12 Change Management Principles and Best Practices

Prosci research reveals that projects with effective change management met or exceeded objectives 93% of the time, compared to just 15% for projects with poor change management. 

Change management isn’t just a component of success—it’s the driving force behind it. Our research proves that organizations with effective change management are seven times more likely to achieve their goals.

In this article, we'll explore five foundational principles of change management, distilled from over 25 years of Prosci research, and the best practices that enable organizations to implement change effectively.

What Are Change Management Principles?

Change management principles are the foundation for achieving meaningful transformation. These guidelines provide a clear roadmap to empower individuals and teams, turning transitions into opportunities for growth.

These principles provide clear direction and help practitioners communicate with impacted groups effectively.

Prosci has developed five tenets or principles for change based on insights and extensive research led by actual change experts.

By embracing these principles, organizations can transform change from a challenge into an opportunity. This approach improves the efficiency of change implementation, increases the success rate of transformation efforts, enhances engagement and morale, reduces resistance, and strengthens alignment with overall business goals.

The 5 Core Principles of Change Management 

To drive successful change, Prosci has developed five core tenets of change management based on decades of change management research.

Watch this video to see how the 5 Tenets of Change Management enable success:

1. We change for a reason

The foundational principle for change management is that there is a reason for change. This reason reflects the desired future state that organizations want to achieve and is the anchor point for starting a discussion about change.

The reason for the change must be specific. Change isn’t a whim—it’s a strategic choice. Whether solving problems, seizing opportunities, or driving performance, every change starts with a bold vision and a clear objective.

Common reasons for change include revenue growth, better product or service quality, enhanced customer satisfaction, and reduced risk exposure.

A clear vision and well-defined objectives provide people with a strong sense of direction and purpose, encouraging their active participation in the change process.

2. Organizational change requires individual change

Change only happens when the individuals within an organization start displaying new ways of working. The organization can only evolve when enough individual employees start showing new behaviors, using the updated tools, or complying with the latest policies.

The core of any change, even large-scale transformations, is individual transitions to new skills and roles.

3. Organizational outcomes are the collective result of individual change

Change happens when individual transformations combine to create a unified impact. Every employee's adoption of new behaviors contributes to the broader organizational outcomes, making the collective effort far greater than the sum of its parts.

Practitioners monitor the progress of individual transitions using three critical, people-dependent metrics:

• Ultimate utilization – How many employees are using the change versus those opting for workarounds.
• Speed of adoption – How quickly individuals embrace and begin implementing the change.
• Proficiency – How well employees perform with the change compared to expectations.

These metrics highlight how well individual efforts are driving organizational success. Leaders and change teams must support and align these efforts to ensure the change delivers its intended results. Through consistent engagement, guidance and support, they help individuals connect their contributions to the organization's larger goals.

When individual actions are supported and measured collectively, they become a driving force for achieving meaningful outcomes. This shared momentum transforms change from a series of individual shifts into a powerful, unified movement.

4. Change management is an enabling framework for managing the people side of change

Change management is more than a tool to prevent resistance or negative change outcomes. 

When practitioners apply the right change management methodology, they can leverage the organization's existing mechanisms to motivate and develop employees. The right approach also drives action through coaching, effective communication, and training.

Those impacted at all levels of the organization, including leaders, executives, managers and front-line employees, play a role in successful change management. When everyone fulfills their roles adequately, it fuels individual and organizational transformation.

5. We apply change management to realize the benefits and desired outcomes of change

The final principle distinguishes change management from project management. Project management focuses on designing and implementing the technical solution. Change management is about managing the people side of change so that the technical solution achieves the desired outcomes.

Prosci research demonstrates that effective change management increases the likelihood of exceeding objectives sevenfold.

Correlation of Change Management Effectiveness With Meeting Objectives

7 Change Management Best Practices

There is a big difference between understanding the key principles of change management and applying them in the change management process. To help bridge this gap, Prosci experts have identified seven best practies for organizational change management.

Practitioners can effectively manage change and achieve positive outcomes by combining principles and actionable tips. Let's take a closer look at these best practices:

1. Mobilize active and visible sponsorship

Sponsors are the architects of change—leaders who champion the vision, build momentum, and ensure the transformation achieves its goals. The main or primary sponsor is supported by other managers and supervisors throughout the organization.

Prosci research shows a direct correlation between sponsor effectiveness and meeting project objectives, with 79% of participants with extremely effective sponsors meeting their goals compared to just 27% of those with extremely ineffective sponsors.

Correlation of Sponsor Effectiveness With Meeting Objectives

An active and visible sponsor is the top contributor to success. They enhance the change management process by:

• Giving consistent attention to the change to support it.
• Influencing other leaders and executives to form a coalition of sponsorship.
• Acting as a change champion that motivates others to embrace it.
• Making effective decisions about the change and aligning priorities of the other leaders in the organization.
• Directly communicating with the project management and change management teams throughout the transition.

An effective leader drives momentum by visibly championing the change.

2. Apply a structured change approach

Change management principles focus on helping individuals make transitions. Practitioners and organizations need a structured approach to guide these personal journeys. A clear framework provides simple, repeatable processes for applying change management effectively.

Our research shows that 59% of practitioners who used a specific methodology, like the Prosci Methodology, reported achieving good or excellent levels of change management effectiveness.

Impact of Use of a Methodology on Overall Change Management Effectiveness

Participants in our study used methodologies differently, with 69% using a framework for general guidance, tracking progress, a checklist of activities or a combination of these.

To achieve the desired change outcomes, your change framework must be customized to meet your organization’s unique needs. Practitioners can benefit from additional training and resources, such as the Prosci Change Management Certification Program, which offers valuable insights and guidance throughout the change implementation process. These extra training opportunities can help practitioners tailor their change management programs effectively.

3. Engage with front-line employees

Only 23% of global employees report being engaged at work. While building and maintaining employee engagement is challenging, it becomes even more critical during change, with our research showing that employee engagement is a major contributor to success.

Contributors to Success Over Time

Change management is essential for keeping employees engaged and motivated throughout the initiative. That engagement starts with connection. Highlighting personal benefits, involving employees in decisions, and providing tailored training transforms them from participants into passionate advocates for change.

Rather than applying these tactics independently, change professionals can use the Prosci ADKAR® Model. 

This model specifically aims to guide change at the individual level, providing a customizable approach to engage employees from the start of the change management process and throughout implementation.

Reinforcement is also a critical step in engaging front-line employees. It is the final element of our ADKAR Model, and it includes activities, like rewards, recognition and celebrations to ensure that the change is sustained and successfully reaches its goals.

Prosci research reveals that 81% of organizations that planned for reinforcement and sustainment met their objectives, highlighting how critical preparing for this step is.

Impact of Planning for Reinforcement and Sustainment on Meeting Objectives

To build a change-ready culture, many organizations focus on developing change capabilities in their teams. Building these lasting skills enables people at all levels of an organization to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

4. Communicate frequently and openly

Clear and transparent communication is the glue that holds change efforts together. Frequent updates inspire trust, spark urgency, and keep teams motivated and aligned.

Practitioners must tailor their communications strategy to address different impacted groups. It should clearly outline the reasons for the change, and its benefits and impact on individuals.

According to our research, practitioners said these communication factors were important for success:

• Cadence
• Transparency
• Consistency
• Multiple communication channels
• Preferred senders of messages

The last factor, "preferred senders of messages," is a great example of targeted and personalized communication tactics used to deliver key messages. Our research indicates that 58% of employees prefer to receive communications about the personal impacts of change directly from their supervisors.

Preferred Senders of Messages

Change professionals can use this data to create a communications plan that caters to employee preferences, making them more open to understanding and participating in the change.

5. Engage and integrate with project management

Project management and change management are essential components of a successful change initiative. By integrating these two disciplines, practitioners can achieve a Unified Value Proposition to enhance the likelihood of success.

When change management and project management teams collaborate, they drive change success by:

• Establishing a shared objective to align efforts.
• Taking a proactive approach to mitigate risks, prevent resistance, and foster adoption.
• Ensuring alignment of change plans and timelines with project plans and schedules.
• Enhancing the flow of information between teams and impacted individuals.

In our research, 47% of participants who integrated project management and change management met or exceeded project objectives, while only 30% of those who did not integrate the disciplines achieved positive outcomes.

Percent of Respondents Who Met or Exceeded Project Objectives

6. Dedicate change management resources

Every transformation requires dedicated funding and resources for change management efforts. This ensures the change management team has the funding and expertise needed for success.

Prosci research shows that participants with dedicated resources were significantly more likely to achieve good or excellent change management effectiveness than those without dedicated resources.

Relationship Between Sufficient Resources and Change Management Effectiveness

7. Engage with and support people managers

People managers are mid-level managers or direct supervisors. They’re closest to the front-line employees and directly impact their attitudes toward change. 

Their relationship and proximity to the employees impacted by the change make them vital for any successful transformation. People managers have five unique and vital roles during change, but they are also the most resistant to change.

Most Resistant Groups

Change practitioners can prevent this resistance and help managers fulfill their CLARC roles by:

• Focusing on awareness building, including why it is essential and how it will impact managers.
• Effectively communicating about the change and the managers' role in it.
• Holding one-on-one meetings, alignment sessions and team meetings.
• Providing tools and support to help managers understand and navigate change.
• Engaging and involving people managers from the start and throughout the project lifecycle.

Prosci Delivers a Change Management Methodology, Principles and Tools for Success

Change is inevitable, but success requires the right approach. By combining these proven principles with actionable best practices, you gain the clarity and tools to create effective change management strategies. Tailoring those strategies to your organization’s unique needs improves your ability to achieve strong results from change today and in the future.

With Prosci research, resources, and expertise, practitioners are equipped to turn change into an opportunity for growth and lasting impact.