UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHANGE MANAGEMENT MATURITY

Change has always been hard. But now, change is becoming a constant.
Market disruptions, labor mobility, changing consumer preferences,
and technology advancements are pushing companies to evolve and
adapt faster than ever before. Defining change—identifying the new
strategy, business model, or process the organization needs to retain
market share—is difficult enough. Leading the organization through
change is even harder.

Organizations need change management to successfully transition

employees to new ways of working. Change management is the act of
proactively managing change and minimizing resistance through
structured processes, approaches, tactics, and engagement techniques.
As a discipline, change management dates back to the 1960s. Since
then, some companies have adopted rigorous and mature change
management approaches supported by well-established practices,
strong budgets, and dedicated change management roles.

APQC’s 2018 research shows that most companies have integrated at

least some change management tactics and methods. However, many Change is the norm;
are still missing out on opportunities to streamline, strengthen, and unless an organization
improve the effectiveness of their overall change management
approach. sees that its task is to lead
change, that organization
CHANGE MANAGEMENT ARCHETYPES will not survive.
These archetypes reflect different levels of change management
maturity from least mature (novice) to most mature (guru).
—Peter F. Drucker
1. Novice

2. Advanced Beginner

3. Expert

4. Master

5. Guru

Change management has individual, interpersonal, and organizational components. Therefore, these archetypes can be
used to describe the change management maturity of an organization, team, or single individual. Review each
archetype and determine which best reflects you, your team, or your company.

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COMPONENTS OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT MATURITY
To help organizations assess and improve their change management maturity, APQC identified the components of
change management maturity and developed five change management maturity archetypes.

STRUCTURE COMMUNICATIONS LEADERSHIP

The resources (i.e., budget and staff), The approaches and tools used to explain The roles and responsibilities involved
methodologies, and assessment the change to staff, collect and in guiding employees through change.
approaches that support the change incorporate feedback, set expectations,
management approach. and cultivate buy-in.

ENGAGEMENT REWARDS TRAINING

The emotional connection an employee
feels toward their organization as well
as the tactics and approach the
organization uses to cultivate and
assess this connection.
The formal and informal incentives that
encourage specific behaviors or
performance.
The organized activities an organization
uses to impart information, change
behaviors, improve performance, and
help employees attain knowledge or
skills.

The rest of this article will discuss each archetype and their characteristics using six key change management
components.

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 Reacts Rather Than
Plans

The novice does not plan for or think through the implications of change. When change is on the horizon, the novice
is reactive and scrambles to figure out who needs to know what and when. As a result, the novice’s communications
about the change are unclear or absent. The novice’s employees are confused or resentful about the change. They
feel like change is happening to them rather than with them. The novice is afraid of change, and it shows.

STRUCTURE
The novice does not have a budget, dedicated staff, or a methodology for change
management. They don’t perform gap assessments which allow them to understand how to
move from the current state to a desired future state. They don’t actively manage change,
nor do they measure its impact.

COMMUNICATION
The novice does not have a documented change management communication plan. They
use one-way or push platforms (e.g., email, townhalls) to tell people about the change.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
The novice does not ask for or incorporate employee feedback before, during, or after the
change. They don’t measure employee engagement or how employees are responding to
change.

TRAINING
The novice rarely provides training.

LEADERSHIP
The novice does not approach leadership for help in managing change. They don’t ask
anyone to serve as a sponsor, nor do they provide any training or support to management.

REWARDS AND RECOGNITION

The novice does not reward or recognize individuals for exhibiting positive behaviors.

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 Values Structured
Change

The advanced beginner knows what change management is and why it’s important. They are taking steps to integrate
change management into initiatives, especially those that are large in scope or potentially disruptive to day-to-day
operations. The advanced beginner strives for transparency and wants to proactively prepare employees and
leadership for the change. The advanced beginner sometimes falls short in documenting and measuring the
effectiveness of their change management plans.

STRUCTURE
The advanced beginner has a small change management budget for at least some initiatives.
They also have some change management roles in the business, although they may be
decentralized and/or part time. This provides a strong foundation to get started. However,
the advanced beginner has an ad hoc approach to methodology and measurement. They
rarely conduct gap assessments, and don’t always monitor the progress of change initiatives
so they can shift course if needed.

COMMUNICATION
The advanced beginner has a communication plan that incorporates an array of methods and
platforms. However, they only create communication plans for large initiatives. They may
also over-rely on one-way communications.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
The advanced beginner engages employees before the change and tailors the change
management message to different roles and teams. They reach out to managers to find out
how employees are responding to the change. The advanced beginner may also use
engagement surveys and direct communications with employees to assess engagement.

TRAINING
The advanced beginner provides classroom, video, and/or self-paced training. Training is
typically focused on the adoption of new processes or technical skills (such as the use of a
new technology).

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 LEADERSHIP
The advanced beginner strives to incorporate leadership into change management. For large
initiatives, they secure a senior-level sponsor. They communicate openly with senior leaders
and managers and provide them with talking points so these leaders can, in turn,
communicate the change to their teams.

REWARDS AND RECOGNIT ION

The advanced beginner talks to HR and managers to—where relevant—incorporate adoption
of the change into annual performance reviews. For example, if the initiative involves a
process change, employees that perform that process can expect to be assessed on it.

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 Incorporates Two-
Way Engagement

The expert confidently leads employees through change, measures and improves the change management approach,
and sets a positive example for others. The expert has a defined budget, resources, and methodology for change
management. They work with leaders across the organization—from middle managers to executive sponsors—to
build buy-in for the change. The expert employs a targeted and multi-channel communication strategy designed to
not only inform employees, but also to solicit their feedback. They also use an array of training approaches and
incentives to encourage desired behaviors.

STRUCTURE
The expert includes change management in the budget for most initiatives and has a
centralized change management department or Center of Excellence (CoE). The change
management department or CoE provides expertise and oversight for change management
initiatives across the organization. The expert also has a formal change management
methodology, which they integrate with other methodologies (i.e., process management,
continuous improvement) on an ad hoc basis. The expert performs a gap assessment before
most initiatives, monitors initiatives and adapts them as needed, and uses a mix of technical
measures (e.g., milestones) to evaluate the effectiveness of change management.

COMMUNICATION
The expert almost always creates a structured communication plan for change management
initiatives. They use a wide array of communication methods—often including non-
traditional approaches like videos and podcasts—to reach different employee groups and
build interest in the change.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
At the outset of most initiatives, the expert recruits and trains employees to serve as
champions. The champions help build buy in among the employee base and serve as a point
of contact when employees have questions. The expert actively seeks feedback from
employees through surveys and by using the champions as a conduit. When employees resist
change, the expert asks why and incorporates this into lessons learned for future initiatives.
The expert also looks at metrics such as employee turnover to track the impact of change.

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 TRAINING
The expert uses a wide variety of training techniques but is most distinguished from the advanced
beginner by their use of on-the-job training and technical skills training. When possible, the expert
uses peer-led training (often conducted by the champions).

LEADERSHIP
The expert requires a formal sponsor for most change management initiatives. They collaborate
closely with senior leadership and middle management. The expert trains senior leadership on
change management principles and encourages them to act as change agents. The expert also
provides support and training to middle managers.

REWARDS AND RECOGNITION

The expert includes change management measures in leadership compensation and involves
leadership in providing rewards and recognition to the employee base. Employees receive public
leadership recognition for excellent performance and demonstrating buy-in.

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 Focuses on the Value
of the Change

The master is a strong and active advocate for change management. The master has firm organizational support for
change management with a moderate budget, a change management CoE or department, and dedicated change
management roles embedded in the business. The master uses value measures to not only gauge the effectiveness of
change management, but also its impact on the business. Two-way communications are the norm for the master. The
master engages employees early in change planning and actively solicits their feedback. The master provides ongoing
support and training to help senior leaders and middle managers become change agents for their teams.

STRUCTURE
The master incorporates a moderate change management budget into almost all initiatives.
They have change management roles in the business as well as a centralized change
management department or CoE. The master has a large toolbox of change management
methodologies and integrates them with the organization’s process, performance, and
project management methodologies. The master maintains oversight of all change
management initiatives across the company. They monitor initiatives at regular intervals and
change course as needed.

COMMUNICATION
The master uses structured communication plans that emphasize two-way communications
and transparency. The master leverages social and peer-led communications wherever
possible.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
The master engages employees when developing the initial change plan and builds
engagement checkpoints into the plan. They actively track engagement throughout the
initiative. They look at the impact of change on employees’ work hours and use of vacation
time. They collect and share success stories throughout initiatives.

TRAINING
The master uses a broad portfolio of training approaches and tools. The master isn’t afraid to
try creative training approaches such as role playing and scavenger hunts. The master’s
training approach emphases behavior change and leverages peer-led training as much as
possible.

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 LEADERSHIP
The master requires sponsors for most change initiatives. They provide change management
training and ongoing coaching to all levels of management.

REWARDS AND RECOGNIT ION

The expert provides monetary rewards to leaders and employees. Leadership compensation
is directly tied to change measures.

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 Drives Behavioral
Shifts

The guru is a change agent who inspires and teaches others to lead change. The guru sees change management as
integral to the success of any initiative and as a competitive differentiator for the organization. The guru has extensive
knowledge of change management techniques and methodologies, and deftly chooses which is the best fit for any
initiative. They use quantitative and qualitative measures to continually assess the effectiveness of change management
and the impact of change on employees. The guru provides active support and coaching to help senior leaders, middle
managers, and even line employees act as change agents.

STRUCTURE
The guru has a large change management budget, a change management CoE or
department, and full-time change management roles embedded in the business. The guru
uses a portfolio approach to monitor and manage all initiatives across the organization. They
always conduct a gap assessment at the outset of initiatives, and continuously monitor
behavior and value metrics.

COMMUNICATION
The guru has a structured communication plan for every initiative, large and small. The guru
emphasizes two-way communications and transparency.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
The guru engages employees very early in the process. Indeed, they often engage employees
when assessing the need for change. The guru adjusts performance expectations and
payment schemes to account for change. They use advanced techniques, like social listening
and time use studies, to evaluate engagement and the impact of change.

TRAINING
The guru’s training approach focuses on peer-led training and one-on-one coaching. The
guru provides formal change management training not only to leadership, but also to any
employee that exhibits potential.

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 LEADERSHIP
The guru requires an active sponsor for every initiative. The guru trains all senior leaders on
change management and encourages them to include change management measures in
recruitment and the selection of high-potential employees. The guru also provides extensive
coaching to middle managers and trains them on behavior change, managing emotions, and
evaluating employees’ readiness for change.

REWARDS AND RECOGNIT ION

For both leadership and employees, change management is tied to the biggest reward of all:
promotion. Every change management initiative provides an opportunity to identify
high-potential employees for advancement.

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5 WAYS TO INCREASE CHANGE MANAGEMENT MATURITY
APQC’s research shows that many organizations have made great strides in change management: they have dedicated
staff, use measures to track change initiatives, and actively involve leadership in change management. However, most
organizations, teams, and individuals have room to grow. APQC finds that most organizations under-utilize the
following approaches. These approaches can help you move to the next level of maturity and gain competitive
advantage over your peers.

1. Conduct current state assessments. A current state or gap analysis helps

organizations baseline where they are in relation to where they want to go.
APQC finds that a majority of organizations (68 percent) aren’t taking
advantage of this opportunity for most of their initiatives.

2. Use a portfolio approach to manage change initiatives. Only 11 percent of

organizations have a change management portfolio. Without centralized
oversight and a well-monitored portfolio, organizations can expect many of
their change initiatives to fail.

3. Include value and behavioral measures. Most organizations (54 percent)

take a “check the box” approach to measuring change; they focus on
milestones reached and activities completed. Few are looking at value and
behavior measures, both of which are a better reflection of change
management effectiveness.

4. Leverage peer-led training and communications. Peer-led training and

communication is a win-win: employees are more likely to buy into change if they hear about it from their
peers, and it decreases the burden on leadership and change management staff. APQC finds that 20 percent
of companies don’t take advantage of peer-led training at all, and only 5 percent use it extensively.

5. Include compensation and promotions in the rewards and recognition scheme. Best-practice organizations
incorporate desired behaviors into employee evaluations and promotion considerations. This should apply
not just to leadership and managers, but also to line employees.

If you have a long road ahead in your journey toward change management maturity, rest assured that you are
not alone. Few companies or individuals reach the level of guru. Experts—and even advanced beginners—can do
a lot to make organizational change more successful and less painful. To learn more about change management,
see APQC’s Closing the Change Management Gap collection.

ABOUT APQC
APQC helps organizations work smarter, faster, and with greater confidence. It is the world’s foremost authority
in benchmarking, best practices, process and performance improvement, and knowledge management. APQC’s
unique structure as a member-based nonprofit makes it a differentiator in the marketplace. APQC partners with
more than 500 member organizations worldwide in all industries. With more than 40 years of experience, APQC
remains the world’s leader in transforming organizations. Visit us at www.apqc.org, and learn how you can make
best practices your practices.

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