Definition

In an APC context, leading through change means actively guiding a team through a planned or reactive organisational transition, maintaining performance, morale and professional standards whilst embedding new ways of working. The most widely cited frameworks are Kotter’s 8-Step Model (1996) and the Prosci ADKAR model, which frames individual change as a sequence of Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement.

Why this matters for Business Planning

  • Level 1 knowledge: you must be able to name a recognised change-management framework and explain why structured approaches outperform ad hoc responses.
  • Surveying practices face continual change: mergers, new software platforms and market downturns all require managed transitions.
  • Poorly handled change is a leading cause of staff turnover, which directly affects fee-earning capacity and profitability.
  • Candidates who can evidence leading or supporting a change initiative demonstrate management competence that assessors look for at senior levels.

Key principles

Kotter’s 8-step model

Kotter’s model provides eight sequential steps: create urgency; build a guiding coalition; form a strategic vision; enlist a volunteer army; enable action by removing barriers; generate short-term wins; sustain acceleration; and institute the change in culture. Its practical value is that it treats change as a social process requiring visible leadership at every stage, not just a project management exercise.

Communication and managing resistance

Communication failure is the primary reason change programmes collapse. A team facing a merger or restructure needs clear answers to four questions: what is changing, why, by when, and what does it mean for them individually. Resistance is a normal response: its source must be understood before it can be addressed. Training resolves skill anxiety; workload analysis resolves capacity concerns; clear evidence of external pressure resolves scepticism about urgency.

Embedding change and avoiding regression

Kotter’s final step, institutionalising change, is the one most commonly skipped. New processes must be reinforced through updated procedures, performance reviews and management role-modelling, or teams revert to old habits within months. In a surveying practice this means updating standard operating procedures, revising fee-earning targets to reflect new workflows, and recognising staff who champion the change.

Relevant RICS guidance and legislation

  • RICS Rules of Conduct (effective 2 February 2022) — Rule 2 (competent service) and Rule 4 (respect) apply during periods of change.
  • Equality Act 2010 — restructuring must not discriminate on protected characteristics; redundancy selection criteria must be defensible.
  • Employment Rights Act 1996 — governs redundancy consultation, notice periods and statutory redundancy pay.
  • Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 — employer duties include managing mental health risks, which heighten during organisational uncertainty.

Ethics and Rules of Conduct angle

Rule 4 of the RICS Rules of Conduct requires members to respect others and encourage diversity and inclusion. The pressure to restructure quickly can tempt leaders to bypass proper consultation or communicate selectively. A member who discriminates in redundancy selection or permits a culture of fear during transition risks breaching Rule 4 and the Equality Act 2010. Rule 2 also applies: a senior member who lacks the management capability to lead change responsibly should seek guidance rather than improvise.

APC-style Q&As

Q (Level 1)Name a recognised change-management framework and briefly describe its purpose.

Kotter’s 8-Step Model provides a sequential structure for leading organisational change, from creating urgency and building a coalition through to embedding the change in culture. Its key insight is that change is a social process requiring active leadership at every stage, not just project management.

Q (Level 1)Why do change programmes often fail?

The most common causes are insufficient communication, underestimated resistance, and failure to embed the change once introduced. Teams fill information vacuums with rumour, unaddressed resistance compounds, and new behaviours regress if not reinforced through updated processes and management role-modelling.

Q (Level 2)How would you manage a team member who is actively resisting a new practice management software system?

The candidate would begin by seeking to understand the source of the resistance through a one-to-one conversation. If it is a skill concern, targeted training should be arranged and the individual paired with a confident user. If it is a philosophical objection, the business case should be shared clearly, including efficiency gains and client-facing benefits. Clear expectations about the adoption timeline should be set whilst remaining supportive throughout.

Q (Level 2)What legal obligations does an employer have when making staff redundant as part of a restructure?

Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, an employer must carry out a fair selection process using objective criteria, provide the statutory minimum notice period and pay statutory redundancy pay to qualifying employees. Where 20 or more redundancies are proposed within 90 days, collective consultation under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 applies, requiring at least 45 days’ consultation with employee representatives.

Q (Level 3)Your firm has announced a merger. You are asked to lead the integration of your team of five surveyors into the new structure. What is your approach?

(example) I would begin with individual conversations to understand each team member’s concerns before any public messaging. Using Kotter’s framework, I would build a clear narrative about why the merger benefits the team and clients, identify change champions, map key milestones, and create short-term wins by resolving practical irritants quickly such as IT access and desk allocation. I would establish a regular check-in rhythm to surface issues before they escalate, and maintain transparent communication with the acquiring firm’s leadership throughout so that integration is coordinated rather than improvised.