Introduction: why this action matters for adoption
Employees are more likely to keep trying a new way of working when they can see that it is working for people like them. In change-management terms, demonstrating successes and early wins is a reinforcement, recognition, and sustainment intervention: it helps people connect new behaviors to real progress, strengthens confidence, and reduces the risk of reverting to old habits. Prosci’s ADKAR model identifies Reinforcement as one of the outcomes needed to sustain individual change, and Kotter’s change framework emphasizes that short-term wins should be recognized and communicated early and often to maintain energy [Prosci, 2024a; Kotter]. (prosci.com) (kotterinc.com)
The action is not “good-news messaging.” Done well, it combines evidence, relatable stories, visible leader support, recognition, and honest dialogue. This matters because behavior change is influenced by understanding, reinforcement, skills, and role modeling [McKinsey, 2016]. (mckinsey.com.br)
What this action is and when to use it
Demonstrating successes and early wins means deliberately showing employees that the change is producing useful results. The proof may be a before-and-after metric, a demonstration of a new process, a customer story, a team example, a manager observation, or a peer explaining how they overcame a barrier.
Use this action when employees have moved beyond initial awareness and need confidence to adopt, repeat, or sustain the new behavior. It is especially useful after a pilot, during phased rollout, in hypercare after go-live, before expanding to a more resistant group, or when sponsors need proof that adoption is progressing. It should also be used when fatigue is rising, provided the evidence is honest and employees still have a way to raise concerns. CIPD guidance on employee voice stresses that effective voice requires channels supported by leaders and managers, not a single one-way initiative [CIPD, 2026]. (cipd.org)
Preparation: inputs, stakeholders, materials, timing, and decisions needed
Start with a clear definition of the change outcome. Prosci recommends measuring change through success criteria and adoption indicators such as speed of adoption, ultimate utilization, and proficiency [Prosci]. (prosci.com) For early wins, translate those into practical evidence: who is using the new process, what work is improving, what errors or delays are reducing, and what employees or customers are experiencing differently.
Involve the sponsor, project lead, data owner, people managers, change champions, communications partner, and representatives from the impacted group. Prepare a simple evidence pack: baseline, current result, story, demonstration, names or teams to recognize, unresolved issues, and next actions. Decide what counts as a valid win, who should deliver the message, how recognition will be kept fair, and what questions you are ready to answer.
Step-by-step facilitation guide
Define the win in behavioral terms. Link it to the new behavior you want repeated, not just to the project milestone. “The team is closing cases in the new workflow” is stronger than “the tool went live.”
Validate the evidence. Confirm the data with the process owner and test the story with employees who experienced it. Avoid using a metric that employees will immediately dispute.
Make the example relatable. Choose examples from the impacted group, not only from senior leaders or the project team. Kotter’s guidance says wins should be meaningful to others and visible enough to replicate or adapt [Kotter]. (kotterinc.com)
Brief managers and sponsors. Sponsors should explain why the win matters to the broader change. Managers should localize the message: what it means for this team, what to keep doing, and where help is available.
Show, do not just tell. Use a short demonstration, a before-and-after workflow, or a peer story. Combine one or two data points with a human example.
Recognize contributors specifically. Gallup and Workhuman identify high-quality recognition as fulfilling, authentic, personalized, equitable, and embedded in culture [Gallup & Workhuman, 2024]. (gallup.com) Recognize the behavior, not only the result.
Invite questions and name the gaps. A credible early-win session says, “Here is what is working, here is what is still hard, and here is what we are doing next.”
Close the loop. Capture barriers, update the change plan, and repeat the cadence. Sustainment requires ongoing action, not a one-time celebration [Prosci, 2024b]. (prosci.com)
Example: how this could be applied in a real change initiative
Imagine a company rolling out a new CRM process to sales and service teams. After two weeks, the pilot group has started entering customer follow-up notes in the new system instead of local spreadsheets. The project team can show that handoffs are easier, but some employees still worry the CRM takes longer.
The change manager facilitates a 20-minute team session. A frontline user demonstrates how she logs a customer note and how the service team can see it immediately. The sales manager shows a simple before-and-after handoff example. The sponsor thanks the pilot team for testing the process and names the specific behavior to continue: entering notes before the end of the customer interaction. The session ends with two honest points: mobile access is still slow, and a job aid will be updated by Friday. This turns the win into reinforcement, learning, and barrier removal.
Roles and responsibilities
Role | Responsibility |
Change manager | Selects evidence, designs the intervention, checks credibility, and captures follow-up actions. |
Sponsor | Connects the win to strategic outcomes and visibly recognizes the right behaviors. |
People managers | Translate the win for their teams, coach adoption, and surface resistance. |
Project lead/data owner | Provides accurate data and confirms what has genuinely improved. |
Change champions/early adopters | Demonstrate the change and share peer-level stories. |
Impacted employees | Test whether the win feels real, useful, and repeatable. |
HR/communications partner | Helps ensure recognition is inclusive, clear, and consistent. |
Common mistakes to avoid
Avoid celebrating installation instead of adoption. A system launch, training completion, or policy release is not an early win unless people are using it in the intended way.
Do not overclaim. If leaders present weak evidence as proof of success, employees may lose trust. McKinsey’s influence model highlights the importance of conviction and reinforcement, but conviction is damaged when messages feel disconnected from reality [McKinsey, 2016]. (mckinsey.com.br)
Avoid using the same enthusiastic voices every time. If only project insiders are featured, skeptical employees may dismiss the message. Also avoid public recognition that feels unfair, generic, or performative; recognition quality matters [Gallup & Workhuman, 2024]. (gallup.com)
Measures of success or adoption indicators
Measure whether the action changes confidence and behavior, not only whether people attended a session. Useful indicators include pulse-survey confidence, manager-reported readiness, number and quality of employee questions, reduction in repeated objections, usage of the new process, proficiency against the desired behavior, support-ticket themes, and business-process outcomes. Prosci’s adoption measures of speed, utilization, and proficiency are a useful starting point [Prosci]. (prosci.com)
Also track sustainment signals: whether managers continue reinforcing the behavior, whether teams can explain the benefit in their own words, whether barriers are being resolved, and whether new employees are taught the changed way of working.
Checklist for the change manager
Define the specific behavior or outcome the win proves.
Confirm the data source, baseline, and current result.
Select a relatable employee, team, or customer story.
Prepare the sponsor and managers with simple talking points.
Include what is working, what is still difficult, and what happens next.
Recognize contributors specifically and fairly.
Capture questions, resistance themes, and improvement actions.
Re-measure adoption after the intervention.
Optional reusable message outline
Subject: Early progress on [change name]: what is working and what we are improving
Opening: “We are starting to see evidence that [new behavior/process] is helping [team/customer/business outcome].”
Proof: “In [team/pilot area], [specific result or observation] has changed from [baseline] to [current state].”
Story: “One example comes from [role/team], where [person/team] used the new approach to [practical improvement].”
Recognition: “Thank you to [team/role] for demonstrating [specific behavior]. This is exactly the kind of adoption that helps us make the change stick.”
Honesty: “We also heard that [barrier] is still getting in the way. The next action is [owner/date].”
Call to action: “This week, please focus on [one behavior]. Managers will discuss questions in team huddles.”
References
Prosci. “Change Management Process.” Published July 1, 2024; updated August 20, 2025. https://www.prosci.com/blog/change-management-process
Prosci. “The Strategic Imperative of Sustainment in Change Management.” Published March 12, 2024; updated October 17, 2025. https://www.prosci.com/blog/sustainment-in-change-management
Prosci. “Change Management Success.” Date not stated. https://www.prosci.com/change-management-success
Kotter. “8 Steps to Accelerate Change in Your Organization.” Date not stated. https://www.kotterinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/8-Steps-eBook_2024-Update2.pdf
Basford, Tessa, and Bill Schaninger. “The Four Building Blocks of Change.” McKinsey, April 11, 2016. https://www.mckinsey.com.br/en/our-insights/the-four-building-blocks--of-change
CIPD. “Employee Voice.” Factsheet, April 6, 2026. https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/voice-factsheet/
Gallup and Workhuman. “The Human-Centered Workplace: Building Organizational Cultures That Thrive.” 2024. https://www.gallup.com/file/analytics/650567/Gallup-Workhuman_Human-Centered-Workplace-Report.pdf