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.
Like so many, I came to change management through a first career. Mine was the learning and development world, where we created blended learning solutions for different types of implementations. But people were not coming to the sessions ready to learn. Their first questions were, “Why do I need to learn this?” and “Why are we going through this change?” We were missing something. That’s when I discovered the value of change management. Advisory Work Is Not Consulting Being a Senior Change Advisor is a culmination of all my previous roles: project manager, L&D consultant, communications lead, change leader, consultant and Executive Instructor. Now I use a holistic approach to help foster change management Knowledge and Ability inside organizations and develop their internal capabilities to the extent that it becomes second nature. Traditionally, a consultant leans into a depth of knowledge and expertise. The goal is to design and implement a solution, make sure it works, and then move on. Advisory work is different in that it blends being a consultant, teacher, coach and cheerleader. It’s not about me, and it’s not about telling clients what to do. I meet clients where they are to collaborate on how best to move to the next stage while developing their confidence and accelerating their projects. Bridging the knowledge-to-ability gap It’s common to understand a concept but stumble with a practical application. I hear people fresh out of certification say, “I learned a lot, but I don’t know where to start.” Others are further along but don’t apply their knowledge at the needed depth. Helping them move from Knowledge to Ability, to help make the big picture gel for them in a tangible, meaningful way is a big part of advisory work. To grow ability, we look at five areas: Psychological barriers Physical abilities Intellectual capability Time available to develop needed skills Resources available to support the development of new aptitudes In an advisory session, we stay faithful to what the work requires at the moment. But we maximize the Knowledge by anchoring to the Prosci Methodology and best practices. We build a person’s Ability by growing confidence in using the assessment and tools. I find that most people need a little help from an unbiased perspective to help mentally reposition around “how might we” tackle an issue. Enabling learning through doing As a coach, I have a no-hands-on-the-keyboard rule. One of our great Executive Instructors, Michele Quinn, also says, “The person learning is the person doing.” Seeing someone wrestle with a concept or a next step can be challenging, but this is the very moment we want to harvest—it’s essential to the process. In coaching sessions, we create a safe place for open discussion, thought, exploration and a set of actionable next-step items. Those items often send the client down a path of asking questions or holding conversations with people who are stepping outside their comfort zones. Clients always come back with tales of their outcomes and aha moments. That’s their Ability growing and their Reinforcement kicking in. (Remember, it’s ADKAR and not ADKA!) Building change management organizations Advisory work is most powerful at an organizational level. Change management is a team sport—it’s not about getting a few projects over the finish line or placing all of the effort with the change lead. To implement strategies or pivot quickly in response to market demand, organizations need a shared change management mindset about using, adopting and embracing change. But where do you start? Even after attending ECM Bootcamp, the task can be daunting. Advisors run Strategic Alignment Workshops, Change Management Maturity Model Assessments, provide insights into saturation risks, and so much more. Our work is always focused around the “why” of a change, helping clients making sense of what is happening, and then helping them determine the next, best steps to take. Removing roadblocks to success Maybe the most critical biproduct of advisory work is helping someone find their voice. A change leader needs to be brave enough to be the one person who views things from a different perspective and doesn’t fear identifying challenges and resistance. If a project team wants to move full steam ahead, but you know the stakeholder group isn’t ready, you must be comfortable speaking up about this to your leadership and support your assertion. For this, I coach clients to provide empirical data through the Prosci assessments and ADKAR framework. Quantifiable data speaks to those in charge. It can also be difficult for change practitioners to get key people to listen because the role typically comes with more responsibility than authority. Often certification participants pull me aside to share their struggles with not being heard and recommendations not being accepted, even though they understand the situation and the tactics required to be successful. Fortunately, their Change Management Certification training and tools equip them for these situations, but it’s not always enough. My role as an advisor is to coach them through situations and offer that outside perspective they need. And whenever a client reaches a new level of success, I’m their biggest cheerleader. We don’t often talk about personal roadblocks to success as a change practitioner, but they exist. The issue compounds for women, younger and older practitioners, and minorities. As a woman and person of color, it’s common for me to walk into a room and be the only Black person there. I feel both the weight and the pride of that. We all have concerns that could hold us back, but I know now that they are experiences that make you strong. A Different Kind of Leadership Having spent most of my career on projects, I have experienced various industries, project complexities, and regional considerations. If it has happened on the project floor, I have probably seen it. This broad perspective enables me to help practitioners grow more successful in their roles. Change practitioners must also be excellent at a different kind of leadership, which I call leading from behind. To do it well requires in-depth technical knowledge, and the ability to let go of self-limiting doubts and personal concerns. That enables you to speak with authority and authenticity, and find your voice. When you reach that point, you can be far more successful as an advisor or a change leader.
By now, most people understand the importance of handwashing to avoid contracting and spreading COVID-19. As a nurse, I have seen handwashing behaviors curb virus transmission significantly. As a change practitioner, I see the need for focused reinforcement as we return to our workplaces. As workplaces re-open and life begins to feel a bit more “normal,” it’s likely that our attention to handwashing will diminish. Applying the ADKAR Model can help employees stay focused on proper handwashing and other behaviors that contribute to keeping everyone safe. Handwashing and the ADKAR Model When changing any behavior that is critical to success, the Prosci ADKAR Model comes to mind. A research-based and goal-oriented model that guides both individuals and organizations, the ADKAR Model comprises five building blocks for successful change: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement. Here’s what the change to proper handwashing behaviors looks like through the ADKAR lens and what your organization can do to promote and continually reinforce it. Awareness of the need for change Because one of the known modes of COVID-19 transmission occurs through hand-to-face contact, effective handwashing is a critical behavior. At the start of the pandemic, news updates featured healthcare officials stressing the importance of hand washing as an effective tactic for preventing infection. When individuals first received this information, they were working through Awareness, the first element of the ADKAR Model. Your organization can increase Awareness of the need for proper handwashing by asking employees what you can do to help. You can talk to managers about fulfilling their important role as trusted communicators about the change. Consulting with thought leaders and informing yourself with credible information is also important, especially now, because people are overwhelmed with too much information. To remedy this, rely on one reputable source, such as the Centers for Disease Control. Desire to support the change As a prevention approach, handwashing is inexpensive and relatively easily to implement. Why then, is it necessary to continue to stress the importance of practicing good hand hygiene? Because being aware of the need for handwashing does not automatically create the Desire to support the behavior change. Organizations can in increase Desire for handwashing by understanding why a person likes or dislikes the change because this affects their willingness to adopt it. When faced with a change, individuals first ask, “What’s in it for me?” This makes addressing Desire tricky. You don’t know what triggers someone to change because individuals are unique. Information, goals and life circumstances all influence Desire. Knowledge of how to change That brings us to the next ADKAR element: Knowledge. Do individuals truly know how to wash their hands effectively? I’m inclined to say that most people do not, as evidenced by the various techniques I’ve witnessed in public restrooms: No wash Rinse and shake 5-second, no-soap scrub 5-second scrub with soap 15-second scrub with soap The 20- to 30-second scrub with soap The only effective and recommended method is the 20- to 30-second scrub with soap. Singing the Happy Birthday song in your head as you wash helps you understand just how long it should take. Individuals also need to be taught that the thumbs and wrists, crevices between fingers, and spaces under rings and nails need extra attention. If you don’t have access to soap and water, hand sanitizer with 60% or greater alcohol content is a decent substitute. All this information contributes to an individual’s Knowledge of how to change. Organizations can increase Knowledge of how to adopt proper handwashing by providing information and resources employees need, such as instructions, training and platforms. Make sure they’re ready and available when people are ready to learn because Knowledge is critical to moving on to Ability. Ability to demonstrate skills and behaviors The fourth element of the ADKAR model is Ability. People must be able to wash their hands effectively. Hand soap is available in ample supply, but hand sanitizer can be harder to find or prohibitively expensive for some. This creates a challenge for keeping hands clean when you’re on the move and away from a sink and soap. Because of this, it’s important to understand that people may have a barrier to Ability when going through this change. Your organization can increase Ability by removing barriers related to time, effort, energy, and physiological and psychological issues. Give people the time and permission to learn proper handwashing techniques. Provide hand sanitizer as needed. Understand individual fears, stresses and anxieties. Leaders and managers must understand people and decide as an organization if you will accommodate their issues with handwashing requirements, and if so, how. Reinforcement to make the changes stick The fifth and final element of the ADKAR Model is Reinforcement. How do you make this handwashing behavior change stick? Healthcare research shows that as clinicians get busier, their diligence with hand hygiene practices declines. As life normalizes and you return to your busy routine, it’s likely that your hand hygiene practices will drop off as well. The hand hygiene police will not be checking on you, which makes this a perfect opportunity for self-reinforcement. To maintain the change, you must monitor and reward yourself for practicing good hand hygiene throughout your busy day. In the long run, the reward will come as decreased transmission of COVID-19, flu and colds. And you can take pride in doing your part to keep yourself and others healthy. Your organization can reinforce and sustain handwashing behaviors by promoting self-reinforcement, offering genuine acknowledgements, and celebrating successes. Ongoing communication, collecting feedback through surveys, tracking fluctuations in behaviors, and generally engaging with people on the topic of hand hygiene will also help. Change Happens One Individual at a Time To keep COVID-19 from surging to threatening levels in your area, individuals must continue to adopt, use and maintain proper handwashing behaviors. And as society continues to re-open, keeping people and organizations free from COVID-19 outbreaks will take vigilance. Fortunately, applying the ADKAR Model is an easy and effective way to help your people through this and any other meaningful change. Did you find this content helpful? If so, please share it!
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