The first phase concentrates on helping people to acknowledge and recognise the need for change. This initial phase can often be overlooked or rushed, sometimes through the presumption that everyone understands the reasons for change and that all agree on the root problem. People need to be – literally – happy to leave the old ways behind and will end this phase on a high because they ‘own the problem’. As a change leader during this phase you will:

• Establish rapport
• Show empathy
• Understand the business
• Help diagnose the problem
• Focus on facts
• Challenge if necessary
• Deal with ‘denial’