What is ADKAR? The ADKAR Model of Change

ADKAR is a 5 step model for how individuals respond to change. It is a helpful way to understand the responses we will encounter and plan our change management programs accordingly.

ADKAR is a copyrighted and protected model, so I very limited in what I can say, as I want to ensure that, ethically and legally I don’t step over the line of fair use.

The name, ADKAR, derives from the five outcomes an individual needs to achieve for a change to be successful:

1. Awareness
I understand the need to change
2. Desire
I want to be part of the change – and to support it
3. Knowledge
I know what the change is and what I need to do to change
4. Ability
I can make the change and have the support and guidance I need
5. Reinforcement
I am working to sustain the change, making use of feedback, metrics, and recognition

I have no affiliation with Prosci – and neither have I received their training. But everyone I have come across who has speaks highly of its quality and relevance.

As I said in an earlier video, change management and project management form two ends of a simple spectrum of skills, tools, and methods:

Why You Need Change Management in Your Project Management Toolset

To get 30% of my full course, use the coupon code YOUTUBEMLC at checkout, or access the course with this link:

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A while back, I asked Project Managers in a couple of forums what material things you need to have, to do your job as a Project Manager. They responded magnificently. I compiled their answers into a Kit list.
Note that the links are affiliated.

Chapter Markers...
00:00 - What is ADKAR
00:11 - Simple description of ADKAR change model
00:38 - ADKAR and Prosci
01:08 - ADKAR: A Model for Change…
01:22 - The five ADKAR steps
02:39 - Where ADKAR is used
03:01 - Prosci offerings
03:21 - I have no affiliation with Prosci
03:54 - Who is formal ADKAR training for?
04:47 - Why Project Managers need to understand Change Management
05:21 - Alternative (lower cost) training: Managing and Leading Change
05:52 - Summing up

#ChangeManagement #ProjectManagement #ADKAR

[Onlinepmcourses]

I love a good model and Managing Change is one of my primary professional interests. So, here I combine them, and explain Prosci's ADKAR model of change.

Thank you for watching.
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[LD-wfyt]

I am of the opinion that Prosci have stopped one step short from finding a deeper significance of their ADKAR model. I also find ADKAR model not much different from Ackoff's Data, Information, Knowledge, Understanding and Wisdom model. The trap the majority of the world falls into is by getting bogged down with the How part so they lose sight of where they are going or why they've got there in the first place, confusing a child to expect a reward just for the effort.
In order to understand the true depth of ADKAR one needs to understand the meaning of Cognitive Dissonance, even Paradox Thinking. In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is the perception of contradictory information and the mental toll of it. However, it is the mental conditioning that keeps many people caged in shallow thinking (not stupid, simply shallow). In other words, when we face a problem, most of us spend more time thinking, or worrying, which is not going to help us much. Instead, we need something else.
My solution is to provide a person, including myself when doing a research, with a ready access to many sources of - relevant - information. Initially, there will be a mental toll, as in the cognitive dissonance. Unlike driving a car with a simple dashboard in front of us, imagine entering a pilot's cabin of any commercial aeroplane. It could be mind boggling. However, similar to Geoffrey Moore's concept of "chasm" in his Technology Adoption curve, there is another chasm between our "shallow" vs "deep" thinking. By creating the right context for crossing that chasm is what Awareness (A) in ADKAR is all about. I would say, Observation in OODA loop has the same intention. The main difference between ADKAR and OODA is that with ADKAR we are addressing the resistance part of the Change Management, whilst in OODA we are strengthening the resilience part. In psychology, resistance is the ability to persist or withstand a disturbance/change, and resilience is the ability to recover once a disturbance ends. My disagreement with the Change Management is similar to another statement "we are good at problem solving, we are just not good at identifying what the problem is (or change) in the first place".
If the information that we need is all there, both its presence and our exposure to it activates our subconscious mind (read curiosity, creativity, challenge, insights, etc) that slowly starts to absorb (establish connections in our brains) the new information. The process is similar to what Daniel Coyle describes in his book "The Talent Code". As we start making use of those connections ie. discover their meaning, we start moving along (A)DKA(R). Finally, if we find ourself in the right environment, as described by Daniel Coyle in "The Culture Code", we reach (ADKA)R ie. communicating, cooperating, collaborating etc. That should start reversing 75% employee disengagement/great resignation finding as per Gallup's survey.
The right A is the most important part. Our goal should be to make people - feel smart ie. help them move from shallow to deep thinking. And that is not the end of the journey, just a better foundation.

[rajkhannaassociates]

You should look at Change Management Institute and APMG-International on Change Management - which is excellent and easy to use. - You dont seem to be aware of this.

[savagedls]

My company uses the ADKAR model in their training on change management, and we have found it to be easy to understand and practical in its application. Highly recommend it. The name of the company comes from the combination of the words professional and sciences. So properly pronounced as pro SCi with a long i.