Category 19 · 10 frameworks
Adaptability & Change
Methods for navigating restructures, new roles and industry shifts with a clear plan rather than guesswork.
01
ADKAR
Jeff Hiatt, Prosci A model of individual change with five sequential outcomes: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement. It pinpoints where a person is stuck in a change. 02Change Curve
Adapted from Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, On Death and Dying (her original stages described grief, not organisational change) A widely used adaptation showing that people often move through reactions such as shock, denial, frustration, testing and acceptance during major change. Performance and morale typically dip before recovering. 03Bridges' Transition Model
William Bridges, Managing Transitions Distinguishes the external change from the internal transition, which has three phases: Ending, the Neutral Zone and the New Beginning. Transitions start with letting go, not with the new thing. 04Growth Mindset
Carol Dweck, Mindset The belief that abilities can be developed through effort, good strategies and help from others, rather than being fixed. It shapes how you respond to setbacks and challenges. 05Unfreeze-Change-Refreeze
Attributed to Kurt Lewin (scholars debate how much of the three-step model Lewin himself formalised) Change happens in three stages: unfreeze current habits, make the change, then refreeze new behaviours so they stick. It emphasises that old patterns must be loosened before new ones can form. 06Satir Change Model
Virginia Satir Describes how performance moves through Late Status Quo, a Foreign Element, Chaos, a Transforming Idea, Practice and Integration, and a New Status Quo. Chaos and a temporary performance dip are an expected part of change. 07Antifragility
Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Antifragile Some things gain from volatility and stress rather than merely withstanding it. In careers, this means building options and small exposures that benefit you when things change. 08Scenario Planning
Developed at Royal Dutch Shell in the 1970s, notably by Pierre Wack, building on earlier work by Herman Kahn Imagine several plausible futures rather than predicting one, then prepare responses for each. It helps you act early when signals show which future is emerging. 09Who Moved My Cheese
Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese? A short parable about adapting to change: anticipate it, monitor for signs of it, adapt quickly and let go of what you had. It contrasts characters who move on with those who wait for things to return to normal. 10Stockdale Paradox
Jim Collins, Good to Great (based on his conversation with Admiral James Stockdale) Hold unwavering faith that you will prevail in the end while confronting the most brutal facts of your current reality. It avoids both blind optimism and despair.Not sure where to start?
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