v0.8 — Working Draft
This page is under active development. Content is directionally accurate but subject to revision. Suggest an edit →
AAMI Structure: Change Agility Diagnostic¶
The Adaptive Adoption Maturity Index (AAMI) is a 20-pillar diagnostic instrument spanning all three disciplines of the Adaptive Adoption framework: Change Agility (7 pillars), Leadership Delta (7 dimensions), and Behavioral Governance (6 dimensions). This page describes the AAMI structure as it applies to Change Agility — the operational layer of the framework.
For the full AAMI architecture across all 20 pillars, see the Maturity Model.
The Seven Change Agility Pillars Under Assessment¶
Each of the seven Change Agility pillars is independently assessed along two axes: maturity level and behavioral driver.
| # | Pillar | What the AAMI Measures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Master the Craft | Depth and breadth of hands-on AI capability across the organization |
| 2 | Embrace Complexity | Whether planning approaches match the actual complexity of the domain |
| 3 | Consciously Manage Trust | Trust levels across technology, organizational, and process dimensions |
| 4 | Put People First™ | Whether augmentation-first sequencing is operative or merely espoused |
| 5 | Design and Prototype | Quality of experimentation practice: genuine prototyping vs. pilot theater |
| 6 | Prioritize Behavior | Whether behavioral change strategies target environment or rely on persuasion |
| 7 | Manage Ethics Always | Presence of embedded ethical reasoning vs. siloed compliance |
Maturity Levels¶
Each pillar is scored on a five-level maturity scale:
| Level | Label | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ad Hoc | No consistent approach. Activity is uncoordinated and individual-driven. |
| 2 | Emerging | Awareness exists. Initial processes are forming but inconsistently applied. |
| 3 | Defined | Structured approaches are documented and applied across key functions. |
| 4 | Managed | Performance is measured. Feedback loops drive continuous improvement. |
| 5 | Adaptive | The organization continuously reconfigures capability in response to environmental change. |
Level 5 is not a destination but a dynamic state — organizations can regress if the environment shifts faster than their adaptation capacity.
Diagnostic Drivers: COM-B + Trust¶
Each pillar assessment maps findings to two complementary diagnostic lenses:
COM-B Drivers. Following Michie et al. (2011), every assessment item classifies gaps as deficits in Capability (can they do it?), Opportunity (does the environment support it?), or Motivation (do they want to?). This classification prescribes the intervention type: capability gaps need skill-building, opportunity gaps need structural change, motivation gaps need incentive redesign.
Trust Drivers. AI adoption is mediated by trust — in the technology, in the organization, in the process. Trust is assessed along perceived competence (does the AI work?), perceived benevolence (does the organization have my interests in view?), and perceived integrity (are commitments honored in practice?). Trust modulates all three COM-B components: low trust suppresses motivation even when capability and opportunity are present. This draws on Mayer, Davis & Schoorman (1995).
The addition of Trust as a fourth driver is the AAMI's distinctive contribution. Standard COM-B assessments miss the trust dimension entirely, which explains why many AI adoption interventions that address capability, opportunity, and motivation still fail.
Three Assessment Layers¶
Every pillar is assessed at three layers of increasing rigor:
- Self-Report. Survey and interview data capturing perceptions. Efficient but subject to social desirability bias.
- Evidence. Artifact review — documents, data, system logs — confirming that reported practices have tangible manifestation.
- Behavioral Observation. Direct observation of practices in operational context. What people actually do, not what they say they do.
The gap between Layer 1 (what people say) and Layer 3 (what people do) is itself a diagnostic signal. A large gap indicates espoused-vs-enacted misalignment — the organization believes it is more mature than its behavior warrants.
Output: Dimensional Profile¶
The Change Agility AAMI produces a 7-pillar profile, not a single score. Each pillar receives:
- A maturity level rating (1–5) supported by layer-specific evidence
- A COM-B + Trust driver classification identifying the root cause of each gap
- Targeted intervention recommendations matched to the driver classification
The profile enables organizations to see where they are strong (and why), where they are weak (and why), and what type of intervention will actually close each gap — rather than receiving a generic maturity score and a list of best practices.