The Key to Successful Change Management: Motivating Through Understanding

As a business leader, you’ve likely heard the often-cited statistic: 70% of change efforts fail to achieve their goals. These failures can lead to disengaged employees, increased conflict, and unmet objectives.

But is it realistic—or even desirable—to expect all change efforts to succeed?

Some change efforts should fail because innovation requires experimentation, and not every experiment works. Other times, change is thrust upon us, like the massive disruptions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’re forced to adapt.

So, the real question becomes: How do we minimize avoidable failures? At Core Strengths, we believe that motivation-based change management is the answer. By understanding what drives people and integrating those motivations into your change strategy, you can significantly reduce the failure rate and create an environment where change feels inclusive, purposeful, and empowering.

Three Primary Motivations in Change

According to Core Strengths research, people are driven by three primary motivations:

1. Concern for People
   Motivated by protecting, supporting, and fostering the growth of others. They thrive on helping and connecting with people who genuinely benefit from their efforts.
   
   

2. Concern for Performance
   Motivated by achieving tangible results, setting ambitious goals, and claiming well-earned rewards. They are focused on taking decisive actions and delivering outcomes.
   
   

3. Concern for Process
   Motivated by creating meaningful order, ensuring fairness, and pursuing practical, well-thought-out solutions. They value precision and clarity.
   
   

Different motivations shape how people respond to change. When you create change communications that resonate with all three motivational types, you foster inclusion and alignment across your organization.

Why Change Efforts Fail

While many factors contribute to the failure of change initiatives, three common pitfalls stand out:

1. Believing Change Will End

Both leaders and employees often think of change as having a beginning, middle, and end. But in reality, business thrives on continuous evolution.

When people approach change as an ongoing process, it becomes less daunting and more of a learning journey. To keep momentum, leaders should highlight progress markers—tailored to each motivational type:

• For People: Celebrate team connections and individual contributions.

• For Performance: Showcase tangible results and measurable outcomes.

• For Process: acknowledge how systems and structures are evolving thoughtfully.

2. Exclusion Creates Resistance

Change often divides people into “in-groups” (those involved in decision-making) and “out-groups” (those left out). When employees feel excluded, their trust erodes, and they’re less likely to embrace the change.

To address this, make sure to include perspectives that reflect all three motivations:

• People: Who will be affected, and how are they being included?

• Performance: What goals are being communicated, and how can individuals contribute to success?

• Process: Are systems and workflows being adjusted with transparency and fairness?

3. Lack of Personal Ownership

Leaders often design change initiatives based on their own motivations, neglecting what drives their teams. As a result, change communications tend to focus heavily on performance (results) and process (efficiency), leaving people-motivated employees feeling unseen.

To counter this, leaders must intentionally connect with all three motivations and foster a sense of shared ownership.

Keys to Leading Successful Change

Every change effort should begin with a clear understanding of your organization’s goals and values. From there, leaders must ensure that their approach considers the primary motivations of their team members.

To guide your efforts, ask yourself the following 12 questions during every change initiative:

Overarching Question

• Does this initiative align with our purpose and practical values?

Developing a Motivating and Empowering Environment

1. What metrics will be used to assess our progress?

2. What feedback loops will help us gauge the impact of this initiative?

3. How will we celebrate progress and milestones?

Partnering (People Motives)

4. Who is impacted by this initiative?

5. Have they been given a chance to share their perspective?

6. How will we ensure their voices are heard?

Visioning with Systems Thinking (Process Motives)

7. What assumptions underlie this initiative?

8. What are the potential unintended consequences?

9. Do we have the systems, processes, and resources to execute this plan effectively?

Foresight and Goal Setting (Performance Motives)

10. What is the purpose of this initiative?

11. What strategic objectives does it support?

12. Specifically, how will the future look different because of this effort?

Conclusion

Even when delivering difficult news, people are more likely to embrace change when they feel heard, understood, and included. By considering the three primary motivations in your planning and communications, you create a framework for change that builds trust and increases the likelihood of success.

At Core Strengths, we specialize in helping organizations navigate change through motivation-based strategies. Ready to empower your team for change? Let’s get started.