228 Leading Change with Confidence: Interview with Karen Ball

Mar 14, 2025

As the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus observed, “The only constant in life is change.” While change in our personal and professional lives is inevitable, adapting to it can be difficult and often leads to feelings of resistance. When it comes to organizational change initiatives, the ADKAR® model – which stands for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement – is renowned for guiding successful change, beginning at the individual level. 

As a senior fellow at Prosci, the leading global change management research and training organization that developed the ADKAR model, Karen Ball has been helping individuals and organizations implement effective changes and achieve benefits not thought possible for over 40 years. Karen is an ACMP-certified Change Management Professional, a certified IDEO Design Thinking practitioner, and the author of Prosci’s latest publication, “The ADKAR Advantage: Your New Lens for Successful Change.” In addition to her role as an executive instructor, Karen continues to develop Prosci offerings and engage with clients as a change advisor, working with organizations such as UNICEF, Wells Fargo, Bose Corporation, and Dow Chemical. In Episode 228 of The Mindset Game® podcast, Karen shares the following: 

• An overview of the ADKAR model and examples of how it might manifest in different contexts, as well as how it relates to the communication and training processes involved in organizational change initiatives
• Tips for individuals who may be resistant to proposed changes, as well as techniques their leaders can use to support them
• How ADKAR functions as a sense-making and way-finding tool that can help create a sense of calm and clarity for both individuals and organizations navigating complex change
• Why it’s crucial for leaders to go through their own ADKAR journeys, as well as key steps that leaders must take in order to be effective sponsors of change  

To connect with Karen, find her on LinkedIn, or visit https://www.prosci.com to learn more about the ADKAR model and explore other resources.

To learn more about The Mindset Game® podcast, visit www.TheMindsetGame.com.

To subscribe to The Mindset Game® podcast or leave a review, please visit https://apple.co/3oAnR8I.