Organizational Change & Transformation Models
Agile adoption is as much about people as process. These models guide how change unfolds at individual, team, and organizational levels. They offer insights into resistance, timing, emotional cycles, and sustained growth. By applying these principles, leaders and coaches foster healthy transitions, avoid common change failures, and build lasting Agile capabilities.
| Concept | Agile Relevance | Usage in Agile |
|---|---|---|
| Kotter's 8 Steps for Leading Change | Provides a structured framework for leading and sustaining organizational transformation. | Guides Agile leaders and coaches in aligning stakeholders, building momentum, and embedding Agile culture across teams and departments. |
| Kotter's XLR8 Framework | Expands traditional change models by introducing a dual operating system—hierarchy and network—to support continuous, Agile-ready transformation. | Used by Agile leaders to scale change initiatives, align innovation efforts across departments, and embed strategic agility without disrupting operational execution. |
| ADKAR | Focuses on individual transitions through change by identifying five key building blocks: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement. | Helps Agile coaches and change agents diagnose resistance, personalize support, and guide individuals through Agile adoption and behavior change. |
| Roger's Diffusion of Innovations | Explains how new ideas, practices, and technologies spread through a social system over time. | Enables Agile coaches to tailor adoption strategies by identifying where individuals or teams fall on the adoption curve and adjusting messaging, support, and rollout timing accordingly. |
| Change Handbook | Offers a collection of participatory methods for facilitating large-scale change. | Provides Agile coaches and transformation teams with practical tools for co-creating change through workshops, Retrospectives, and collaborative planning sessions. |
| Lewin's 3 Stage Theory of Change | Introduces the foundational concept of change as a process: Unfreeze, Change, Refreeze. | Helps Agile leaders and coaches prepare teams for transformation by creating the conditions for behavioral shifts and cultural adaptation. |
| Satir Change Model | Describes the emotional and performance impact of change on individuals and teams. | Helps Agile coaches and leaders support teams through transformation, especially during transitions to new frameworks, roles, or ways of working. |
| Bridges' Transition Model | Focuses on the internal psychological transitions people experience during change. | Supports Agile coaches in navigating the emotional journey of individuals during shifts in roles, responsibilities, or team norms. |
| Kübler-Ross Change Curve | Visualizes the emotional stages people often go through when experiencing change. | Equips Agile leaders to anticipate emotional responses, offer timely support, and foster resilience during periods of uncertainty. |