Using ADKAR to manage change - Part 5 of 7

Developing ability to change

Too often project teams and managers assume that training or new knowledge translates directly to ability. The gap between knowledge and ability can be far greater and take much more time than business leaders would like. Managers become frustrated. The ADKAR model is a useful tool for crossing the bridge between knowledge and ability, and turning your training programs into business results.

Background for the series

The first tutorial (Part 1) introduced the ADKAR model as illustrated in Figure 1. Part 2 presented an approach for creating awareness of the need for change. Awareness is the first element in the ADKAR model. Part 3 presented methods that managers can use to build desire and motivate employees to support a change. Part 4, discussed the role of knowledge in the change process. This tutorial presents how to develop ability to change and how to counter common obstacles to ability.

Figure 1 - ADKAR Model mapped to enablers and management activities

Ability

Ability is the fourth component of the ADKAR model. Ability represents the degree to which a person can perform the required skills and act on the knowledge about how to change.  When we ask employees to develop the ability to change, we are asking them to act differently or work in a new way. When we ask employees to act or work differently, we are really asking them to:

1. Develop new or different physical capabilities (motor skills).

2. Approach work differently and apply new work methods (analytical or cognitive ability).

3. Interact differently with coworkers, customers and suppliers (changes in behavior)

Ability is a common barrier point to change, but for reasons that may surprise you. Employees may not be able to develop the ability to change because of a combination of factors that, if taken one at a time, can be addressed to result in a successful change.

Physical motor skill ability

Changes that require translating knowledge into physical motor skills include examples such as:

• Handling of products
• Running manufacturing equipment
• Operating machinery or motorized equipment
• Keyboarding and handwriting skills

Cognitive or analytical ability

Changes that require translating knowledge into analytical or cognitive skills include examples such as:

• Problem-solving
• Implementing new business policies and procedures
• Public speaking
• Applied science and engineering
• Business management
• Sales and marketing

Behavior

Changes that require translating knowledge into new behavior include examples such as:

• Interpersonal relationships
• Team dynamics
• Stopping bad habits

Understanding each of these change areas can help you understand how your business changes impact employees and their ability to change. These abilities can also be mapped to common business changes, including:

• Process change
• Technology or system change
• Organization change
• Job role change
• Acquisitions and mergers

By connecting these common business changes to the new abilities required of employees, you can begin to assess the ease or difficulty of implementing change in different situations. You can also anticipate specific barriers to developing ability to change based on different business scenarios. For example, a business change that requires employees to develop physical, analytical and behavioral abilities will be much more difficult to implement than a business change that only impacts one of these areas.

Three steps for developing ability to change

Step 1 - Developing ability takes time, practice and coaching. If you are seeing improvement, then you are on the right track. Your focus should be on effective coaching and mentoring techniques to develop the right skills and abilities. Your role will be to ensure that coaches, supervisors, team leaders and early adopters of change are prepared to assist employees through the "learning curve" of developing ability. That means that each of these key players will need to:

• Help employees apply what they have learned to real work situations.
• Ensure that employees have the time and opportunities to develop new skills.
• Provide solutions when the "real work" does not match what they learned in training.
• Be a role model for how to act in the new environment.
• Be able to identify when "more time" is not the answer and external intervention is required.

It is important to note that the rate at which an employee develops ability is not a solid predictor of their ultimate performance. In some cases, employees who take longer to develop ability achieve a higher level of performance over time than other employees who may learn faster. As shown in Figure 1, Employee A developed ability at a fast rate, but Employee B ultimately performed at a higher level.

Figure 1 - Rate of learning vs. ultimate performance level

Step 2 - Diagnosing the root cause or obstacle. If you have decided that external intervention is required, then the first step is to ensure that you intervene in the right problem area. Developing ability is often a multi-prong effort by employees. You may be dealing with a single change from a business perspective, but employees are dealing with multiple facets of that change.

For example, a change in a manufacturing organization could require changes in work processes and techniques (analytical and cognitive skills), change in physical capabilities (handing new equipment or operating new machinery) and changes in behavior (who they work with and how they work with different employees). If you are careless in your intervention, you may attempt to address an analytical problem when the root cause may be a physical issue, or vice versa. As a manager or agent of change, you can use this simple breakdown of ability shown in the table below to better understand the common barriers or obstacles to ability.

The better you understand the potential barriers to developing ability for your change, the more likely you will be able to identify the true root cause. You more than likely will be faced with one of two scenarios.

Two scenarios

Scenario 1 - Change the person or alter the change. In some cases, you may decide that the root cause is something that you are unable or unwilling to address. For example, if an employee's underlying value system prevents him or her from making a behavior change, then this change may not be right for that person. You will either need to alter the expected behavior to match this person's value system, or remove the person from the situation. Likewise, if a change requires a physical skill that exceeds the person's capabilities, this change may not be appropriate for that person. You will need to remove the person from that situation or alter the requirements of the change such that it meets the physical capability of that employee.

Scenario 2 - Remove the barriers to ability. In many cases, a manager or co-worker can assist in removing barriers to ability. Oftentimes, external intervention can be useful to remove those obstacles that prevent someone from developing the needed abilities to support the change. Usually this intervention is planned and intentional, but sometimes it can happen accidentally as illustrated in this case study.

Case study - a step into uncharted waters

Jennifer was a new customer service representative in a call center. Her primary role was to take customer calls and process orders for products. The call center manager decided to implement a change for all agents that would increase the total revenue for the center. Each agent was to begin cross-selling products based on the customers' past history and what they were buying.

The change was announced and a training course was conducted for all agents. Jennifer loved her job and looked forward to this new challenge. She was aware of the business reasons for this change and wanted to support this new initiative. She was also excited about the additional commissions she would earn from cross-selling. She attended training with the other agents and developed a good working knowledge of the new process for cross-selling to customers.

A month passed and Jennifer had not been successful at cross-selling any products. Her supervisor noticed that she was not making progress and he began more careful observations. After monitoring several calls, he noticed that Jennifer was not even attempting to cross-sell. She simply took the order from the customer and hung up. When the supervisor ask Jennifer about this, her reply was that she was not sure what to say to the customer. After careful thought, the supervisor prepared scripts that Jennifer could use during the calls. He was sure this would solve the problem. Weeks went by and Jennifer was still not cross-selling. When asked why again, Jennifer responded that she was not sure what scripts to use in different situations, and she was afraid of saying the wrong thing. This prompted the supervisor to enroll a co-worker to conduct role-plays with Jennifer until she was more comfortable matching the scripts to different call situations. Again, weeks went by and Jennifer showed little progress. The supervisor was wondering if Jennifer was the right person for this new role.

Not long afterward, a new program was implemented where every customer would be called to confirm that their order had arrived in good condition. In these follow-up calls, if appropriate, the agents would learn more about the customer and attempt to cross-sell other products and services. All the agents were to be included in this process except Jennifer. She was told that she would not be needed for this additional role because the other agents were better able to interact with and cross-sell to customers.

Jennifer was dramatically affected by this turn of events and personally hurt. She was being left out. She was told that she could not do something that was part of her job. Something clicked.

The next day she ask another agent what was the single most effective cross-selling line. On her very first call she tried it out. To her surprise, the customer said yes. She had taken the first step into uncharted waters and it worked. She tried it again on the next call, and then the next. Within a matter of weeks, Jennifer became the highest performing agent in terms of cross-sold products for the center. Her barrier to ability was a mental block based on her upbringing and past history of dealing with people. Once that mental block was removed, her ability developed quickly and she was successful at the change.

Step 3 - Planning and implementing the intervention. Some changes require outside intervention to assist in developing the ability to change. Even in cases where the desire to change is evident and the knowledge of how to change is present, mental or physical barriers may be strong enough to prevent an individual from changing without external intervention. This intervention may be in the form of oversight and individual counseling, or may be in the form of physical intervention, including isolating a person from the source of the problem or with medication (example would be drugs to assist with nicotine addiction).

You should plan these types of interventions carefully to address the root cause of the problem. Then implement the intervention and assess the results. If you first do not succeed, continue to assess if the root cause was identified properly. In the case study with Jennifer, the supervisor attempted to intervene, but his assessment of the root cause of the problem was incorrect. He assumed that Jennifer needed support with the analytical part of cross-selling (knowing what to say when). In fact, her obstacle was much more deeply rooted in a psychological barrier. It took a different type of intervention (the shock of not allowing her to participate in a new work activity) to remove this mental block.

In some cases, the supervisor may not be the best person to intervene or provide assistance. Sometimes a respected co-worker or a higher senior manager may be the best match.

Summary

For many types of changes, you can anticipate the abilities that will be required by employees. For example, introduction of a new software program may only require analytical or cognitive skills. Implementing a reengineered business process, on the other hand, can fundamentally change job roles and duties. Reengineered business processes often require new abilities in all three areas (physical, analytical and behavioral).

Using the ADKAR model and the analysis presented in this tutorial, you can evaluate potential barriers to ability and plan effectively for the unique challenges of your business change. When helping employees with barriers to developing ability, you can use the breakdown of physical, analytical and cognitive, and behavioral abilities to correctly identify the root cause of the problem and remove those obstacles to change. Remember that ADKAR only defines the desired goal or outcome, in this case ability. Your change management activities will be the key to achieving this goal.

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