A change map is a way to understand the ramifications of a change in your organization (or your life). It could be a change you’ve already adopted, or one you’re considering. It’s a great tool to bring together the smart minds in your organization so you can be more effective.

Consider the change map as a series of concentric rings. In the center is the change. The next ring out has a section for each area of your life or company that will be affected by the change. The next ring out has the different actions you’ll need to take in that area.

I got the idea from LifeHacker and their example is not about business, it’s about adopting a dog. But the technique has far reaching benefits.

So for example, one area that is affected by the change of a dog is “grocery shopping”. And the different action is shop for dog too. Another is “vacation” and the action is “must make arrangements for dog”. Pretty basic stuff when you think about it.

And that’s the point. This is a tool to help you think. Something we need to do early and often when it comes to making a major change.

 Takeaways:

• Use this to think through the ramifications of a change before you implement it
• Use it to communicate and follow through on changes afterward