A people-centred approach to managing change

Organisations are people, and the success of an organisation depends on the way people manage each other and work together. Underpinned by Kotter’s 8-Step Process, this philosophy forms the foundation of our change management services. Change management fundamentally comes down to a group of people who pull together to create and reach common goals, how they behave, how they relate to one another, and what engages them to buy into the change to make it actually happen.

What is Change Management?

Change management involves preparing, supporting, and helping individuals, teams, and organisations to make lasting changes without losing cohesion or productivity. It focuses on methods that can be employed to actively engage individuals in embracing new processes, technologies, and strategies.

Effective change management goes beyond simply communicating what is changing. It requires embedding new ways of working into the company culture so that change is sustained over time and becomes part of how the organisation operates.

Organisational Change

Organisational change refers to the adjustments an organisation makes to its structure, strategies, operational methods, or culture in response to internal or external pressures. These changes can be minor, such as a shift in team responsibilities, or more significant, such as mergers, digital transformation, or restructuring. Organisational change management begins when leaders recognise the need to respond to these shifts with a clear and strategic plan that takes into account both the human and operational aspects of transformation.

Common drivers of organisational change include:

• Evolving market conditions
• New technology adoption
• Shifts in customer expectations
• Regulatory or policy changes
• Internal challenges such as performance issues or low engagement

Organisational change initiatives often face resistance, not because employees oppose progress, but because of uncertainty or fear of the unknown. Left unaddressed, organisational defence routines, ingrained behaviours or cultural patterns that unconsciously resist change, can further hinder success. These can include avoidance of difficult conversations, over-reliance on established procedures, or reluctance to question the status quo.

While change is necessary for growth, it often brings uncertainty and disruption. Understanding the nature of organisational change, and addressing the emotional and structural barriers to it, is key to implementing successful organisational change management strategies. When these strategies are clearly defined and actively supported, change can be more than a reaction to pressure, it can become a planned and sustainable path to improvement.

The Role of Leadership in Change Management

Leadership in change management means more than merely administering different tasks; it is about inspiring a shared vision and motivating people to aim for this vision. It is about understanding the human side of change and addressing it compassionately and intelligently.

The Change Management Process

Change within any organisation can be complex and disruptive, but with a structured approach, it becomes far more manageable. The change management process provides a clear framework to help businesses plan, implement, and support change effectively. Several established models offer different perspectives on how best to navigate this process.

Kotter’s Change Management Model: 8-Step Process for Leading Change

One of the most influential models for change management is Kotter’s 8-Step Process for Leading Change. This framework has stood the test of time, providing actionable steps and psychological insights into managing change within organisations. Developed by Harvard Professor Dr. John Kotter, the model breaks down the change process into eight critical steps. Kotter places great emphasis on the need to keep people motivated and buying in to the change.

Other respected models for change management include:

• McKinsey’s 7-S Framework, which focuses on the seven internal elements of an organisation that need to align for it to be successful: strategy, structure, systems, shared values, style, staff, and skills.
• Nudge Theory, which advocates influencing behaviour through environment.
• Elizabeth Kubler Ross’s Change Curve, which maps the pathway of emotional reactions that people typically experience in response to change.

Challenges in Change Management

Even with a structured process in place, change initiatives can encounter significant challenges. Recognising these risks early can help organisations plan ahead and implement safeguards.

One of the most common issues is that employees often feel surprised or overwhelmed when change is poorly communicated or introduced too quickly. This sense of being “besieged by change” can lead to uncertainty, lowered morale, and passive resistance.

In addition, ineffective change management often results in organisational stress, duplicated efforts, and unnecessary rework. When expectations are unclear or systems are not properly aligned, teams can find themselves repeating tasks or correcting errors that could have been avoided with better planning.

Other challenges include:

• Lack of visible leadership commitment
• Failure to involve key stakeholders early enough
• Inadequate training or resources
• Cultural resistance to new ways of working

To overcome these obstacles, change must be approached with care, clarity, and consistency. This means setting realistic expectations, building trust through open dialogue, and ensuring the necessary support structures are in place. When these elements are prioritised, organisations are far more likely to see successful and sustainable outcomes.

Benefits of Effective Change Management

When implemented successfully, change management delivers measurable and long-lasting benefits across an organisation. These include:

• Increased employee engagement and morale – When people feel heard, supported, and involved, they are more motivated to contribute positively to the change process.
• Improved adoption of new systems and processes – With adequate support and communication, individuals are more likely to embrace changes rather than resist them.
• Reduced disruption, cost, and implementation time – A structured approach to change management helps to minimise confusion, delays, and resource wastage. It enables organisations to roll out change more efficiently, avoiding the costly setbacks that often result from poor planning.
• Faster adaptation to shifting market conditions – Organisations with effective change management processes are better positioned to respond to external pressures such as market trends, customer expectations, and regulatory demands. This adaptability gives businesses a competitive edge.
• Stronger leadership and communication – Leaders develop better tools and confidence to guide their teams, creating clarity and trust throughout the change journey.
• Cultural integration of change – By embedding change into company values and behaviours, organisations ensure sustainability rather than short-term compliance.
• Greater resilience and long-term adaptability – Teams become more equipped to deal with future challenges and opportunities in a coordinated and strategic way.

By putting people at the heart of every stage of change, organisations can realise these benefits while staying aligned with their strategic objectives. A proactive and structured approach not only improves outcomes but also builds internal capability for ongoing improvement.

Making change work

Implementing organisational change is a complex but manageable task that requires careful planning and execution. Successful change management ensures that these efforts result in not just completion, but in lasting adoption and positive outcomes. Adding to Kotter’s Eight Steps, below are some practical measures to ensure that your change management process is phased and aligns with both organisational goals and the individual needs of team members:

1. Define clear milestones

Break the change process into clear, manageable phases, each with specific milestones. This approach helps in tracking progress and maintaining momentum throughout the change journey. Each phase should have defined outcomes that contribute to the overall goal.

2. Identify the stakeholders and their needs

It is useful to create a stakeholder map to help you work out who is essential in terms of buy-in for the change to happen, who can influence the change, who must be kept informed, and who might be affected by the change, even if they don’t have any say in it:

Work out who is essential in terms of buy-in for the change to happen, who can influence the change, who must be kept informed, and who might be affected by the change, even if they don’t have any say in it.

And then make a stakeholder chart to prioritise the stakeholders and their needs:

Who is essential to make change happen? Who else might be affected by it? Who needs to be kept informed?

Regular and clear communication is critical. Use multiple channels to keep all the stakeholders informed about the reasons for change, the benefits, the impacts, and the progress.

3. Get the right systems in place

Change initiatives can be undermined by unreliable technology, outdated working practices, and lack of resources. Make sure that willingness to change is supported by the right structures. Create an environment where people can easily and freely signal that there are stumbling blocks in their departments.

However, be cautious when replacing old systems, taking the time to find out from their users why they were designed and implemented in that way, and what hidden advantages they have might have, before discarding them completely. Try to build on and modify existing methods, particularly where you are integrating outside teams after a merger, rather than demand that people abandon their preferred ways of working for something unfamiliar.

4. Keep the lines of communication open

Regular and clear communication is critical, and it must flow both ways. The more people feel involved in your decisions, the more they are likely to buy in to the changes.

• Use multiple channels to keep all the stakeholders informed about the reasons for change, the benefits, the impacts, and the progress. Leaders should consistently communicate the vision and demonstrate commitment to the changes by participating in focus groups, training sessions, addressing company-wide gatherings, and having open-door policies to discuss the change.
• Establish mechanisms for ongoing feedback throughout the change process. Use surveys, focus groups, and open forums to gather input and respond constructively. Create a feedback loop so you are constantly updating and revising the processes and know how the change is perceived across the organisation.

5. Provide support where it is needed

Various teams and individuals may experience change differently. Strengthen your change management strategy by offering tailored support. This could include often-neglected measures like coaching, training, and regular check-ins, to ensure that each team member understands their role in the new environment and feels confident in their ability to perform it effectively.

6. Recognise and reward

Recognise those who contribute positively to the process of managing change. This recognition can be formal, such as awards or bonuses, or informal, like public acknowledgement in meetings or newsletters. Recognising efforts encourages continued support and enthusiasm for the initiative.

Coaching Strategies for Managing Change

Incorporating a coaching approach to leadership can significantly oil the wheels of change management. As change management experts we have found that this method ensures that managers are not only directing, but actively supporting and facilitating the development of employees throughout the transition, thereby enhancing engagement and easing the adoption of new practices.

The coaching approach to leadership is fundamentally about:

• listening and ensuring that people feel listened to;
• asking instead of telling;
• treating people with respect;
• giving staff as much control as possible over their work objectives and how to achieve them.

Through this coaching way of managing,  not only is it easier for leaders to tap into the individual knowledge, skills, and talents of their various team members, but the teams themselves become more motivated and highly energised to succeed.

The way forward

By integrating these practical strategies into your change management processes, guided by Kotter’s 8-Step Process, organisations can achieve successful change management and ensure that organisational change initiatives are implemented systematically and sensitively, taking into account both the strategic objectives of the organisation and the personal impact on its employees. The emphasis while managing change must be on the importance of considering the human aspect in all phases of the process, ensuring that people are respected, listened to, and included as much as possible in all decisions.

Sir Richard Branson, a master of coaching leadership and change management, attributes the meteoric early success of his Virgin Group to this approach:

Next Steps

Are you interested in managing change by transforming the leaders in your organisation? As change management consultants we have helped organisations of all sizes across the world, including public sector in the UK.

Contact us today for a free consultation to learn how our expert change management, coaching and leadership strategies can help your leaders and teams bring about successful and lasting change.