6 Questions to Ask Before Rolling Out Your Next Big Organizational Change

Some ideas sound brilliant in the boardroom - like pasta with Nutella. They’re bold. Different. Attention-grabbing.But when the people who have to “taste” the change finally experience it, reactions can shift from curiosity to confusion, and even to active resistance.

Organizational change can take many forms:

• Restructuring or downsizing

• A new technology platform or system upgrade

• A merger or acquisition

• Strategic shifts in product, market, or culture

• Company-wide process overhauls

  
  

Research consistently shows that most organizational changes fail to meet their goals, with failure rates often cited at 60–70% (Kotter, 1996; Beer & Nohria, 2000). Why? Because leaders underestimate the human, cultural, and operational complexity of change.

Before you launch your next significant initiative, pause and ask yourself these six critical questions. Each section combines academic insight with practical action steps so you can turn a risky experiment into a sustainable transformation.

1. Does it align with our culture and values?

Edgar Schein (2010) describes culture as the shared assumptions and norms that guide behavior. If your change clashes with these norms, it will meet resistance — not because it’s bad, but because it feels like an attack on “how we do things here.”

Example: A company that has always rewarded individual performance suddenly shifts to a fully team-based bonus structure without explanation. Even if the new system is fairer, employees accustomed to personal recognition may see it as a loss, not a gain.

How to do it:

• Map it out: List your organization’s stated values and unwritten rules. Compare them with the behaviors your change will require.

• Test the waters: Share the idea with a diverse group of employees and listen for cultural friction points.

• Address the gap: If there’s misalignment, either adapt the change to fit the culture or clearly explain why the culture itself needs to evolve.

  
  

2. How will it impact trust and engagement?

 William Kahn’s (1990) research shows that engagement relies on psychological safety, meaning, and the availability of resources. Suddenly, a poorly explained change threatens all three, leading to lower productivity and morale.

Example: A manufacturing company implements a new shift schedule with no employee input. The result? Higher absenteeism, lower morale, and an exodus of skilled staff.

How to do it:

• Measure first: Use quick surveys or informal interviews to understand current sentiment.

• Target your message: Identify the groups most impacted and create tailored communication for them.

• Stay present: Have leaders and managers visible during the rollout to maintain trust through open dialogue and empathy.

  
  

3. Do we have evidence that it will work here?

Briner, Denyer, & Rousseau (2009) argue for evidence-based management — using the best available data to guide decisions. What succeeded in one organization may fail in another due to context, resources, or market differences.

Example: A retail chain copied a competitor’s new customer service model without piloting it. The competitor’s urban store model flopped in the chain’s rural locations due to differences in customer behavior.

How to do it:

• Run a pilot: Test the change with one unit or department.

• Collect real data: Track quantitative metrics (KPI changes, ROI) and qualitative input (employee and customer feedback).

• Adapt before scaling: Use pilot results to refine the change and avoid large-scale failure.

  
  

4. Have we planned for short-term disruption and long-term gains?

Kotter (1996) highlights the “implementation dip” — the short-term drop in performance after a change is introduced. Without preparation, leaders may panic and abandon the initiative prematurely.

Example: A company introduces a new ERP system to improve efficiency. For the first three months, productivity plummets as employees learn the system. Because leaders anticipated the dip, they provided extra support and temporary staff, leading to eventual productivity gains.

How to do it:

• Scenario plan: Identify possible short-term disruptions for the first 30–90 days.

• Support structures: Arrange extra training, phased rollouts, or backup staff.

• Communicate the curve: Inform employees that the dip is expected and temporary, and provide a roadmap for recovery to support this.

  
  

5. Are leaders equipped to lead the change?

Armenakis & Harris (2009) found that employees trust direct supervisors more than top-down communications. If managers can’t explain the “why” or manage resistance, change efforts stall.

Example: During a restructuring, one department’s manager could clearly explain the business

reasons and career opportunities, while another manager avoided the topic entirely. The first team stayed engaged; the second became anxious and disengaged.

How to do it:

• Brief early: Give managers information and tools before the public rollout.

• Equip them: Provide talking points, FAQs, and training on handling tough questions.

• Model behavior: Coach leaders to show commitment through their actions, not just words.

  
  

6. How will we track and adapt in real time?

Weick & Quinn (1999) describe change as an ongoing, adaptive process. Without feedback loops, you risk sticking with a flawed plan or missing opportunities for improvement.

Example: A company launched a flexible work policy and initially allowed teams to decide their schedules. After feedback revealed coordination problems, they adjusted to core hours that balanced flexibility with collaboration.

How to do it:

• Set review points: Schedule 30/60/90-day check-ins to assess progress.

• Track broadly: Measure both hard metrics (productivity, cost savings) and soft indicators (morale, collaboration).

• Close the loop: Share with employees what changes were made because of their feedback.

  
  

Bottom line

Organizational change is not about being the most creative person in the room - it’s about aligning vision with reality, preparing for the messy middle, and adapting along the way. By asking these six questions, leaders can avoid serving their organization a “pasta with Nutella” moment - flashy but ill-fitting - and instead create a transformation that sticks.

References

• Armenakis, A. A., & Harris, S. G. (2009). Reflections: Our journey in organizational change research and practice. Journal of Change Management, 9(2), 127–142.

• Beer, M., & Nohria, N. (2000). Cracking the code of change. Harvard Business Review, 78(3), 133–141.

• Briner, R. B., Denyer, D., & Rousseau, D. M. (2009). Evidence-based management: Concept cleanup time? Academy of Management Perspectives, 23(4), 19–32.

• Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692–724.

• Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Harvard Business School Press.

• Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.

• Weick, K. E., & Quinn, R. E. (1999). Organizational change and development. Annual Review of Psychology, 50, 361–386.