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COMPEL Glossary / adkar

ADKAR

Prosci's five-stage individual change model — Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement — that describes the sequence through which a single person adopts a change.

What this means in practice

Foundational model for AI change management because AI-transformation failures frequently trace to skipping a specific ADKAR stage (e.g., moving to Knowledge before Desire is built).

Synonyms

ADKAR model , Prosci ADKAR

Related Terms Network

This diagram shows how ADKAR connects to other concepts in the COMPEL body of knowledge. Each linked node is a term you can explore in turn.

Related terms for ADKAR Network graph showing 4 related glossary terms connected to ADKAR. ADKAR Kotter 8 S… Bridges Tr… Reinforcem… AI change …
4 related concepts connected to ADKAR.

The COMPEL Glossary Graph visualizes relationships between framework terminology, showing how concepts interconnect across domains, stages, and pillars. Term nodes cluster by pillar affiliation while cross-references reveal semantic dependencies — for example, how risk appetite connects to control effectiveness, model governance, and assurance requirements. This network representation helps practitioners navigate the framework vocabulary and understand that COMPEL terminology forms a coherent conceptual system rather than isolated definitions.

Accessible list of related terms
  • Kotter 8 Steps — John Kotter's organizational-level change method with eight sequenced steps: create urgency, build a guiding coalition, form strategic vision, enlist volunteer army, enable action by removing barriers, generate short-term wins, sustain acceleration, institute change.
  • Bridges Transition Model — William Bridges' three-phase psychological transition model — Ending (letting go of the old), Neutral Zone (disorientation and exploration), New Beginning (adoption of the new).
  • Reinforcement mechanism — A structured means by which behavior change persists after the formal transformation phase — incentives aligned to new behavior, visible leadership modeling, communities of practice, and continuous feedback loops.
  • AI change management — The discipline of preparing, supporting, and reinforcing people through AI transformation — distinct from project management (which manages tasks) and from the broader organizational change-management tradition (which is not AI-specific).

See also

  • Kotter 8 Steps — John Kotter's organizational-level change method with eight sequenced steps: create urgency, build a guiding coalition, form strategic vision, enlist volunteer army, enable action by removing barriers, generate short-term wins, sustain acceleration, institute change.
  • Bridges Transition Model — William Bridges' three-phase psychological transition model — Ending (letting go of the old), Neutral Zone (disorientation and exploration), New Beginning (adoption of the new).
  • Reinforcement mechanism — A structured means by which behavior change persists after the formal transformation phase — incentives aligned to new behavior, visible leadership modeling, communities of practice, and continuous feedback loops.
  • AI change management — The discipline of preparing, supporting, and reinforcing people through AI transformation — distinct from project management (which manages tasks) and from the broader organizational change-management tradition (which is not AI-specific).

Related articles in the Body of Knowledge