Change Management

7 Things Employees Want to Know In a Department Reshuffle

February 28, 2012

Overheard at a lunchtime conversation in the company cafeteria: Employee: “That sure was a big announcement by the CEO this morning. They’re really moving the boxes on the org chart this time. What’s your reaction? Mid-level manager: (shrugging shoulders, sounding nonchalant) “Meh. I’ve been around this place for a long time. It’s just same monkeys, [...]

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Leaders, Change is Hard. Don’t Make It Harder by Being Stupid.

September 1, 2011

“Change is hard. It’s even harder when you’re stupid.”   This quote is often attributed to the actor John Wayne, famous for his cowboy image and attitude. Even though my research indicates that the attribution is most likely bogus, I think the quote is a good reminder for leaders. I believe that even smart leaders [...]

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Following. It’s the New Leadership

May 19, 2011

If you find yourself still thinking about a three-minute video clip six days after you first saw it, chances are it had a pretty powerful message. That’s definitely the case for me as I reflect on the hilarious, but insightful video clip shown at the TEDx Grand Rapids event last week. The video features Derek [...]

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Friends Don’t Let Friends Stay in Their Comfort Zone

January 13, 2011

  This weekend I posted the following comment on my personal Facebook page:     As so often happens with social media, my “posse” rallied to my side, offering lots of encouragement.  One note of encouragement was especially helpful to me. It was sent via private message, but I’ve received permission to anonymously republish it here [...]

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Change Management According to Granny

October 22, 2010

Dissatisfaction is Part of the Deal for Change Agents While working out at the gym the other day, I indulged in bit of TV nostalgia and watched the Beverly Hillbillies.  This particular episode had Jed and Granny discussing how to deliver some disappointing news to Jethro. “Now, don’t worry Granny,” Jed said reassuringly, “I’ll go easy [...]

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The Ambiguity Factor

December 3, 2009

When was the last time you heard an employee say “Wow, the implementation of that new program (system/process/idea) was smooth!” My guess is you’ve rarely (perhaps never?) heard that.  There are oodles of reasons why the launch of a new system goes awry— competing values, unclear objectives, unrealistic deadlines, budget constraints and so on.  Here’s [...]

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