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The Ten C's Series · Redefining Excellence · Tool RE-02 · Diagnose

PAC/EAC Diagnostic

From Redefining Excellence, Chapter 5, Planned Approach to Change vs. Emergent Approach to Change. See all Redefining Excellence tools

Use it when

Priorities keep shifting, initiatives launch without measures, or outside events seem to be steering your organization. This diagnostic answers one question: is change here planned, or is it mostly reaction?

Time and people

About 10 minutes. One leader can complete it. It's more honest when a few people from different levels fill it in and compare. Run it again every 90 days.

How it works

  1. For each row, mark the statement that describes how your organization works most of the time. Pick one side per row, and complete all ten rows before you count.
  2. Count the marks on each side.
  3. Check that PAC plus EAC equals 10. Then find your status from the EAC count.
  4. Name your biggest EAC risk and write one action in the Action Record.

Prefer paper? Download the printable, fillable PDF: US Letter · A4

The Diagnostic

Adjusting a good plan when new information comes in is healthy. This check looks at whether reacting has become the plan. Mark one side in every row, and answer for how things usually work, not on your best day.

Row 1
Row 2
Row 3
Row 4
Row 5
Row 6
Row 7
Row 8
Row 9
Row 10

For the last row, ask who set this year's top priorities. If it was your own plan, mark PAC. If it was mostly outside events, mark EAC.

Your Result

PAC total: 0 of 10
EAC total: 0 of 10

PAC plus EAC must equal 10. If it doesn't, a row was skipped or marked twice.

Use your EAC total to find your status. Select one.

  • Stable 0 to 3 EAC. You're working mostly through a planned approach. Keep Purpose, Motivation, Vision, and Mission in front of the team.
  • Declining 4 to 6 EAC. A mixed pattern. Reactive habits are competing with planned direction.
  • Danger 7 to 10 EAC. You're working mostly through reaction. Events are setting your direction, and burnout tends to follow.
 

Your next step. Don't try to fix every EAC row at once. Start with your biggest reactive pattern. Then review Purpose, Motivation, Vision, and Mission with Tool RE-03, and strengthen whichever ones no longer guide decisions.

Action Record

Use your biggest EAC risk to fill in the first row.

Action 1
 
 

Review

Run it again in 90 days, or sooner after a reorganization, a new leader, or a major outside event.

Help improve this tool

From Chapter 5, Planned Approach to Change vs. Emergent Approach to Change. thermalenergynetwork.com/tools/pac-eac-diagnostic · Version 1.0, November 2026