Why change fails, and the ADKAR model
Step 1 / 4·The right solution can still fail
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Learning objectives — after this module you will:
- Explain why most change initiatives fail
- Learn the five stages of the ADKAR model
- Diagnose which stage is actually blocked
The right solution can still fail
Understand where change actually breaks down.
Most change initiatives — new software, new process, new structure — don't fail because the solution was wrong. They fail because PEOPLE don't switch to the new way. The system gets installed, but staff keep using the old spreadsheet. The process gets published, but everyone works the old way.
That's why change management exists as its own discipline: PROJECT management handles the technical side (on time, on budget, in scope), while CHANGE management handles the human side (are they actually working the new way).
A sign you're neglecting the people side
If your project plan has 40 lines of technical work and exactly one line saying 'user training' — that's the classic symptom. Training addresses only one of ADKAR's five stages; nobody owns the other four.
Key takeaway: Change fails on the people side, not the solution — project management and change management are different jobs.