Change Frameworks
How Cursus supports ADKAR, Kotter, Bridges, McKinsey 7-S, and custom frameworks — and what "change philosophy" means in practice.
Cursus is framework-agnostic by design. Your organization's change philosophy is a configurable lens — it shapes how Lumen AI coaches, how intervention recommendations are framed, and how readiness is described — without constraining the underlying data model.
Supported frameworks
ADKAR (Prosci)
The most widely adopted individual change model. Cursus maps readiness scores to ADKAR stages (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) and frames Lumen coaching through the ADKAR lens.
Best for: Organizations with a formal Prosci practice, practitioner certification programs, or a need for individual-level change journey tracking.
Kotter's 8-Step Model
A leadership-driven, urgency-first model. Cursus surfaces coalition strength and communication reach signals that align to Kotter's phases.
Best for: Large-scale transformations led from the top down, where leadership alignment is the primary change lever.
Bridges Transition Model
Focuses on the psychological transition experience: Endings, the Neutral Zone, and New Beginnings. Lumen coaching through Bridges emphasizes emotional acknowledgment alongside structural change.
Best for: Organizations navigating significant cultural shifts, mergers, or restructuring where psychological safety is a primary concern.
McKinsey 7-S
A systems-thinking model connecting strategy, structure, systems, shared values, skills, style, and staff. Cursus maps change impacts across the 7-S dimensions.
Best for: Strategic transformations requiring cross-functional alignment assessment.
Custom
Organizations with proprietary change methodologies, branded frameworks, or hybrid approaches can configure a custom philosophy. Lumen will adapt its coaching prompts and terminology to match your organization's language.
How to configure your change philosophy
Administrators set the change philosophy in Settings → Organization → Change Philosophy. All users in the organization see the same framework — it is an org-level setting, not a per-user preference.
Changing the philosophy does not affect historical data. It changes how Lumen interprets and presents information going forward.
Framework vs. data model
An important distinction: the change framework is a presentation layer, not a data model constraint. Regardless of which framework you use:
- Change load scores are calculated the same way
- Network intelligence operates identically
- Stakeholder group membership and impact traceability work the same
- Survey data is stored in the same schema
The framework shapes the language, the coaching prompts, and the intervention recommendations — not the underlying measurement.