Implementation That Sticks. Not Just Installs.
Most change initiatives install new systems, processes, or structures. Far fewer achieve genuine adoption. IMA Worldwide's AIM consulting closes the gap between installation and implementation, diagnosing what stands in the way, closing it with precision, and leaving your leaders capable of sustaining results on their own.
Accelerating Implementation Methodology (AIM) is a structured, research-based change management system developed by Don Harrison, founder of IMA Worldwide. AIM closes the gap between installing a change and achieving sustained behavioral adoption.
Change management consulting with AIM focuses on closing the gap between installation and implementation. Unlike approaches that stop at communication and training, IMA Worldwide's Accelerating Implementation Methodology provides a structured system for building leadership sponsorship, aligning reinforcement, and diagnosing readiness barriers before they become adoption failures.
Installation Does Not Equal Implementation
Don Harrison, creator of the Accelerating Implementation Methodology and founder of IMA Worldwide, built AIM around a single distinction: installation is deploying a solution; implementation is achieving real behavioral adoption. They are fundamentally different challenges requiring different disciplines.
Organizations announce the change, deliver training, hit go-live on schedule, and six months later, the old behaviors return. The reason is rarely poor planning. According to long-running McKinsey & Company research, roughly 70% of large-scale transformations fail to achieve their original objectives. It is a failure to close the adoption gap.
The AIM principle: Every change creates an adoption gap. Closing it requires diagnosing root causes, not applying a standard communication template. Without diagnosis, you are prescribing before you have examined the patient.
What change management consulting services does AIM offer?
AIM offers six change management consulting service lines: Strategy Execution, Digital Transformation, Culture Change, Leadership Development, Operational Efficiency, and M&A Integration. Each applies the same diagnostic discipline: identify the adoption gap, address root causes, build internal capability.
Strategy Execution
Translate strategic intent into the specific behavioral changes required at every level, then build the adoption infrastructure to sustain momentum through implementation.
Digital Transformation
Integrate change management directly into your digital program, addressing adoption risk before go-live and closing resistance gaps that undermine ROI after deployment.
Culture Change
Identify which behaviors must shift, who holds influence over them, and what reinforcement structures must be in place to make new norms stick.
Leadership Development
Develop leaders as effective change sponsors equipped to demonstrate visible commitment, build coalitions, and remove barriers between installation and implementation.
Operational Efficiency
Support Lean, Six Sigma, and Agile programs by building the behavioral adoption plan alongside the technical implementation plan.
M&A Integration
Sequence adoption work, manage combined-entity resistance, and preserve the talent and culture value the deal was designed to capture.
How does an AIM engagement work?
Every IMA Worldwide engagement follows the same four-phase backbone: Diagnose, Design, Deliver, and Sustain. The model scales from a twelve-week readiness diagnostic to a multi-year enterprise transformation, with scored AIM diagnostics applied at each milestone.
Diagnose
Implementation history, sponsorship strength, and target readiness. We baseline the risk before recommending an approach.
Design
AIM-aligned implementation architecture, sponsor cascade, and reinforcement plan tied to your business case for action.
Deliver
Embedded practitioners and certified internal teams drive adoption from kickoff through go-live, with diagnostics at every milestone.
Sustain
Reinforcement calendars, capability transfer, and EMR-grounded behaviors that keep change alive long after the project closes.
What makes AIM consulting different?
AIM consulting differs from conventional change management in three ways: it transfers capability rather than creating consultant dependency, it measures behavioral adoption rather than activity, and it diagnoses the specific adoption gap before prescribing solutions.
Capability, Not Dependency
AIM is designed to transfer the skills, tools, and mindset to your internal teams so they can run future changes independently. The measure of a successful engagement is that you need us less over time, not more.
Behavioral Precision
AIM measures adoption at the behavioral level, not the activity level. We track change across three dimensions using the Express, Model, Reinforce (EMR) model so leaders see exactly where the gap is closing.
Diagnosis Before Prescription
Every engagement begins with structured diagnosis of the specific adoption gap: which groups, which behaviors, which barriers. The plan addresses the real problem, not a templated program.
How do you choose a change management consulting firm?
Choose a change management consulting firm on five criteria: the depth of its methodology, how it builds executive sponsorship, how it measures adoption, whether it transfers capability to your team, and the track record behind its approach. Research from the Project Management Institute consistently links strong change management to higher project success, so the partner you select directly affects whether your investment delivers.
Diagnosis, Not a Template
Ask whether the firm diagnoses your specific adoption gap before prescribing a plan. AIM begins every engagement with structured diagnosis of which groups, behaviors, and barriers are at risk, rather than applying a generic program.
The 6 Non-Delegable Leadership Tasks
Strong firms build active sponsorship, not just executive endorsement. AIM holds sponsors accountable for six non-delegable leadership tasks, from communicating the business case to aligning reward systems, because adoption stalls without them.
Behavioral Adoption, Not Activity
Ask how the firm measures success. AIM tracks behavioral adoption with scored diagnostics and the Express, Model, Reinforce (EMR) model, where reinforcement carries roughly three times the impact of communication, instead of counting workshops delivered.
Independence Over Dependency
The best engagements leave you stronger, not reliant on the firm. AIM transfers tools and skills to your internal teams, and IMA Worldwide offers certification and licensing for organizations building a permanent change Center of Excellence.
A Proven Methodology
Look for a methodology with provenance. AIM, the Accelerating Implementation Methodology, was created by Don Harrison at IMA Worldwide and reflects more than 40 years of implementation field research across complex, enterprise-scale change.
Which industries does AIM consulting serve?
AIM consulting adapts to the regulatory, operational, and cultural context of each sector. The diagnostic discipline stays constant; the application is always specific to your environment.
About AIM Change Management Consulting
What is change management consulting?
Change management consulting is a professional service that helps organizations plan, implement, and sustain significant changes. Consultants diagnose resistance, close adoption gaps, and guide leaders through the behavioral shifts required for a change to deliver lasting results rather than short-term activity.
How is AIM consulting different from traditional change management consulting?
AIM consulting begins with structured diagnosis before prescribing solutions. Rather than applying a generic communication plan, AIM identifies the specific adoption gap, addresses root-cause resistance, and transfers capability to internal leaders so the organization does not remain dependent on external consultants.
What industries does AIM consulting serve?
AIM consulting serves healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology and digital, financial services, government and public sector, and organizations pursuing operational excellence and Agile transformation. The methodology adapts to the regulatory, cultural, and structural realities of each sector.
Does AIM consulting build internal capability or create consultant dependency?
AIM is designed explicitly for capability transfer. Engagements include coaching internal sponsors, managers, and project teams to apply AIM tools independently. For organizations building deeper capability, IMA Worldwide offers AIM certification pathways and train-the-trainer programs.
What does an AIM consulting engagement look like?
A typical AIM engagement moves through four phases: Diagnose to identify the adoption gap and root causes, Design and Deliver to close that gap through targeted sponsor activation and resistance management, and Sustain to equip internal teams with the skills and tools to keep results in place.
Can AIM consulting work alongside existing project management frameworks?
Yes. AIM complements project management, Agile, SAFe, Lean, and ERP implementation frameworks. It addresses the people-side adoption work that technical project plans typically omit, and can be integrated at any stage of a project though earlier involvement produces stronger outcomes.
How much does change management consulting cost?
Change management consulting is priced by scope rather than a fixed list price. Cost depends on the scale of the change, the number of affected groups, the duration of the engagement, and the depth of capability transfer required. IMA Worldwide scopes each engagement to the specific initiative and provides a tailored proposal. Contact us to discuss your change and receive a scoped estimate.
How is AIM consulting different from Prosci or ADKAR?
ADKAR, the model used by Prosci, focuses on individual transitions through awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement. AIM, the Accelerating Implementation Methodology created by Don Harrison at IMA Worldwide, focuses on organization-wide implementation: it builds active sponsorship through the six non-delegable leadership tasks, diagnoses the specific adoption gap, and measures behavioral adoption rather than individual awareness. Many organizations use AIM to operationalize the sponsorship and reinforcement that individual-change models leave to chance.
How do you measure the ROI of change management consulting?
AIM measures return through behavioral adoption rather than sentiment or activity. Engagements use scored diagnostics to baseline readiness, track sponsor performance against the six non-delegable leadership tasks, and apply the Express, Model, Reinforce (EMR) model, where reinforcement carries roughly three times the impact of communication. The result is a clear line of sight from leadership behavior to the adoption that determines whether the investment delivers.
Ready to Close the Adoption Gap?
AIM consulting engagements begin with diagnosis, not assumption. Tell us about your change initiative and we will show you where the gap is and how to close it.