Business as Usual (BAU) is meant to be the moment when change “sticks” — when projects end, handovers happen, and teams carry the work forward independently.
In theory, it’s neat and efficient.
In practice? It’s where change often quietly unravels.
The uncomfortable reality
Organisations invest huge amounts of time, energy, and money into projects designed to deliver change. Good project managers plan carefully, including structured handovers so teams can absorb the work into BAU.
And yet, research repeatedly shows a stubborn pattern: a large proportion of projects fail to realise their intended benefits. The often-quoted figure is that up to 70–80% of change initiatives fall short of what they set out to achieve.
This isn’t usually because people don’t care — it’s because BAU asks teams to do something fundamentally new using old ways of working.
Capacity isn’t the same as capability
After nearly 20 years in education and organisational learning, one issue shows up again and again:
BAU fails when we build capacity, but not capability.
- Capacity = people have attended training, been given tools, and received information
- Capability = people can confidently apply learning in real, messy, high-pressure contexts
Most training programmes stop at capacity. Slides delivered. Content covered. Boxes ticked.
But effective learning — especially for diverse and neurodivergent learners — depends on:
- Deep comprehension, not surface familiarity
- Confidence to apply learning when conditions aren’t ideal
- Space to practise, reflect, adapt, and embed new ways of thinking
Without this, BAU simply reverts to what feels safe and familiar.
Why BAU struggles under pressure
BAU assumes:
- Teams have time to think (they often don’t)
- Confidence transfers automatically from training to practice (it doesn’t)
- One-size-fits-all learning works for everyone (it rarely does)
- Motivation survives competing priorities (it usually fades)
When pressure rises, people default to habits — not PowerPoint slides from a completed project.
What actually helps change stick
Sustainable change needs ongoing support, not just delivery:
- Learning that adapts to how adults actually learn
- Coaching that bridges the gap between knowing and doing
- Safe space to test, fail, reflect, and refine
- A focus on confidence, judgement, and decision-making — not just process
How Brilliora supports sustainable BAU
Brilliora works with individuals and organisations to move beyond short-term projects and into real capability building.
Through coaching, learning design, and structured reflection, Brilliora helps teams:
- Translate training into confident action
- Embed change into daily decision-making
- Support diverse learners without lowering standards
- Create BAU that actually works under pressure
Because change doesn’t fail at launch — it fails when support stops.
Credible references
Eraut, M. (2004). Informal learning in the workplace. Studies in Continuing Education
Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading Change. Harvard Business School Press
McKinsey & Company (2015). Why change management fails
Prosci (2020). Best Practices in Change Management
Kirkpatrick, D. & Kirkpatrick, J. (2006). Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels