Change management activities: 25 exercises for teams going through change

Change management activities by type of change

Three activities to start with for five common changes. Each name jumps to its steps.

Three change models, briefly

You don’t need a model to run these change management exercises, but managers often hear these three names. Here is what each says, and where the activities fit.

• Kotter's 8 steps. John Kotter, a professor at Harvard Business School, set out eight steps in his 1996 book Leading Change: create a sense of urgency, build a guiding coalition, form a vision and strategy, communicate it, remove obstacles, generate short-term wins, build on those gains, and anchor the change in the culture.

  The why now timeline and the cost of standing still build urgency; the small wins board is step six.

• ADKAR. Developed by Jeff Hiatt, the founder of Prosci, ADKAR follows one person through a change: Awareness of why it is needed, Desire to take part, Knowledge of how to change, Ability to do it in practice, and Reinforcement so it lasts.

  Before activities build awareness and desire, change buddies and the pilot group build knowledge and ability, and the after activities reinforce.

• Bridges' transition model. William Bridges, in his 1991 book Managing Transitions, separates the change itself from the transition people go through inside. The transition has three phases: an ending, where people let go of the old way; a neutral zone, where the old is gone and the new doesn't feel normal yet; and a new beginning.

  Mark the ending and where are you on the bridge come straight from it.

Before the change: activities for understanding why

Run these between the decision and the go-live date. People accept a change faster when they understand the reason for it and know what is not changing.

1. 1. Why now timeline

   Builds: Showing the chain of events that made the change necessary.

   20 minutes · 5 to 20 people · A long whiteboard or a shared board, and sticky notes · works on video

   1. Draw a line across the board covering the last two years.
   2. The leader marks the events that led to the change: customer feedback, a shift in the market, a system that no longer copes.
   3. The team adds what they saw from their own seat on sticky notes, in the right place on the line.
   4. The leader closes by saying which of these made the change necessary now rather than later.

   Debrief

   • Which event on the line surprised you?
   • Does the reason for the change feel clearer now, and what is still missing?

2. 2. Cost of standing still

   Builds: Weighing the risk of not changing against the risk of changing.

   15 minutes · Groups of 3 to 5 · No materials · works on video

   1. Each group imagines it is twelve months from now and nothing has changed.
   2. They list what has become harder for customers, for the team and for the business.
   3. Groups share their lists, and the leader confirms or corrects each point with what they know.

   Debrief

   • Which cost of standing still had you not considered before?
   • What risks of the change itself should we be just as honest about?

3. 3. What stays the same

   Builds: Naming what is not changing, so people know what they can count on.

   15 minutes · Any size · A whiteboard with two columns · works on video

   1. Label two columns: changing and not changing.
   2. The leader fills in the changing column as plainly as possible.
   3. The team helps fill in the not changing column: who they report to, which clients they serve, the tools and routines that stay.
   4. Anything nobody can place in either column goes on a list of questions to answer by a set date.

   Debrief

   • Which item in the not changing column was a relief to hear?
   • Which open question matters most to answer first?

4. 4. A day in the new life

   Builds: Making an abstract change concrete for each role.

   20 minutes · Groups of 3 or 4, by role · No materials · works on video

   1. Each group writes out a normal Tuesday after the change for its role, hour by hour.
   2. They mark every moment that is different from today.
   3. Groups read their day aloud, and the leader corrects anything that won't actually happen.

   Debrief

   • Which part of the new day looks better than today, and which looks harder?
   • What do we need to learn before that Tuesday arrives?

5. 5. Rumor or fact

   Builds: Replacing hallway stories with straight answers.

   15 minutes · Any size · An anonymous form · works on video

   1. A few days before the meeting, ask people to submit, anonymously, anything they have heard about the change.
   2. In the meeting, the leader sorts each item into confirmed, not decided yet, or not true.
   3. Answer each one in the room, then send the full list in writing the same day.

   Debrief

   • Which rumor was closest to the truth, and which was furthest?
   • How will we hear about the next rumor before it spreads?

6. 6. Changes we have survived

   Builds: Drawing on the team's own experience of getting through change.

   15 minutes · 4 to 15 people · No materials · works on video

   1. Each person recalls a change they went through at work: a new system, an office move, a new manager.
   2. They share in a sentence or two what helped them through it and what made it harder.
   3. Build two lists on the board: what helps us through change, and what makes it worse. Keep them visible for the rest of the change.

   Debrief

   • What came up on the helps list more than once?
   • Which item on the worse list are we at risk of repeating?

7. 7. Who feels it most

   Builds: Finding the people the change hits hardest, before they find you.

   20 minutes · A project or leadership group of 3 to 8 · A whiteboard or a shared sheet · works on video

   1. List every group the change affects, inside and outside the team.
   2. Rate each group from 1 to 5 on two things: how much their daily work changes, and how much say they have had so far.
   3. Groups that score high on change and low on say get a conversation first. Decide who talks to them and by when.

   Debrief

   • Which group did we almost leave off the list?
   • What would that group say about how this has been handled so far?

8. 8. Mark the ending

   Builds: Letting people say goodbye to the old way before starting the new one.

   20 minutes · One team · Cards and pens · works on video

   1. Name plainly what is ending: the old tool, the old office, the old team structure.
   2. Each person writes one thing they will miss about it and one thing they won't.
   3. Read the cards aloud. Then do something small to close the chapter, such as a last screenshot of the old system or a team photo in the old space.

   Debrief

   • Was it easier to look forward once the ending had been named?
   • Which thing we will miss could we keep in some form?

Want the team to question the plan itself, not only understand it? Our critical thinking questions include a set for testing assumptions before you commit.

During the change: concerns, questions and small wins

The messy middle, when the old way is gone and the new one doesn't work smoothly yet. These keep worries in the open and progress visible.

1. 9. Circles of control

   Builds: Putting energy where it can make a difference.

   20 minutes · Groups of 3 to 6 · Three nested circles on a board, and sticky notes · works on video

   1. Draw three nested circles: what we control, what we can influence, and what we can't change.
   2. Everyone writes their concerns about the change on sticky notes, one per note.
   3. Place each note in a circle. For the inner circle, pick an action. For the middle circle, decide who to talk to. For the outer circle, say it out loud and let it go.

   Debrief

   • How many concerns turned out to be in our control?
   • Who will take the influence-circle items forward, and when?

2. 10. Worry to request

   Builds: Turning a concern into something someone can act on.

   15 minutes · Pairs · Cards · works on video

   1. Each person writes their biggest worry about the change, such as "I won't learn the new system in time."
   2. With a partner, they turn it into a specific request to a specific person: "Can I have two hours of training before go-live?"
   3. Collect the requests. The leader answers each one within a week, including the ones that get a no.

   Debrief

   • How did the worry feel once it became a request?
   • Which requests came up more than once?

3. 11. Friction log

   Builds: Capturing what slows people down while it is happening.

   10 minutes to set up, 20 to review two weeks later · Any size · A shared doc or sheet · works on video

   1. Start a shared log with three columns: what I was trying to do, what got in the way, and roughly how long it cost.
   2. For two weeks, everyone adds a line every time the new tool or process slows them down.
   3. In the review, group similar entries and pick the three fixes that would save the most time.

   Debrief

   • Which friction came up most often, and who can fix it?
   • Which problems turned out to be training gaps rather than tool problems?

4. 12. Small wins board

   Builds: Making progress visible while the change still feels hard.

   10 minutes a week · Any size · A board or a chat channel · works on video

   1. Set up a board or channel for small wins with the new way of working.
   2. Each Friday, everyone posts one thing that worked better, or one thing they learned.
   3. On Monday, the leader reads three aloud and thanks the people behind them.

   Debrief

   • Which win would have gone unnoticed without the board?
   • What does the board tell us about where the change is working?

5. 13. Change buddies

   Builds: Pairing people who have the new way down with people still learning it.

   15 minutes a week, for a month · Pairs · No materials · works on video

   1. Pair each early adopter with someone who is less sure of the new way.
   2. Pairs meet for 15 minutes once a week for a month.
   3. Each meeting covers one question from the learner and one tip from the early adopter.

   Debrief

   • What did the early adopters learn from the questions they were asked?
   • Should any pairs keep going after the month is over?

6. 14. Where are you on the bridge?

   Builds: Seeing where people are in the transition, without anyone having to say it out loud.

   15 minutes · Any size · A shared board where people can add a dot anonymously · works on video

   1. Draw a bridge with three zones: the ending (letting go of the old way), the neutral zone (in between), and the new beginning.
   2. Everyone places a dot anonymously where they are right now.
   3. Talk about what would help people in each zone take the next step.

   Debrief

   • Where are most dots, and does that match what leaders assumed?
   • What does someone in the neutral zone need that someone at the new beginning doesn't?

7. 15. Pilot group report

   Builds: Letting a few people find the problems before everyone hits them.

   20 minutes · A pilot group of 3 to 6, plus the wider team · No materials · works on video

   1. A small group runs the new process for one or two weeks before everyone else.
   2. They report back to the team in three parts: what worked, what broke, and what they would change.
   3. The team decides which changes to make before the full rollout.

   Debrief

   • What would have gone wrong for everyone without the pilot?
   • How did hearing it from peers land differently than hearing it from leaders?

8. 16. Stop doing list

   Builds: Making room for the new way by dropping parts of the old one.

   20 minutes · One team · A list of the team's recurring tasks, reports and meetings · works on video

   1. List every recurring task, report and meeting the team still runs from before the change.
   2. Mark each one keep, stop or merge.
   3. Agree to stop at least three things this month, and tell anyone who relied on them.

   Debrief

   • Which old habit was hardest to let go of?
   • Who should hear about what we stopped?

9. 17. Peer panel

   Builds: Hearing from colleagues who have already made the switch.

   25 minutes · 3 panelists plus any audience · No materials · works on video

   1. Invite three people from a team that switched first.
   2. The audience asks them anything about what the change was really like. Leaders stay out of the room.
   3. Close with each panelist's one piece of advice for the first month.

   Debrief

   • Which answer changed how you feel about the change?
   • What did peers say that leaders hadn't?

A change often sends a team back through some storming before it settles again. The stages of team development explain what that looks like and what helps at each stage.

After the change: activities for adapting and reflecting

Once the new way is running, look back while people still remember what it took. These fix what is still rough and keep the lessons for the next change.

1. 18. Before-and-after review

   Builds: Taking an honest look at what the change improved and what it made worse.

   20 minutes · Groups of 3 to 5 · No materials · works on video

   1. Each group compares the old way and the new way in three columns: better, worse and still unclear.
   2. Groups share their lists, and the room votes on the top item in each column.
   3. The leader commits to a plan for the top item in the worse column.

   Debrief

   • Did the better column match what the change promised?
   • What would it take to move the top worse item into better?

2. 19. Change retrospective

   Builds: Learning how the team handles change, not only this change.

   30 minutes · One team · No materials · works on video

   1. Ask three questions in turn: what helped us through this change, what made it harder, and what we would do differently next time.
   2. Everyone writes answers silently for three minutes per question before anyone speaks.
   3. Group the answers and agree on three lessons to keep for the next change.

   Debrief

   • Which lesson would have helped most at the start?
   • Who will make sure these lessons are used next time?

3. 20. Letter to the next team

   Builds: Passing on what you learned to the people who go next.

   15 minutes · Any size · No materials · works on video

   1. Each person writes a short note to a team that is about to go through the same change.
   2. The note covers what to expect, what helped, and what to ask for early.
   3. Collect the notes and send them to that team, or keep them for the next rollout.

   Debrief

   • What advice came up in several letters?
   • What do you wish someone had written to you?

4. 21. Keep-tweak-drop vote

   Builds: Tuning the new process now that the team has lived with it.

   20 minutes · One team · No materials · works on video

   1. List each part of the new process or tool setup on its own line.
   2. Everyone votes keep, tweak or drop on each line.
   3. Give every tweak an owner and a date, and agree what replaces anything dropped.

   Debrief

   • Which part did people disagree about most, and why?
   • When should we run this vote again?

5. 22. Back to the why

   Builds: Checking whether the change delivered what it promised.

   20 minutes · Any size · No materials · works on video

   1. Bring back the reasons given at the start, such as the why now timeline or the kickoff slides.
   2. Rate each reason: delivered, partly delivered or not yet.
   3. For anything not yet delivered, agree what happens next, or say honestly that it was dropped.

   Debrief

   • Which promise did the change deliver best?
   • What should we promise differently next time?

6. 23. What we learned to do

   Builds: Noticing the skills people built during the change.

   15 minutes · 4 to 15 people · No materials · works on video

   1. Each person lists two or three things they can do now that they couldn't do before the change.
   2. Share around the room or in the chat.
   3. Managers note each person's list for their next development conversation.

   Debrief

   • Which new skill surprised you most?
   • How could we use these skills beyond this change?

7. 24. Close the chapter

   Builds: Marking the point where the change is done.

   15 minutes · One team · No materials · works on video

   1. Pick a moment when the change is truly finished, such as the old system being switched off.
   2. Show a short before and after: what the team set out to do and where it landed.
   3. Thank the people who carried the most, by name and for something specific, and retire the old way for good.

   Debrief

   • Does the change feel finished to everyone, or only to some of us?
   • What should we celebrate next time that we missed this time?

8. 25. Our change playbook

   Builds: Writing down how this team wants change to be run next time.

   25 minutes · One team · A shared doc · works on video

   1. Start from the lessons of the change retrospective, if you ran one.
   2. Write a one-page playbook: how we announce a change, how we collect questions, how we train, and how we know it is done.
   3. Share it with leadership and bring it out at the start of the next change.

   Debrief

   • Which part of the playbook would have changed this rollout the most?
   • Who should own the playbook between changes?

10 change icebreakers

One question to open a meeting during a change. Keep answers to a sentence, and let people pass.

1. 1. What is one change at work that turned out better than you expected?

   A hopeful opener for a kickoff.

2. 2. What is a tool or app you resisted at first and now use every day?

   Light, and a good fit for a new system.

3. 3. In one word, how are you feeling about the change right now?

   Fast, honest and works in a chat on a big call.

4. 4. What is one thing about the old way you will genuinely miss?

   Pairs well with mark the ending.

5. 5. What is one thing about the old way you won't miss at all?

   Gets a laugh, and often names a real problem.

6. 6. What is the best advice you have had about starting something new?

   Good for a new team or a new leader.

7. 7. If this goes well, what is one thing that will be easier six months from now?

   Points the room toward the goal.

8. 8. What do you need more of this month: information, time or support?

   Tells the leader where to put effort.

9. 9. What is one work routine you dropped and never missed?

   Shows that change can be small and still matter.

10. 10. What is one question about this change you haven't heard anyone ask yet?

    Surfaces the question people are holding back.

A change kickoff meeting agenda

60 minutes, for the first meeting after a change is announced. It works for one team or a department of up to about 50, in a room or on a call.

Announcing a change to the whole company? Our all-hands meeting ideas cover running the bigger room, including the Q&A.

What leaders can say: short scripts

People remember how a change was explained long after the details. Adapt these to your own words and fill in the brackets.

1. 1. Announcing the change

   “We're changing [what] starting [when]. The reason is [one sentence]. Here's what stays the same: [list]. I'll tell you everything I know, and when I don't know something yet, I'll say so and tell you when I will.”

2. 2. When you don't know yet

   “I don't know yet. That decision is due by [date], and I'll tell you the same day, even if the answer is that we're still deciding.”

3. 3. When someone is upset

   “This is a lot, and it's fair to be frustrated. What part is hardest for you right now?”

4. 4. When a decision is final

   “This part is decided and won't change. Where you do have a real say is [area], and I want your input on it by [date].”

5. 5. When someone asks how their role will change

   “Here's what I know about your role: [facts]. Here's what's still open: [open items]. You'll hear it from me directly before anything is decided.”

6. 6. When the plan changes

   “We said [old plan]. We've since learned [new fact], so we're changing to [new plan]. That's on us, not on you.”

7. 7. Acknowledging what is lost

   “The old way worked for a lot of us, and some of what we're giving up was good. It's OK to miss it.”

8. 8. Celebrating a small win

   “Last week [name] worked out [thing] in the new setup and saved the team [time]. That's exactly what makes this work.”

9. 9. Asking for input

   “What's one thing about this rollout we should fix before it reaches the next team?”

10. 10. When someone pushes back

    “I hear that you're concerned about [concern]. What would you need to see to feel better about it?”

For practice on the conversations behind these scripts, such as delivering hard news and answering tough questions, see our leadership activities.

Want a session to help your team through the change?

A change is a good moment to give people tools for handling challenge. Get Comfy Outside Your Comfort Zone is a 60-minute virtual workshop on facing challenge with confidence and saying yes to growth, and Power of Perseverance is a talk with Lauren Ansley on practical strategies to stay focused and motivated through obstacles. Both run live on Zoom by default. See more leadership team building, book about 2 weeks ahead, or get a free quote.