For the last few months I set aside writing to do some listening, research and thinking. I wanted to better understand a trend that over the past few years, influenced in part by 9/11 and most recently by the pressures of a struggling economy, seemed to be reaching a crescendo that was overpowering more important … More The Dangers of Corporate Fundamentalism
I’m sentimental So I walk in the rain I’ve got some habits Even I can’t explain I go to the corner I end up in Spain Why try to change me now Whether voiced with the fragile anguish of Fiona Apple or the charming cockiness of Frank Sinatra, these Cy Coleman lyrics express the unapologetic … More Gaining Support for Change
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 Failure: The Secret to Success
Sometimes I feel like Sisyphus, compelled for eternity to push a huge rock uphill only to watch it roll back down again. “A couple of Power Point overviews, some manager talking points, and a few audience-focused launch messages and we should have what we need to complete this project,” the project director informed me. “We … More Checking the Change Management Box
Every time I hear Tom Chaplin’s delicate and vulnerable delivery of Tim Rice-Oxley’s lyrics, I imagine an executive choosing this song as the script for their change announcement. The balance between an urgent necessity and a confusing transition strikes a note of truth that if only spoken more frequently would show an incredible regard … More Everybody’s Changing
Change is a lot like going from Oz to Kansas. On one hand, it’s as uncomplicated as closing your eyes, clicking the heels of your ruby slippers and willing yourself from one place to another. Individuals and organizations have the ability to make change that simple—an uncomplicated choice, a straightforward decision, a path taken with … More The Importance of Yellow Brick Roads
asdf Randy Nelson knows something about how to build collaborative, innovative cultures. Although currently the Head of Artistic Development and Training at DreamWorks Animation, two years ago when he did this piece, he was the Dean of Pixar University. For twelve years, Randy was responsible designing curriculum and delivering classes and programs to continuously increase … More Pixar’s Foundations for Collaboration
The pressure of adversity does not affect the mind of the brave man…It is more powerful than the external circumstance. Seneca Change is best led by those who have sailed in broken boats. Because the lessons learned from adversity are more powerful teachers than the lessons of success. Navigating change with the insight and preparation … More Leadership Lessons From a Broken Boat
Sometimes it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a change leader to take on the full responsibility of change . . . A couple weeks ago I completed an Accelerated Change Readiness workshop with a project team for a Fortune 500 company. They were preparing for a technology … More Through the Eye of a Needle
The fastest way to learn is to discover a person or group which reaches totally different conclusions to your own when looking at the same reality. Robert Theobald All too often, we suffer from an acceptance of ignorance. Whether we are talking about organizations, nations, political parties, religions, communities or individuals, the tension and conflict … More Say What You Need to Say
Erik Van Slyke 