The ACMP Standard emphasizes that the ‘Define’ phase is about establishing a clear and shared understanding of the change. While a project charter is a useful input, the change practitioner must actively engage with the sponsor and stakeholders to validate and socialize the change definition, ensuring everyone agrees on what the change is and what it aims to achieve before detailed planning begins. This foundational alignment is critical for success.

This approach leverages principles of engagement and involvement. By creating a forum for the leader’s team to be heard, you acknowledge their expertise and value. This can transform the leader from a blocker into a conduit for feedback and a co-creator of the solution, addressing the root cause of resistance (feeling imposed upon) and building ownership. Simply providing more data (option C) often entrenches positions, while escalation (A) should be a last resort.

The ACMP Standard advises that the change management approach should be scaled based on the change’s characteristics and organizational context. A large impact scope, significant degree of change (e.g., transformational vs. incremental), and a low-capacity organization to absorb change are key indicators that a robust, comprehensive change plan is necessary. Technical complexity and budget (A) are project factors, not solely people-change factors. An aggressive timeline (C) often requires more, not less, change management to ensure adoption under pressure.

The ultimate goal of change management is to achieve the desired business outcomes. While activity metrics (training, logins) and lagging indicators (support tickets) are useful, the most telling sign of sustained change is a measurable shift in performance and behavior that delivers value. Tracking performance data linked to the change’s objectives shows whether people are not just using the new system/process, but are using it effectively to drive results, indicating true integration into business-as-usual.

This action addresses the immediate people-risk by leveraging the existing network and social dynamics. Change resilience relies on distributed leadership, not just a single champion. Coaching another influential person (a formal or informal leader) to provide support helps fill the void, maintains momentum, and empowers the team from within. Pausing the rollout (D) can cause more disruption, while waiting for a hire (A) or relying only on senior sponsors (C) does not provide the day-to-day, local support the team needs.

The ACMP Code of Ethics requires practitioners to act with integrity, professionalism, and respect for individuals. Withholding material information that impacts employees’ lives violates the principle of transparency and respect. The practitioner must not be complicit (A) nor take inappropriate unilateral action (B). The correct course is to formally document the issue and escalate it through proper channels, ensuring the ethical dilemma is addressed at an organizational level. Resignation (D) is a last resort and does not necessarily protect the affected employees.

Integration is about coordination, not consolidation or control. The core purpose is to sequence and synchronize tasks so that the organization is prepared, equipped, and supported at the exact moment a technical deliverable is introduced. For example, training must happen just before go-live, and communications must build awareness ahead of key milestones. This alignment ensures the ‘technical side’ and the ‘people side’ of the transition work in concert to drive adoption.

Leading indicators signal future success or failure before the outcome is realized. A drop in engagement from a key group (like a change network) is a powerful leading indicator of waning support, potential resistance, and future adoption problems. It is actionable because it allows the committee to investigate and intervene. Project task status (A) is a lagging indicator of project management health, not change adoption. Documents (C) are historical, and anecdotal quotes (D) are not a systemic measure of health.

Sustained change means the new way of working is ‘the way we do things here,’ not just a project that has ended. The transition to business-as-usual ownership is only viable when the change is producing its intended results and responsibility for those results (e.g., through performance goals, operational reviews, management routines) has been formally transferred to line leadership. Completion of activities (D) or depletion of budget (A) are administrative endpoints, not indicators of successful embedding.

The ACMP Standard emphasizes that the ‘Define’ phase is about establishing a clear and shared understanding of the change. While a project charter is a useful input, the change practitioner must actively engage with the sponsor and stakeholders to validate and socialize the change definition, ensuring everyone agrees on what the change is and what it aims to achieve before detailed planning begins. This foundational alignment is critical for success.0