Too often, change conversations start in the wrong place. Leaders jump straight to the solution: the new system, process, structure, or tool. It feels decisive and efficient.
But when we skip past the most important question — what do people really need? — We risk creating polished solutions to the wrong problems.
Why Needs Come First
Behind every failed transformation is a familiar story:
- A platform launched but adoption lagged.
- A restructure was announced but collaboration got worse.
- A process streamlined but customer experience did not improve.
What is missing here is not intelligence or intent. It is an insight into human needs.
Employees need clarity, trust, and the belief that their voice matters. Leaders need confidence that risks are understood and progress is visible. Customers need to know they will not be forgotten while the business looks inward.
When those needs are overlooked, even the smartest solution falls flat.
Case Study: The Cost of Skipping Needs
A large national organisation recently rolled out a new customer management system. The aim was simple: faster service, reduced duplication, and better insights. The system was robust and had all the right features. Yet within weeks, adoption stalled. Teams were frustrated. Productivity dipped. Service levels dropped.
When we were invited to review, the problem became clear. The solution had been designed around business goals, not people’s needs.
- Employees needed reassurance that the system would reduce their workload, not increase it.
- Managers needed clarity on new roles and responsibilities.
- Customers needed confidence that service would not be disrupted.
Because these needs had not been explored, the rollout felt imposed. Resistance grew, and the organisation faced the cost of retraining and rework.
By stepping back and refocusing on needs, the story changed. We engaged staff in redesigning workflows, simplified the system to match daily tasks, and reset communication around what success would look like. Within three months, adoption surged, staff confidence grew, and customer feedback turned positive.
The technology had not changed. The focus on human needs made all the difference.
The Win-Win Equation
A win-win approach does not mean compromise. It means curiosity.
Instead of rushing to prescribe, leaders pause to ask:
- What outcomes matter most to the people involved?
- What obstacles stand in their way?
- What does success feel like for them, not just look like?
By exploring needs first, leaders create the conditions for solutions that hold.
What Great Change Leaders Do Differently
The strongest change leaders share a discipline: they resist the urge to jump to solutions. Instead, they:
- Listen before they launch: they gather insights through readiness checks and conversations.
- Translate needs into design: they connect what matters to people with what matters to the business.
- Test and learn: they check if solutions meet real needs in practice, not just in theory.
By slowing down at the start, they speed up delivery. Resistance drops, adoption rises, and leaders spend less time reworking failed projects.
The Leadership Shift We Need
In a world that prizes speed, pausing to explore needs can feel uncomfortable. But it is the difference between change that is pushed at people and change that is embraced by them.
At Enable Change Partners, we call this the win-win shift: meeting both organisational goals and human needs so transformation delivers value that lasts.
A Question for Leaders
Before your next change initiative, ask yourself:
- Have we explored the needs of the people impacted, or are we rushing straight to solutions?
- What might change if we started by designing for people, not just processes?
- How would that affect the outcomes we expect?
Because the real key to winning is not speed, it is fit. And fit only happens when needs come first.