applied know how
We are undergoing tremendous change. The CEO of advertising conglomerate WPP has said that “we’re seeing 10 years of innovation crammed into 4 weeks” as companies struggle with the impact of Covid-19 and rapid digitization.
I’m reminded of a great literary reference from The Leopard, by di Lampedusa, in particular the line ‘everything needs to change, so everything can stay the same.’… Read more
How do you approach difficult situations requiring major change in strategy? Typically, military metaphors come to mind demanding a ‘commanding’ presence, ‘directive’ action, focus and urgency of activity. All this needs determined leadership to get the right results; right?
This was certainly my preferred approach as a task focussed manager — I got to work leading and planning and cajoling and arguing— on my way to ‘shake things up’.… Read more
As a good faculty member I adhere to the traditional foundation of change management in business schools which are the works of Prof. Kurt Lewin (change as three steps- CATS– devised in the 1950s) and Prof. John Kotter (8 step change model).
I always start this session with a simple statement from McKinsey… 70% of change programs fail! … Read more
A key skill relevant to leaders at all levels is the ability to positively influence people in such a way that others follow you and act willingly —as opposed to complying because of the “authority” you hold from the organisation. We discussed this last week as we reviewed how we should flex our preferred social style to work with the preferred styles of others to positively influence them towards change.… Read more
So, do you take the stairs or escalator?
Rushed for time, or wanting to lose weight to be more accepted by friends?
Does painting the stairs like a piano trigger a different behaviour?
Painting a simple fly in a urinal reduces “spillage” by 80%… good behaviour can be triggered easily.
Whether you are a new General Manager finding ways to get your team to improve performance, or a brand manager seeking ways for customers to adopt your product, we are all in the behaviour influencing game.… Read more