Prosci

"The real problem is that you're not scared enough about the right things." This observation from a recent Forbes piece highlights why many organizations fail to act on clear warning signs. They see the data—shifting customer behavior, emerging technologies, new competitive threats—but can't imagine the curve bending so suddenly. BlackBerry lost nearly half the U.S. smartphone market in seven years. Kodak went from $28 billion to bankruptcy in sixteen. These weren't failures of competence—they were failures of organizational readiness. And this is precisely where change management creates strategic value. Research from psychologists Willem Wagenaar and Joseph Sagaria reveals why: our minds perceive change in proportions, not raw amounts. This makes exponential shifts feel manageable until they suddenly overtake us. Even trained analysts underestimate compounding effects—a phenomenon economists later named the "exponential growth bias." The organizations that thrive don't have better forecasts. They have better change capability. They assess change readiness as a strategic discipline, not after a transformation is announced, but continuously. They build enterprise change capability that creates structural awareness of weak signals. They move when the data is still ambiguous, not when a crisis makes it undeniable. The question isn't whether your company is risk-averse. It's whether you're ready to act when the signals are still at the margins, before exponential change forces your hand. We believe that’s how you truly experience change that makes you stronger. #Prosci #ChangeReadiness #OrganizationalTransformation #Leadership

AI adoption isn't about reaching a fixed destination. It's about building capability to iterate forward. Our CEO, Scott McAllister, explains why AI-driven change requires a different mindset: The technology evolves so rapidly that the future state remains fluid. Leaders need to embrace continuous adaptation rather than waiting for a clearly defined endpoint. This aligns with what we're hearing from change practitioners across industries—AI creates a "never-ending Phase 2" where reinforcement becomes an ongoing process, not a finite goal. The key? Shift from planning for static outcomes to building change capability that enables continuous adaptation. Our recent research breaks down 8 key differences in AI-driven change and what leaders need to know: https://adkar.me/4piiESL #Prosci #changemanagement #aiadoption #transformation #changeleadership

The #1 reason employees resist change isn't what most leaders expect. It's lack of awareness about the purpose and reason for the change—not fear, not unwillingness, not past failures. This matters because it shifts where organizations should focus their energy. When people can't answer "Why are we doing this?" or "What's in it for me?" their hesitation isn't resistance in the traditional sense. It's a gap in the change approach. The other top causes follow similar patterns: Changes in job roles ➡️ concerns about autonomy and desire gaps Fear of the unknown ➡️ past experiences with failed changes Lack of leader support ➡️ undermines confidence Exclusion from decisions ➡️ people feel unheard Each of these can be addressed proactively. This is why prevention works better than response. It requires less effort, costs less, and has higher success potential. When organizations build awareness early, equip people managers as change leaders, and create genuine participation opportunities, they address root causes before they become barriers. When resistance does appear, the ADKAR Model serves as a diagnostic tool. Is this an Awareness barrier? Desire? Knowledge? Ability? Reinforcement? Attempting to solve a Knowledge gap with more communication about why the change matters won't work—each barrier requires targeted interventions. Our article breaks down both prevention strategies and response tactics, including how to use the ADKAR Model to diagnose specific barriers. Discover more: https://adkar.me/3Ka4LqP #prosci #organizationalchange #leadership #businesstransformation

Resistance or fatigue? Leaders need to understand the difference. When teams push back on change, the root cause matters. Are people questioning the change itself, or are they simply exhausted by the volume of change hitting them? Our COO, Michelle Haggerty-Mackay, shares her perspective on navigating this challenge: 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀. They're closest to their teams and can provide qualitative insight into whether pushback stems from disagreement or overwhelm. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Tools like Proxima and Kaiya reveal patterns—what people say versus how they're engaging with change. This quantitative view complements what managers are hearing on the ground. 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆 𝗔𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆. Use it to automate manual work and reduce the sense of overwhelm, freeing people to focus on high-value contributions that require human judgment and expertise. The goal is to empower your people through change, not exhaust them with it. #prosci #changemanagement #leadership #employeeexperience #changefatigue

Wrapping up your week and reflecting on that "resistant" stakeholder group? 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲: What looks like resistance is often hesitancy—uncertainty that points to fixable gaps in your change approach. 🤔 The future state might not be clear enough. The WIIFM might not be resonating. People might need space to shape the "how" themselves. According to our research, more than half of resistance is avoidable when you focus on prevention first. That means building awareness early, involving stakeholders in planning, and addressing concerns before they escalate. When you shift from viewing resistance as opposition to seeing it as an opportunity to listen and understand, you don't just improve outcomes—you help people succeed through change. 🌟 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿: Where could a prevention-first mindset transform your approach? Read more about reframing resistance: https://adkar.me/4petR74 #prosci #organizationalchange #changeleadership #resistance

Every leader wants bold AI transformation. Few are prepared for what it actually takes to get there. Our CIO, Tim Creasey, and VP of Product, Paul Gonzalez, joined the Beyond the Prompt podcast to discuss the gap between AI ambition and execution—and what decades of change management research reveal about bridging it. Their conversation with hosts Jeremy and Henrik tackles a fundamental truth: AI adoption isn't a technology challenge—it's a people challenge. Four takeaways from their conversation: ▪️ Bold AI visions need grounded, actionable steps ▪️ Effective leaders gain hands-on experience with the tools ▪️ Real experimentation requires protected time and lower stakes ▪️ Lasting change still happens one person at a time The technology may be new, but the process of change isn't. Listen to the full episode: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gtjZgugd #ChangeManagement #AITransformation #Leadership

Here's a question we hear often: "𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦-𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵?" The answer from two of Prosci’s regional presidents, Romona Brown, and Caroline Mørck Jensen: It's not always either/or. When you invest in change management for a critical project, you're simultaneously building organisational capability. The people impacted by your initiative gain skills and experience that carry forward to future changes. Two key insights from this conversation: 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹—Using a percentage of your project cost for change management ensures you have a plan for people throughout the project lifecycle. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻—By investing in people during change, you enable adoption while developing the skills your organisation needs for every future transformation. The organisations that execute strategy most effectively don't treat these as separate decisions. They use project investments to build lasting capability. #OrganisationalChange #BusinessTransformation #ChangeLeadership #Prosci

"There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about." Margaret Wheatley.   We are building something new, and you can help.   Prosci is exploring a new community and offering that will connect the people doing change work around the world so they can share insights and tackle the hard problems, together.   Change practitioners and teams often feel alone; imagine tapping into the collective wisdom of the 150K Prosci alumni and others around the world. This community will bring together the sharpest minds in change to work together on the most pressing challenges.     We are currently looking for founding members who want to provide their input and insight to help shape the future of this valuable connection platform.   Want to help? If you are interested, I've included a link in the comments to an application form. Thank you in advance for those who raise a hand and participate.

"My sponsor said yes to the role, then disappeared." Sound familiar? You're not alone. Sponsor engagement is the #1 contributor to change success—and the biggest obstacle practitioners face. However, research reveals that over half of sponsors lack a clear understanding of their responsibilities. Another 24% don't have enough time or resources. It's rarely a matter of unwillingness—it's often a lack of clarity and support. The solution? Strategic coaching, structured plans, and tactical approaches that work even with time-pressed executives. This month's Change Matters newsletter gives you three proven tactics to shift the dynamic—from helping sponsors understand their role to recognizing their efforts at key milestones. Plus, get our Executive Sponsor Activation Checklist to guide conversations throughout your initiative. Ready to turn your sponsor into your strongest advocate? Read the newsletter. 📨 👇 #Prosci #ChangeManagement #SponsorEngagement #ChangeDoneRight

Active and visible sponsorship goes far beyond the project kickoff. Leaders who truly drive change success show up on a regular, predictable cadence—not just at launch, but throughout the transformation journey. What does this look like in practice? ➡️ Joining team meetings with genuine interest ➡️ Asking: "What are the barriers to success?" ➡️ Taking action to remove those barriers ➡️ Ensuring continuous progress toward the future state As our COO, Michelle Haggerty-Mackay, shares, your team needs to see you engaged in the work, not just championing it from a distance. Learn more about effective sponsorship: 🔗👉https://adkar.me/3KWEPPn #prosci #changemanagement #leadership #changeleadership