La gestion du changement en entreprise est traitée comme un sujet secondaire, relégué à une note de communication interne ou à une formation dispensée une fois le déploiement achevé. Les organisations qui structurent la conduite du changement en amont obtiennent des résultats différents, notamment des délais tenus et des équipes qui s'approprient réellement les nouvelles pratiques. Cet article présente 7 étapes issues des modèles de référence en management du changement, dont les travaux de John P. Kotter (Harvard Business School) et le modèle ADKAR de Prosci.
What organizational change management really means
Organizational change management encompasses the approaches used to prepare for and embed organizational transformation. It differs from traditional project management in its focus. While project management centers on technical deliverables, change management focuses on people’s buy-in and their ability to sustain new ways of working. The two disciplines complement each other and are often applied in parallel.
Three models shape the field today. Kurt Lewin’s model (1947) breaks change down into three successive phases: unfreezing the organization’s current state, transitioning to a new state, and refreezing new practices. Kotter’s model, published in Leading Change (Harvard Business School Press, 1996), outlines eight sequential steps and emphasizes the need to establish a sense of urgency before defining the vision. The ADKAR model, developed by Jeff Hiatt at Prosci, addresses change at the individual level. The acronym represents five conditions: Awareness of the need for change, Desire to change, Knowledge of new practices, Ability to apply them, and Reinforcement to sustain them.
These three approaches operate at different levels of analysis and complement one another in practice. Change management rests on two pillars found in each model: supporting people and structuring processes. A well-planned transformation that fails to build buy-in remains a plan on paper.
Why most transformation initiatives fall short
McKinsey & Company has repeatedly documented (Keller and Aiken, 2008) that nearly 70% of transformation initiatives fail to achieve their original objectives. The most common causes involve people. They recur across organizations with a consistency that should concern any leader embarking on a transformation initiative.
The urgency of change has not been explained. Employees see the transformation as imposed on them, without understanding why it needs to happen now or what it means for them in practical terms.
Middle managers lack the tools they need. Caught between leadership’s directives and their teams’ questions, they face pressure from both sides without the resources to manage it.
The transformation stops at rollout. Once the tool or new process is in place, attention shifts to the next project. Six months later, old habits have taken over again.
Resistance is treated as an individual problem, even though it often signals a lack of information or a skill that needs to be developed.
Prosci’s research, conducted across several thousand organizations worldwide since 1998, consistently confirms that projects with structured change management are more likely to meet their performance objectives and deadlines than those without it. This correlation holds across decades of benchmarking.
The 7 steps to successful change management
The sequence presented here draws on Kotter’s work, adapted into 7 steps to address the operational constraints of midsize organizations while preserving the rigor of the original framework.
Establish a sense of urgency and assess the current state
Aucun changement ne démarre sans une raison claire. Cette première étape consiste à formuler, données à l'appui, pourquoi le statu quo n'est plus viable. Pas de façon alarmiste, mais avec suffisamment de précision pour que chacun·e comprenne les conséquences d'une inaction prolongée.
Cela suppose un diagnostic préalable. Il s'agit de cartographier les processus impactés, d'identifier les parties prenantes et d'évaluer leur niveau d'adhésion probable. Les outils classiques de gestion de projet, dont l'analyse des parties prenantes et la matrice d'impact, sont utiles à ce stade. Une transformation dont l'urgence n'a pas été posée clairement échoue souvent dès les premières semaines, non par manque de moyens, mais par manque de sens partagé.
Former la coalition qui portera le changement
No change begins without a clear reason. This first step involves explaining, with supporting data, why the status quo is no longer viable. The message should avoid alarmism while being specific enough for everyone to understand the consequences of continued inaction.
This requires an initial assessment: mapping the affected processes, identifying stakeholders, and gauging their likely level of buy-in. Traditional project management tools, including stakeholder analysis and an impact matrix, are useful at this stage. A transformation without a clearly established sense of urgency often fails within the first few weeks not because of a lack of resources, but because people lack a shared understanding of its purpose.
Cette coalition porte la vision vers les équipes et remonte les signaux faibles vers la direction. Sans elle, la transformation reste un projet que l'organisation observe de loin, au mieux avec neutralité.
Articulate a vision everyone understands
A transformation vision is not a project objective. It is a concrete description of what the organization will look like once the change takes hold, including what people will do differently and what will be simpler or run more smoothly than it does today.
Kotter argues that a manager should be able to explain the vision in under five minutes and receive a response that shows understanding. If that is not possible, the vision is too abstract for people to rally around. This vision must be communicated repeatedly, tailored to each business function, and put into practice by leadership well before rollout.
Reduce resistance to change
Resistance to change is not an individual failing. It is a normal response to a disruption in organizational stability. Treating it as a disciplinary issue is one of the costliest mistakes in organizational change management.
Prosci’s ADKAR model provides a useful framework for diagnosing the source of resistance. Does it stem from limited awareness of the need for change (Awareness), a lack of willingness to change (Desire), a knowledge gap (Knowledge), difficulty putting new practices into action (Ability), or insufficient support to sustain the change (Reinforcement)? Identifying the weak link directly informs the next steps. Training people who have yet to buy into the change has little impact. Involving them in designing part of the solution has more.
Achieve quick, visible wins
Long-term transformations can wear organizations down. This step involves identifying, during the planning phase, tangible results that can be achieved within the first 3 to 6 months. These quick wins serve two purposes: they demonstrate that the change is delivering concrete results, and they give coalition members evidence to address skepticism.
A department that adopts the new process ahead of others or an operational metric that shows measurable improvement can help sustain engagement until longer-term results emerge.
Embed change in the organization’s culture
This is the step most companies skip. Once rollout is complete, leadership’s attention shifts to the next project. The new practices have not yet become second nature. Without active reinforcement, old habits return.
Embedding change in the culture means adapting managers’ performance evaluation criteria, adjusting HR practices, connecting new ways of working to the organization’s values, and making successes visible. It is the least glamorous part of organizational change management, yet it determines whether the transformation lasts or falls apart as soon as the pressure eases.
Measure and adjust over time
The final step is the least linear. It involves defining, at the start of the project, the metrics that will show whether the change has been adopted, not just rolled out. Tracking actual use of new tools and gathering structured feedback from teams helps identify areas where adoption is still lagging.
A change management plan that leaves no room for iteration is rigid. Organizations that successfully navigate transformation are willing to adjust course along the way based on real data, using the lessons learned to inform their next transformation.
Build the skills to lead change management
Organizational change management requires preparation. The models are well documented and the tools are available, but applying them in a specific organizational context requires a nuanced understanding of human dynamics and the ability to act under pressure, with stakeholders whose interests sometimes conflict.
Specialized training helps develop these skills through real-world cases and opportunities to compare approaches with professionals from other industries. Theoretical concepts including Kotter’s model, ADKAR, and techniques for managing resistance become more meaningful when applied to situations participants recognize. Peer learning often sparks insights that reading alone cannot.
HEC Lausanne Executive Education offers a continuing education program in change management designed for managers and leaders guiding transformations within their organizations. The program combines methodological frameworks with practical exercises to build skills participants can apply immediately.
Organizational change management follows a logic that Kotter’s and Prosci’s models have thoroughly documented. Without a shared sense of urgency from the outset and measures of actual adoption, even the best-funded transformations stall. These 7 steps do not guarantee a smooth path. They provide a framework for exercising judgment.
