Understanding the Differences Between the Change Style Indicator (CSI) and CSI 2

For more than 30 years, the Change Style Indicator® (CSI) has helped coaches, HR professionals and change practitioners understand how people prefer to approach change. With the Change Style Indicator® Second Edition (CSI™ 2), Multi-Health Systems (MHS) has refined the assessment to make it more accessible, more inclusive and better supported by research.

If you’ve used the original CSI, the good news is that the foundations haven’t changed. The CSI 2 uses the same model: a continuum from Conserver to Originator, with Pragmatist in the middle, measured through 20 forced-choice items. If you were certified in the original CSI, your certification still counts.

What has changed is everything around that model. Here are the key differences.

1. Updated assessment items for cultural sensitivity

The CSI 2 still has 20 items, but expert linguists reviewed every one to make sure it is culturally sensitive and widely applicable. Some of the original items were updated as a result, which makes the tool more inclusive and relevant across diverse workforces.

2. A larger, more recent global norm group

Your CSI 2 results are compared with a much larger and more current reference group:

• The original CSI norm group included 58,362 people.
• The CSI 2 norm group includes 96,427 people who completed the assessment between 2017 and 2023, across six world regions including Oceania.

In the CSI 2 norm group, 36% of people were Conservers, 47% were Pragmatists and 17% were Originators. Because the data is recent and global, results are more representative of today’s workforces, including in Australia.

3. Published evidence of reliability, validity and fairness

The CSI 2 comes with published research showing that it:

• produces consistent results, with strong internal consistency and stable scores over time
• measures one clear thing, change style preference, that is distinct from traits such as emotional intelligence
• shows no meaningful score differences across world regions, genders or demographic groups

You can read the detail in our FAQ: Is the Change Style Indicator a valid and reliable assessment?

4. Enhanced reports for practical application

The CSI 2 offers a modernised Individual Report and a Group Report, both designed to move quickly from insight to action.

The Individual Report now includes:

• a section on improving collaboration during change
• guidance for leaders on supporting their teams through change
• practical next steps for handling change

The Group Report shows a team’s overall change composition and includes:

• tips for leading the team
• guidance on leading the team through change
• strategies for integrating the different change styles within the team
• advice on working with other teams across the organisation

View the sample Individual Report and sample Group Report.

5. A comprehensive User’s Manual

The CSI 2 introduces a User’s Manual for the first time, covering:

• the theory behind the tool
• best practice for administration
• norms, reliability and validity
• fairness analysis

It is a valuable resource for practitioners who want to deepen their understanding of change styles and apply the assessment with confidence.

6. Online-only administration

The original CSI was available online or on paper. The CSI 2 is administered and scored entirely online. Participants complete it in 2–10 minutes using a link from their administrator, and results are ready to share before or during your session. The CSI 2 is available in English (North America), Spanish (Europe) and French (Europe).

7. No mandatory certification

One of the biggest changes is that certification is no longer required to administer the CSI 2. This opens the tool to a wider range of coaches, HR professionals, leaders and consultants, so more people can bring it into their coaching, leadership and change work.

8. Training and facilitation support

Purchase of CSI 2 reports includes access to MHS’s self-paced training modules, facilitator guide and ideas for group activities. The modules cover:

• an overview of the CSI 2 and administration
• report interpretation
• an introduction to psychometrics
• making the most of each change style
• a case study and group activities

When you deliver the CSI 2 through Neural Networks, we build on these with our own in-depth facilitator guide, a PowerPoint slide deck and a participant workbook, so you can run an engaging session without building materials from scratch.

Why choose the CSI 2?

The CSI 2 keeps everything practitioners valued in the original: a simple, research-based framework that resonates with participants straight away. Its updated items, current global norms, published research and stronger reports make it easier to use in:

• team development and onboarding
• leadership development programs
• organisational change, restructures and mergers

Final thoughts

The CSI 2 is a significant upgrade to the original CSI. The model you know is still there, with improvements in cultural sensitivity, norming, reporting, evidence and accessibility. Whether you’re a leader, coach or HR professional, it gives you a practical way to understand how people approach change and to help them work through it together.

Want to explore the CSI 2 for your team or clients? Download the CSI 2 brochure, read our CSI 2 FAQs, or book a discovery call to talk it through.