Change Management Questionnaire Checklist: Overcome The 5 Main Reasons People Resist Change

Change Management Questionnaire Checklist
L. Beitsch11and J. Moran22
April 2017
Description:
Successful change comes from developing an organizational atmosphere that is creative, risk-
taking, enthusiastic, reflective, involved, and inspires people to change. To achieve this elusive
set of critical ingredients, the organization must create a positive change momentum that
contributes to a successful change process and that goes for quick wins. Building and sustaining
a conducive change environment cannot be achieved without careful planning before, during,
and after the change initiative. It requires the change leaders to be constantly inquiring how
things are going, if support is waning, identifying whether people are continually engaged, and
determining if clear mid-course adjustments are being made based on what is being heard, seen,
and sensed. Asking these questions will help to accelerate the change initiative.
Employees usually resist any change efforts, no matter how small, because of the following five
reasons3:3
1. Fear of the unknown/surprise

2. Mistrust
3. Loss of job security/control
4. Bad timing
5. An individual’s predisposition toward change
When to Use:
The Change Management Questionnaire Checklist should be used when an organization decides
to make a substantive change to an entrenched culture. When there is a need for change and a
desire to do it right the first time with proper planning, clear communication, thus reducing the
organizational fear of disrupting the status quo, the Change Management Questionnaire
Checklist can support these improvements by providing a list of guiding questions for discussion.
1 Leslie M. Beitsch, MD, JD, is Professor of Health Policy, Director of the Center for Medicine and Public Health,
and Chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine at the Florida State University College of
Medicine. He also is the former Chair of the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB).
2 John W. Moran, PhD, is Senior Quality Advisor to the Public Health Foundation and Senior Fellow in the Division
of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health. He is a previous member
of PHAB’s Evaluation and Quality Improvement Committee and Adjunct Professor at the Arizona State University
College of Health Solutions' School for the Science of Health.
3 Overcome the 5 Main Reasons People Resist Change, Lisa Quast, Forbes.com, November 26, 2012.
www.phf.org/QItools
Construction Steps:
1. The change leader should identify and describe why and how the organization needs to
change.
2. The change leader should define the objectives, goals and targets to be achieved, and by
when.
3. The change leader should develop a communication plan for the change, including a clear
concise message to be delivered to the organization.
4. Initiate a management-level change team, and task the team with the following:
a. Review the questions listed in the Change Management Questionnaire Checklist,
shown in the example.
b. Determine which questions are most applicable to this change initiative.
c. Add any other applicable questions at the end of the template.
d. Decide which of the questions should be asked before the change initiative
begins, and check the boxes accordingly.
e. Begin asking the selected questions to determine the organization’s readiness to
change. For each, determine if the answer is Yes, No, Maybe, or Not Applicable,
and check the corresponding box under the Readiness column.
f. Review the completed Checklist. For any questions where the answer is not
marked Yes, the team should determine how best to fill these gaps. Do not begin a
change initiative until gaps and barriers have been addressed, and has
organization-wide support.
5. Once the change initiative is underway, and periodically during the process, review the
checklist to assure there is continued support of the change initiative. As the questions
again “During Change,” to see if the answers have changed. This will assure that support
of the initiative is being maintained.
6. After the change initiative is completed, ask the questions marked as “After Change.” At
the end of the change initiative, all of the questions should be marked Yes.
www.phf.org/QItools
Change Management Questionnaire Checklist Template
When to Ask Readiness

Change Readiness Questions Before During After
Yes Maybe No N/A
Change Change Change
Change Vision and Message Questions:
Is there a clear vision of the change to be
made?
Is there a clear and concise message about
the change?
Can the change message be articulated to
all levels of the organization?
Is there sufficient passion for this change
for the team to be its champion?
Does the message fully and concisely
explain the value of the change?
Is the message believable to all audiences?
Is it clear what will change?

Does the team understand the scale of the
change, including potential unintended
consequences?
Is there an established a sense of urgency
for the need for this change?
Change Goals:
Is there goal clarity and knowledge of

exactly what to achieve?
Are the change goals realistic?
Are the goals believable?

Can the achievements and progress be
measured?
Is there goal alignment with the strategic
plan?
www.phf.org/QItools
Yes Maybe No N/A
Change Plan:
Is there a change plan that sets up a series
of quick wins to build momentum?
Is there a plan to deal with the technical
challenges of the change?
Are the right systems in place to support
the change?
Is there understanding of the adaptive
changes people will have to make?
Is there a plan to deal with these adaptive
changes?
Are these adaptive changes clear?
Is the discussion focused on the conceptual
side of the change (not the details of how
to do it)?
Management:
Is the management team on board and

ready to support the change?
Are people’s concerns being heard and
responded to, rather than dismissing them
or failing to “hear” them?
Will the management team roll-up their
sleeves and get fully involved?
Will senior management demonstrate a
behavior that is fully supportive of the
change initiative?
Do the employees have trust in the team?
Is there a way to anchor every change gain
made and not let it slip back to the old
status quo?
Have managers and supervisors been given
the information to really understand the
reason for the change?
Are managers and supervisors able to
translate that message to the people that
report to them?
www.phf.org/QItools
Yes Maybe No N/A
People and Change Teams:
Do people understand how the change will
impact them?
Do people understand what they will gain
and lose in this change?
Does the organization have the right talent
to make the change?
Does the organization have training
available to assist in the change?
Have people been given reasons to buy in
and be engaged with the change?
Have people overcome their resistance to
the change initiative?
Can people be held accountable for making
or not making the change?
Has the team received the coaching the
need to help make the change?
Is there an informed, passionate, and
engaged change team in place?
Barrier Removal:
Have barriers that derail change been

identified with a plan to remove them?
Have mid-management doubt and
resistance been eliminated?
Is there mid-management commitment to
the change initiative?
Have people’s fears been addressed in
tangible ways?
Your Other Questions:
www.phf.org/QItools

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What are the five main reasons employees usually resist change?

What are the steps to take when initiating an organizational change?

Change Management Questionnaire Checklist

1. Fear of the unknown/surprise

When to Ask Readiness

Is it clear what will change?

Is there goal clarity and knowledge of

Are the goals believable?

Is the management team on board and

Have barriers that derail change been

Your Other Questions:

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