NDIS changes, using change management techniques gives confidence

I have been a little quiet on the blog front lately. This wasn’t a deliberate decision, but now looking back, I think I needed time to reflect on all the noise to be able to really consider the changes. I think it’s where I got a bit lost and frankly overwhelmed. And I think the key driver of that feeling was the simple fact is a shift is imminent, but the outcome is still ill-defined, and the path remains murkier than ever.

I have been developing content for our Rising Leader’s training program and the reasons for my feelings were staring me in the face (do as I say not as I do, right?).

Using change management gives confidence

We don’t know what the future state should look like. Hell, sometimes we don’t even know what the current state should be. This uncertainty kicks us into a physiological reaction for fight, flight or freeze. I believe many people in our sector have been like me, frozen.

So once again, I thought ‘practice what you preach’ and looked to the self-awareness module. When we feel overwhelmed, it helps to focus on the facts and influencing factors, such as:

1. There has never, in Australia’s history, been a bigger financial investment in supporting people with disability to live their ordinary life
2. The financial modelling of the NDIS has always been flawed and the rhetoric surrounding the cost of the scheme creates panic
3. People were able to achieve good outcomes on the state-based support schemes. More people have been able to achieve good outcomes in the first decade of NDIS. Good will continue to be done
4. The NDIS is a complex system made of many interconnected parts that is ever evolving

I read an interesting article from the Human Systems Dynamics Institute about the baker’s transformation. The baker’s transformation is built on the concept of kneading dough (stretching, folding, stretching, folding). First, you need to ‘stretch’ and expand, seeking out new knowledge and explore opportunities. Then, you need to strengthen by ‘folding’ and blending the new with the existing, allowing space for reflection and rest. It is essentially a model used in situations where change is inevitable, but the pathway to achieving that change is still uncertain. This model recognises that while we may have clarity about the need for transformation, the specifics of how it will unfold are often still evolving.

In my experience, service providers know that they need to adjust their practices. For some it is to meet new regulatory standards, for others it is to remain financially viable with price guide ‘cuts’ and others may be seeing the increased demand for person-centred care. But a common feature is many don’t yet have a concrete roadmap for how to make those changes. Similar to providing positive behaviour support, the baker’s transformation provides a framework for managing uncertainty through iterative progress, team alignment, and continuous learning.

It’s too easy to fall into the trap of either delaying change until all the answers are clear or rushing ahead without adequate preparation. The baker’s transformation balances both extremes, allowing service providers to move forward confidently even when the ‘how’ isn’t fully known.

So, if you are an executive leader, pause reading and get out your strategic plan. You want to be able to cross reference these points and think about them from a change management perspective.

1. Focus on the destination, not the pathway

At its core, the baker’s transformation emphasises understanding the ultimate goal of change, even when the process is still in flux.

Are you clear about the goals you want to achieve? And by clear I don’t mean generic goals of:

• delivering better client outcomes,
• improving operational efficiency, or
• ensuring compliance with the NDIS Practice Standards.

Action Step: Begin by being specific about what your service is aiming to achieve. For example:

• greater participant retention by having less than 5% of participants transition out of our services within the next 12 months, or
• more efficient service delivery by measuring the contribution made by each individual in the organisation and then comparing it to the mission of the organisation, or
• improved staff retention of less than 15% turnover per annum and status as an employer of choice, or
• increase the representation of people with disability in fully paid employment within our organisation to at least 18% of our workforce.

2. Iterate through change

Instead of waiting for a perfect plan, the baker’s transformation encourages organisations to iterate, experimenting with small changes and adjusting based on feedback and results. This approach is especially useful for NDIS providers who often face regulatory changes or shifts in participant needs.

Action Step: Implement a cycle of ‘plan, do, review, adjust’. Start small—whether piloting a new service delivery model in one area or testing new communication technologies for supporting participants with complex communication needs. Use data from these trials to inform broader changes.

3. Empower your workforce

Change management in NDIS services can only succeed if the frontline workforce is prepared, empowered, and engaged. To do this they must feel well supported. Reflect on your middle management team for a moment. How many of your middle managers, who have been in their positions for over 2 years, are likely to feel trapped by administrative duties and hindered by their lack of authority to implement changes? A core aspect of the baker’s transformation is involving your team in the journey of change, encouraging flexibility and creative problem-solving.

Action Step: Develop open communication channels and regular feedback loops with your team. Share the overall vision but empower your frontline workers to experiment with how to achieve these changes. This creates a sense of ownership and responsibility across all levels of the organisation, improving buy-in.

4. Adapt to emerging challenges

Our sector is inherently dynamic. Shifts in government policy, participant needs, or broader societal changes can make it difficult to stick to a fixed roadmap. The baker’s transformation emphasises flexibility—being able to pivot quickly when necessary. How many of your strategies and services look similar to what they were before Covid? Additionally, you can’t win a war fighting on too many fronts, so spend time identifying what are the two to three likely scenarios that will have the most material effect on your organisation.

Action step: Foster a culture of agility within your organisation. Encourage leaders and workers alike to regularly assess the external environment and make adjustments as needed. For example, as new NDIS rules emerge regarding high intensity supports, identify who and then the how for quickly updating and implementing your internal training and service protocols, and then seek to refine.

5. Continuous learning

In times of change, learning needs to be embedded into the daily fabric of NDIS service delivery. The baker’s transformation promotes a mindset of continuous learning, where every challenge is an opportunity to improve and refine practices.

Action Step: Build regular reflection into your operations. Whether through team meetings, participant feedback, or performance metrics, ensure your organisation is constantly evaluating what works and what doesn’t, and making adjustments accordingly. This may mean hearing things you don’t want to. But as my seven-year-old reminds me “mistakes are proof of trying”.

Final thoughts

For NDIS service providers, change is not just frequent; it’s essential to be sustainable in a complex and highly regulated environment. As the late Brazilian car-racing champion Ayrton Senna once said, “You cannot overtake 15 cars in sunny weather, but you can when it’s raining.” So, the choice is now yours, fight, flight or freeze?

Feel free to book in for a confidential, no obligation chat, if any aspect of this article has peaked your interest https://calendly.com/angela-supportingpotential/consulting-fact-finding

 

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