Change practitioners often tell us they struggle with building Desire in sponsors. It’s a common challenge cited in our research. But you can tap into sponsor beliefs to help them build Desire to participate and support a change. Here’s how.
Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) is useful when applied in change management because it helps you become a better listener and communicator. By understanding people’s belief systems, you can present information about a change in a way that aligns with the way they think. It may sound manipulative, but your goal is simply to listen, observe, and try to understand people better, so you can help them move through their ADKAR barriers and be successful during change.
Neurological Levels Overview
All people have belief systems. They’re part of the Neurological Levels framework created by Robert Dilts, which help you understand how people view and interpret situations. The levels appear in a pyramid or hierarchy, with each level impacting and relating to those below it.
The top level is Purpose orSpirituality, but some people don’t know their life’s purpose or feel spiritual, so it’s an optional level. If you do have purpose or spirituality, it informs your identity, which is in the next layer of the hierarchy.
Everyone has an Identity that represents who they think they are. If I ask you who you are, you'll respond quickly with a description of the things that are important to you, such as your name, job title, family role and key interests.
Your Identity creates your Beliefs and Values. These are your life experiences. Your upbringing and journey so far create certain views and principles that you live by.
Those values and beliefs give you the Capabilities either to do something or not do something. An empowering belief gives you the capability to do it. A disempowering belief stops you being able to demonstrate that capability.
You exhibit the capabilities in the form of Behaviors. These behaviors are how you act, react and go about carrying out your life in the world.
Behaviors create the Environment around you. Think of this like an aura you create around yourself. A consequence of your behaviors, this environment can be positive or negative.
How does this apply to change management sponsorship? During an organizational change, a person will say, “I (identity) can (the belief and value) do (the capability) X (the behavior you want me to exhibit) here (the environment it needs to happen in). This translates into “I can do X here” or “I cannot do X here” as you come down the triangle, and the can or cannot is determined by the beliefs you have around yourself.
ADKAR and the Logical Levels of Change
Now, let’s consider how aspects of this framework align with the ADKAR Model and how it can help you build Desire for change in change management sponsors and others. Note that we typically avoid starting with Purpose or Spirituality because it is dodgy in an organizational setting. Instead, we start with Identity:
Identity aligns with Awareness. This is the level you need to achieve first for meaningful change to take place. “I have the need to change.”
Beliefs and Values align with Desire to participate and support the change. “I have the belief that I need to change.”
Capabilities aligns with Knowledge of how to change. “I know how to change or have the capability to learn how to.”
Behavior aligns with the Ability to demonstrate the desired skills and behaviors. “I have the skills to demonstrate changed behaviors.”
So, when you work to build Desire to participate and support a change, people must first believe that it’s right for them. If they don’t, they will experience a barrier to the change at Desire.
Here’s a basic example to illustrate:
Your partner wants you to play golf with them, but your past experiences with golf have not been enjoyable. To motivate you to play, your partner buys you a set of clubs. They show you how to hold and swing the driver. They give you lessons with best golf pro in town, too. But you may never learn to play or demonstrate the right behaviors because deep down, your belief is that, golf is a waste of your time.
The same thing happens during organizational changes with people who must change the way they do their jobs every day. Without the right beliefs, they won’t have the Desire they need before they can start building Knowledge and then Ability. They get stuck at Desire.
This also happens when executives and senior leaders don’t have the Desire to fulfill their critical role as sponsors in change management.
Building Desire in Change Management Sponsors
Prosci Best Practices in Change Management research reveals several common sponsor challenges, some of which are directly related to Desire to participate and support the change:
To build Desire in sponsors, you must first uncover their beliefs about the change, so you can help them reposition or adopt a new mindset. Ask them to tell you what’s going on, what’s happening, and then listen actively. Once you uncover their belief systems and what they're based upon, you need to discern whether those beliefs are based on facts or assumptions they have made.
For example:
You: “Tell me about the project you're sponsoring. What’s going on?”
Sponsor: “Oh, well, it's big. It's really complex. We're bringing an ERP. It isn’t going to be popular. It’s going to be a tough battle to win and a lot of work.”
That's a negative belief system around what they're trying to achieve, which is going to impact their capability to be a good sponsor. The disempowering belief is going to come across as timid behavior when they're talking about the change to the organization. They’re not convinced, therefore they are not able to be convincing. They don’t have the correct level of Desire to be an effective sponsor.
But if you work with the sponsor to identify the initiative’s success criteria and help them appreciate the value to the organization, its people and how that aligns with their own Values and Beliefs. it can help a sponsor change their belief system about what they're doing. This then makes the effort and investment worthwhile for them.
They move from “I cannot be a good sponsor for the ERP system implementation” to “I can be a good sponsor for the ERP system implementation.”
Now the sponsor has the capability to be an active and visible sponsor in a convincing way. Now they want to be the sponsor. They believe it’s the right thing to do. They have achieved Desire and are willing to acquire the Knowledge and Ability needed to be a successful sponsor during change.
Sponsorship has been cited as the #1 contributor to successful change for 25 years.
Help Change Management Sponsors Overcome ADKAR Barriers
Sponsors get stuck at Desire for several common reasons. They may have had a prior experience as an unsuccessful sponsor. They might feel they are at the wrong level and lack the authority they need. Some are asked to sponsor changes without having been involved in the business case, so they lack ownership. Others simply don’t understand what a sponsor is supposed to do, or they believe they don’t have the time.
Building Desire in a sponsor who doesn’t believe in the change itself is a bit more challenging because you need to understand and address their objections. In such a case, you may ultimately appeal to the sponsor’s loyalty and duty as a leader in the organization. The sponsor can have robust debates with other leaders, but if the change moves ahead, they need to support the decision because it’s their job to be a cohesive leadership team.
If a sponsor can’t overcome their lack of Desire, they may not be the right sponsor. They will come across as negative, unsupportive, timid. They will make unconvincing arguments. It may be cliché’, but a timid request invites refusal. You've got to be convinced to be convincing.
In the Prosci Methodology, the most important behavior of sponsors is to be active and visible. They've got to believe that is the right thing to do. That belief drives the capability for them to stand up at a town hall and deliver a convincing argument and business case for the change.
Resolve Sponsor Barriers to Desire in Change Management
Not all barriers to Desire are due to belief and values. Some are due to a true lack of capability to perform the role of a sponsor. If you face these circumstances, the best move may be to work with the leadership team to find a more effective sponsor. But in many cases, sponsors only need the right conversations to get unstuck and move forward in their ADKAR journeys. A change practitioner who actively listens and works to understand a person’s beliefs around sponsorship can help sponsors be successful in their roles and with the changes they support.
Ian Croft
Ian Croft is a Prosci Senior Change Advisor with two decades of experience leading change in Fortune 500 companies. A former executive leader and management consultant, Ian has led changes in several industries, including healthcare, banking and finance, and aerospace. To help Prosci clients build the capabilities they need to thrive during change, Ian combines the Prosci Methodology with complementary frameworks, from Neuro-Linguistic Programming and MBTI to Six Sigma and Agile project management. Born and raised in the U.K., he has served clients across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas.
Adaptability is a top skill for individuals and organizations facing a high volume of complex, high-risk or rapid changes in the workplace. Helping your people develop resilience and flexibility enables them to adopt new changes quickly and effectively. While upskilling and personal development can drive different aspects of adaptability, organizations must have a unified approach to creating a flexible workforce. By using a change management framework like the Prosci ADKAR® Model, leaders and change practitioners can create an efficient and repeatable process that enables employees to adapt to change. This article highlights why it is essential for individuals to adapt to change and how this helps organizations. Then, we explain how practitioners can use the ADKAR Model to help employees adopt changes at work. What is Adaptability to Change? Adaptability to change is the ability of individual employees to adjust effectively to new conditions, challenges or environments at work. When employees embrace change, it leads to a culture of continuous learning, growth and resilience in handling transitions—whether they’re planned or not. People who consistently adapt to changes tend to approach changes with a positive attitude and a proactive attitude. They’re often good at problem-solving and communication and can analyze situations from multiple angles, enabling them to adjust their tactics accordingly. This essential skill drives organizational flexibility and agility, propelling businesses forward amidst technological advancements and shifting market dynamics. Why is Adapting to Change Important? Organizations need to continuously change due to internal factors, like improving performance or increasing profits, and external factors, like implementing new technology or catering to customer preferences. Creating a culture that welcomes change is important for leading successful change efforts and achieving great results. Helping people become adaptable and encouraging a mindset focused on growth are key to thriving in today’s fast-paced business world. A recent LinkedIn report highlights that adaptability is the top skill needed for 2024, showing just how vital it is. By focusing on adaptability and building a supportive culture, organizations can better handle the challenges of change and improve their overall effectiveness. Employees who are resilient to change and can adapt their working habits effectively receive several benefits, including: Personal development – Learning new skills or improving existing ones can improve soft skills, emotional intelligence and creativity. This makes them a valuable asset in the organization. Improved engagement – Adaptable employees are more likely to feel engaged and empowered as they overcome challenges. This leads to a sense of accomplishment that enhances morale and job satisfaction. New opportunities – Being open to adopting new systems, processes and tools can help individuals capitalize on opportunities for growth and career advancement. Better resilience – Adapting to change helps individuals develop resilience to handle setbacks and recover from difficulties. This resilience can contribute to a more stable and fulfilling work life, even when facing adversity. Skilled and resilient employees lead to an agile and innovative organization that can take advantage of the latest market shifts and stay competitive through product and process innovations. With many anticipating an even faster rate of change in the future, adaptability will become even more important. Organizations must help their people develop this ability by using a structured approach that delivers results time and again. While employee learning and development programs are one part of increasing adaptability, organizations need a people-centric change management approach to facilitate individual transitions. Adapting to Change in the Workplace: Advice to Help Individuals Transition Empowering employees to build new skills or adapt to changes in their roles can be challenging, especially without a structured, research-backed approach or by allowing individual employees or departments to handle change adoption at their own pace. Using a structured approach for individual change management can be much more effective. For example, the Prosci ADKAR Model, with its five building blocks, helps change professionals and organizations prepare, equip and support employees through change. Prosci ADKAR Model Let's take a closer look at how each element of our ADKAR Model helps build an adaptable workforce: 1. Awareness Lack of awareness is the top reason why people resist change. Awareness, the first element of the ADKAR Model, helps employees see the big picture and the critical role they play in the initiative’s success. For example, if a company needs to implement a new technology to remain competitive, explaining the advantages of this technology over current processes can help employees understand why the shift is necessary and create a smoother transition. Examples of adapting to change in the workplace An example of tactics used to raise awareness and motivate employees to adapt to change is using preferred senders. Our research shows that employees prefer to receive messages about the personal impacts of a change from their direct supervisor but prefer executives and senior leaders as the senders of messages about the business case for change. Preferred Sender of Messages Change practitioners can create a Communications Plan that outlines who will deliver which key messages, through which channels, and at what frequency. This will increase the effectiveness of communications and raise awareness. Other examples of proven tactics to raise awareness about change include: Highlighting past failures where a change failed due to a lack of adaptability Sharing information on the risks and costs of not adapting to change Sharing research findings about the benefits of the change Encouraging advocacy from leaders for change When these tactics are personalized and executed efficiently, employees are more likely to understand why they need to adapt and how it will help them and the overall business. It also prevents resistance caused by fear, anxiety and uncertainty. 2. Desire Desire is a personal choice influenced by individual motivation, which can vary significantly among employees. Change practitioners can help motivate employees to learn new skills or systems by connecting the change to their personal values and goals, and the direct benefits they will gain. During a change, every person affected will wonder, "What's in it for me?" The answer could be improved job satisfaction, career advancement or job security. Addressing potential losses and concerns can also help mitigate fears, prevent resistance and build a positive outlook toward the change. Examples of adapting to change in the workplace Example tactics and actions to build desire include: Sharing case studies and examples that show the positive impact of a change Enabling leaders to be active and visible sponsors Using team supervisors to coach employees By strategically aligning change with personal aspirations, organizations can ignite a powerful drive within their workforce to embrace and champion new initiatives. 3. Knowledge It's not enough for employees to want to change; they must know what to do and how to do it. The Knowledge element of our ADKAR Model focuses on providing the information that employees need to function in the new way. This element informs employees about the new skills they need and how to effectively perform them. Practitioners create targeted training programs to fit the learning styles and paces of different employees, ensuring that everyone understands their new roles and responsibilities. Examples of adapting to change in the workplace Examples of critical actions and strategies to develop knowledge include: Explain the change management methodology you will use Inform employees about the tools and resources at their disposal Provide training solutions, including programs for training, certifications and application Equipping employees with the right knowledge empowers them to confidently navigate change, transforming potential obstacles into opportunities for growth. 4. Ability Employees might understand what is required but might not possess the skills to implement the change effectively. The Ability stage is about translating knowledge into action. To build employee skills and adaptability, practitioners must focus on supportive leadership, ongoing training and real-time feedback. Examples of adapting to change in the workplace Common examples of strategies to increase ability are: Simulations, like testing new software in a controlled environment Hands-on workshops One-on-one coaching Access to subject matter experts Two-way communication to hear and address concerns and questions By fostering an environment where skills are honed and applied, organizations can ensure that their teams are not only prepared but also proficient in executing change initiatives. 5. Reinforcement The final element of the ADKAR Model is Reinforcement, which equips people to sustain the change over time. Changes can be difficult to maintain, and without reinforcement, there is a risk of reverting to old habits. In terms of adaptability, reinforcement ensures a culture of continuous improvement in the organization. It answers employee questions about what happens after they succeed at changing, what rewards they will enjoy, and how they will be encouraged to continue new behaviors. Reinforcement activities enable a growth mindset in employees, so they have a positive attitude toward future changes, helping them become more adaptable. Prosci research also shows a direct correlation between planning for reinforcement and meeting project objectives, with those who planned and allocated resources for sustainment activities being more likely to meet or exceed change goals. Impact of Allocating Resources for Reinforcement and Sustainment on Meeting Objectives Reinforcement: Examples of adapting to change in the workplace Examples of reinforcement activities for increasing adaptability are: Public measurement mechanisms for added motivation Incentives that align with project goals Celebrating milestones with rewards to keep morale high By following our ADKAR Model, organizations and change teams can create a structured process to develop employee skills and enable positive mindset shifts. When individuals are prepared and equipped to adapt to changes, it can prevent resistance and increase resilience. This can lead to an organization-wide culture of adaptability and flexibility, increasing the chances of long-term success. How You Can Guide Employees in Adapting to Change The increasing frequency of change can overwhelm employees, especially if they’re not adequately prepared to handle change. Adapting to change is a vital skill for employees, and practitioners can help individuals develop this skill set using structured change management that focuses on individual adaptability to change. The Prosci ADKAR Model enables a change-ready culture and resilient workforce—helping your organization see change as an opportunity rather than a threat.
If you're just beginning to implement change management on a project, it's important to remember that for many people participating, change management is a foreign concept. The effective application of change management principles and tools is itself a change for them. Here's how the ADKAR Model can help. ADKAR and Change Management as a Change Maybe you're working with a newly promoted senior leader who has participated in changes but never fulfilled the role of a sponsor. Perhaps some of your project team members are well-versed in project management methodologies and tools, but have not been exposed to change management. Or maybe the functional managers brought onto the change management team to share insights and expertise from their particular areas have no understanding of change management concepts or tools. In each of these cases, the individuals are undergoing a change themselves—the change of applying effective change management. Because they are going through the change as individuals, we can use the Prosci ADKAR Model to examine the key steps, messages and information required to get change management team members successfully through the personal change (remember, applying effective change management is the change we are talking about). ADKAR and "Applying Effective Change Management" Any change takes place one individual at a time. Change also takes place sequentially as each individual moves through the phases of the ADKAR Model. The questions, talking points and actions below highlight how you can address the need to apply effective change management in your organization at each stage of the ADKAR Model. Awareness of the need to apply effective change management Asking your teams to apply change management first requires making the need for change management concrete. When someone is asked to change the way they do things (i.e., apply change management on your next project), the first response is usually, "Why?" At the Awareness, employees will ask: "Why is change management necessary and why now?" "What's wrong with the way we are implementing changes today?" "What will happen if we don't use change management?" Talking points and actions you can take to build Awareness: Highlight past failures or transition problems in the organization where change management was not effectively applied. This creates a common reference point for your team, so the messages going forward have more impact. Talk about the impacts of those past changes and which key steps were missed. Provide concrete examples of the risks of poorly managed change. Costs and risks of poorly managed change include lower productivity, loss of valued employees, decreased morale, slow adoption, passive resistance (including lack of commitment), active resistance (including sabotage), and possible failure of the change. Share change management research findings. Prosci's Best Practices in Change Management report reveals several key points that can help you support Awareness. For example, the number one thing teams would do differently on their next project is involve change management earlier during the project planning phase. Practitioners also identified customized and scaled change management activities as a key component of an effective change management strategy. Offer foundational resources. Prosci's book, Change Management: The People Side of Change, dedicates the first chapter to building the case for "why manage change." It's a great foundation for anyone new to managing the people side of change. Our Resource Center also offers a variety of free "getting started" articles, webinars, blogs and downloads. Bring in a leader to advocate for the use of change management. Our research shows that executives and senior leaders are the best senders of messages related to the business need for change. This is true for applying change management as well. Having an executive speak to your team about the importance of change management for the organization will be a key success factor. Desire to participate in and support effective change management application Desire is typically one of the most difficult phases because it requires individuals to make their own decision. You want to make a compelling case for adopting change management and build on the Awareness created earlier. When building Desire, employees ask: "What's in it for me (WIIFM)?" "What are the benefits of change management for the organization?" "Why should I get on board?" Key talking points and actions to build Desire: Share case studies that show where change management has made an impact. Bring in people from within or outside your organization to share their experiences on projects that successfully applied change management. Some people on your team will also need concrete examples to support the concept. Share benchmarking findings that show the impact of change management. Prosci’s correlation data consistently shows that initiatives with excellent change management are seven times more likely to meet objectives than those with poor change management. By simply moving from “poor” to “fair,” change management nearly triples the likelihood of meeting objectives. Leverage senior leadership. Prosci research shows that the sponsor (the leader championing the change) is the number one contributor to successful change. Likewise, the role of the sponsor responsible for the application of change management is also critical for your success. Active and visible support for applying change management by a senior leader shows commitment and builds Desire with team members. Find effective coaches. The relationship between employees and their people managers is significant, which makes coaching a powerful tool for building Desire. Identify which of the team's supervisors can serve as coaches of change and prepare them with the awareness and knowledge they need (coaching may be an individual change for your supervisors too). Enlist, engage and empower sponsors. The most critical resources for building Desire are senior leaders and the employees' direct supervisors. Learn how to enlist, engage and empower your sponsors by watching this webinar. The Prosci Resource Center also has a number of free articles, worksheets and other webinar recordings on overcoming resistance and engaging supervisors. Knowledge about how to apply change management The key mechanism for creating Knowledge is training. Unfortunately, many organizations fail to address Awareness and Desire first, and attempt to build buy-in by training people. This approach is ineffective. It can create resistance and make adoption more difficult. Make sure that your team has Awareness of the need for change management and a Desire to engage before initiating training. Questions people have around Knowledge include: "What skills are involved in implementing change management?" "How do I obtain these skills?" Key talking points and actions around Knowledge: Teach the team how individuals go through change. To be an effective manager of change, people need to understand how an individual experiences change. Whether it's your project team, communications staff, human resources personnel, senior leaders and executives, supervisors, or front-line employees—everyone will be better equipped to handle and manage change when you give them a solid understanding of the ADKAR Model. Teach organizational change management principles and processes. The team should be exposed to the change management methodology you will be using for your project. This may be a methodology selected specifically for the project or one developed and deployed across your organization. Organizations are using both internally developed methodologies and externally provided approaches. The key is that your team understands what change management tools they have (communications, sponsorship, coaching, training, etc.) and when and how to use these tools. Get the right training and tools. Prosci offers a variety of training solutions to teach key concepts and give participants experience applying them in real time to actual changes at work. Prosci Change Management Certification Program attendees also receive access to Prosci's 3-Phase Process, templates, checklists, assessments and guidelines to streamline application. Ability to implement new skills and behaviors related to change management Ability is the fourth stage individuals reach after Awareness, Desire and Knowledge. Once an individual reaches the Ability stage, the team can act on the Knowledge individuals acquired through the change management process. Questions people ask around Ability include: "Once I have the Knowledge, will I be able to act on it?" "What do I do when I have problems or questions?" Key talking points and actions for growing Ability include: Consider the time and activities needed to develop new skills. Imparting Knowledge of how to change doesn’t automatically bring about change. It requires people to act in a new way (i.e., demonstrating Ability) for the change to be realized. You can foster Ability by providing hands-on instruction, one-on-one coaching, and access to subject matter experts. Coach change management practitioners. Coaching by experienced and skilled people is a great way to support and build Ability in your change team. Engage in two-way communication. While knowledge can sometimes be conveyed in a one-directional manner, you need to be available to hear concerns and questions and respond with direction and clarification. Two-way communication helps solidify Knowledge, so employees can act on it. Get interactive in your training sessions. Learning by doing is one of the most important ways to build Knowledge and Ability, especially in adult learning. Prosci's Change Management Certification Program is built around participants working on an actual or simulated change they bring from their job. During the program, participants create the communication plan, do the sponsor assessment, identify special tactics, and more as they learn and apply the concepts. This builds Ability while transferring Knowledge. Share Knowledge-building resources. Your internal coaches and support staff are a great resource, especially when you provide these individuals the tools and information they need to effectively support project teams and change management teams during implementation. Reinforcement to keep change management in place Changes in large organizations can be temporary if employees revert back to the old way of doing things. If you've identified change management as important to ensuring effective changes in your organization, you cannot risk reverting to the old ways of doing things. Questions people ask at the Reinforcement stage: "What happens when we are successful?" "What is the reward?" "Will there be smaller rewards along the way to encourage us?" Some key talking points and actions around Reinforcement include: Engage senior leaders. Active and visible sponsorship for applying change management will have a significant impact on how often it is applied. Leaders must endorse change management as an integral part of all future projects. They also must hold project teams accountable for applying change management on their projects. Monitor progress and create measurement systems. As with any other change you expect employees to adopt, there must be a way to gauge success. This may include status meetings, surveys, and metrics. Create schedules and stick to them. Show your results. Align incentives. Be sure your incentives line up with project goals, so you drive the behaviors you want for the change itself and your change team. Celebrate successes. Identifying and celebrating successes is important because it reinforces the commitment to applying change management. It also keeps morale high and can create additional momentum. Effective Change Management With the ADKAR Model The questions, talking points and actions above can help you create the buy-in you need to pursue change management effectively on projects. This information will also help you anticipate and address the common issues that can hold people back during any change. Most importantly, remember that change takes place sequentially. Individuals are unlikely to adopt change effectively if you try to skip over one or more of the stages. By the time you get to training, you want to maximize your investment by imparting knowledge and skills to people who are ready to be there.
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