What is the first stage in the business change life cycle?

The first stage in the business change life cycle is alignment. This stage focuses on ensuring that the proposed changes align with the organization's overall strategy, goals, and objectives. It involves understanding the current state of the organization and its environment, defining the vision for change, and securing buy-in from key stakeholders. By establishing alignment from the outset, organizations can create a solid foundation for subsequent stages of the life cycle, ensuring that the change initiative will be relevant and beneficial to the organization's broader context.

In contrast, the other stages such as definition, feasibility, and mission, typically follow alignment. Definition involves clarifying the details of the change, feasibility assesses whether the proposed changes can realistically be implemented, and mission relates to the overarching purpose of the organization. While those elements are crucial to the change process, they stem from a prior understanding of how the change aligns with strategic objectives.