Photo Credit: www.priorlearning.ie
So, you have a workplace that needs a change management plan. You don't want the run of the mill, "Change because I said so" approach. You have lots of time and you would really enjoy the employees and teams interacting to see what transpires. What are your options?
"Bottom Up" Change Management
Bottom up change management plans are exactly what they sound like. The focus is on employee involvement, grassroots participation and empowering individuals at all levels to contribute to the change.
In a recent blog post by Adam C. on his blog Adams Home Stretch titled "My Hot Take on Optional Challenges is Cooling Off" he contemplates how to "sell" a client on creating optional challenges in a corporate Top Down change module and how hard it would be to justify the ROI.
This blog entry will look at the other side of Adam C's article; how to take one of the more popular Bottom-Up change models and incorporate optional challenges for employees based on a badging system in order to grow the employees knowledge base before the bottom up change meetings take place.
Knowledge is Power. Badges are Lightning in a Bottle
Whether it be Hiatt's ADKAR model, Gilbert's 6 box, Lewin's Force Field, or Kaizen's CMM, they all start with the employee being educated and aware of the potential issues within the system.
So, how does an employer motivate their team to WANT to learn? Dr. Jeni Cross in her Tedx Talk suggests that the most powerful motivator for employees is: Social Norms. Badges are a perfect way in which to tangible represent a change in or drive of social norms. When we integrate one of the most popular eLearning platforms like Linkedin and provide a framework of optional challenges from Theresa Hortsman's research (click here for article) we get a 3 pathway drive to employee learning that can be extrinsically incentivized by the employer.
Pathway Sample:
Pathway 1: The Knowledge Explorer
- Entry Level Badge- Curiosity Catalyst
- Mid- Level Badge- Interdisciplinary Investigator
- Capstone Badge- Learning Landscape Architect
- Entry level Badge- Discussion Dynamo
- Mid Level Badge- Knowledge Sharer
- Capstone Badge- Community Catalyst
- Entry Level Badge - Skill Sharpening Specialist
- Mid Level Badge- Problem-Solving Pro
- Capstone Badge- Impact Innovator
#HPT #ADKAR #Gilbert6box #Change_Model #badges #gamifiedbadges #Bottom_up_change_management #HPTISPI
I like how you flipped the conversation from justifying optional challenges in top-down structures to empowering employees from the ground up with a meaningful badge-based system. The integration of social norms and motivation adds a smart behavioral layer to the approach. In middle school classrooms, we often rely on gamified learning to spark engagement, but your post shows how the same principles can drive real transformation among adults too. It’s cool to think how this model could be adapted in educational spaces as well, especially with project-based learning. Thanks for the fresh perspective!
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