About this session
Change initiatives often lose momentum for reasons that have little to do with the technical quality of the solution.
The organization may not feel sufficient urgency, leaders may send conflicting signals, the vision may remain abstract, employees may understand the direction without feeling involved, or old processes and incentives may make the new behavior unnecessarily difficult.
Kotter's 8-Step Change Model provides a practical way to examine these conditions across the wider organization.
Participants move from creating a credible case for change and building a guiding coalition through strategic vision, broad mobilization, barrier removal, short-term wins, sustained acceleration and finally embedding the change into organizational practice.
The session treats the eight steps as a connected change system rather than a checklist to complete once.
Participants learn to diagnose where momentum is weak, distinguish communication problems from structural barriers, identify what leadership must actively reinforce, and use evidence from implementation to adapt the change approach as circumstances evolve.
What your people take away
- Use Kotter's eight steps to diagnose the strength of an organizational change effort
- Build credible urgency without relying on fear or manufactured crisis
- Create a guiding coalition with enough influence, credibility and commitment to move the change
- Translate strategic direction into a vision and initiatives people can understand and act on
- Remove structural and behavioral barriers while generating visible evidence of progress
- Sustain momentum until the new way of working becomes embedded in organizational systems and norms
Shared with you
See the full session
Create your free Workbliss profile to see the rest of this outline and book it. It takes a minute, with your work email.
- What each length covers, 30 minutes to full day
- Everything that’s covered, part by part
- Book online, and browse 1,500+ more sessions for your teams
Already a member? Sign in
What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: Kotter's steps 1 to 4: build momentumA focused 30-minute session on three key points from Kotter's steps 1 to 4: build momentum: create a Sense of Urgency, build a Guiding Coalition and form a Strategic Vision & Initiatives.
- Create a Sense of Urgency
- Build a Guiding Coalition
- Form a Strategic Vision & Initiatives
Covers 3 of 4 points in Kotter's steps 1 to 4: build momentum.
60 minutes
60 Minutes — Use Kotter's 8 Steps to Understand Organizational ChangeA focused introduction to Kotter's change model. Participants understand the eight steps, diagnose where a real or realistic change initiative is currently strong or weak, and identify the next actions most likely to improve momentum.
- The eight-step change model
- Sense of urgency
- Guiding coalition
- Strategic vision
- Mobilization
- Barriers and wins
- Kotter Change Diagnostic
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 5 parts: Kotter's steps 1 to 4: build momentum and Kotter's steps 5 to 8: make change stick.
90 minutes
90 Minutes — Build a Stronger Change Strategy With KotterThe extended session applies all eight steps to an organizational transformation. Participants work through urgency, leadership alignment, vision, stakeholder mobilization, barriers, short-term wins, acceleration and institutionalization and build a practical change action plan.
- Change landscape
- Urgency
- Guiding coalition
- Strategic vision and initiatives
- Volunteer army
- Barrier removal
- Short-term wins
- Sustaining and embedding change
- Kotter Change Action Plan
- Live Q&A
Covers 3 of 5 parts: Kotter's steps 1 to 4: build momentum, Kotter's steps 5 to 8: make change stick and Apply Kotter to a Real Change Initiative.
3 hours
3 Hours — Kotter's 8-Step Change Model in PracticeBuilds on the 90-minute session, with more time to apply the Kotter model to a real or realistic workplace case and to explore the thinking behind it.
- Kotter's steps 1 to 4: build momentum
- Kotter's steps 5 to 8: make change stick
- Apply Kotter to a Real Change Initiative
- The Thinking Behind Kotter
- Applied workplace case
- Live Q&A
Covers 4 of 5 parts: Kotter's steps 1 to 4: build momentum, Kotter's steps 5 to 8: make change stick, Apply Kotter to a Real Change Initiative and The Thinking Behind Kotter.
Full day
Full Day — Kotter 8-Step Change Leadership LabA practical full-day workshop covering the complete Kotter model. Participants diagnose a real or realistic transformation, strengthen the case for change, map the guiding coalition, build the strategic vision, design mobilization, identify organizational barriers, define meaningful wins and create a plan for sustaining and embedding change.
- Module 1 — Create the Conditions for Change
- Module 2 — Create Direction & Mobilize People
- Module 3 — Remove Barriers & Build Evidence of Progress
- Module 4 — Sustain Momentum & Make the Change Stick
- Kotter 8-Step Diagnostic
- Urgency Case Builder
- Guiding Coalition Map
- Strategic Vision Canvas
- Stakeholder Mobilization Plan
- Barrier Removal Lab
- Short-Term Win Design
- Acceleration Review
- Institutionalization Map
- 90-Day Change Leadership Plan
- Live Q&A
Covers all 5 parts.
Also available as a 4-week or 8-week program, for change that lasts. Ask us about it.
What’s covered
Kotter's steps 1 to 4: build momentum
Every length- Create a Sense of UrgencyBuild a credible case for why movement matters now.
- Build a Guiding CoalitionCreate a sufficiently influential and committed group capable of leading the change.
- Form a Strategic Vision & InitiativesTranslate the change into a meaningful future direction and a manageable set of strategic initiatives.
- Enlist a Volunteer ArmyMobilize participation beyond the formal change team.
Kotter's steps 5 to 8: make change stick
60 minutes and longer- Enable Action by Removing BarriersRemove organizational conditions that make the desired change unnecessarily difficult.
- Generate Short-Term WinsCreate visible and credible evidence that the change is producing progress.
- Sustain AccelerationUse early progress to expand what works and continue removing obstacles.
- Institute ChangeEmbed the new behaviors into the systems, leadership practices and organizational norms that sustain everyday work.
Apply Kotter to a Real Change Initiative
90 minutes and longer- Create the ConditionsBuild credible urgency and assemble a guiding coalition with enough influence and commitment to lead the change.
- Create DirectionDefine the strategic vision and initiatives that show what the future should look like and where effort should focus.
- Mobilize the OrganizationEngage a wider network of employees and leaders who can translate the change into local action and ownership.
- Remove Barriers & Build WinsMake the new behavior easier to perform and generate credible evidence that the transformation is producing progress.
- Accelerate & EmbedUse implementation evidence to sustain momentum and align organizational systems and leadership practices with the new way of working.
The Thinking Behind Kotter
3 hours and longer- Urgency Must Be CrediblePeople are more likely to mobilize around evidence they trust than around exaggerated crisis messaging or pressure designed simply to create compliance.
- Change Requires More Than a SponsorA credible coalition combines formal authority with expertise, operational knowledge, informal influence and visible commitment.
- Vision Must Guide ActionA future-state statement becomes useful when employees and leaders can use it to make practical choices about priorities, behavior and implementation.
- Participation Is Different From AwarenessKnowing about the change does not mean people are actively helping to make it work.
Common Kotter Failure Modes
Full day only- Manufacturing UrgencyExaggerating risk or creating unnecessary fear can reduce trust.
- Building a Coalition on the Organization ChartFormal seniority alone does not create influence or commitment.
- Creating a Vision Nobody Can UseAbstract transformation language does little to guide everyday decisions if employees cannot tell what should actually be different.
- Confusing Communication With MobilizationSending more messages does not automatically create participation, ownership or the local problem-solving required for implementation.
Tools and materials
- Kotter 8-Step Diagnostic
- Urgency Case Builder
- Guiding Coalition Map
- Strategic Vision Canvas
- Volunteer Army Map
- Change Barrier Map
- Short-Term Win Canvas
- Acceleration Map
- Institutionalization Map
- Kotter Change Leadership Playbook
Who it’s for
- Leaders and managers responsible for organizational transformation
- HR, People and change teams supporting large-scale adoption
- Transformation and project leaders coordinating cross-functional change
- L&D and leadership teams building practical organizational change capability
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Kotter's 8-Step Change Model
How long is Kotter's 8-Step Change Model?
Kotter's 8-Step Change Model runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers three key points from Kotter's steps 1 to 4: build momentum: create a Sense of Urgency, build a Guiding Coalition and form a Strategic Vision & Initiatives. A 60-minute session covers Kotter's steps 1 to 4: build momentum and Kotter's steps 5 to 8: make change stick in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Apply Kotter to a Real Change Initiative. A 3-hour session adds The Thinking Behind Kotter. A full-day session adds Common Kotter Failure Modes. It is also available as a 4-week or 8-week program.
Can Kotter's 8-Step Change Model be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Kotter's 8-Step Change Model?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Kotter's 8-Step Change Model to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.