10 Steps to Making Change "Sticky"

Change is easy to announce—but difficult to sustain. Many transformation efforts launch with energy, only to stall or fade weeks later. Why? Because the change wasn’t embedded.

Sustainable change requires more than a plan—it requires insight into human behavior and the ability to turn that insight into lasting habits. Whether you’re launching a new system, shifting strategy, or building new leadership habits, these 10 steps will help make change truly stick.

1. Honor the Culture You Have

Before introducing change, acknowledge what already works. Recognizing cultural strengths builds trust and helps people see change as evolution—not rejection.

2. Assess and Develop Management Behaviors

Front-line managers are the linchpin of lasting change. Assess their readiness and invest in development that prepares them to lead through uncertainty. When managers grow, their teams follow.

3. Influence a Critical Mass

You don’t need everyone on board right away. Focus first on early adopters and influencers who can create momentum and shape culture from within.

4. Use Behavior Science to Guide Your Approach

Change fails when it ignores human psychology. Understand how habits form, how resistance shows up, and how to build intrinsic motivation into your strategy.

5. Connect to Personal Motivations

People don’t commit to change because they’re told to—they commit because it matters to them. Help each person connect the change to their own values, role, and goals.

6. Coach Through Personal Storytelling

Storytelling is one of the most effective ways to inspire and influence. Share your own journey of change—challenges, missteps, and moments of growth. Authentic stories build trust and encourage personal reflection.

7. Model the Change You Want to See

Change must be visible. Leaders need to walk the talk—in how they run meetings, give feedback, and make decisions. If it’s not seen, it won’t be believed.

8. Embed Change in Daily Routines

Make change part of how work gets done. Integrate new behaviors into check-ins, KPIs, and performance conversations. Consistency turns intention into habit.

9. Reinforce and Recognize Progress

Positive reinforcement speeds adoption. Celebrate visible examples of the new behavior and provide regular, targeted feedback. Recognition builds momentum—silence stalls it.

10. Use Informal Moments to Reinforce Messages

Hallway chats, quick huddles, impromptu calls—these unstructured moments are powerful opportunities to echo the change. Repetition in small moments drives cultural memory.

Final Thought

Real change doesn’t happen in kickoff meetings—it happens in daily decisions, conversations, and actions. Leaders who understand this treat change not as a campaign, but as a habit. When change becomes part of how people work and interact every day, it doesn't just launch—it lasts.