What Is Change Management?
Change management is a comprehensive, cyclic and structured approach for transitioning individuals, groups and organizations from a current state to a future state with intended business benefits. It focuses on the people side of change.
In Practice
Delivering a new system or process is only half the job; people must adopt it for benefits to materialize. Change management addresses communication, stakeholder engagement, training, and managing resistance so that the change sticks. It complements — but is distinct from — change control, which governs changes to the project itself.
PMBOK 8 Context
Change management aligns with the Stakeholder performance domain and the value orientation of the PMBOK Guide, 8th Edition. Do not confuse it with integrated change control handled by the change control board.
FAQ
Change management vs. change control? Change management helps people adopt a change; change control governs approving changes to scope, cost or schedule.
Why do change efforts fail? Most often because the human side — adoption, communication, leadership — is neglected.
Author: Tom, PMP-certified since 2004. Last updated: July 2026. Aligned with the PMBOK Guide, 8th Edition.