Flake Happens

The other day I opened a Flake. True to its name and nature, it went everywhere, and I was instantly annoyed with it. I wanted it to behave differently and, subconsciously, assumed it would. Just like when we throw new tech at people - some of whom may have been working the same way for 30 years. It’s easy to think, "I want them to work differently," but we don’t consider how we want them to work differently or how to help them.

Implementing change isn’t just about assuming people will simply do something differently because they’ve been trained on a new tool. Successful adoption takes an approach that considers the impact from the very start. It requires understanding people, a willingness to support them and ultimately a shift in mindset. It’s a process, not dissimilar to grief - there’s resistance, adjustment and eventual acceptance.

To illustrate this to clients better, we’ve mapped out a model that combines Maslow’s hierarchy of needs with the ADKAR framework for change adoption. It shows the different stages people go through, from resisting the change entirely to fully embracing it—and how increasing change management effort makes a difference.

The key takeaway? Change doesn’t happen just because we want it to. It happens when we invest in understanding, guiding and supporting people through it.

Businesses that acknowledge this aren’t just smoothing out adoption challenges they’re unlocking higher performance, engagement and innovation. When people move beyond survival mode to full adoption (or self-actualisation), they stop seeing change as a disruption and start using it to create real impact.

And that brings me back to the Flake! Maybe if I’d held the wrapper closer, supported it better and anticipated the chaos, I wouldn’t have ended up covered in chocolate dust. Change, like a Flake, works best when it’s properly handled.