Free tool
Where is each person?
A change has a date. People do not.
The change happened on Monday. The people are still on their way. Most people move through three stages: letting go, the in-between, and a new start. Use this to listen for where each person is, then respond to that, not to where the calendar says they should be.
After go-live, when it isn't sticking
Where is each person?
A change has a date. People do not.
- What is ending, what stays, and what is new? Say it in that order. People hear little of the new while they are still guarding the old.
- Who is still letting go? Listen for: talk about the old way, side workarounds. Help: name the loss, thank the old way.
- Who is in the in-between? Listen for: stopped the old way, unsure of the new one. Help: quick answers, short check-ins, patience with the dip.
- Who has a new start? Listen for: uses the new way without thinking. Help: let them show others.
- Who slid back? That's normal. Meet them where they are now.
AdoptionLab.AI
The people side of quality improvement
adoptionlab.ai/stages
How to use it
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Mark the ending
Thank the people who built the old way, by name. Ask each person to name one thing they will miss.
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Say it more than once
People under stress miss a lot the first time. Repeat what ends, what stays, and what is new.
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Use it to understand, not to label
The stages overlap, and people move back and forth. They are a rough guide, not a schedule.
Why it matters
Most plans track the change. Few track the adjusting. When a change does not stick, the adjusting is usually where it stalled, and what people lose is often not on the project plan: a routine, feeling good at their job, their standing as the person who knew how things worked.
Go deeper, free
How People Move Through a Change is a free, self-paced course, roughly 35 minutes, no sign-in. Learn the three stages people move through, name what is ending and what stays before you sell what is new, and respond to where each person is.
Start the free courseMore free tools
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Running a quality improvement project?
We help QI teams with the people side of change. See how it works, or set up a 30-minute call.