagement strategy focusing on its impact on team morale." 4. Automation and Efficiency Build an in-house chatbot for personalized training and answering questions Design bots for FAQs and links to resources Use chatbots for stakeholder feedback and Q&A Create user personas Repurpose written text for other channels Analyze and forecast individual behaviors Produce explainer videos Generate coherent text from key words Example: "Create a chatbot to collect feedback on new HR policies and answer questions from department managers." 5. Data Analysis Conduct data analysis on survey results Aggregate data Check business cases Deliver real-time insights based on personal data Analyze and segment data to customize content Gather industry-specific information Test various hypotheses Analyze key themes Example: "Perform an analysis of customer feedback on recent product launches to identify key themes in customer satisfaction and areas for improvement." Start Using AI in Change Management Work Although AI holds extraordinary promise in the discipline of change management and beyond, AI adoption continues to be a challenge. To address the AI adoption challenge, you can use a Force Field Analysis and ADKAR Canvas to identify driving and restraining forces and address them accordingly. Here’s how to build a Force Field Analysis: Define the Change Clearly articulate the change, in this case, the adoption of AI in change management. Identify Driving Forces List all the factors that support the adoption of AI. Examples include increased efficiency and automation, enhanced communication and decision-making, and competitive advantage. Identify Restraining Forces List all the factors that resist the adoption of AI. Examples include data security and privacy concerns, lack of understanding or skills, and fear of job displacement. Evaluate Forces Assign scores to each force based on their strength or impact on the change (e.g., 1 to 5 scale). Analyze and Prioritize Determine which forces are most critical and need addressing. Focus on strengthening driving forces and reducing restraining forces. Develop Action Plan Create strategies to enhance driving forces and mitigate or eliminate restraining forces. Now we can apply the ADKAR Model to strengthen driving forces and overcome restraining forces. Here are some examples of tactics you might use to overcome restraining forces at each stage of the ADKAR Model: Awareness Conduct workshops and webinars to explain the benefits and necessity of AI. Share success stories of AI in change management. Desire Engage leadership to communicate the vision and benefits of AI. Address concerns and highlight personal benefits to employees. Knowledge Develop training modules on AI tools and applications. Provide resources and support for learning. Ability Implement hands-on training sessions. Assign mentors or coaches to support employees in applying their knowledge. Reinforcement Recognize and reward the successful use of AI. Continuously gather feedback and make improvements. With a Force Field Analysis plus ADKAR Canvas, you can effectively plan for the adoption of AI in change management. For further insights, you can refer to the webinar on applying ADKAR to AI adoption challenges. AI and Change Management Research From Prosci Although AI feels new to many users, it's already a facet of disciplines everywhere, including change management. Our understanding of AI use continues to grow in depth and breadth of application at a rapid pace. As AI grows and evolves, our research on AI and change management will continue to grow and evolve along with it. Why should this matter to you? AI is part of how the world does business today. Understanding how AI can help you and how to address adoption challenges is critical to your organization's success.

The pandemic is reshaping the future of change management. To help practitioners understand how to succeed in the new landscape, Prosci conducted a deep-dive study of the Top Contributors to Change Success in a Post-Pandemic World. Today, as we celebrate our silver anniversary of Prosci research, we’re thrilled to release the study’s findings in an exciting new, interactive digital format. Celebrating and Elevating Prosci Research Prosci’s change management research process, tools and reports have evolved—and continue to evolve— to reflect the fast-paced, digital times we live in. Gone are the days of publishing paper journals every few years. Prosci research now offers active engagement with meaningful insights on demand to help you unlock the specific challenges you’re facing today. With interactive capabilities, you become the researcher. Slice and dice the data your way—by industry, region, organization size, participant demographics and much more. Welcome to a new era of Prosci research. Examine one of Prosci's interactive, change management research reports Shifts in the Top Contributors to Change Success in a Post-Pandemic World revealed changes impacting today’s marketplace unlike any we’ve experienced before. When we asked more than 1,400 study participants globally to reflect on the pandemic and change, unique challenges, and emergent contributors, we also asked them to share the adaptations they made to succeed. Ready to explore the adaptations? Click the link below to access Prosci’s interactive report on the Most Impactful Actions for Change Success in a Post-Pandemic World. It’s just one of the reports that comprise the full study. Examine the data your way by toggling between the top seven contributors and the top three most impactful adaptations to reveal the corresponding participant comments. Prosci Research in Minutes, Not Months We’re celebrating 25 years of research, but we’ll continue to elevate our approach with new innovations over time. For now, help us spread the word! Copy and share the link with anyone interested in the latest change management research. And if you want to access the full Top Contributors to Change Success in a Post-Pandemic World interactive report, Best Practices in Change Management – 12th Edition interactive report, and Prosci’s entire library of change management research, subscribe to Research Hub.