Order of moves: gate sheet
Practicum for Volume 2, Chapter 11, "The Change Compass" (first-round route). Version: 2026-07. This is the printed capstone for Volume 2. Print it and keep it visible.
A gate is a control point, a question that needs an honest yes before you take the next step. The rule is not "by Friday," but "when this is true." A date asks how much time has passed. A gate asks what has become true. One business may pass seven gates in a quarter; another may need two. A calendar ignores that difference, while the compass allows for it. Order matters more than speed. Every skipped gate returns later at the most expensive point.
Seven gates in the first round
| # | Gate: what must become true | Honest yes? | Date passed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The work map exists. I can name 15 repeated processes with volume and pain | [ ] | |
| 2 | Scoring is complete and ONE process is selected. It has five yes answers and written instructions | [ ] | |
| 3 | The baseline is recorded. Four "before" numbers are written down | [ ] | |
| 4 | The agent contract exists and an owner is named. There is a contract page and a person's name | [ ] | |
| 5 | The pilot runs and people learn from it. The loop has run for a month, 4 weekly review hours happened, and a champion is visible | [ ] | |
| 6 | The full-cycle effect is measured. The result is compared with the baseline and tied to one of three levers. Decision: scale / repair / close honestly | [ ] | |
| 7 | Second round. The next scored process moves faster because context exists, people know how, and the team has practiced saying no | [ ] |
Rules for passing the gates:
- One process, not three. Three first loops running at once divide the owner's attention and rarely survive.
- Gate 3 cannot move. Without "before," there is no "after." Record the baseline before launch or accept that it does not exist.
- Gate 6 is the honesty point. Closing a pilot with numbers is a sound result. An endless pilot without numbers is the worst result. Set a review date and allow three honest outcomes from the start.
- My first-round process:
_________________________________________________ - My four "before" numbers for Gate 3:
____________
Before you fill in the sheet, see how the gates work in a public example: IKEA Through the Change Compass.
If you manage a team inside a company
The route stays the same, but the scope is smaller. Your map covers team processes, and your mandate covers one loop. Your advantage is speed: you do not need the board to pass the first five gates. A manager who brings leadership a working loop and measured effect has a different conversation from someone presenting slides about AI's potential.
- Detailed routes: Manager Route Through the Gates and Business Route Through the Gates.
Exit check: did you only add surface polish?
Before you call the round complete, ask whether the work map, roles, or measurements changed. If none changed, you added surface polish. Scoring will not catch this. The final question will. Use the Process Maturity Check.
Next
If you have not scored processes, start with Process Scoring. For the PEOPLE arrow, Gate 5, use Training Inside the Work Loop. For the CONTROL arrow, Gate 4, use the Agent Contract and Human Review Matrix.
Adding AI is easy. Making the change real is harder. Seven gates and one honest metric separate a rebuild from a gesture. Back: Volume 2 Workbook. Version: 2026-07.