A coalition for change is a group of people with enough combined influence, expertise and trust to lead a change across departments. Start with a sponsor who holds a mandate and a stakeholder map, then choose the members. In John Kotter’s model, set out in Harvard Business Review in 1995 (hbr.org), the coalition follows a sense of urgency.
Quick Overview
What you will learn:
- What a guiding coalition is and where the term comes from
- What is known about how Kotter’s model is used in practice
- How to analyse stakeholders before choosing members
- Where to begin and in what order to act
Who this is for:
- Managers who have been asked to lead a change
- Change sponsors and board members
- HR specialists and transformation project managers
Reading time: 7 minutes
The guiding coalition in Kotter’s model
In his 1995 article (hbr.org), Kotter listed the mistakes that make corporate transformations fail and paired them with steps for leading change. Once a sense of urgency exists, the second step is forming a powerful enough guiding coalition. The rest follow in turn: a vision, communicating it, empowering others to act, short-term wins, consolidating gains and anchoring the change in the culture.
A note on the source: the author note on hbr.org mentions his company, which helps organisations lead change. We cite only the 1995 article, as the origin of the concept, and none of the company’s materials.
What we know about the model in practice
A 2021 systematic review by Harrison and colleagues (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) covered 38 studies of change management in health care, and Kotter’s model was the most frequently applied, in 19 of them. The authors note that the models served as guiding principles rather than step-by-step procedures. In one of the projects they describe, the coalition brought different groups together, including surgeons, nursing leaders, allied health staff and hospital administrators.
A more recent review by McDonnell and colleagues, published in 2026 and also indexed on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, looked at change around virtual care. Kotter’s 8-step model was again the framework most often used, frequently combined with other approaches. Strong leadership and good communication between all parties were common enablers. Common barriers included applying models in a strictly linear way, focusing on technology at the expense of people and processes, and lacking any way to monitor progress.
The takeaway outside health care: the model is a useful way to structure thinking about change, but it is no proof that a change will succeed. A coalition is a starting condition, not a guaranteed outcome.
Where to start from zero
- Secure a sponsor and a mandate. Before inviting anyone, make sure the change has a sponsor at board level who will give the coalition authority and resources. Without that, the coalition can only ask nicely.
- Map the stakeholders. APM (
www.apm.org.uk) describes stakeholder analysis as weighing each party’s power to change how things are done, their likely interest and how likely they are to support the work. It also notes that supporters can help win over those who are not yet convinced. - Choose the members. Our recommendation is to combine formal authority (people who decide on budgets and staff), expertise in the area being changed, and informal influence: people whose opinion carries weight in their teams. Make sure the departments most affected are represented.
- Hold a first working session. Agree why the change is needed now, what it aims to achieve and how the coalition will make decisions. Without a shared answer to “why”, the group can easily split at the first clash of priorities.
- Appoint change agents. Name people inside teams who carry information both ways, explaining the change to colleagues and bringing their questions and concerns back.
- Set a rhythm and track progress. Agree on regular coalition meetings and a simple way to monitor progress, so that problems surface early rather than at the end.
Roles in the coalition
- The sponsor grants the mandate and resources and settles conflicts the coalition cannot resolve on its own.
- The change lead runs the coalition day to day and owns the plan.
- Coalition members bring influence in their own areas and take decisions on behalf of the change.
- Change agents work inside teams, close to the people the change affects.
- Line managers translate the change into everyday work for their staff.
Common mistakes
- A coalition drawn from one department, deciding for the whole organisation without seeing the effects elsewhere.
- Job titles only: formal heads sit at the table, but nobody the teams actually trust.
- A coalition on paper: the list of names exists, but the group never meets or decides.
- Ignoring the sceptics: stakeholder analysis stops at the allies, and doubters’ concerns never reach the coalition.
Read Also
- The change sponsor role in a transformation project: a complete guide
- Resistance to change and how to work with it
- Stakeholder management in IT projects: roles and responsibilities
Build Your Skills
Two courses go further: Kotter’s 8-step model of change walks through the model’s steps, including building the guiding coalition, and The manager as a leader of change focuses on a manager’s role in taking people through change. Get in touch and we will tailor the scope to your organisation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does organisational change management involve?
Taking people and the organisation from where they are to where they need to be in a planned way: explaining why the change is needed, building support and making new ways of working stick. It combines an action plan with work alongside the people the change affects.
What are the stages of a change process?
That depends on the model. In Kotter’s model, published on hbr.org and the most frequently applied one in the health care studies reviewed on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, the order is: urgency, guiding coalition, vision, communicating the vision, empowering action, short-term wins, consolidation and anchoring the change in the culture.
How do you manage stakeholders in a change?
By systematically identifying, analysing and planning how to engage the people and groups who are affected by the change or can influence it. APM on www.apm.org.uk suggests weighing their power, interest and likely support, and gives the sponsor a key role in that work.
Which tools help when managing change?
The basics are a stakeholder map, a communication plan, a change plan with owners and deadlines, and regular progress reviews by the coalition. Tools give the work structure, but they cannot replace a sponsor or people the teams trust.