In this episode we discuss the meaning of success - in consulting and in change implementation - and what it means to be known for “moving the ball.” Spoiler Alert: It means everything!
As we’ve commented before, political correctness has affected coaching, and according to the so-called experts, what many of us call coaching is supposed to be called something else. In this episode, we discuss the many kinds of coaching relationships that exist and can produce real value - often despite being “inappropriate.” What you call it is not really important, as long as it works.
One of the nuts-and-bolts issues theory rarely covers, the tracking of change projects to ground is often what makes or breaks projects in the trenches. Proper tracking provides the early warning signs project managers need to prevent problems and keep things on track; it also provides the visibility executive sponsors need to support initiatives effectively. However, the logistical problems associated with maintaining up-to-date information on the various pieces of a change project easily overwhelm the resources of most projects, so adequate tracking is usually sacrificed. This episode covers how new technology is being used to overcome this age-old challenge.
In industries where people tend to be smarter than average – like health care, IT, and engineering – managing change can be very different… but not in the ways you would probably expect. This episode explores the difference between individual and group intelligence and the impact this has on the change implementation process.
Business professionals faced with change challenges often turn to templates for answers. In this episode, we explore what a template is… and is not, what your expectations should be, and how to use templates in your own change situations most effectively.
Often the specific answers that people want can only be found by drawing on a very profound understanding of an area of knowledge. Problems can occur when someone who understands the desired specific answer - the “Reader’s Digest Version” - thinks he has mastered the entire body of knowledge from which it comes. Increasingly, this is becoming a problem. Every area of study is becoming deeper and deeper at the same time our fast-paced world demands answers faster and faster.
This episode explores how business people, technical experts, and change professionals all fall victim to this common pitfall.
Misguided and unprofessional attitudes among change professionals, both outside and inside target organizations, are surprisingly common. Here is some of the things we have heard inside the trenches, why the attitudes they reveal are not just wrong - but wrong-headed, and how they can destroy your implementation efforts.
We all know how confusing it can be when you use jargon that someone else doesn’t know. What’s more confusing, though, is when two people are using the same term to describe two very different things. Often both parties leave the conversation with only a vague sense that something is not right, but convinced that their interpretation is valid.
The world of change is filled with common examples that keep business people and even change professionals from understanding one another. This episode some of the most troublesome terms.
Change implementation is profoundly impacted by who is around. Nothing can impact the politics of your initiative more than the untimely exit of a key supporter or the entry of a new player whose attitude toward your efforts are at best unknown. In this podcast, we explore the notion of an executive’s tour of duty and the implications this might have on change agents.
Napoleon’s Thirds: Crowd Psychology and Change Adoption [27:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadSome of the best insights come from historical figures, and Napoleon Bonaparte is one of our favorites. In this episode, we discuss Napoleon’s approach to crowd control and how his insights on motivating troops translates into how to manage change adoption initiatives. Specific cases are used to illustrate the concepts.
A section from our Change Management Toolkit covers this topic in a little more detail. You can download that section here: Napoleon’s Thirds
Introduction Page
