Change Management is a vital part of every organization for desired achieving goals. Time has come when it is being nurtured at every level of the organization. With the increase in competition, it is inevitable to bring in and manage change. Well, how to embrace it? There should be a strong foundation to build on further. This is where the proven Knoster T model plays a crucial role.

Timothy Knoster identified the conditions for successful implementation of complex change and developed a model making it easy for the leaders to identify the gaps or blocks in initiating and managing change. According to the model change will take place with the presence of these five important components: vision, skills, incentives, resources and plans. A combination of these five elements helps to bring change. Let’s have a look how the absence of any one leads to different problems, obstructing change.

• Vision: The lack of proper vision can lead to confusion. If there is no vision, we would lack direction. Having a proper vision helps get an idea the way we need to move, the crucial steps to be adopted for reaching the goal and the way forward. But it’s only possible when we have clear vision.\

• Skills: The next level shows the importance of skills. Skills are of utmost importance without which it is not possible to attain the quality in tasks. Skills do not refer to a particular skill but it can be any skill required for the successful completion of tasks. The lack of the same would lead to anxiety.

• Incentives: Incentives act as a motivation to perform better than the current performance. Incentives can be anything like addition in payments, recognition, promotion, perks etc. Incentives are the primary purpose of quality work and abstaining of the same can lead to resistance to work ahead and work better.

• Resources: An organization cannot work by just having skills or vision. Alongside we also need resources to fulfill the work. Execution of work is only possible with the availability of proper resources in terms of manpower, money, assets, etc. The absence or unavailability of resources may lead to frustration.

• Plan: Plan refers to a definite plan (action plan), roadmap or measures taken for the attainment of goals. It can also be defined as the steps worked out to direct action towards future goals. In the action plan, the vision must be translated into specific, achievable goals and objectives. The plan must specify out how the goals can be attained, decide who is responsible, specify the desired results and outcomes, and lay out a timeline for achieving the goals. Lack of a definite action plan to achieve realistic, attainable goals will put participants on an unproductive “treadmill.”

Knoster’s model provides a clear outline of components that are easy to remember and practice. Overcoming the resistance and the associated symptoms such as confusion, frustration, and anxiety—is the aim of successfully managing change.

Written By Faber Ramya Pillai