CHANGE ADOPTION CHALLENGES

We have the Wrong
People Leading change

You've appointed change champions, created steering committees, and assigned project leads. But six months in, adoption is stuck at 30%. The problem isn't effort, the problem is influence. You're relying on org charts instead of influence networks to drive change.

Change doesn't spread through formal authority. It spreads through invisible interpersonal dynamics. The people who can make or break your change initiative aren't on your steering committee. They're the ones everyone goes to for advice. The ones people trust. The ones whose opinion actually matters.

WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING

THE ROOT CAUSE

Most organisations choose change leaders based on who has the right title, who volunteers enthusiastically, or who has availability. But none of these factors predict whether someone can actually drive behavior change. What matters is influence - the ability to shape what people think, believe, and do through trust and credibility. And influence doesn't always follow the org chart. In every organisation, there's a formal structure (who reports to whom) and an informal structure (who actually influences whom). Change spreads through the informal structure, not the formal one. When you appoint change leaders based on titles or enthusiasm instead of influence, you're trying to drive change through the wrong network. The enthusiastic volunteer from Finance doesn't have the relationships to move the needle. The senior VP on the steering committee doesn't have the credibility. The skilled project manager doesn't understand the interpersonal dynamics that determine whether people actually change behavior. Meanwhile, the real influencers - the people everyone goes to for advice, the ones who can make an idea catch fire - are sitting on the sidelines.

THE COST OF INACTION

WHAT THIS COSTS YOU

When you have the wrong people leading change, adoption stalls at 20-30%. People revert to old behaviors. The change never becomes "how we do things here." Change fatigue sets in. People become cynical about "another flavor of the month." Your real influencers, the ones you didn't recruit, become resisters. Their skepticism spreads through their networks. You've turned your most powerful potential allies into obstacles. Your appointed change champions burn out trying to get traction they can't achieve because they lack influence. You waste time and money on training that doesn't lead to adoption, systems that aren't used, processes that aren't followed. And while you're stuck trying to implement change, your competitors are moving faster. Your inability to adapt becomes a strategic liability. You can't execute on strategy because you can't change behavior.

HOW WE FIX IT

OUR APPROACH

Diagnostic Insight

We start by mapping your actual influence networks — not your org chart. Using our Influence Network Mapping methodology, we identify who people really go to for advice, who shapes opinion, and who has the trust and credibility to move behaviour. This gives you a clear picture of where change will actually spread, and where it will stall.

Behavioural Shifts

Then we work with you to restructure your change leadership around real influence. We help you recruit the right people into change roles — the informal connectors and trusted voices who can make ideas catch fire — and equip them with the skills to lead adoption effectively. We also coach your formal change leaders on how to engage influencers rather than bypass them.

The result?
Change that actually spreads — because the right people are carrying it through the networks that matter.

EXPLORE OUR CHANGE ADOPTION PROGRAMS

READY TO MAKE CHANGE STICK?

The Change Adoption Sprint

A 4-week virtual change adoption Sprint for change practitioners, HR leaders, and senior executives who need people to not just understand the change—but adopt it, spread it, and sustain it.

CUSTOM CHANGE ADOPTION PROGRAMS

Every change initiative is different. We design custom programs that identify your real influence networks, build change capability in the right people, and create the conditions for lasting adoption — not just compliance.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who is this intensive for?

This intensive is for women in leadership roles or stepping into them who want to strengthen their presence and influence without losing authenticity. It’s for those ready to lead with both warmth and competence, balancing authority with approachability to build trust and deliver results.