Ability

How to foster Ability to implement a change

© Prosci, Inc. All rights reserved.

 ADKAR – Ability 3
Contents
The Transition From Knowledge to Ability 4

Tactics for Fostering Ability 5

Day-to-Day Involvement of People Managers 5

Access to Subject Matter Experts 6

Hands-On Exercises During Training 6

Adoption and Performance Monitoring 7

Potential Resistance Forces and Challenges 8

Psychological Blocks 8
Table of

The Force of Habit 8

Limitations in Physical or Intellectual Capability 9

Time and Priorities 9

Availability of Resources 10

Final Thoughts 11

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 Ability

During an individual’s change process, results and outcomes first emerge at the Ability stage.
Individuals successfully achieve new behaviors and the future state starts to take shape. With
demonstrated Ability, change comes to fruition.

The five elements of the Prosci ADKAR® Model show the outcomes an individual must achieve
for a change to be successful: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement.
Ability is the fourth element.

Ability is turning Knowledge into action. Ability means tangibly applying and demonstrating
intellectual understanding in a real-world environment. Change leaders impact project success
by intentionally providing time, resources and coaching to help impacted employees develop
new skills and behaviors.

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 The Transition From
Knowledge to Ability

There is a distinct difference between knowing how to do something and being able to do it.
In fact, the gap between Knowledge and Ability can often be quite large. Athletics provide
one of the clearest examples of this gap. Most people understand the strategy and mechanics
for running one mile in under four minutes. Yet only a very small percentage of the population
will ever have the Ability to successfully execute that feat. The Knowledge of how to change is
often by itself insufficient to fully realize new behaviors proficiently.

In addition to training that imparts Knowledge, employees must also receive sufficient time and
tools to developing their own abilities. In order to successfully build new skills and behaviors,
most employees do best in a supportive environment where they can practice and where it is
safe to make mistakes.

Creating Ability is an individualized process. The time and steps involved vary from person to
person. Some individuals fall naturally into the new way of work, while others may not adjust
with the same ease.

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 Tactics for
Fostering Ability

As a change leader, there are a variety of tactics you can employ to help individuals successfully
develop the abilities they need to succeed and thrive in their changing environment. Effective
Ability-building tactics from Prosci’s benchmarking research follow below.

Day-to-Day Involvement of People Managers

The direct people managers of employees impacted by change play an important role as
coaches and advocates for change. These managers are often closest to employees and are,
therefore, the best line of defense for change and support for their teams as a change nears
implementation. People managers are problem solvers and supporters, teaching and mentoring
on the job.

As it relates to Ability, people managers must be able to:

• Provide one-on-one coaching to employees who are implementing new processes, tools and
job roles, effectively providing hands-on demonstrations and modeling the desired Ability.
Supervisors must be suitably trained and experienced in the change themselves and be on
hand to answer questions about the change as they arise.
• Establish a safe, supportive environment where employees can develop new skills and
practice new behaviors. Effective people managers encourage and support employees while
providing feedback and direction. Mistakes are a natural part of the learning process.
• Create feedback channels to identify gaps in processes or tools. Establishing a clear way for
employees to provide feedback quickly alerts supervisors to problems and enables them to
communicate them to the project and change management teams.

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One-on-one coaching will help supervisors identify any gaps, whether they are related to the
employee’s Ability or to a process, tool or system. If a people manager is not present during
this crucial phase, an employee who experiences difficulty may be more likely to abandon the
learning process, revert to old behaviors, or create work-arounds for performing the task.

Access to Subject Matter Experts

Subject matter experts are also key resources in
supporting and fostering Ability. Experts and
experienced employees help by providing additional
Knowledge when the question at hand is beyond
the employee’s or supervisor’s Knowledge. Some
companies set up a help desk where employees can
call with questions. Other companies provide names
and contact information for mentors or subject
matter experts. The key to making this work is letting
employees know where they can go to get help.

Hands-On Exercises During Training

Effectively designed training programs should include
hands-on activities that allow employees to test their
newfound Knowledge in different work scenarios.
Roleplay, simulations and actual hands-on work with
new tools and processes can greatly accelerate the
process of developing abilities.

Employees will feel more confident implementing

a change if they first receive the opportunity to
practice what they have learned in a safe and
controlled environment.

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Adoption and Performance Monitoring
Employees need feedback on what they are doing well
and which areas they need to improve. Equally, the
organization needs to know if people are adopting the
change as designed and if the implementation is going
according to plan. While employees are in the process
of developing Ability, it is essential to measure and
assess their adoption and proficiency.

Measuring adoption and performance provides

critical information to the organization. Assessments
provide information on where the change is succeeding,
so the organization can recognize and reinforce new
behaviors. Assessments also provide information about
where the change is not succeeding, so corrective action
and special tactics can be applied.

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 Potential Resistance
Forces and Challenges

Resistance forces and challenges may arise during Ability-building. Several common factors that
can impact a person’s Ability to implement change follow below.

Psychological Blocks
Each individual has their own set of different psychological barriers to overcome.
Some employees may have self-doubt relating to a particular change because of past
experiences or unique fears. They may be uncertain if they can really make a change happen
or wonder if they will ever be able to develop the required abilities. Psychological barriers to
change are complex and, although recognizable, the solution for overcoming them is often
personal and not always straightforward.

Fear of public speaking is a common example of how a psychological block can prevent
individuals from demonstrating their full potential. For some the fear can be paralyzing. Others
reflect back on their performance with frustration, aware that nerves prevented them from
performing at their best. And for a lucky few, there is no fear whatsoever.

The Force of Habit

Humans are physiologically wired for habit. Developing new skills and breaking old habits
requires developing new neural pathways in the brain. The more that existing habits directly
contradict new skills, the greater the barrier to developing Ability. Fighting these old habits can
become very frustrating. It can even limit previous Awareness of the need for the change and
Desire to participate in the change. Understanding that people are wired to revert to old habits
impacts how we approach fostering Ability. Have patience, expect efficiency dips, and allow time
as people work to build new habits.

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Limitations in Physical or
Intellectual Capability
Sometimes physical or intellectual limitations impact the speed
or proficiency at which an individual can demonstrate
a new skill. In the workplace, physical limitations may
include strength, physical agility, manual dexterity,
physical size and hand-eye coordination. For example,
a tremendous amount of effort may be required
for an individual with limited dexterity or arthritis
to meet the performance level required by a new
keyboard-based technology solution.

Individuals also possess unique skills that fall on

spectrums of intellectual Ability. While some individuals
have a talent for finance and math, others may excel in
innovation and creativity. Depending on the nature of the
change, individuals may have mental barriers to implementing
the change. For example, a change that requires analytical skills may present an intellectual
barrier to an individual who is unable to develop the required abilities around problem-solving
and data analysis. Alternatively, a change that requires employees to utilize emotional or social
intelligence may stretch analytical problem solvers beyond their natural capabilities.

Time and Priorities

Time is a precious commodity in the demanding pace
of businesses today. When competing priorities and
essential business operations dominate an employee’s
work schedule, it can be a challenge to provide the
time needed to build Ability in a new skill. Often
the time frame for implementing change is driven
by external factors, outside of the control of
people managers. If an individual cannot develop
the required abilities in the needed time frame,
the change may fail, even if the individual has the
potential to develop these abilities if given more time.
Change leaders must leverage a coalition of sponsors
across the organization to define the importance of the
change and help remove time and priority barriers.

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Availability of Resources
Resources that support Ability-building include financial support, personal coaching, and access
to mentors and subject matter experts. Properly functioning tools, technology and materials are
also essential to many change initiatives. When these resources are not available or not operating
effectively, an individual’s Ability to perform can be compromised.

During this developmental period, making the right resources available greatly enhances
development of new skills and abilities. Providing structured support for an individual during
this stage not only helps cultivate new skills, it can also address Knowledge gaps that reveal
themselves once the change is underway.

Prosci’s approach to change management

fosters end-user engagement, positioning
managers to lead their people through
change by engaging the intuitive ADKAR
Model. This flexible, scalable methodology
has been a game changer.

— April Hershman, Oshkosh

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 Final Thoughts

We have explored the difference between Knowledge and Ability and looked at the most
effective ways to support and assist employees as they build Ability. We have also explored
potential factors that might prevent a person from developing Ability.

Ability is not equivalent to Knowledge. It is not the automatic result of training. After enabling
Knowledge through well-designed training, change leaders must also ensure that employees are
given sufficient tools for building their own Ability and sufficient time to develop the new skills
and behaviors required by the change.

Ultimately, Ability manifests through demonstrated actions that allow true change to emerge
at both the individual and the organizational levels. Building Ability requires hard work and
practice from individuals who need to perform differently in a future state. Our role as change
leaders is to enable this process by providing the support and resources required to make
the change possible.

True and lasting change does not end with Ability, however. Humans are hard-wired to revert
back to the old way of doing things. The final eBook of the ADKAR series discusses the fifth and
last element of the Prosci ADKAR Model: “Reinforcement: How to Sustain a Change.”

Prosci and ADKAR are trademarks of Prosci, Inc.,

registered in the U.S. and other countries.

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