Know–Feel–Do
Know–feel–do is a way of writing communication and engagement objectives that states, for each stakeholder group, what people should know or understand, how they should feel about the change, and what they should do differently. Know–feel–do objectives describe the result a communication aims for, not the message itself, so they also define what to measure.
Quick facts
- Type
- Objective-setting technique for communication and engagement
- Origin
- A widespread practitioner convention with no single recognized originator; it echoes Bloom's cognitive and affective domains, adding observable behavior
- Used when
- Planning communication or engagement for a stakeholder group, and deciding what to measure
- Related models
- Change communication plan, change messaging, the commitment escalator
- Exam relevance
- APMG CM Foundation, Stakeholders & Communication (SC0204)
What are know–feel–do objectives?
Know–feel–do objectives split the purpose of a communication into three parts:
- Know: the information and understanding people need, such as why the change is happening, what will be different and when.
- Feel: the attitude or emotional response hoped for, such as confident, reassured or willing to try.
- Do: the observable behavior expected, such as attending a session, using a new process or raising concerns through a named route.
The three parts are written per stakeholder group, because a ward manager and a hospital board need different things from the same change.
Know–feel–do objectives therefore describe the intended result of communication, not its content.
Why set communication objectives in three parts?
Information alone rarely changes behavior. People can understand a change perfectly and still feel anxious about it, or feel positive and still not know what to do on Monday. Splitting the objective makes each gap visible.
The split echoes a long-standing distinction between cognitive, affective and behavioral outcomes. In education, Benjamin Bloom and colleagues classified cognitive objectives, and David Krathwohl, Bloom and Bertram Masia affective ones. The "do" element also makes the objective testable: a behavior can be observed, while "awareness" is hard to check.
Know–feel–do objectives therefore keep a communication plan focused on understanding, attitude and action together.
How do you write know–feel–do objectives?
At Brightwater Health, a new safety dashboard replaces paper reports on the wards. For ward managers, the team writes:
| Element | Objective |
|---|---|
| Know | Why the dashboard was introduced, where to find it and which indicators matter most |
| Feel | Confident that the dashboard saves time and supports, rather than polices, their wards |
| Do | Run the monthly safety review using the new dashboard from March |
Each line starts from the stakeholder's point of view and is specific enough to check. The "feel" line names a realistic attitude, not enthusiasm the change cannot earn. The "do" line names a behavior and a date.
Know–feel–do objectives work best when they are short, specific and written before any message is drafted.
How do know–feel–do objectives connect to messages and measurement?
The objectives come first; messages, channels and measures follow from them.
- Messages are what is said to reach each objective. "The dashboard updates every night from ward systems" serves a "know" objective.
- Channels are chosen to suit the objective. A "feel" objective often needs conversation with a trusted manager rather than an email.
- Measures check each part: a short quiz or questions in a briefing for "know", a pulse survey or listening session for "feel", and usage or completion data for "do".
A common confusion is to treat a key message as an objective. The message is the means; the objective is the result.
Know–feel–do objectives therefore give the communication plan a built-in test of whether it worked.
What are common mistakes with know–feel–do objectives?
- Writing messages instead of results: "Tell staff about the dashboard" is an activity, not an objective.
- Vague feelings: "positive" or "happy" cannot be checked and may be unrealistic when people are losing something.
- Unobservable actions: "embrace the dashboard" is not a behavior; "run the monthly review with it" is.
- One set for everyone: different groups need different knowledge and actions.
- Treating "feel" as manipulation: the aim is a fair, informed attitude, which also means listening to concerns that may be valid.
Know–feel–do objectives are only useful when each part is specific to a group and can be checked.
Know–feel–do objectives vs. change messaging: what is the difference?
| Know–feel–do objectives | Change messaging | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The intended result of communication for a group | What is said to stakeholders |
| Question it answers | What should people know, feel and do? | What will we tell them, and how? |
| Example | Ward managers run the monthly review on the dashboard from March | The dashboard saves an hour of report writing each month |
| When it is written | First, during communication planning | After the objectives are agreed |
| How it is checked | Quiz, pulse survey, usage data | Whether the message was received and understood |
Know–feel–do objectives set the target; change messages are one of the means of reaching it.
Exam focus
At Foundation level (SC0204) expect recall of what each element describes and comprehension that the objectives state results, not content. A typical question asks you to classify an example: an observable behavior is a "do" objective, and understanding of facts or reasons is "know". A common trap swaps "know" and "do", or presents a key message as if it were an objective.
Practise this syllabus area →FAQ
What does know, feel, do mean in change communication?
It is a way of writing communication objectives in three parts: what a stakeholder group should know or understand, how they should feel about the change, and what they should do differently. It keeps communication focused on results rather than on the number of messages sent.
What is an example of a "do" objective?
"Ward managers will run the monthly safety review using the new dashboard from March" is a "do" objective, because it names an observable behavior and a date. A "know" objective would describe what they should understand, such as why the dashboard was introduced.
Who created the know, feel, do model?
No single originator is widely recognized for know, feel, do as used in change communication; it is a common practitioner convention. Its three parts echo a long-standing distinction between cognitive, affective and behavioral outcomes; in education, Benjamin Bloom and David Krathwohl classified the cognitive and affective objectives.
How do you measure know, feel, do objectives?
Measure each part separately. Check "know" with short questions in a briefing or quiz, "feel" with a pulse survey or listening session, and "do" with observable data such as system usage, attendance or completed tasks. Agree the measures when the objectives are written.
Is a key message the same as a communication objective?
No. A key message is what you say to stakeholders. A know, feel, do objective is the result you want that communication to achieve. Several messages, sent through different channels, may be needed to reach one objective.
Sources
- Bloom, B. S. (Ed.), Engelhart, M. D., Furst, E. J., Hill, W. H. & Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. David McKay. Linked overview: Krathwohl (2002), Theory Into Practice, 41(4), 212–218.
- Krathwohl, D. R., Bloom, B. S. & Masia, B. B. (1964). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook II: Affective Domain. David McKay. Linked overview: Krathwohl (2002), Theory Into Practice, 41(4), 212–218.
- APMG International — Change Management certification (syllabus topic SC0204)
- Last reviewed