How to Guide Individual Change Journeys

One of the biggest lessons I have learned over my career is that real change cannot be mandated. It must be built through time and consistency. When people understand the importance behind the work and see their role in it, they are far more likely to move from compliance to genuine commitment. This becomes especially clear in large organizations. The more complex and important work is the harder it is to build alignment and momentum to bring that idea to life. When your idea is big, you can’t rest on your laurels. You have to keep the change top of mind and have a disciplined approach to moving forward. Over the years, I have been fortunate to have a front row seat to moments of real transformation inside large organizations. Some of the most meaningful change I oversaw is still part of the strategy and success today and I have observed several patterns that consistently make the difference between ideas that stall and those that take hold. 1.) Bring people along early: It was important to me to make sure we were bringing a diverse group of people into the fold. This was not something we could do overnight. Everyone had to be part of this effort, and we had to be intentional and purposeful about managing change across the organization. The result was those critical early conversations helped shape the direction and ensured the effort reflected a broad range of perspectives. Just as importantly, they created a sense of shared ownership from the beginning. 2.) Shift how people think about their role: A strong sense of ownership is critical. The people best positioned to move an idea forward need to feel they have played a role in shaping it. When individuals see their perspectives reflected in the direction of the work, they are far more likely to support it and help carry it forward. At the same time, not all ideas move at the same pace. Some changes, particularly those involving culture or mindset, require time, consistency, and reinforcement. Other moments require a different approach. There are times when organizations need to move quickly, whether in response to new technologies such as AI, market shifts, or emerging risks. In those cases, leaders still need to build understanding and bring people along, but they cannot wait for perfect alignment before taking action. The balance is knowing when to move deliberately and when to move with urgency. 3.) Change the way people work: In order to shift culture, moving from siloed thinking to a more collective mindset requires people to see beyond their individual roles and consider the broader organization. That kind of change cannot be mandated; it has to be built over time through shared purpose and reinforcement. In the end, strategic leadership is about understanding that change happens through people. When individuals feel heard, understand the purpose behind the work, and want to see how they contribute to it, that is when ideas begin to take hold and grow into something lasting.

True progress in transformation relies less on sheer willpower and more on accurately identifying your current stage of readiness. Clinical observation reveals specific patterns. I often see people trying to force a habit before their mind is even willing to entertain it. They skip the vital groundwork and wonder why the behaviour does not stick. Real change happens in distinct stages. Recognising where you actually are prevents a lot of wasted effort. Here is the breakdown I use in practice. 1. Pre-Contemplation You are not intending to take action in the foreseeable future. You might be unaware that your behaviour is problematic or produces negative consequences. You likely feel that the cons of changing outweigh the pros. The task here is not action. It is awareness. Do not force a new gym routine. Instead, simply observe the friction points in your current day. Notice how you feel after certain choices. 2. Contemplation You are intending to change in the next six months. You are aware of the pros of changing, but are also acutely aware of the cons. This balance can produce profound ambivalence that keeps people stuck in this stage for long periods. The task here is analysis. Identify the barriers. What specifically is holding you back? Is it time? Energy? Fear of failure? Do not start the diet yet. Start solving the logic puzzle of your schedule first. 3. Preparation You are intending to take action in the immediate future, usually measured as the next month. You have typically taken some significant action in the past year. You have a plan of action, such as joining a health education class, consulting a counsellor, talking to your physician, buying a self-help book, or relying on a self-change approach. The task here is design. Set the environment. Clear the friction. Buy the walking shoes. clear the diary for better sleep. Make the default choice the healthy one. Most people fail because they try to jump straight to action while they are still in contemplation. They rely on motivation to bridge the gap. Motivation is unreliable. Structural readiness is not. If you find yourself stuck, stop pushing harder. Step back and ask which stage you are really in. The answer usually tells you exactly what to do next.

I’ve watched great change plans fail Because leaders skipped one thing: clarity. Before you launch any change initiative, ask yourself these: 1/ Why now? ⤷ If urgency isn’t clear, people assume the change can wait. Tip: Show the real cost of doing nothing. 2/ Who or what will this impact? ⤷ Change touches more than org charts, it shifts daily work, tools, and customers. Tip: Map out exactly what changes for people. 3/ Do people have choices? ⤷ Without choice, change feels forced. Even small options build trust. Tip: Show what’s flexible vs. non-negotiable. 4/ What goals are we chasing? ⤷ If people can’t see what winning looks like, they won’t know how to help. Tip: Define goals in simple, measurable terms. 5/ What happens next? ⤷ Teams don’t stall because they’re lazy, they stall when the next step is unclear. Tip: Break the plan into milestones and clear ownership. 6/ Who’s leading this? ⤷ When no one owns the change, confusion owns the process. Tip: Make leadership roles visible and specific. 7/ What if people disagree? ⤷ Pushback isn’t sabotage, it’s usually shows blind spots Tip: Listen, then separate real risks from noise. 8/ How long will this take? ⤷ If people don’t know the timeline, they’ll assume the worst. Tip: Share a roadmap with milestones, not just an end date. 9/ How do we avoid mistakes? ⤷ No change goes perfectly, admitting that upfront builds trust. Tip: Call out risks early, stay flexible, and keep everyone in the loop. 10/ How will this benefit people directly? ⤷ Change feels like loss until people see what’s in it for them. Tip: Spell out how it makes daily work easier. Clarity doesn’t just move projects forward - it decides whether change succeeds or dies. -- 📌 If you want a high-res PDF of this sheet: 1. Follow Daniel Lock 2. Like the post 3. Repost to your network 4. Subscribe to: https://lnkd.in/eB3C76jb

Passionate problem solvers are easy to label as "too negative" or "having an agenda". Here's a good approach to bringing people on the journey: 1. Start with what you see and hear Describe specific behaviors, patterns, or outcomes as objectively as possible (knowing that we can never be truly objective). Be mindful of your potential biases. Are your emotions and perspective narrowing what you bring up? Avoid using loaded or triggering language. Keep it neutral and clear. 2. Invite others to share what they see and hear By starting with your own observations, you are setting an example for the rest of the team. Invite the team to share their perspectives and observations in ways that focus on understanding, rather than labeling or jumping to conclusions. In the right context, it might be better to start here. 3. Look inwards, observe, and listen Just as you describe outward behaviors, turn inward and notice how you feel about what you’re seeing and hearing. Instead of saying, “This place is a pressure cooker,” try, “I feel a lot of pressure.” Avoid jumping to conclusions or ascribing blame. Again, invite other people to do the same. 4. Spot areas to explore With observations and emotions on the table, identify areas worth examining. Avoid rushing to label them as problems or opportunities. Instead, frame them as questions or areas to look into. This keeps the tone open and focused on discovery. 5. Explore and go deeper As potential areas emerge, repeat the earlier steps: describe what you see, invite others to share, and observe how you feel. It is a recursive/iterative process—moving up and down levels of detail. 6. Look for alignment and patterns Notice where people are starting to align on what they’d like to see more—or less—of. Pay attention to areas where there’s consistent divergence—these are opportunities as well. Ask, “What might it take to narrow the divide?” 7. Frame clear opportunities Once patterns emerge, focus on turning them into clear opportunities. These are not solutions—they’re starting points for exploration. For example: “We could improve this handoff process” or “We’re not all on the same page about priorities.” Keep it actionable and forward-looking. 8. Brainstorm small experiments Use opportunities as a springboard to brainstorm simple, manageable experiments. Think of these as ways to test and learn, not perfect fixes. For example: “What if we tried a weekly check-in for this process?” Keep the ideas practical and easy to implement. 9. Stay grounded and flexible Be mindful of how the group is feeling and responding as you brainstorm. Are people rushing to solutions or becoming stuck? If so, take a step back and revisit earlier steps to re-center the group. 10. Step back. Let the group own it Once there’s momentum, step back and hand over ownership to the group. Avoid holding onto the issue as “your problem.” Trust the process you’ve built and the team’s ability to move things forward collectively.

One of the most overlooked strategies in change leadership? 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩. Top-down vision is powerful. But real traction comes when people at every level feel like:  ✓ They 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 to the change.  ✕ Not just 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 it. In my work, I help organizations activate leadership at every layer— From executive sponsorship to grassroots champions. Here are my top tips how leaders can make people feel change belongs 𝘵𝘰 them: ✅ Understand the “why” behind the change ✅ See their role in shaping what comes next ✅ Get the tools and coaching they need to lead with confidence ✅ Have safe spaces to voice concerns, share ideas, and influence outcomes ✅ Build peer networks that support accountability and momentum Change is messy. Emotional. Personal. And when people feel seen, heard, and included, they don’t resist it. They 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯 it. That’s how you turn a change 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 into a change 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.

Change fatigue is the silent killer of transformation initiatives. When teams face constant transformation initiatives, burnout and resistance become inevitable. Here are 7 proven strategies to help your people thrive through change: 1. Become a learning organization -  Set clear goals for what you'll learn and how you'll apply those insights. 2. Honor your past -  Show genuine appreciation for previous efforts before pushing forward. 3. Take a big picture view -  Connect the dots between multiple changes so people understand the larger purpose. 4. Create opportunities for feedback -  Give people a voice and demonstrate that their input matters by acting on it. 5. Focus on continuous improvement -  Shift from "change as event" to "improvement as culture." 6. Remember the personal touch - Use interactive communication to help employees understand how changes affect them personally. 7. Recognize and celebrate - Acknowledge the people and teams contributing to success along the way. The most successful transformations balance the strategic need for change with the human need for stability. I've seen organizations transform their change capacity by implementing just 2-3 of these strategies consistently. Leaders: Which of these strategies could help your team recover from change fatigue?

Traditional change management practices focus on communication and training—a holdover from an earlier age, when leaders had more control and the goal was simply to inform and coordinate. Today, however, most change initiatives involve behavior—what people think and do every day—and that naturally triggers resistance. To create genuine transformation, we need to get out of the business of selling ideas and into the business of selling success. That’s what a Keystone Change—a clear and tangible goal, involving stakeholders that paves the way for future change—allows you to do. The next step is to design a Co-optable Resource that will help empower people to spread the idea themselves. For example, in the 80s and 90s, Don Berwick pioneered quality practices in healthcare and founded the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to advance them. Despite clear results, adoption lagged—until the 100,000 Lives Campaign equipped hospital allies with “change kits” and how-to guides. That broke the logjam, and quality practices began to take hold. That’s the model for successfully implementing large-scale change: start with a core team of enthusiasts that will help you iterate and achieve a Keystone Change. Once you’ve gained some traction, help people spread the idea through peer networks by supplying them with a Co-optable Resource so that they can bring in others, who can bring in others still. In the final analysis, transformational change is driven by small groups, loosely connected, but united by a shared purpose. It all starts with a Keystone Chang

Change isn’t just a strategy shift.  It’s an emotional journey. And every leader must learn to navigate it, not just tactically, but empathetically. Because behind every process, metric, and timeline... There are people. Processing. Here are the 5 emotional stages of change your team will move through and how to lead them through it: 1/ Fear The first reaction is often uncertainty. Anxiety shows up before understanding does. → Your move: Lead with reassurance and clarity, not just confidence. 2/ Resistance This is where the pushback begins. Questions, doubt, maybe even conflict. → Your move: Don’t dismiss it, validate concerns and co-create the path forward. 3/ Indifference Quiet can be louder than resistance. A disengaged team is a risky one. → Your move: Reignite ownership. Connect the change to what matters to them. 4/ Realization This is the turning point, when the “why” finally clicks. → Your move: Reinforce progress, highlight early wins, and keep the momentum going. 5/ Reform Change becomes culture. Habits shift. The new way becomes the normal way. → Your move: Keep nurturing. Sustainability is a leadership act. The best leaders don’t just manage change. They move people through it, with awareness, patience, and empathy. Because progress isn’t just what changes. It’s how people feel while it’s happening. Found this helpful? Follow Divakar Vijayasarathy for reflections on Life, Tax and Entrepreneurship.

Across our portfolio, clients often use coaching to support executives through a transition and it’s got me thinking about where a ‘transition’ starts and ends. Does transition start on the first official day in the job? When can we say that someone has successfully completed a transition?  When do we start transition coaching and how do we decide when it is no longer needed? In typical scenarios, such as promotion, hiring, role expansion, lateral moves, reorgs and restructures, the updated org chart gives you a map and a cast list. But the real challenge is navigating the territory, day by day. Journeying across the terrain involves leading yourself and others through a complex set of personal changes (identity, confidence, getting up to speed quickly), new or changing relationships, and systemic shifts (power dynamics, decision making, priorities, critical issues). Failure to navigate the territory is costly, both personally for the leader, as well as for the business. Much is said about the importance of the leader’s first 90 days and research into executive transitions supports the idea that the trajectory towards success or failure is often determined early on. A short-term coaching engagement may imply an assumption that transitions can be “completed” within a defined window. If the executive appears to be doing ok initially, it could be presumed that little or no support is needed. When we offer transition support, we may habitually design it as if it were a discrete event, yet research indicates that coaching is often started too late and not continued for long enough. In practice, this means considering whether support can be offered prior to day one and whether it could be provided for as much as twelve months on a tapered schedule. Taking a systemic perspective on transitions leads us to consider the adaptation that’s required among the whole cast, not just one executive. There are important personal aspects of transition, such as overcoming a sense of vulnerability, adapting to a new culture, or managing potential derailers.  There is also relational work to be done with stakeholders and helping the executive develop an accurate mental map of the social network. For the team or department with a new leader in place the executive is likely to make changes in priorities and ways of working. These are the realities of the territory that call for transition coaching to support the personal, relational and systemic shifts and set them up for the ongoing journey. I find myself coming back to this question of where a transition begins and ends and therefore how we design interventions to support success. I’d be interested to hear how others are thinking about this in practice.

Stop announcing change.  Start engineering it.  There's a massive difference and 7 models that prove it. Most leaders treat change as an event.  It's not. It's a system. And every system needs the right framework  - applied at the right time, to the right problem. Here's when to deploy each model: Stuck at the individual level? → Use ADKAR. Diagnose exactly where people stall  - Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, or Reinforcement.  One blocked stage kills the whole rollout. Need company-wide momentum? → Use Kotter's 8-Step. Create urgency first. Coalition second.  Vision third. Skip the sequence; lose the transformation. Culture shift that needs time to stick? → Use Lewin's 3-Stage.  Unfreeze. Change. Refreeze.  Simple - but most leaders skip the refreeze  and wonder why change doesn't hold. Behavior won't budge? → Use McKinsey's Influence Model.  Real behavior change requires four simultaneous levers:  role modeling, conviction, reinforcement, and skills.  Pull only one; people revert. Misalignment between teams? → Use Prosci PCT.  Leadership, Change Management,  and Project Management must move in lockstep.  A gap in any corner collapses the triangle. Facing resistance? → Use Nudge Theory. Don't mandate.  Design low-friction pathways.  Present change as a choice, remove adoption barriers,  celebrate early wins loudly. Enterprise-wide transformation? → Use BCG's Change Delta.  Enabled leaders + executional certainty + an engaged organization  - all governed by a disciplined PMO. This is change at scale. The insight most executives miss: These models aren't competitors. They're complementary. The best transformation leaders layer them  - ADKAR at the individual level,  Kotter for the organizational drumbeat,  McKinsey to hardwire behavior. Your actionable takeaway: Before your next initiative, ask three questions: Where is resistance living  - individual, team, or cultural? What phase are we in  - launching, sustaining, or embedding? Which model matches this problem  - not the last one you solved? The right framework at the right moment isn't a nice-to-have.  It's the difference between transformation and expensive noise. Which change model has delivered real results in your organization  and which one looked good on paper but failed in practice? Let's make this thread a real-world resource. Drop your experience below. Repost &  Follow for more!!