Comic with cavemen declining the wheel with dialog "No thanks! We are too busy." Think about a time when you had the perfect tool that was going to fix problems, save time, save money, etc. on a previous project but your stakeholders refused to use it. Why did some stakeholders resist the change?

What Is Organizational Change Management (OCM)?

"Organizational Change Management (OCM) is the application of a structured process and set of tools to manage the people side of change from a current state to a new future state such that the desired results of the change (and expected return on investment) are achieved." - Prosci

OCM helps us recognize that even the best ideas will struggle without buy-in, support, and communication. It focuses on the people side of change — understanding what individuals and groups need in order to adopt something new.

A Starting Point: The Lippitt-Knoster Model

The Lippitt-Knoster Model helps explain what’s required for change to succeed, and more importantly, what happens when something is missing — like leadership, vision, or skills. You’ll see how missing components can lead to resistance, confusion, or even chaos. Watch this 7-minute video as Reesa walks you through the model in action.

Communicating Change Effectively

Once you understand the components of change, you need a solid communication strategy. This can make or break your effort.

Good communication answers the questions:

What is changing?
Why is it changing?
How does it connect to our goals or mission?
What should people do differently, and when?

Linking the change to your organization’s mission or vision can help people feel like they’re contributing to something meaningful — not just following orders.

For a practical model of how to guide people through change, we turn to Prosci’s ADKAR Model — which focuses on Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement.

Watch this 5-minute video to hear Reesa explain how ADKAR can guide your communication strategy.

💡 Think About It

Reflect on a change you’ve experienced at work.

Did the change succeed? Why or why not?

Were all the components of the Lippitt-Knoster Model in place?

How could better communication or leadership have helped?

If you're hungry for more OCM resources, check out the recorded OCM Strategies for Your Project Workshop at epmo.sdcoe.net.

What Is Organizational Change Management (OCM)?

A Starting Point: The Lippitt-Knoster Model

Communicating Change Effectively

💡 Think About It