ABSTRACT
The real world is not always as orderly as the world you imagine when you determine the direction of your action. It certainly does not present itself in as convenient and predictable. The process of change revolves around the Essential Eight— eight elements for moving from inaction to accomplishment. These elements may be seen as a progression of steps that the change agent takes, moving from one phase of the change effort into the next. These are deciding to act with purpose, understanding and clarifying the issue, knowing the actors in the play, beginning to involve more people, figuring out what to do, taking action, using the action, and repeating the steps taken. Planned, organized change is a process of building until you have changed the climate sufficiently and built enough power and tackled enough issues that people have truly changed how things occur and will occur in your community. The chapter also offers twenty tips for taking action.
