Erik Van Slyke

The Importance of Trust . . . It’s Not What You Think

August 28, 2020

A few weeks ago I was talking with a project manager who wanted an assessment of his team’s capability. The project was moving along without significant problems, but was approaching an intense period with several critical milestones. The project manager felt unsettled because his team was not providing the analysis and insight he expected. “I don’t think … More The Importance of Trust . . . It’s Not What You Think

I Agree With What I Wanted You to Say But Not With What You Meant

June 7, 2017

I couldn’t resist sharing this video poking fun at the “Stuff Business People Say.” It’s funny–and painful–to watch because it hits so close to home. The big lesson? The use of jargon is a big, flashing neon sign that we need to clarify meaning in plain language. Yes, it is expedient and nine times out … More I Agree With What I Wanted You to Say But Not With What You Meant

Why Change Is Best Done Naked

April 24, 2017

The fear of making mistakes is the root of all bureaucracy and the enemy of evolution. Ingvar Kamprad “I don’t think we’re ready to share anything,” Diana said four months into an eighteen-month IT project implementation. “Help me understand more about that,” Mark replied choking back his exasperation. Only two days earlier Diana, the project leader and a rising … More Why Change Is Best Done Naked

The Missing Part of Change Communication

January 30, 2017

Maybe it’s time to reevaluate the effort project teams put into change communication. Pick any study that examines the effectiveness of organizational change and somewhere the results will say that communication is one of the most essential ingredients of success. Some recent examples include: A 2016 Robert Half studyreported that 65% of senior manager respondents said that “communicating … More The Missing Part of Change Communication

The Upside Down-Side to Dictatorship

February 22, 2016

When I arrived in Italy a number of years ago to visit my in-laws, I noticed Renzo di Felice’s massive fourteen volume Mussolini e il Fascismo sitting prominently on the shelf in my father-in-law’s office. I was not surprised by his interest in Mussolini because he grew up in Milan during World War II and … More The Upside Down-Side to Dictatorship

Getting Beyond Change Inertia

January 4, 2016

While driving during a horrible snowstorm, a young project manager became disoriented and lost. Thankfully, he remembered what his father had once told him: ”If you ever get stuck in a snowstorm, wait for a snow plow and follow it.” Within a few minutes, a snow plow came by, and he started to follow it. … More Getting Beyond Change Inertia

What Is Change Management Anyway? (Repost)

September 18, 2015

A marketing exec friend of mine gave me a call the other day to catch up. After swapping stories about families and our current work, he finally asked after years of knowing me, “What exactly is change management anyway?” I had to think for a moment before answering him for a couple of reasons. First, because he’s … More What Is Change Management Anyway? (Repost)

Revisiting Failure as a Secret to Success

September 11, 2015

Nobody likes to fail. We think failure is the opposite of success. In organization life, failure is unacceptable. It demands action. It requires a response. It gets you fired. It is better to maintain the status quo and achieve mediocre results than to take a risk and fail. Unless you are an effective change leader. … More Revisiting Failure as a Secret to Success

Waiting on the World to Change

January 13, 2014

Even though John Mayer suggests that “it’s not that we don’t care, we just know that the fight ain’t fair,” I believe that change has to be about more than us waiting on the world to change. Much of the time, all change requires is someone willing to step up and lead. Last week, I … More Waiting on the World to Change

Profile of Change: Thulani Madondo

August 28, 2013

In January I visited Johannesburg, South Africa to speak at the Academy of Management’s first-ever Africa Conference. The conference brought together leading organization and management scholars as well as social entrepreneurs, service providers and change agents interested in the many theoretical and practical problems presented in Africa. The continent is home to some of the world’s … More Profile of Change: Thulani Madondo

Building Organizational Capacity to Lead Change