Change Management and Organisational Transformation
This domain examines how to lead planned change and transformation so that strategy is implemented and benefits are realised. Questions test change models, resistance, culture, and the difference between restructuring and transformation.
Core rules
- Lewin's model: unfreeze, change, refreeze. Kotter's eight steps include urgency, coalition, vision, communication, empowerment, short-term wins, consolidation, and anchoring.
- ADKAR focuses on individual change: awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement.
- Transformation changes the business model, capabilities, and culture; restructuring changes structure or headcount. Confusing them produces cynical staff and failed benefits.
- Resistance is information: diagnose whether it is technical (skills, systems) or political (loss of status, power).
- Middle managers and informal leaders determine whether change sticks.
- Benefits must be measured after go-live, not assumed at approval.
Worked example
An ERP rollout is behind schedule and management sends a memo. Better: build a coalition of finance, operations, and IT leads; map affected processes; run pilot training; define go-live KPIs; create a quick win by fixing one painful report; reinforce with updated job aids. The memo alone fails because awareness is not ability.
Traps
- Announcing change without a coalition.
- Skipping quick wins and reinforcement.
- Treating training as the whole change programme.
- Declaring success before benefits are measured.
- Mistaking restructuring for transformation.