Measuring & Sustaining Change Flashcards

Which of the following is an example of an 'anchor mechanism' used to institutionalize change, as described in Kotter's model?

Answer: Embedding new behaviors in hiring criteria and onboarding processes

Kotter's step 8 stresses anchoring change by tying new behaviors to organizational processes like hiring, onboarding, and succession planning.

A change agent finds that survey data shows 85% awareness but only 40% of employees report feeling able to perform the new process. Which ADKAR gap should be addressed?

Answer: Ability

When employees know about and want the change but cannot yet perform it effectively, the gap is in Ability—requiring coaching, practice, or job aids.

What is the key difference between 'compliance' and 'commitment' when measuring change sustainability?

Answer: Compliance reflects surface-level adherence while commitment reflects internalized behavioral change

Compliance means employees follow new rules when monitored, while commitment means they genuinely adopt the change because they understand and believe in its value.

An organization tracks 'speed of adoption' as a change KPI. What does this metric specifically measure?

Answer: How quickly individuals across the impacted group reach the required performance level

Speed of adoption measures the rate at which impacted employees reach proficiency in the new way of working, relative to implementation timelines.

Which situation BEST indicates that a change has been fully sustained in an organization?

Answer: New employees learn the changed process as 'the way we do things here' without needing special change support

True sustainment occurs when the change becomes normalized culture, evident when new hires adopt it as standard practice without special intervention.

A change scorecard shows high utilization but low proficiency. What is the recommended response?

Answer: Conduct targeted coaching and skills reinforcement for the impacted group

Low proficiency despite high utilization means employees are using the new process but not yet performing it at the required standard, requiring focused skill-building.

Which governance structure BEST supports long-term change sustainability after a project team disbands?

Answer: Assigning change ownership to operational leaders with clear accountability for sustained outcomes

Transferring ownership of sustained change outcomes to operational leaders ensures accountability lives within the business, not in a temporary project structure.