In change management, the Four Rooms of Change, also known as the Four-Room Model, is one of the most powerful tools. This concept provides everyone in an organization with a common language and shared understanding of the challenges that accompany change.
Change management involves leading, supporting, and structuring an organization and its employees through a transition from the current state to the desired future state.
It’s easy to think that change is limited to individual initiatives. However, most of us have come to realize that change is a constant in nearly every organization. That’s why you need tools that work over time, not just for individual projects.
How does the Four-Room Model work in practice?
An important—and often overlooked—part of change management is taking into account both human needs and the expected benefits. Whether you’re facing a digital transformation, a cultural shift, or the introduction of new ways of working, you need a clear method that supports both leaders and employees.
Historically, change management has often focused on implementing change at almost any cost. Employees have been steamrolled, and this has been disguised behind terms like “buy-in.” The Four Rooms of Change offers a different approach. The model identifies the driving forces and motivations of individuals and groups and helps you take them into account.
The result? Everyone in the organization has the opportunity to articulate their experiences and the experiences of others. As a result, a shared understanding of the change emerges, as well as an understanding of the change’s actual goals and purpose.
Why is change management challenging?
Change often sparks uncertainty, resistance, and even change fatigue. You’re probably familiar with this situation: The pace is fast, there are many initiatives, and energy runs out somewhere in the middle of the process.
The Four-Room Method provides change leaders with the tools to manage this natural resistance. It doesn’t steamroll anyone. On the contrary, the method is designed to highlight differences, obstacles, and opportunities. You gain the ability to see and address issues that often remain hidden in change processes.
Throughout history, many have tried to suppress differences, believing it would facilitate change. However, it is the visibility and management of these differences that are the prerequisites for success.
Change management requires change competence.
The Four Rooms Model is a framework for understanding and managing change
The Four Rooms of Change describes how people cope with change and development. It was developed by Swedish psychologist Claes Janssen based on his research at Stockholm University. At its core is a four-part model illustrated as four rooms through which individuals and groups move during change:
- Contentment: Security and balance.
- Self-censorship: uncertainty and hesitation.
- Confusion and conflict: a sense of chaos and stress.
- Inspiration and renewal — energy and new solutions.
Understanding these phases allows you, as a leader or change agent, to better support employees and create the conditions for a successful change process. The Four-Room Model is a practical model that helps you identify where people are in the process and tailor your support accordingly.
Why should you use the Four-Room Model?
It is based on Swedish research and has been used by organizations of all sizes around the world for over 40 years. Since the 1990s, companies, public sector organizations, and nonprofits have applied the model. IKEA, for example, has used the concept since 1996. The model is useful for people who work with development and change within an organization, want to understand and manage individual and collective reactions to change, or need tools to foster engagement and participation in the change process.
Learn more and get certified in the Four Rooms of Change
To use the model and its analytical instruments professionally, you need to become certified. There’s also a practical reason: The Four Rooms of Change is a registered trademark. The analysis tools, models, and resources may therefore only be used by certified users.
Certification gives you access to the entire concept, including the model, analysis tools, and proven methods that help you lead change in a structured and effective way.
Who can get certified?
- Change leaders, trainers, consultants, and therapists.
- Managers, HR specialists, project managers, and others who work with organizational development.
- Anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of how people cope with change can also become certified.
Curious about the next step? Read more about the certification process and how to get started.
The Four Rooms of Change® is a registered trademark in Sweden and many other parts of the world. This means that only certified users can use the various trademarks, as well as the texts, concepts, analytical tools, and models developed within the framework of the theory. Learn more about the rights to use the Four Rooms of Change.
Photo
Vitaly Gariev, Unsplash.