In today’s fast-paced and uncertain environment, Irish organisations are navigating some of the most complex challenges in recent memory.
From global economic pressures and technological disruption to climate change and shifting workforce expectations, change is no longer a temporary disruption—it’s a constant.
Yet while strategies, structures and systems may shift overnight, people don’t.
One of the most overlooked aspects of successful organisational transformation is understanding how individuals respond to change on a psychological level. Leaders often assume that if the strategy is sound and the benefits are clear, people will follow. But decades of research in organisational psychology tell us something different: how people experience and respond to change varies greatly—and predictably.
That’s why the Change Style Indicator® 2 (CSI 2) is such a powerful tool for leaders, managers, and teams. It gives organisations a research-based framework for understanding change preferences—a crucial, and often invisible, factor in whether change efforts succeed or stall.
Understanding the Change Style Indicator® 2
Originally developed by Dr. Don Harrison and later refined and validated through decades of research, the Change Style Indicator® is a psychometric assessment that measures an individual’s preferred style in approaching change.
The tool identifies three primary styles:
1. Conservers
These individuals value tradition, stability, and order. They tend to prefer gradual, methodical change and are cautious about potential risks. They’re the “let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater” thinkers.
- Strengths: Maintain continuity, reduce chaos, manage risk
- Challenges: May resist change perceived as too radical or fast
2. Pragmatists
Situated in the middle of the spectrum, Pragmatists focus on practical outcomes. They assess the change based on its merits, context, and feasibility rather than ideology.
- Strengths: Flexible, realistic, outcome-focused
- Challenges: May struggle when pushed to take a clear stance or when team polarisation occurs
3. Originators
These are the big thinkers, disruptors, and innovators. They are energised by bold change and enjoy challenging the status quo.
- Strengths: Visionary, creative, forward-thinking
- Challenges: May move too quickly for others, risk alienating more cautious stakeholders
The CSI 2 is not a personality test—it is a situational preference tool. One of its most valuable features is that it doesn’t label anyone as “right” or “wrong”—instead, it offers insight into how different styles can complement or clash with one another during periods of change.
The tool has been rigorously validated across diverse industries and cultures, and it’s particularly powerful when used alongside team development, change management training, and leadership coaching.
Change Preferences in the Irish Organisational Context
So, why does all of this matter now—especially in Ireland?
1. A Rapidly Changing Economic Landscape
Irish businesses are currently navigating inflation, talent shortages, and a recalibrating global economy. From SMEs to multinationals, the pressure to restructure, automate and innovate is intense.
Understanding how employees feel about these shifts is essential.
2. Sustainability and ESG Pressures
Ireland is committed to the EU’s ambitious climate goals, and organisations are being challenged to rethink their business models. For Conservers, this may feel threatening to established practices.
For Originators, it’s an exciting opportunity to reinvent. Leaders must manage both reactions.
3. Political and Social Dynamics
From housing policy to immigration, and from hybrid work models to cultural change, Irish society is evolving.
Organisations with a strong sense of psychological safety and inclusivity—where diverse change styles are understood and respected—will be better placed to thrive.
4. A New Generation of Workers
Millennials and Gen Z are entering the workforce with high expectations for purpose, flexibility and voice.
Often more Originator-leaning, they can clash with more conservative organisational cultures unless leaders facilitate dialogue between styles.
How Leaders Can Use CSI 2 to Build Change-Ready Teams
The true value of CSI 2 lies not just in self-awareness, but in team awareness.
Leaders who understand their own style can better anticipate blind spots—while those who understand their teams’ preferences can design more inclusive and effective change strategies.
Practical applications include:
- Team Workshops to explore different change styles and how they manifest in current projects
- Leadership Coaching to help senior teams align on messaging and pace of change
- Change Readiness Diagnostics before a major transformation initiative
- Conflict Resolution when style differences create tension
In our experience at KinchLyons, once teams begin to understand their natural change preferences, a powerful shift happens: conflict turns into curiosity, and resistance becomes resource.
