Which statement describes Kotter’s eight steps in change management, excluding the correct first step?

• A. Establish a sense of urgency
• B. Create a guiding coalition
• C. Empower broad based action
• D. Maintain the status quo

Answer: (D)

Kotter’s eight-step change model is all about moving an organization from its current state toward meaningful change. After the initial move of creating a sense of urgency, the remaining steps focus on building leadership support, shaping and sharing a clear vision, empowering people to act, delivering quick wins, and embedding the new ways into culture.

The statement about maintaining the status quo describes not changing at all, which is not part of Kotter’s sequence. It signals staying as things are, rather than progressing through the steps that drive change. In contrast, the other ideas point to actual steps in the model—forming a guiding coalition or enabling broad-based action—which are core activities that propel change forward.