Introduction to Kotter’s Eight-Step Model
Kotter’s eight-step change management indicates a proper and structured approach to change implementation in organizations. Initially, John P Kotter developed an enhanced change management framework. It indicates a systematic approach that is dependent upon extensive research towards organizational change. This adoption navigates toward a clear vision and transformation. A methodological approach to overcome the changes and implement successful transformation (Pollack & Pollack, 2014). Kotter identifies the key challenges of organizational change efforts. This model offered a great approach and a solution towards robust success. Every leader chooses this path to ensure the process of change. The Kotter change management model is especially helpful in major organizations that are implementing a change.
Kotter’s Eight-Step Model
Eights steps in Kotter’s change management model
1. Creating a sense of urgency
Creating a sense of urgency is one of the major steps in focusing on organizational change management. For a successful transformation, it helps everyone to be involved in the change process and understand the importance of further improvements. The objective of this urgency is to make the changes initially by ensuring the necessity to get motivated toward the change process (MSG Team, 2025). In this case, a SWOT analysis is conducted, and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and areas of improvement are identified. Initiate the difficulties and discuss the changes. Especially, transparent communication enhances trust. By facilitating the discussions, employees and people feel potential towards collective decisions.
2. Building a guiding coalition
This is also an essential step to change process and effective leadership. It includes influential people and leaders with mixed roles in driving the change. It provides both diverse and cross-functional teams to work from multiple angles and part ways from different organizations. Also, make sure the coalition has the right skills and authority. This creates a sense of urgency and the change happening towards commitment and success. The guiding coalition is empowered with various implementations of authority changes and the location of resources. Moreover, it fosters leadership and commitment towards success-aligned goals and objectives.
3. Creating a vision for change
Basically, the main goal of this phase is a compelling vision and a clear strategy for the achievement of change. A good vision motivates the team members to work towards the goal, and it is important to keep everyone focused. The company’s vision is to drive focus towards attaining goals and measuring success. Creating an inspiring vision ensures a strategic alignment toward objectives and builds ideas. Making use of both market trends and projections helps to create a vision and set feedback for employees.
4. Communicate the vision for change
Effective communication is not limited to the special meetings. Instead, it focuses on opportunities and enhancements. It is important to go beyond the communication where actions speak. To enhance the communication towards change management, being transparent helps with concerns and focuses on management. Also, it integrates with various organizations to enhance training programs.
5. Enabling actions by removing barriers
Kotter’s model identifies the barriers and enhances the change initiative. However, there are obstacles to the implementation of change. To enhance and overcome the challenges, it particularly concentrates on identifying the change leaders who are capable of driving the change and motivating for the implementation. It also assesses the organizational alignment where roles, descriptions, and structure of the organization play a key role. Moreover, it drives towards reward change where it actively contributes towards the change process and takes swift action to identify the delays and slow down the progress to improve smoother implementation.
6. Create short-term wins
Basically, this model emphasizes the identification of short-term means where it provides an effective change for organizations. It maintains an effective energy and is committed to the vision of the organization. To ensure and make the successful implementation it creates what, why, and how these are achieved questions. Generally, the main criteria it includes connection to change efforts, visibility, and clarity of success (Graves, et al., 2023). It involves an ambiguity towards clear goals and understanding the contribution towards a broader effort of change. In addition, it demonstrates the actions for delivering the effective value and reinforces the beliefs.
7. Maintain momentum
At first, this model fosters an initiative to move forward. Following, some improvements are to be evaluated. Success is not achieved by ongoing effort alone, but rather it requires continuous redefinition of needs and approaches. Setting up new goals is also a new agenda to enhance the progress. These goals are also challenging to implement, but it helps to maintain clear goals by setting up the objectives. Engaging the new change in the leaders creates fresh management and a new perspective of change.
8. Anchor the change
To maintain the long-term services, specifically, it is important to solidify the changes and adapt towards organizational culture. Accordingly, the process takes over a permanent change with sustainability over the long term. It celebrates the changes with onboarding ideas. This celebrates and shares the progress towards a positive outcome and stays committed to progress (Ahmadi, 2023). Also, it acknowledges the key leaders, which helps to maintain the credibility and change initiative. Moreover, it plans towards the succession where the transition is an important step for the maintenance of change and long-lasting benefit towards transformation effort.
Kotter’s change management model
Conclusion
Kotter’s eight-step model is one of the essential frameworks to manage the change process. Shortly, this model offers a dynamic approach to initiating the change and emphasizing leadership. Effective communication also plays a major role. In fact, this model is initiated with a sense of urgency and motivation towards the need for change. This change emphasizes communicators to change the address and towards the guiding coalition. Good leadership drives towards the direction and supports the initiatives. To conclude, this model also enhances the change and is guided toward the future. This provides consistent management and visions relevant to long-term success. This model progresses towards sustainability and brings fresh leadership towards the decision making and evaluating the success.
References
Ahmadi, H. (2023, July 20). Kotter’s 8-step Model for Change Management. Retrieved from Itsm: https://itsm.tools/kotter-change-management/
Graves, L., Dalgarno, N., Hoorn, R. V., Hastings-Truelove, A., Mulder, J., Kolomitro, K., . . . Wylick, R. v. (2023). Creating change: Kotter’s Change Management Model in action. Can Med Educ, 14(03), 136-139. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10351637/
MSG Team. (2025, Feb 12). Kotter’s 8 step Model of Change. Retrieved from Managementstudyguide: https://www.managementstudyguide.com/kotters-8-step-model-of-change.htm#google_vignette
Pollack, J., & Pollack, R. (2014). Using Kotter’s Eight Stage Process to Manage an Organisational Change Program: Presentation and Practice. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 28(01), 1-16. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271659676_Using_Kotter’s_Eight_Stage_Process_to_Manage_an_Organisational_Change_Program_Presentation_and_Practice
Keywords
Short-term wins, Vision for change, Change management, Kotter’s Eight-Step Model, Effective communication
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