The Basic 8 Framework

Change management as it really happens





The BASIC 8 Method

The method described here is a simple approach to ensuring change management requirements are embedded in the organisation's actions as it implements a change. How this is done in practice differs between organisations, depending on their size, buisness type, available resources and organisational culture. For this reason the following steps are used.

The first step in the method is a situational analysis of the organisation and how it will engage the change.

The second step is the construction of a change management agenda for mapping out the change mangement requirements.

The final step is the ongoing tracking and monitoring of the organisation's progress as it implements the change.

The acronym SAT can be used to remember these steps.


How change management is done varies

At the beginning of the BASIC 8 Method is the recognition that change is managed differently each time. There are many variables that influence the way change can be effectively managed. There is no 'one size fits all' approach to change.

So the first step is a situational analysis of your organisation, the type of change being managed and what fits with the realities of the situation. Key steps for conducting the situational analysis are described below. After that some background factors to consider are discussed.


Steps for doing a situational analysis

1. Match complexity to the situation

A situational analysis can be done to the level of complexity or simplicity that the context requires. A procedural change in a smaller organisation would require much simpler analysis than a regional restructure across a large, multi-national organisation. In the latter case its organisational layers and various cultural and legal contexts would require a systematic, multi-faceted analysis.

2. Involve key people

It is important to engage the relevant leaders, stakeholders and custodians of information to conduct the analysis. The combination of insight and data will give you the information to answer key questions about how the change will be managed.

3. Determine what type of change is being managed

Some change is obvious, for example a restructure or a variation in the products and services the organisation offers. These types of change are fairly easy to define, are likely to have project teams working on the technical content of the change and are clearly differentiated from ongoing business. But more proactive change, such as developing new styles of doing business or instigating cultural change can have a more seamless integration into ongoing business. Recognising the attributes of the change will help later in the selection of items to include on the change management agenda.

4. Identify forces for or against change

This part of the situational analysis reflects the content of the Begin phase of change management. This is not surprising as you would not be doing the analysis if this phase hadn't commenced. By focusing on the forces for or against change you can start to develop a sense of the level of intensity of change management work you will require to facilitate the change. Remember, the goal of change management is to maximise the acceptance and uptake of the change by the people involved.

5. Assess the social context of the change

Change takes place in a social context that is heavily influenced by the organisational culture. It is important to focus directly on the social implications of the change on the people in the organisation and external parties that deal with it. Their previous experience of change, the likely impact it will have on their careers and personal lives, the shifts in power and influence that will occur during and as a result of the change are all elements that can impact on the smooth flow of a change process.

6. Available resources for implementing change

Not every change process is well resourced. Some major changes come equiped with well resourced project teams, with the leadership and administrative resources fully focused on the change. Others come with limited or no additional resources. Some are even subjected to the 'zero cost' change myth, which simply externalises the costs to other parts of the organisation, in terms of quality reduction, lost work, unpaid overtime or missed sales. When change is driven by financial stress then there are likely to be minimal resources combined with intense urgency. Assessing how the change will be resourced is a critical component for determining how the change can be managed.

7. Clarify the change end goal

Make sure there is a clear end goal that the change is working towards. This will mostly appear in the formal business case for the change, assuming the change has one. If it is a smaller change or part of a leader's existing business plan, then the definition of outcomes by the senior leaders need to define the end goal. It is important that an end goal is not only identified but that its feasibility or expectations are assessed and expressed in reasonable, achievable terms.

The end goal defines the direction the change management processes will focus on. This is a key part of what separates change management from other components of change, such as project management elements, which might only focus on creating elements or resources that are only part of the overall change process. A key requirement here is to make sure that people realise that the change process lasts for some time after any dedicated project has ended. The final parts of change management are always under the purview of the day to day leadership within ordinary operations.


Factors for situational analysis

The situational analysis will raise many considerations. Here are some commonly occurring factors you are likely to encounter.

Corporate politics

People in key roles have become successful because of what they did in the existing status quo. The invitation to change is a potential threat, even if they support it at face value. Likewise there can be rivalries between executives. All of this means that sometimes change management has to deal with factors that will never be put in the change management plan.

It is wise to consider how politics will affect the change by looking at the types of decisions or behaviours it will produce. These are external and observable objects of attention that can be included in a change strategy. This way you don't have to deal with motives, second guessing or denials about what is going on. Simply require people to engage in certain types of conduct and actions. All the same, through out the change, if you think there are political manoeuvres afoot, keep an eye on them.

Organisational culture

Culture infiltrates everything. It is the set of assumptions about what is normal across the organisation. Typically people unconsciously conform to culture, adapting their thinking and behaviours to fit it. As such, culture is potentially the most forceful obstacle to a successful change, depending on the type of change being implemented.

Throughout your situational analysis and collation of the change agenda, always look for existing assumptions that will be reinforced or challenged by the change. Compatible assuptions can be leveraged to help facilitate and reinforce the change. Contrasting assumptions will have to be addressed. People will need support to leave them behind, including new assumptions with procedures, artefacts and rationales that reinforce them.

Overall capacity for people to implement change

The combined affect of the factors reviewed in the situational analysis is a sense of the overall capacity of the organisation to handle change. Sometimes people will be impatient for change, seeing the proposed change as a good thing that they are eager to implement. At other times people will be tired and stressed out because the status quo that prompted the change had deteriorated severely.

Below is a compressed table that combines the five BASIC phases with the eight layers of activity. The table serves as a menu for you to select elements that are relevant to your change process.

It is important to choose the elements that will help you and reflect the scale and complexity of your change and the resources available to you. However many elements you choose to focus on, each layer must be addressed for each phase of the change.

Agenda Items Menu

Select the tab for any BASIC phase then select the layer you want to read. From here you can choose agenda items to construct your change management agenda.

Each item is coded. The first letter represents the phase. The second letter represents the action layer. The number specifies the item in that group. For example, BP01 is the code for the first item in the Begin phase on the Planning and Strategy action layer.


BP01 - Recognition of Need

Identify the symptoms of change pressure and how the organisation's status quo is becoming unsustainable.


BP02 - Analyse Forces for Change

Analyse conditions to see what is creating the need for change, the strength of the forces and whether they can be pushed back.


BP03 - Select an Overall Strategy

Based on an analysis of the forces for change, determine whether you can take a proactive or reactive stance and the matching strategy.


BP04 - Create a Provisional Vision

Develop a starting concept for consulting people about where the forces for change can take the organisation.

BR01 - Identify Pockets of Denial

People or groups might deny that there is a need for change to maintain their current interests. Identify how they can accept the need.


BR02 - Prepare for Stress Reactions

Take into account that stress from decaying situation will have a dual effect, one to avoid the stress of change, the other to create the desire for a quick and easy solution.


BR03 - Manage Data Gaps

Identify gaps in data about what's happening. These gaps might skew the picture and lead to an ineffective strategic decision.

BI01 - Draw on People's Experience

Seek feedback about what people are experiencing to build a picture of the need for change.


BI02 - Explore Solution Options

Consult informed people about practical and technical solutions to current issues.


BI03 - Collect Customer Feedback

Ensure customer feedback is reported and collated to identify product and service delivery pressures.

BM01 - Collect Evidence

Gather evidence of forces for change, collating it to demonstrate that change is needed.


BM02 - Analyse Performance Trends

Benchmark performance and map trends over time, showing how effort, resources and results is changing and likely to end up if nothing changes.


BM03 - Scan for Opportunities

Look for opportunities that can be used to start turning things around, avoiding short term fixes that aren't durable.


BM04 - Identify 'Work Harder for Less' Dynamics

Identify operational stress factors that are demanding greater effort for fewer or at least no greater results.

BE01 - Review Strategic Data

Gather and review strategic data across the organisation to identify what is happening.


BE02 - Conduct Environmental Scans

Monitor industry, trends, regulatory and sovereign environments to identify the direction and strength of change forces.


BE03 - Develop Trend Based Scenarios

Map financials and economic data to expose trends and develop future scenarios for the organisation based of options for dealing with change.


BE04 - Review Stakeholder Signals

Interpret the feedback, strategies and signals from stakeholders and how they affect the future of the organisation.


BC01 - Focus on Feedback

Gather feedback from customers, suppliers, stakeholders and people withing the organisation to hear how they see what is happening to the organisation and its sector.


BC02 - Construct a Narrative

Build the narrative to explain the forces for change and their effect on the organisation.


BC03 - Build a Preliminary Business Case

Create the business case for change, showing the drivers for change, the risks of not responding and the benefits of changing.

BA01 - Meet with Key People

Explore with key people how the forces for change are at work and how they think they can be addressed.


BA02 - Develop Options

Explore optional paths forward based on the need for change and the data and feedback you gather.


BA03 - Design Consultation Materials

Prepare a consultation materials around the preliminary business case to use in the coming align phase.


BA04 - Design an Alignment Strategy

Prepare a process to start aligning leaders, people and stakeholders around a change strategy.

BN01 - Manage Stress in the Organisation

Anticipate rising stress and implement short term strategies to manage it.


BN02 - Promote Learning Organisation Dynamics

Encourage learning organisation dynamics to solicit opportunities for improvement and to manage current weaknesses.


BN03 - Appraise Existing Plans

Begin reviewing existing strategic plans and modify them if necessary to adapt to the coming transition period and avoid commitments that cannot be sustained due to changing conditions.

AP01 - Nominate Key People

Identify stakeholders and advocates of change who will be important for designing and implementing the change.


AP02 - Assess Resource Needs

Determine the resources needed for change, what the gaps are, how the resources can be accessed and who has control of them.


AP03 - Determine Knowledge and Skills Needed

Identify where the knowledge and technical skills are that the change will need.


AP04 - Develop Conceptual Plans

As people get on board, produce conceptual plans people can agree to about what the change will produce and the steps required to get there.

AR01 - Culture and Politics

Address cultural and political forces that might resist or derail change and offsetting them with forces in support of change.


AR02 - Limits to Resources

Plan and lobby to address funding constraints and liabilities due to limited resources or 'cost neutral' ambitions.


AR03 - Maladaptive Behaviours and Decisions

Rising stress and anxiety about change can lead people to behave or think in harmful ways. Take this into account when dealing with them.

AI01 - Peer Leaders and Early Adopters

Cultivate peer leaders and early adopters who may actively support change.


AI02 - Identify Possible Obstacles

Identify technical, functional or procedural issues that will encourage or hinder participation in change.


AI03 - Contain RumoursTitle

Avoid feeding rumours and draw conversations back to facts.

AM01 - People Management Skills

Build up managers people skills to ensure manager and supervisor capability to lead during the change.


AM02 - Draw Out Leaders

Identify leaders within the management group who can lead their peers or pilot the change.


AM03 - Develop Practical Options

Assess and suggest practical options to respond to the drivers for change.


AM04 - Cultivate Trust

Engage in practices that build up trust within the team and demonstrate trustworthiness to team members.

AE01 - Refine the Business Case

Incorporating the input of key people, build the business case for change and the approach to take to achieve it.


AE02 - Develop a Clear Vision

Create a vision of what things will be like once the change is achieved. This must be tangible and easy to communicate to others.


AE03 - Stretch Your Executive Reach

The change goes beyond business as usual so identify where it will stretch executive capabilities and set clear targets for them.


AE04 - Link Rewards to Outcomes

The change will become the top priority so identify how executive remuneration or rewards will be linked to the success of the change.


AC01 - Focus on Consultation

Consult and gather information to help build the case for change and get people on board.


AC02 - The Need for Urgency

Present the case for change and the need for urgency, the reasons the organisation must act now.


AC03 - Design Communication Framework

Select procedures and resources for communication that can be used during the rest of the change process so they are ready to go when needed. These include formal communication, FAQs, consultation and other options.

AA01 - Build a Coalition of Change Agents

Consult and recruit leaders and change agents to support and drive change across the organisation.


AA02 - Dedicate Resources

Start to negotiate and allocate resources and commitment to design and deliver the change.

AN01 - Nominate Change Resources

Agree on resources that will be allocated to implement the change, where they will come from and how they can be free up from current operating requirements.


AN02 - Prepare for Change Impacts

Identify potential impacts on business operations that can occur as the change proceeds and develop ways to contain and manage them.


AN03 - Interim Procedures

Establish interim procedures to maintain normal business during the period of change while incorporating necessary change activities.

SP01 - Make the Vision Compelling

Review the vision to ensure it demonstrates a clear and compelling path and destination for making the change.


SP02 - Prepare Detailed Plans

Develop detailed project, action, communication and other plans required to suit the nature of the change.


SP03 - Check Sufficiency of Data

Analyse the data gathered so far, looking for gaps and additional data requirements.


SP04 - Endorse Plans

Consult key stakeholders to ensure plans are practical and likely to achieve their intended outcomes.


SP05 - Confirm Plans Lead to the Vision

Check that the plans will build vision, seeking feedback from key stakeholders.

SR01 - Representative Concerns

Consult with unions and staff representatives to explain changes, expected pathways to get there and steps to protect people's interests.


SR02 - Undermining Behaviours

Identify key stakeholders and influencers who may resist or undermine change effectiveness. Consider ways to strengthen the attractiveness of change and the position of change agents.


SR03 - Technical Sustainability

Thoroughly assess the technical requirements and their suitability now and into the future, including the risk of complications leading to delays, cost blow outs, sector disruptions or vendor dependency.


SR04 - Sovereign Risk

Review the regulatory framework and existing commercial and social contracts that may limit what the organisation can do.

SI01 - Individual Involvement

Identify what involvement change plans require from individual contributors.


SI02 - Skills Analysis

Conduct a gap analysis for the skills people will need to do the change and perform in the new arrangements.


SI03 - Individual Benefits

Identify and promote the benefits to people of the change.


SI04 - Individual Costs

Identify costs to people as a consequence of the change (e.g. travel arrangements, career, family) and what can be done to ameliorate them.


SI05 - Personal Strategies for Disruption

Address how people can manage disruption while dealing with the change and getting work done.

SM01 - Clarify Managers' Delegations

Ensure managers have clear delegations, information and competencies to make effective decisions during the change.


SM02 - Prepare Local Unit Response

Managers identify how the change is likely to affect each business area and prepare strategies for managing impacts and implementing change requirements.


SM03 - Develop Interim Procedures

Prepare procedures for people to use during the change period (e.g. escalating issues, clarifying expectations and tasks).


SM04 - Manage Departures

If people will leave during or at the end of the change project, create opportunities to help them prepare for the job market and build up their CVs.

SE01 - Confirm Change Plans

Review and approve change plans, including governance implications, practical effects and wellbeing implications for people in the organisation.


SE02 - Keep Stakeholders On Side

Engage major stakeholders to inform them of your plans, including any shareholder, constituents or public reporting obligations on your organisation.


SE03 - Keep Promoting the Change Repeatedly

Move through the organisation, promoting the change and building confidence among people and leaders.


SE04 - Put the Change First

Put the change at the top of executive business priorities and ongoing communication and decision making.


SC01 - Focus on Direction

Repeatedly promote the need for change and the vision of what things will be like once the change is completed.


SC02 - Develop Communication Resources

Develop presentations and information pages that can be used by leaders throughout the organisation to summarise the reasons for change and the vision for the future.


SC03 - Keep Information Up-to-date

Provide information about the planned steps and the organisation's expectations during the change period.


SC04 - Ensure Regular Access to Communication

Commence regular communication updates about the coming change through channels people can easily access.


SC05 - Provide Individual Sessions Where Needed

Meet separately with people who are likely to be adversely affected by the change to discuss the path forward.


SC06 - Give Priority to People Exiting the Organisation

If there are lay-offs or contracts not being renewed, meet with these people before other information becomes public.


SC07 - Document and Share Progress

Start gathering and sharing FAQs, progress reports and emerging decisions.

SA01 - Regular Leadership Meetings

Lock in a schedule of change leadership meetings to monitor and act on change plans and emerging issues.


SA02 - Targeted Planning Sessions

Organise planning sessions for leaders and groups that have to work jointly or cooperate to implement the change.


SA03 - Add the Change to all Meeting Agendas

Make the change an item on meeting agendas for all involved people and teams.

SN01 - Keep People Informed about Responsibilities

Ensure everyone is informed about the processes and procedures required during the change period, especially variations to current practices.


SN02 - Free Resources to Work on the Change

Start modifying or reducing current work processes so resources can work on change requirements.


SN03 - Manage Stressors

Monitor stress levels, resource demands and team and stakeholder relationships to ensure they are kept in good health during the change.

IP01 - Implement the Plan

Apply the plan and its actions across the organisation, monitoring progress, addressing variations and responding to emergent issues.


IP02 - Leverage Quick Wins

Use milestones and achievements to promote and celebrate progress and early benefits to build people's confidence that progress is being made.


IP03 - Embrace Resistance

Use criticism or resistance as positive information that can help improve the quality of the change.


IP04 - Use Effective Project Management Methods

Where project work is required, ensure effective project management methodology is being applied.

IR01 - Harm from Delays

Delays in progress, while impacting on project work, can also undermine confidence or motivation to support the change.


IR02 - Weaknesses Covered Up

If errors or short comings in the change process get covered up and not acknowledged and addressed, it builds cynicism and mistrust for this and future changes.


IR03 - Alienating Critics

Interpreting resistance or non-cooperation as malicious trouble making can disregard and overlook the likelihood that change can generate some hurt, undermine confidence and damage trust.


IR04 - Self-interest ahead of organisational or shared interests

The ego, prestige, career ambitions or self-image of key people can subvert good change practice so they can further their own self-interest at the expense of others or the organisation's goals.


IR05 - Confining Responsibility to Project Managers

If responsibility is left to project managers and not shared by all leaders, then a lack of long term responsibility emerges with reduced commitment to address issues that fall out of the scope of deliverables by formal projects.

II01 - Keep Up to Date

Make the effort to keep up to date with changing requirements as the change progresses.


II02 - Engage in Problem Solving

Provide practical solutions to operational issues arising from the change, understanding that solutions from a single person's or group's perspective might not be suitable for the whole organisation's needs and have to be modified.


II03 - Work Closely with Supervisor

Consult with supervisor about issues arising from change and its impacts.


II04 - Prioritise Change Related Tasks

Recognise that change tasks have to be prioritised and other tasks modified during the change period.


II05 - Learn, Develop and Adapt

Learn about any new requirements for working with the changes, accessing training, coaching or peer support to build confidence working with the changes.

IM01 - Develop Skills for Leading Non-regular Business

Build up project management skills and capabilities for other tasks required for implementing the change.


IM02 - Increase Directive and Supportive Leadership

Focus on providing increased direction and clarity to people as the change gains momentum, so managers can reduce uncertainty and help people know what to do.


IM03 - Create Opportunities for People to Adapt

Provide training, coaching and peer support opportunities to help people adapt to the change.


IM04 - Pay Attention to Customers

Manage customer expectations during the change, ensuring their needs are met and that they remain loyal throughout the change process.


IM05 - Show Respect for People Terminated by the Change

If people are leaving as a result of the change, acknowledge their departure and the contribution they have made, publicly thanking them for their efforts and the support they gave their colleagues over the time they were with the organisation.

IE01 - Keep Advocating and Promoting the Change

Show clear and visible sponsorship of the change, using every meeting with people in the organisation to act as its champion and promote it.


IE02 - Put the Evidence Up Front

Repeatedly provide people with evidence of the benefits of the change, motivating them to engage in it and acknowledging their efforts.


IE03 - Support Those Who are Struggling

Ensure practical support is in place for people who find the change challenging. The support should be multi-faceted as impacts can be triggered at a professional, personal or domestic level.


IE04 - Fast Track Solutions

Use influence, networks and decision making authority to fast track solutions to problems, ensuring that people feel heard and can see the fairness in the process.


IE05 - Use Highest Positions to Facilitate Progress

Ensure the CEO (or the most senior relevant executive) participates to ensure high quality executive performance to make the change succeed.


IE06 - Resolve Executive Team Differences

Provide confidential forums to resolve competing interests or conflicts between executive team members.


IC01 - Focus on Clarity

Provide information quickly about decisions, processes and events that increase people's certainty about what is going on.


IC02 - Use Interactive Reference Groups

Conduct frequent reference group sessions with supervisors and other key people to maintain effective multi-directional communication about what's happening and emerging issues.


IC03 - Provide Consistently Accessible Update Information

Update people on progress, providing calendars of events, targets and activities, focusing on what is coming up, what's happening now and what has been completed.


IC04 - Highlight Achievements and Success

Use milestones and early benefits to build people's confidence that the change is taking effect, including celebrating achievements.


IC05 - Share People Stories

Share human interest stories about people across the organisation who have made an effort and achieved results working on the change, including stories of how people are benefiting from the change.

IA01 - Maintain Project Standards

Apply project management methods to keep project components moving forward.


IA02 - Act on Feedback

Use information raised by reference groups to continuously improve the process of change implementation, including if necessary the design of elements of the change.


IA03 - Invest in Change Advocates and Supporters

Keep focusing on supporters of the change, resourcing them and giving them a voice.

IN01 - Prioritise Change Actions

Prioritise the move to new arrangements, coordinating the cessation of old procedures and the adoption of new ones.


IN02 - Maintain Customer Service

Monitor for gaps in service or variations in customer expectations to ensure customers are familiarised with the change and still feel connected to the organisation.


IN03 - Review and Adapt Supplier Arrangements

Work with suppliers to adapt ordering and delivery processes and expectations to match the new requirements. Suppliers could be external or internal teams who precede your work in operational processes.


IN04 - Update Distributor Arrangements

Work closely with distributors of your products and services to make sure they understand any variations in what your organisation will now provide and how you will provide it.

CP01 - Confirm Changes are in Place

Conduct a review and obtain reports to confirm change elements are in place and functioning.


CP02 - Update Associated Policies and Procedures

Set up processes to audit and review pre-existing policies and procedures indirectly linked to the change to ensure they are modified to match the changed arrangements.


CP03 - Update Culture

Monitor for practices and artefacts in the organisation that reflect the pre-change state and implement guidelines for updating assumptions and practices across the organisation.


CP04 - Lock in Quality Improvement Processes

Set up processes to work through adoption and unexpected issues as the organisation learns and improves its performance post-change.

CR01 - Poor Implementation

Either with project elements or at different locations across the organisation, the changes may have been implemented poorly as a consequence of low levels of competence, resources, understanding or commitment.


CR02 - Poor Uptake

Especially when it comes to cultural or performance changes, the uptake may be poor due to people's inability or lack of willingness to give up familiar practices to adopt practices they might not do well at.


CR03 - Mistrust of Change Outcomes

If people are not confident the that the change went well or do not approve of the systems or resources it established, they are likely to engage in work-arounds, duplicate of systems or persist with their former methods.

CI01 - Practice Performance in the New Conditions

Don't expect to be perfect to start with but practice using new arrangements to increase comfort and levels of competence with the new processes and systems.


CI02 - Prioritise Quality Assurance

As people adapt there is an increased chance of error so focus on quality assurance while bedding down changes.


CI03 - Set up Learning Processes

Work with peers to share insights and learning outcomes to refine and improve how to do things as everyone adjusts to changed practices.


CI04 - Challenge Assumptions

Some of what people thought was normal no longer applies and some of what people imagine is new required may not be correct. Challenge and explore assumptions when they don't match the changed conditions.

CM01 - Promote Problem Solving Practices

As people bed down the changes, promote problem solving conversations and practices to reduce complaints or frustration as they adapt to the change.


CM02 - Monitor Progress after the Change

Add temporary measures to normal business management reporting processes to ensure progress is made in adapting to and performing in the changed arrangements.


CM03 - Report Issues

Promptly take issues to management team meetings and to executives to highlight issues that cannot be solved locally and initiate action to developing solutions.


CM04 - Confirm Changes to Local Procedures

Lock in local procedures to match changes, ensuring everyone is informed about them, understands where they apply and have the knowledge and skills to operating according to them.


CM05 - Address Survivor Issues

If people left the organisation as a result of the change, give the remaining people an opportunity to address how they feel before moving forward.

CE01 - Use Position to Solve Problems

When issues cannot be solved locally, use executive influence to fast track solutions.


CE02 - Lead Celebrations

Recognise that many people put in a great deal of effort to make the change success. Acknowledged this and create opportunities to celebrate their achievements.


CE03 - Renew Performance Frameworks

Review and renew the strategic and business planning priorities and documents to match new reality. This includes ensuring pre-existing stakeholder arrangements now match the organisation's new position.


CE04 - Say Sorry

No change ever goes perfectly and people get upset along the way. Apologise for things that went wrong, demonstrating that the organisation takes seriously the quality of people's experience, both in the current and future changes.


CC01 - Focus on Performance

Provide information about how to perform well and get the most from the system as people get used to using it. Share solutions to common issues across the organisation.


CC02 - Promote the Benefits

Highlight and promote growing benefits from the change, provide evidence in the form of data, testimonials and customer feedback.


CC03 - Acknowledge What Went Wrong

Acknowledge mistakes and efforts to redress them. Since people already know about them, the organisation lacks credibility if it's not a part of the conversation. Own up and take responsibility then promote solutions.


CC04 - Promote Success Stories

As people adopt the changes and the benefits start to emerge, share success stories and congratulate people on their achievements.


CC05 - Show Gratitude

A lot of people worked hard to make the change successful. Show gratitude for people's efforts, acknowledging individuals and groups.


CC06 - Move Content into Ordinary Communication Channels

Gradually close down change specific communication channels but make sure the consolidation messages are integrated into ongoing corporate communication processes.

CA01 - Measure Results

Confirm that the change has implemented what it set out to do. Measure results and gather evidence, with reference back to the original business case.


CA02 - Learn from the Experience

Gather lessons and insights from the change process and how the organisation adapted to the new systems. Feed this into the corporate knowledge processes of the organisation.


CA03 - Enable Improvements

Implement refinements and improvements based on growing experience of using the new arrangements.


CA04 - Manage the Shift from Change to Normal Business

Review policies and procedures across organisation, checking for compliance with changes and integration with pre-existing organisational processes.

CN01 - Finalise Migration to New System

Round off the change process by making sure related processes and resources are fully compliant with the requirements of the new system.


CN02 - Update Formal Performance Plans and Documentation

Update strategic and operational plans to match changed conditions, reviewing expectations and professional development plans for individuals and teams.


CN03 - Confirm External Stakeholders are Fine

Monitor customer, supplier and other stakeholder adjustments to changed situation, assisting them to adjust where needed.


Management Controls

Once the Change Management Agenda is set for your change process it becomes the basis of your management control during the transition. This is done in several ways.

Review Plans and Processes

Firstly, it is used to review the content of your project plans, executive agreements and local actions, to ensure the necessary change steps have been put in place. This is one of the great strengths of the BASIC 8 Method. You don't have to reinvent your organisation's management processes or project management methods. You simply have to make sure the change agenda is included in them, in what ever format and location suits your organisation.

Keep Track of Progress

Secondly, the agenda becomes a tracking and monitoring framework. As the change progresses, many technical and functional issues will arise and take up a great deal of time and attention. By using the change agenda you have constructed, you can track and review whether progress is being made on the transition actions as well as the technical work of the change.

Interventions and Support

Finally, the agenda becomes the basis for planning interventions, focussing communication and mobilising support to where it is needed throughout the change. As the leadership and consultation processes surface issues, or as projects struggle to meet deadlines, the agenda can be used to locate where additional direction or support is needed. The significance of this it that the change agenda can highlight transition issues that project plans or regular leadership processes might miss.