Change Management Guide: Models, Practice & Exam Prep
Change management is the discipline of helping people and organizations move from the way they work today to a new way of working, so that a change is adopted and its benefits are realised. This guide explains the main change models, the people side of change and the work of the change manager. It includes free APMG-style practice exams.
Each entry covers:
- a definition and where the idea comes from;
- how to apply it, with a worked example;
- its limitations;
- a comparison with the ideas it is most often confused with;
- what the APMG Change Management Foundation exam expects on the topic;
- a short FAQ.
Use search (Cmd/Ctrl + K) to find any model, concept or author.
Compare models
Fourteen change models side by side: focus, shape, best use and limits.
Compare →Which change model?
Answer four questions and get a starting point for your situation.
Start →Which certification?
APMG, CCMP, Prosci and CMI compared: what each assesses, how, and what it takes to get and keep it.
Compare →Exam prep
Free APMG Foundation-style practice: five syllabus-area sets and a timed 50-question mock exam.
Practise →Change Models & Frameworks
The best-known models for planning and understanding change, from Kotter's eight steps and ADKAR® to Lewin, Bridges, the change curve and the change formula.
- Kotter's 8-Step Change Model
- ADKAR® Model
- Lewin's Three-Stage Change Model
- Force Field Analysis
- Bridges' Transition Model
- The Change Curve (Kübler-Ross)
- McKinsey 7-S Framework
- The Change Formula (Beckhard–Harris)
- Kelman's Three Levels of Adoption
- The Continuous Change Cycle
- Appreciative Inquiry
- Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations
- Satir Change Model
- Nudge Theory in Change
- Lippitt–Knoster Model for Managing Complex Change
- Burke–Litwin Model
Organizational Context & Approach
How the organization shapes a change: culture, complexity, planned versus emergent change, agile ways of working and the change strategy.
- Organizational Culture in Change
- Planned vs Emergent Change
- Simple, Complicated, Complex and Chaotic Change
- Systems Thinking in Change
- Agile Change Management
- Change Strategy
- Change Delivery Strategies
- Co-design in Change
- The Role of the Change Manager
- How Change Management Delivers Benefits
People & the Psychology of Change
What happens to people during change: motivation, mindsets, anxiety, learning and the research that explains them.
- SCARF Model
- Fixed and Growth Mindsets in Change
- Motivation in Change (Herzberg, Pink, Reinforcement)
- Survival Anxiety and Learning Anxiety (Schein)
- Conscious Competence Learning Model
- Personality Type Differences in Change
- Change Resilience and Positive Psychology
- Learning Styles and the Learning Cycle (Kolb, Honey & Mumford)
- Gagné's Nine Events of Instruction
- Learning Objectives and Evaluation in Change
- Active Listening
- Developmental Feedback
- GROW Coaching Model
Change Leadership & Teams
The roles that make change happen — sponsors, change agents and line leaders — and how teams develop and stay safe through change.
- Roles in Organizational Change
- The Change Sponsor
- Psychological Safety in Change
- Change Agents
- Change Agent Networks
- Tuckman's Stages of Team Development
- Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions of a Team
- Line Leaders in Change
- Leading Culture Change
- Diversity in Change Teams
Stakeholders & Communication
Identifying, mapping and engaging stakeholders, and planning change communication that reaches both hearts and minds.
- Identifying Stakeholders in Change
- Stakeholder Mapping (Power and Influence)
- Change Communication Strategy and Plan
- Stakeholder Engagement in Change
- Cognitive Biases in Change Communication
- Change Messaging: Hearts and Minds
- Communication Channels for Change
- The Commitment Escalator
- Know–Feel–Do
- The Basic Communication Model
- VARK® Communication Preferences
The Work of the Change Manager
The day-to-day practice of change management: impact assessment, resistance, measurement, levers, momentum and conflict.
- Change Impact Assessment
- Resistance to Change
- Measuring Change: Readiness and Adoption
- Kanter's Reasons People Resist Change
- Managing Resistance to Change
- Change Levers
- Conflict in Change: Thomas–Kilmann Modes
- Assessing Change Severity
- Change Delivery Scorecard
- Critical Mass and Tipping Points
Certifications
What the main change management certifications assess, how their exams work and how to prepare for them.
- APMG Change Management Foundation
- APMG Change Management Practitioner
- CCMP Certification (ACMP)
- Prosci Certification
- Change Management Institute Accreditation
Frequently asked questions about change management
What is change management?
Change management is the structured approach to helping individuals, teams and organizations move from a current way of working to a new one. It covers the people side of change: understanding impacts, engaging stakeholders, communicating, building skills, managing resistance and sustaining adoption, so that the intended benefits are realised.
What are the most widely used change management models?
Frequently cited models include Kotter's eight-step model, the ADKAR® model, Lewin's three-stage model, Bridges' transition model, the change curve and the McKinsey 7-S framework. They answer different questions: some sequence an organizational change, others describe how individuals experience it or diagnose readiness.
What is the difference between change management and project management?
Project management delivers a change — a new system, structure or process — on time, on budget and to scope. Change management helps the people affected adopt it and work differently. The two run in parallel: a project can deliver on time and still fail to produce benefits when nobody uses what it delivered.
Which change management certification should I take?
It depends on your goal and region. APMG Change Management Foundation is a method-neutral knowledge certificate with a public syllabus; Practitioner adds application to a case study. CCMP is a standard-based professional certification popular in North America. Prosci certification teaches the Prosci methodology through a training programme.
Is there a free APMG Change Management practice exam?
This guide offers free practice sets in the style of the APMG Change Management Foundation exam, written from the public syllabus, with explanations and a timed mock exam. They are original questions, not official exam items. APMG International also publishes an official sample paper.
What is the difference between organizational change management and ITIL change management?
Organizational change management deals with how people adopt new ways of working. ITIL change management, now called change enablement, controls changes to IT services and infrastructure to reduce risk. The two share a name but have different goals, roles and methods, and they often run side by side in technology projects.
ADKAR® and Prosci® are registered trademarks of Prosci, Inc. APMG International™ and Change Management™ are trademarks of APMG International. CCMP™ is a trademark of the Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP). MBTI® and Myers-Briggs® are trademarks of The Myers & Briggs Foundation. TKI® is a trademark of The Myers-Briggs Company. VARK® is a registered trademark of VARK IP Limited. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. This guide is independent and is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by any of these organizations.