Book excerpt: No organisations, change initiative or stakeholder is ever the same. The way business change management is shaped to work with and get the best out of every different change situation makes a vital contribution to the success of the change. The Shape of Change is the first business change management book to focus solely on the practical challenges of how to plan, implement and embed successful business change initiatives in a wide range of organisations from the business change manager’s point of view. It focuses on shaping every different change approach to take into consideration each individual situation including organisational culture, the type and impact of change the initiative, the attitudes and concerns of stakeholders and the potential for resistance within the organisation. Using a series of example change initiatives in private, public and non-profit sectors, it describes the change management journey, highlighting key points where business change management interventions are essential, and exploring how it feels to undertake business change initiatives in a wide range of situations, from communicating the initial change idea to ensuring the change is embedded and working well in business as usual. Accessible and comprehensive, The Shape of Change is relevant to anyone working in or planning organisational change.