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Can a Human-centred Methodology be an Excellent BACKBONE in Change Management?

Curious People
How Design Thinking can serve as an excellent backbone methodology in Change Management that complements and enhances established frameworks like ADKAR and Kotter Models.


Design thinking is a human-centred, iterative problem-solving methodology that emphasizes empathy, creativity, and collaboration. When applied to change management frameworks like ADKAR (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) or Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model, Design Thinking can serve as a powerful backbone methodology to enhance their effectiveness. Below is a detailed explanation of how design thinking complements and enhances these models.

 


“No one changes without need. Self-realisation sparks change, but understanding their needs can inspire it."

 


Human-centred Methodology: an Excellent BACKBONE in Change Management
Human-centred Methodology: an Excellent BACKBONE in Change Management

Empathy as a Foundation for Change Readiness

In change management, both ADKAR (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) and Kotter’s models assume that individuals or groups will respond predictably to structured steps. However, they do not inherently address the deep emotional or psychological barriers that may exist at the outset of a change initiative.

 

  • Design Thinking begins with empathy—understanding the needs, concerns, and motivations of stakeholders through interviews, observations, and journey mapping. This step ensures that any proposed changes are grounded in real human experiences rather than assumptions.

 

By employing Design Thinking before applying ADKAR or Kotter’s model, organizations can uncover hidden resistance points or unarticulated needs that might otherwise derail the change process.

 



Enhancing Empathy and Stakeholder Engagement

Both ADKAR and Kotter’s models emphasize the importance of understanding stakeholders’ needs and motivations. However, Design Thinking takes this further by embedding empathy at the core of its process.

 

  • ADKAR Alignment: The “Desire” phase in ADKAR focuses on creating buy-in for change by addressing individual motivations. Design Thinking tools like empathy mapping or user interviews can help uncover deeper insights into what drives stakeholders’ resistance or support for change.


  • Kotter Alignment: In Kotter’s model, steps like “Create a Sense of Urgency” and “Build a Guiding Coalition” require leaders to connect with people emotionally. Design Thinking provides structured methods to understand what stakeholders are feeling, seeing, hearing, and experiencing during the change process.

 

By integrating Design Thinking’s emphasis on empathy into these frameworks, change managers can better anticipate resistance points and craft more personalized strategies for engagement.

 

 

“The First Step to Problem Solving is Recognising There is one."



Shifting from Problem Solving to Problem Finding

Traditional change management models often focus on solving predefined problems. Design Thinking introduces the concept of “problem finding,” which involves exploring underlying issues before jumping into solutions. In many cases, organizations embark on change initiatives without fully understanding what needs to be changed or why.

 

  • ADKAR Alignment: While ADKAR is goal-oriented (e.g., achieving awareness or ability), it doesn’t explicitly address whether the identified problem is the right one to solve. Design Thinking encourages teams to ask exploratory questions during the early stages of change initiatives: Are we addressing the root cause? What are the broader implications? Ensuring individuals understand why change is necessary requires clear communication rooted in stakeholder insights gathered during the empathize phase of Design Thinking.


  • Kotter Alignment: In Kotter’s step “Develop a Vision and Strategy,” having clarity about the true nature of challenges ensures that strategies align with actual needs rather than surface-level symptoms. Design Thinking techniques like root cause analysis can help refine this vision.

 

This mindset shift broadens perspectives and ensures that both ADKAR’s structured approach and Kotter’s strategic visioning are grounded in a comprehensive understanding of the problem space.



Generating Buy-In Through Co-Creation

Both ADKAR and Kotter emphasize building support for change (e.g., “Desire” in ADKAR; “Build a guiding coalition” in Kotter). However, these models often rely on top-down leadership directives to drive engagement.

 

Design Thinking fosters collaboration by involving diverse stakeholders early in the process through ideation workshops and prototyping sessions. This participatory approach not only generates innovative ideas but also builds trust and ownership among employees—key factors for overcoming resistance to change. As they generate ideas for potential solution, they see themselves as part of the solution rather than



Encouraging Divergence Before Convergence

Change management models often prioritize clarity and alignment early in the process. While this is essential for execution, it can sometimes limit creative exploration of alternative solutions. Design Thinking embraces ambiguity through divergent thinking before converging on actionable steps.

 

  • ADKAR Alignment: During phases like “Knowledge” (educating stakeholders about how to implement changes) or “Ability” (building skills), Design Thinking encourages brainstorming multiple ways to achieve these goals rather than defaulting to traditional training methods.


  • Kotter Alignment: In steps such as “Generate Short-Term Wins” or “Empower Broad-Based Action,” Design Thinking’s prototyping and early testing for refinement enables the achievement  of quick wins; while Design Thinking’s principles of diverse teams collaboration to co-ideate and implement solutions foster innovative approaches by encouraging teams to explore unconventional ideas for empowerment strategies.

 

By incorporating divergence into these stages, organizations can unlock creative solutions that might otherwise be overlooked in more linear processes.



Building Iterative Feedback Loops

Both ADKAR and Kotter emphasize monitoring progress but don’t inherently include iterative cycles for refining strategies based on feedback. Design Thinking thrives on iteration—prototyping and testing ideas quickly, gathering feedback from stakeholders, and making adjustments accordingly.

 

  • ADKAR Alignment: The “Reinforcement” phase aims to sustain change over time but doesn’t prescribe specific mechanisms for continuous improvement. A Design Thinking approach could involve prototyping reinforcement strategies (e.g., recognition programs) with small groups before scaling them organization-wide.


  • Kotter Alignment: Steps like “Anchor New Approaches in Culture” benefit from prototyping and iterative testing because cultural shifts require ongoing adaptation based on employee responses. For example, piloting new behaviours within smaller teams allows leaders to refine their approach before rolling out changes broadly.

 

This iterative mindset ensures that both frameworks remain flexible enough to adapt as new challenges emerge during implementation.




Fostering Collaboration Across Silos

Change management efforts often struggle with siloed communication between departments or stakeholder groups. Design Thinking emphasizes cross-functional (and multi-disciplinary) collaboration throughout its process.

 

  • ADKAR Alignment: During phases like “Awareness” or “Desire,” involving diverse perspectives ensures messaging resonates across different organizational levels.


  • Kotter Alignment: Steps such as “Form a Powerful Guiding Coalition” directly benefit from design-thinking workshops where representatives from various functions co-create solutions together.

 

By fostering collaboration through tools like persona mapping, co-creation sessions or journey mapping exercises, design thinking helps break down silos that might otherwise hinder progress under traditional models.

 

 


 Human-Centred Approach Drives Adoption

 

At its core, Design Thinking aligns seamlessly with one of the primary goals of both ADKAR and Kotter: ensuring successful adoption of change initiatives by focusing on people first.

 

Both frameworks aim to drive adoption through structured processes (e.g., building awareness in ADKAR; creating urgency in Kotter). However, it is true that they assume individuals or groups will respond predictably to structured steps and do not always provide detailed guidance on how to make changes feel meaningful at an individual level.

 

Design-thinking techniques such as needs mapping, value-exchange mapping, stakeholder mapping, storytelling or persona development help create narratives around why changes matter—not just at an organizational level but also personally for each stakeholder group affected by them.

 

This human-centred approach ensures that any proposed changes are grounded in real human experiences rather than assumptions; hence, it enhances emotional buy-in while reducing resistance across all stages of either framework.




In Summary

Design Thinking serves as an excellent backbone for enhancing both ADKAR and Kotter’s change management frameworks by introducing deeper empathy-driven insights, fostering creativity through divergent exploration, enabling iterative refinement based on feedback loops, breaking down silos via collaboration tools, and maintaining a human-centred focus throughout implementation efforts. By integrating these principles into structured models like ADKAR or Kotter’s 8-Step Process, organizations can tackle complex challenges more effectively while ensuring sustainable outcomes that resonate with all stakeholders involved.




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