Driving organization-wide change isn’t about getting everyone on board at the same time. The most successful project leaders know where to focus first — and who to focus on.
In a recent Project Insight webinar, Diane Buckley-Altweis, PMP from Core Concepts, joined Steve West, CEO of Project Insight, and Mathew Sparkes, Product Champion at Project Insight, to outline 5 must-know steps that project managers can take to motivate their teams and drive lasting change.
These steps will help you align your goals, connect change to what matters most for your people, and start with the innovators and early adopters who will help you build momentum across your organization.
Step 1: Know Your KPIs.
Change without measurement is just guesswork. Project leaders need to start by identifying and communicating the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that matter most.
“KPIs give you the language of progress,” Diane shared. “Without them, it’s hard to celebrate wins or even know if change is working.”
Your KPIs set the foundation for your messaging and help connect your team’s efforts to real outcomes.
Step 2: Understand What Motivates Your Team.
Every team member is different — and effective change management starts by recognizing that.
Take time to learn what motivates your team members before change happens. Understand what they value — whether that’s recognition, skill development, or removing frustrations from their daily work.
Steve West added:
“People engage when they see how change connects to something that matters to them personally — not just the company.”
Step 3: Clarify the WHY.
As Diane emphasized, borrowing from Simon Sinek’s well-known framework, teams need clarity around the organization’s WHY.
Why is this change happening?
What problem are we solving?
How does this change benefit our customers, our business, or our people?
“When people see that this isn’t just a random decision, but part of a bigger vision — they’re much more likely to engage,” Diane said.
Step 4: Focus on Innovators & Early Adopters.
Rather than trying to convince skeptics first, project leaders should focus on those team members who are naturally open to new ideas.
Mathew Sparkes emphasized:
“Innovators and early adopters help you build momentum. They’ll test things, give feedback, and pull others along with them.”
These internal champions will often be the difference between stalled change and scaled adoption.
Step 5: Get to the Tipping Point.
As more team members see success and feel confident in the change, adoption spreads naturally.
This tipping point is where your efforts begin to scale:
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Celebrate success stories.
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Normalize the new way of working.
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Provide ongoing support for late adopters.
As Diane said:
“You’ll know you’ve hit the tipping point when the late adopters realize it’s harder not to change.”
Final Thought
Motivating teams for org-wide change doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when project leaders focus on the right people, connect to the right motivators, and guide their teams with purpose.
Start with these 5 must-know steps — and you’ll build the kind of momentum that makes change stick.