Change on the Run (Phil Buckley)

Phil is joined by change and innovation leader Tim Creasey to discuss how to measure the success of a change initiative.

Measuring success is an important part of setting up and managing a change project because it defines tangible indicators of the benefits realized from the initiative. In a rush to get a project going, it’s easy to miss or gloss over this crucial step, making it difficult to demonstrate progress and achievements throughout and after the project.

So, how do you measure success to estimate the benefits of change and monitor the approach taken to realize them?

Additional resources on measuring change from Tim:

A Better Way to Talk About the ROI of Change Management

Evolving to Elevate Change Success Webinar Replay

Tim can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timcreasey/

YouTube – Tim Talks Series: https://www.youtube.com/c/ProsciChangeManagement

Website: https://www.prosci.com

Phil is joined by change and innovation leader Tim Creasey to discuss how to engage leaders during change. Leaders have the greatest influence on the success of a change initiative, and without their full support, a project has little chance of succeeding. A leader's lack of visible commitment, reluctance to adopt new behaviours or poor attendance at project review meetings will result in similar actions from their teams. Conversely, an aligned, energized, and fully supportive leader will motivate and galvanize their teams to adopt new ways of working and endure difficult transitions. So, how do you engage leaders during change to fulfill their roles and ensure people have everything they need to take on new mindsets, routines, and behaviours? Tim can be reached at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timcreasey/ Website: https://www.prosci.com

Phil is joined by branding consultant, motivational speaker and author Paul Marchildon to discuss strategies on how to avoid taking things personally.

It’s easy to take things to heart when working on a change initiative. The environment makes it easy to do so: it’s fast-paced, deadline-driven, and moving forward often requires multiple approvals, not to mention that circumstances change constantly. But when you take things personally you are not at your best, and often at your worst.

So, how do you separate content from emotions and avoid the knee-jerk responses and regrettable behaviours triggered by your perceptions?

Phil is joined by change consultant Roberta Assaf to discuss constructive ways to respond to criticism. 

It makes sense that people have different views on what needs to be done and how to do it on major change initiatives. Project plans and responses to challenges are built on assumptions and incomplete knowledge. 

Different perspectives are natural and beneficial. Planning for criticism is the first step to addressing it.

So, how do you respond to criticism in ways that support your positions and preserve relationships needed to be successful?

Phil is joined by Organizational Effectiveness and Talent leader Kate Georgiades to discuss how to help people let go of the past. 

All big change initiatives require people to think, act and behave differently. To do so, they must let go of current ways of working that are familiar, comfortable and have contributed to their success. If they don’t, they hold onto what they know, become fearful of what they don’t know, and jeopardize adoption of the change that secures its benefits. 

So, how do you help people let go of the past so they grab hold of their future?

You can reach Kate at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kategeorgiades/

Phil is joined by business partners John Bradley and Carrie Bradley to discuss the best ways to influence decisions through change. 

The decisions that leaders make (in addition to their behaviour) often seal the fate of a change initiative. Influencing these decisions is perhaps the biggest impact you can have on a project’s success.

So, how can you best influence leaders as they are making the big decisions?

Phil is joined by communications expert Skot Waldron to discuss building team confidence during change.

Large change projects require people to work through uncertainty, and their ability to make progress with insufficient information or experience is a must. Moving forward under these conditions requires confidence that the team is skilled and effective at removing barriers to success. It improves focus and galvanizes resolve to make good decisions around the questions that are critical to a change project’s success.

So, how do you build a team’s confidence, so members are at their best when pushing through challenges to achieve its commitments and mandate?

You can reach Skot at:

Website: https://www.skotwaldron.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOJlfolBPegykJ9LJkLnkWw

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skotwaldron/ 

Phil is joined by commercial strategist Matt Ross to discuss the importance and steps of building cross-functional strategies for change. 

In our digital world, cross-functional alignment is essential during change projects because everything is connected. All big changes require every business area to support them through new ways of working. 

Most large changes have different benefits and drawbacks for each part of the organization. This means you must motivate groups with different perspectives to collaborate, share information and follow your plan.

So, how do you create cross-functional alliances to increase buy-in, secure resources and reduce roadblocks?

Matt can be reached at: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattrosstoronto/

Phil is joined by marketing and business transformation expert David Vivenes to discuss the best strategies to employ when developing a business case for change. 

A business case identifies the anticipated benefits of a change initiative and the investment required to implement it. Benefits include increased sales, profit or market share; decreased costs; greater customer service; and retention of talent. These gains need to be greater than the investment of resources required to secure them, mainly money, time, skills and leadership attention.

So, how do create a business case for change to activate your chosen strategies to achieve organizational goals?

David can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidvivenes/

Change on the Run offers effective advice on common change challenges, from veteran leaders and experts in surviving and excelling during large workplace initiatives.

Guests join Phil Buckley to discuss their experiences and share the one thing they would do to meet a challenge when they're pressed for time.

From managing yourself, to managing the work, to managing others on your team, the Change on the Run podcast gives you the best results in the shortest amount of time.

Phil is joined by communication expert and leadership coach John Millen to discuss how to present at a leadership review.

Leaders can make or break the success of a big change initiative. They influence the level of engagement of their teams, make the highest-impact decisions, control the allocation of resources and the ability to overcome barriers.

Agenda, presentation style, data, insights, recommendations, and engagement level all play roles in a successful leadership review presentation.

So, how do you present at a leadership team review, so leaders fulfill their roles to their full potential by making the best decisions that lead to successful transformations?

John can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmillen/

Website: https://www.johnmillen.com

Newsletter: https://www.johnmillen.com/newsletter

Phil is joined by change and transformation expert Sarah Smith to discuss how to leverage your existing culture during change.

An organization’s culture describes how work gets done. It’s a collection of attitudes, beliefs, practices and behaviours that dictate how people treat each other. It is also a source of strength you can tap into because it’s familiar, deeply rooted and has emotional connections with people.

So, how do you leverage your existing culture and its strengths to adopt new ways of working?

Sarah can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlcsmith/

Email: sarah@hundredbrands.com

Phil is joined by group and team coaching expert Glain Roberts-McCabe to discuss strategies for changing an organization's culture to enable change.

All big changes require some form of culture change. This requires modifying how people think, interact and behave. The challenge in doing so is that these traits are deep-rooted, difficult to alter, and even more difficult to sustain.

So, how do you change an organization’s culture so that it aligns with and enables a change initiative?

Glain can be reached at:

Email: groberts@goroundtable.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glain/ 

Phil is joined by organization development, change and HR leader Sandeep Aujla to discuss the best ways to make change stick in an organization. 

It doesn’t take long for people to revert to pre-change ways of working once the excitement of go-live fades and the project team disbands if they aren’t supported through their transition to new ways of working. 

The familiarity and comfort of past routines and behaviours is a greater motivator than the benefits gained from change. 

So, how do you ensure that the changes stick an organization and its employees realize an initiative's full benefits?

Sandeep can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saujla/

Twitter: @SandeepAujla

Phil is joined by change leader Bob Kaufman to discuss how to measure readiness for change. 

The biggest question to answer before people take on a change is, “Are they prepared to do so?” It is essential to confirm they have the required knowledge and skills for each phase of preparation because learning is cumulative: the preparation for one phase is a necessary foundation for the next.

So, how do you know that people have the knowledge and skills required to take on the change?

Phil is joined by change resiliency expert Jacqueline Kappers to discuss the best ways to address resistance to change. 

It’s natural for people to resist change. Their organization is asking them to exchange strongly held beliefs and routines for untested and uncomfortable ones. 

People resist new ways of working for many reasons, including fear of the unknown, loss of what they know and value, being overloaded, disagreement with what’s new, or the perceived lack of skills required to succeed in their new world. Their resistance can lead to indifference to not changing to sabotage.

So, how do you address resistance to help people transition from where they are now to where they need to go? 

Jacqueline can be reached at:

Email: Jacqueline@bluemorphogroup.ca

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-kappers 

Website: https://www.bluemorphogroup.ca/

Phil is joined by change management and not-for-profit leader Laura Oliver to discuss how to respond to adjustments during change.

Change initiatives typically involve continual revisions. New information emerges, stakeholder needs shift, and requirements change. Many people dive into accommodating the changes without assessing whether they help or hinder the projects and their success. Conversely, reacting quickly and taking action can be more important than extensively assessing options and determining the best response.

So, how do you respond to plan adjustments that accommodate necessary changes and keep resources focused on delivering your defined outcomes?

Laura and the Grindstone Award Foundation can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraoliver12/

Email: https://grindstoneaward.com/

Phil is joined by change and project management leader Mary Jacobs to discuss the importance of and steps to documenting project lessons learned during change. 

Managing the closing of a change project is challenging because most leaders and project team members have mentally moved on to their next roles and challenges.

Documenting lessons-learned at the end of a change project is essential for building change capability in your organization. It documents which activities worked and should be repeated by other project teams, and which didn’t and shouldn’t.

So, how do you identify project lessons learned to build change capabilities in your organization?

Mary can be reached at: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-jacobs-a979882/

Email: jacobsmaryc@gmail.com

Phil is joined by business transformation and change management leader Jennifer Rhodes to discuss reporting against a timeline.

At the center of every change initiative is a project plan that maps the activities and tasks required to transition people from current to new ways of working. It functions as a work back schedule from the post-launch support to the project kickoff.

Teams supporting a change spend significant time reporting against the timeline. Being “ahead of” or “on plan” is the goal, but often, falling behind is a reality.

The ability to communicate progress against a timeline is an essential change management skill. Those who do it well can influence expectations and plan details; those who don’t can experience greater scrutiny, extra work and lost confidence in their capabilities.

So, how do you report against a timeline to inform stakeholders, guide expectations, and make required enhancements that lead to successful change?

Jennifer can be reached at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermrhodes/.

Phil is joined by HR and change management expert Kathy Repa to discuss how to identify your lessons learned during change.

Understanding how our experiences impact outcomes helps build change capacity and skill, and dramatically improves organizational knowledge on how projects work within our cultures. 

So, how do identify, record and learn from your experiences during a large change initiative? 

Kathy can be reached at:

Email: kathy.shanley@yahoo.com

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

PHIL: Hello everyone, welcome to the change on the run podcast, where we discuss common change challenges and ways to address them. When you're short of time, and I'm your host, Phil Buckley. Today's topic is identifying your lessons learned. Understanding how our experience impacts outcomes helps build change capacity and skill and dramatically improves organizational knowledge of how projects work within our cultures. Experience is the best teacher, which enables us to repeat success patterns and eliminate future roadblocks to achieve our goals in the quickest and most effective way. Learning occurs in the moment. Something worked or didn't work because of specific factors, and we often lose learnings we don't record quickly. This applies equally to organizations and individuals and is especially true in the middle of projects because we tend to remember only beginnings and endings, leaving the key middle ground foggy. So, how do you identify, record and learn from your experiences during a large change initiative? And my guest today is Kathy Repa. Kathy, welcome to the show.

KATHY: Thank you so much for having me, I am so excited to be a guest.

PHIL: Thank you, Kathy, and thanks so much for taking the time to be here. Kathy has over thirty years of global human resources and change management experience. She is currently the Vice President HR, Global Supply Chain at Mondelez International. Kathy holds a BA, Human Resources Development at DeSales University. So, Kathy, looking back at your thirty-plus year’s career and we've known each other for over ten years, what's been your experience with personal lessons learned. I look at you as the queen of lessons learned and I've learned so much about how you do so just generally. What's been your experience?

KATHY: You know, one of my biggest lessons, and I think your book Change on the run really triggers a lot for me, is that we run a lot when we're doing these changes. We run from one change to another. We're change junkies. It's sort of our drug of choice and we look forward to those things. What we don't take time often enough as change professionals, to take a pause and to think about what we have actually learned, what lessons we can pass on to others or what lessons we can take forward ourselves, and I think that by doing that you don't often get as much value as we possibly could from that pause for purpose, that time to refresh, that time to reflect, and I'm a huge journalizer, so I do often sit back at the end of the week and maybe as I've gotten into my twenty and thirty years of running change, I do it much more frequently to say, you know, what things went well about this and what am I most proud of and what do I want to learn from that to take forward and make sure that I incorporate in the next ones? You know what things didn't go so well, and sometimes we punish ourselves for what didn't go so well, and I like to sit back and say, well, was that in my control? Because if it's not in my control, then why would I punish myself for it not going well? Then? That's not to say I don't take that as a lesson to do something differently, but I don't sit there and beat myself up over and over again about something that wasn't in my control, but rather reflect on how I can manifest it into something that next time might be much more controllable. And then I d

Phil is joined by change and innovation leader Tim Creasey to discuss how to close a change project.

A project team’s effectiveness in transferring responsibilities to operating groups often dictates the level of long-term adoption of new ways of working.

Managing the closing of a change project can be challenging because most leaders and project team members may have physically or mentally moved on to their next roles and challenges.

Building awareness of the importance of the project's final steps is necessary to ensure people fulfill their roles. If they don’t, a poor shutdown will negatively affect the benefits realized and the perception of the project team’s capabilities.

So, how do close a change project to build capability, transfer accountabilities and sustain the new ways of working that deliver the intended outcomes?

Tim can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timcreasey/

Website: https://www.prosci.com 

Additional resources from Tim:

Metrics for Measuring Change Effectiveness

Change Management Process

Achieving Sustainable Performance with Organizational Change

Webinar Replay: Making Change Stick: Best Practices for Reinforcing and Sustaining Change Outcomes

Phil is joined by change expert Brendon Baker to discuss how to identify and apply project lessons learned.

Managing the closing of a change project and capturing learnings is challenging because most leaders and project team members have mentally moved on to their next roles and challenges. 

A lessons-learned exercise is essential for building change capacity and skill in your organization. It documents which approaches and activities worked and should be repeated by other project teams, and which didn’t and shouldn’t.

So, how do you identify project lessons learned that are instructive, recorded, acknowledged and embedded in an organization's ways of working?

Brendon can be reached at:

Website: https://valuablechange.com/

Additional Resources: The Change Leader Weekly Newsletter: https://valuablechange.com/

Phil is joined by mindful business coach, entrepreneur and speaker, Jen James, to discuss how to create a vision for a change that enables strategic alignment and implementation excellence.

A change vision is a compelling picture of a better future, a future
that aligns with the leadership question: “What does the company aspire to
become?” 

Once set, it acts as a North Star for leaders and employees to envision,
plan, implement and sustain a change to achieve the desired future.  

So how do you create a vision of a different, better, and compelling future that guides and motivates people to adopt change and its new ways of working? 

Jen can be reached at: 

Website: doublejlifestyle.com 

Instagram: doublejlifestyle 

Facebook: Mindful Entrepreneurs 

Her Latest Program: theartofmindfulstorytelling.com   

Phil is joined by CFO/COO and change leader Matt Lloyd to discuss how to reward team members during change.

People have a need to be recognized for work that is meaningful and is necessary for success. From recognition to gifts, rewards play an important role in maintaining morale, focus, and performance. They acknowledge people’s hard work and give them confidence in their future contributions. 

Rewards also shape team members’ perceptions of how they were treated, appreciated, and valued, influencing their levels of engagement and commitment to future projects.

So, how do you reward team members to acknowledge their work and inspire future efforts and performance? 

Matt can be reached at:

Email: matt@collectively.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-lloyd-avfc/

Collectively Website: https://collectively.com/

Phil is joined by communication and corporate affairs leader Saira Absar to discuss responding to praise during change.

Change initiatives can be gruelling and can feel like a succession of uphill battles characterized by tight deadlines, difficult challenges, stretched capabilities, and long hours. Giving and receiving recognition energizes individuals and teams and builds momentum to tackle the next tasks and activities. 

There is a lot of advice on how to acknowledge people’s efforts but little on how best to receive this recognition. It can be an opportunity to acknowledge those who give it, your contributing peers, and the strategy and tactics that led to the achievement.

So, how do you respond to praise in ways that leverage the compliment for you, others and the project?

You can reach Saira at: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sairanabsar/

Phil is joined by change leader Dr. BehNaz Gholami to discuss how empathizing with people going through change leads to optimal transitions.

Change management often fails when there’s little understanding of, or empathy for, the people who are changing. Without deep knowledge of the environments in which they work, “ivory tower” assumptions guide change planning and lead to generic and ineffective support programs.

So, how do you empathize with people who are changing so that you can provide them with the best support to help them transition to new ways of working?

Phil is joined by change strategy and leadership expert Yvonne Ruke Akpoveta to discuss the importance of trust and how to earn it during change.

Trust is the glue of relationships and the foundation of collaboration. Without it, people spend their energy protecting themselves from harm. When meeting someone new or learning about a change, people’s “fight, flight or freeze” response is often triggered, causing them to either defend their territory or hide. Both mindsets add risk to the initiative and slow you down—mistrust is costly.

So, how do you build trust during change so people can focus on being their best instead of watching their backs?

Yvonne can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonneakpoveta/ 

Website: https://www.thechangeleadership.com

Information on The Change Leadership 2021 Conference, May 26, can be found here: https://thechangeleadership.com/changelead2021/

Phil is joined by leadership researcher and writer Jennifer V. Miller to discuss how to test a leader’s thinking during change. 

During large change initiatives, leaders often feel pressure to set a destination and quickly marshal resources to get there. As circumstances change, they must make decisions that may change course, shift priorities, or adjust outcomes. 

Leaders can get excited by or invested in their ideas and potential solutions before thinking through the implications on timelines, resources, or costs. Without evaluation, their approach to solving one problem can unintentionally create new ones. 

The greater a leader’s commitment to their ideas, the more difficult it is to influence their thinking.

So, how do you test a leader’s thinking to ensure their decisions lead to the intended results?

You can reach Jennifer at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifervirsikmiller/

Blog: https://people-equation.com/blog/

Resources:

Why Is It So Hard to Shut Up? Free Tip Sheet: https://people-equation.com/free-tip-sheet/

References:

• Liz Wiseman’s Impact Players
• Adam Grant’s LinkedIn page
• Derek Thompson’s Book - Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction

Phil is joined by speaker, podcast host, and Master Certified Coach Melanie Parish to discuss the best ways to reset team behaviours during a change initiative. 

Team ways of working can morph as a change project progresses. Agreements made at a team kick-off meeting can be forgotten or ignored, and new ones emerge. 

Although some new behaviours can enhance productivity, most have the opposite effect. It’s important to reset how people work together when bad behaviours occur because they quickly become established and form new norms.

So, how do you reset team behaviours during a change initiative to increase productivity and enable success?

To contact Melanie or get a copy of her book, The Experiential Leader, go to ebook.experimentalleader.com.

Phil is joined by organizational and talent development leader Sarah Patterson to discuss making training effective during change.

All large change initiatives require people to work differently to achieve the desired results. How they think, act and behave are modified to optimize the benefits of what they are adopting—informing people on what will be different forms the foundation of learning. Once they are clear on what’s new, the team can discuss how these changes will affect how their work will be done in the future, including handoffs between roles.

So, how do you train people on the mindsets, routines and behaviours required to adopt new ways of working effectively?

You can reach Sarah at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahpattersonctdp/

Phil is joined by consultant, speaker, and leadership coach Søren Pedersen to discuss how to measure progress during change.

Measuring progress is an essential element of good project management. Consistent updates on progress remind leaders and colleagues of the work being done, the success achieved, and the benefits realized once the change is made. It also identifies areas falling short of the plan that need extra resources. 

The absence of consistent measurement encourages subjective assessments of gains, or exaggerations of risks that lead to inertia, knee-jerk responses, distraction, or additional cost.

So, how do you measure progress and setbacks to assess the status of a project accurately?

Søren can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedersen-on-software/

Website: https://www.buildingbettersoftware.com/

Phil is joined by change leader and communicator Linda Kennyhertz to discuss best practices for effective communication. 

Communication is the most important form of support people receive when going through a work transition. It’s also one of the biggest enablers of successful change because it aligns everyone on what is changing, why it’s necessary, how it will affect them, and what they must do to adopt it.

When done well, the results are brilliant; when done poorly, it leads to unclear messaging, incorrect perceptions, and disenfranchised employees.

So, how do you communicate effectively to multiple stakeholder groups as they transition to new ways of working?

Phil is joined by board member, breakthrough consultant and executive and team coach Stephanie Wilkes to discuss how to make decisions during change.

Most transformation post-mortems uncover decisions that led to success or failure. Facts, options, assessment criteria, available time and risk all play roles in the decisions made and the ability to implement them.

During large change initiatives, decisions are often made quickly in response to new conditions or information. They require focus, process, and at times, management intuition to make the best call and align leaders and their teams on how to activate them.

So, how do you make decisions during transformations that direct and move an organization to new ways of working to adopt change?

Stephanie can be reached at:

Email: stephanie.wilkes@bridge-partnership.com

Phil is joined by leadership expert Jeffrey Hull to discuss establishing team ways of working.

Change initiatives are governed by teams with mandates to scope, plan and implement activities to transition their organization from current to future operations.

Getting agreement on how teams will work best together aligns expectations, facilitates relationship building and jumpstarts productivity. Unclear team ground rules can lead to conflicting assumptions, tensions, and minimal progress.

So, how do you establish team ways of working to set team members up for success?

You can reach Jeffrey and view his resources at:

Website: https://www.jeffreyhull.com/

Institute of Coaching: https://www.instituteofcoaching.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-hull-phd-bcc-062b09/

Book: FLEX: The Art and Science of Leadership in a Changing World: https://amzn.to/3ryaNUx

Phil is joined by change and coaching expert Cindy Smith to discuss the best ways to effectively assess risks in change. 

All plans include risks because transition roadmaps are based on assumptions about the future. 

Knowing what could go wrong removes the surprise factor and potential knee-jerk reactions when things don’t go as planned. The proactive assessment of risks also demonstrates that you’ve thought through your plan and identified potential blind spots that could jeopardize your success.

So, how do you assess project risks that lead to greater awareness of organizational realities and the development of contingency plans to activate, if needed, which avoid distraction and cost?

Cindy can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindysmithmba/

Email: cindysmith1@sympatico.ca

Phil is joined by change management expert Yvonne Thevenot to discuss how to optimize your limited time during change.

Most people have fewer resources to fulfill their change role than they need. With full calendars and large to-do lists, they must choose the most important activities to spend their time on. Determining which activities offer the most value is one of the biggest personal and project success factors.

So, how do you optimize your time on a change initiative to maximize your contribution to achieve its outcomes?

Yvonne can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonne-thevenot-she-her-64779a5/

Phil is joined by communications, change management and strategy execution expert Greg Voeller to discuss how to build momentum during change. 

Change initiatives often are exhausting for project teams and people taking on new ways of working. Managing tight timelines, increased workloads, and navigating through challenges can drain team members and sap energy. 

Momentum is a way for an initiative to stay relevant and supported by igniting leaders’ and employees’ commitment, focus and effort.

So, how do you build momentum, so people are engaged, focused, productive and avoid burnout through change?

Greg can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregvoeller/

Email: g.voeller@gagenmac.com

Phil is joined by executive and change leader Stephen Sotto to discuss defining change support.

Preparation activities are key enablers of change readiness and adoption. The options are many, including, training, coaching, ways of working sessions, job aids, and simulations. The types and amounts of support need to be appropriate for people’s needs and circumstances.

It's a fine balance between too much and too little change assistance. If you provide too much, people get stressed and may choose to opt-out of activities; if you provide too little, people won't have the required mindsets, routines and behaviours to effectively adopt the change.

So, how do you define what change support you need to prepare people to adopt change?

Stephen can be reached at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-sotto-08b605b/

Phil is joined by strategic effectiveness experts John Bradley and Carrie Bradley to discuss how to convey insights through data.

Shared understanding is essential during change. People must align on the why, what, when, where, and how of the initiative. Everything must make sense, or doubt, resistance, and risk seep in.

Data is the foundation of knowledge. It is the raw materials of pattern recognition, insights and fact-based decision making.

A challenge is that most people struggle to make sense of data. They think in stories instead of numbers and need context for data within their frames of reference to have meaning. Without personal connections to new concepts, people may become confused and distrustful of your insights and your recommended way forward.

So, how do you convey insights from data so that they are understood, build consensus and lead to positive action?

John and Carrie can be reached at:

Website: https://adeffectiveness.solutions/

LinkedIn - John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbradley1/

LinkedIn - Carrie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriebradley/

Strategy Magazine (latest article): https://strategyonline.ca/2021/04/19/knowing-your-brand-assets-from-your-elbow/
 

Phil is joined by fellow change consultant Mel Barnett to discuss stopping drama during change. 

During large change projects, you are working against an aggressive plan and timeline that can cause tension, anger and animosity among team members – when time is tight, emotions can fly.

If these emotions go unchecked, they will intensify and trigger combative behaviours – verbal attacks, not sharing information and not honouring commitments, etc. – that derail teams and their performance.

So, how can you diffuse situations before relationships and productivity spiral downward?

Phil is joined by IT leader Jesse Gold to discuss how to tell people what to expect during change.

People evaluate how well things are going during change based on their expectations. Setting realistic expectations is critical to the success of a change project. If they aren’t clear, people will make assumptions based on their past experiences or current knowledge and will become disappointed if they aren’t met.

So, how do you set people’s expectations, including how they will be impacted, what are required readiness activities and timelines they need to accommodate to enable them to fulfill their roles?

Jesse can be reached at:

Email: jesse@jessegold.ca

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesseasgold/ 

Website: https://www.jessegold.ca 

Phil is joined by mindfulness expert and bestselling author Nina Purewal to discuss ways to stay calm during stressful change initiatives.

Change projects are natural pressure cookers. Multiple teams working on different activities with different timelines often conflict over the resources they need to deliver their responsibilities.  

Misunderstandings and frustrations are natural and to be expected. So, how do you remain calm under pressure so you can be your best in stressful situations? 

Nina can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-purewal/

Instagram: nina.pure.minds

Website: www.unfilteredmindfulness.com 

Phil is joined by strategy expert and leader Alejandro Colindres to discuss the importance of asssessing your strengths as you begin a role in a change initiative. 

Knowing and using your strengths is an antidote to fear and an amplifier of abilities.

So, how do you identify the strengths that you can leverage during a change initiative to enable your and the project’s success?

Alejandro can be reached at:

Website: roadtochampagne.com

Phil is joined by change capability development and change execution expert Michelle Yanahan to discuss handling mistakes during change.

Mistakes are inevitable when managing change. There are too many moving pieces on different schedules, and run by different people to avoid missteps.

Given the stress that major change initiatives inevitably produce, people can default to responses that deflect ownership, compromise resolution, and obscure learning when something goes wrong. This behavior often adds risk to the project and damages relationships.

A better and more difficult approach is to expect and address mistakes as they appear.

So, how do you handle mistakes in ways that identify root causes, resolve issues, and make changes, so they are less likely to happen again?

You can reach Michelle at: 

Email: michelle@changefit360.com

Website: https://changefit360.com/

Phil is joined by change and transformation expert Barbara Trautlein to discuss how to engage those who are changing.

Ultimately, the people impacted by a change decide its level of success. Their mindsets, actions and behaviours either support or reject the new ways of working required to unlock its benefits.

Either they advocate for and take pride in the change, or don't take ownership of it and block adoption.

So, how do you engage people to enable the changes impacting them so they become committed to securing their success and outcomes?

Barbara can be reached at:

Website: https://www.changecatalysts.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbaratrautlein/

Phil is joined by Professor of Organizational Behaviour Dr. Jamie Gruman to discuss overcoming a blocker during change.

Blockers are people who raise barriers to organizational change and your success. They either oppose what you are doing or want it done differently. This form of resistance is challenging because it is intentional and leverages the blocker’s influence through authority, relationships, and organization knowledge. Inaction is not a good option because the barriers will remain, and the wrong type of action can lead to escalation and more setbacks.

So, how do you overcome a blocker to achieve your and the organization’s goals and avoid triggering greater resistance?

Jamie can be reached at: https://www.jamiegruman.com/about-jamie

Links to writings and research: https://www.jamiegruman.com/read-me

Phil is joined by entrepreneurship and productivity key opinion leader Rob Napoli to discuss how to impress leaders during change.

One of the benefits of working on a major change initiative is exposure to cross-functional leaders. You get the opportunity to learn from their experience and skills as they solve complex challenges during uncertainty. You also get the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and skills as you contribute to the future of your organization. 

So, how do you impress leaders with your capabilities in a dynamic and often chaotic environment?

You can reach Rob at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robnap/

Twitter: @RobbieNap

Instagram: rise_up.robnap

Beacons: beacons.page\robnapoli

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGYo5lvQt6hV--Sxxzvj2CA

Phil is joined by business and market development expert David Smyth to discuss how to create a Plan B during change.

Most change and transition plans don’t go as intended because there are too many variables to predict. Variances can cause delays, extra costs and compromise credibility, especially if you haven’t thought through responses to organizational shifts. 

So, how do you create a Plan B to avoid major disruptions from unanticipated events and to increase team agility? 

David can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-smyth-b815a34/

Email: davidsmyth@greenprojectmanagement.com

Telephone: 01 647-980-5234

Additional resources: The Global Standard for Sustainable Project Management:

https://www.greenprojectmanagement.org/gpm-standards/the-p5-standard-for-sustainability-in-project-management/

Phil is joined by Human Resources leader Jennifer Waxman to discuss how to join a team during change.

Team membership is dynamic, especially during change. Often we are asked to join new or established groups with little notice. Getting to know all members might seem like a given, yet most people don’t do it. They stay in their comfort zone of people they already know or reach out only as needed. Integrating yourself into a team is a skill worth mastering. The sooner you connect with other members, the faster you will get up to speed, collaborate and influence how the project manages the transition. 

So, how do you join a team in a way that forms connections that foster relationships, collaboration and contribution?

You can reach Jennifer at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-waxman-hr/

Email: jwaxman@mcleanco.com

Phil is joined by change leader and international speaker Gregg Brown to discuss the best strategies for managing the unknown. 

People struggle with unknown situations because they can’t rely on their experience to guide their thoughts, actions or behaviors; they don’t know what to do. This can lead to fight, flight or freeze behaviour, where survival is the only goal.

So how do you be your best when faced with situations that are completely new to you?

Phil is joined by business transformation expert Andrew Freedman to discuss how to avoid team burnout. 

Burnout is a stress-related state of emotional, physical or mental exhaustion. It occurs when the demands of a job are greater than a person’s ability to manage them. Change projects contain environmental factors that can lead to team burnout, such as long hours, tight deadlines and insufficient resources. 

So, how do you avoid team burnout during change so that people can be their best within challenging conditions? 

You can reach Andrew and view his resources at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afreedmanthrive/

Twitter: @afreedmanthrive

Instagram: afreedmanthrive

The Thrive: The Leader's Guide to Building a High Performance Culture book site: https://thrive.shiftthework.com/

Phil is joined by change expert Jess Riley to discuss the best ways to build an effective change plan.

Change projects are natural pressure cookers. Multiple teams, working on different activities with different timelines often conflict over the resources they need to deliver their responsibilities. 

Misunderstandings and frustrations are natural and to be expected. So, how do you create an effective change plan that will help people adopt new thinking, acting and behaving?

Jess can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicariley2/

Phil is joined by change and business transformation expert Cathy Brown to discuss negotiating deadlines during change.

Setting realistic project timelines requires a thorough understanding of the change and the context in which it is being made. The level of change complexity, resource availability, and operating environment are inputs into creating a fact-based calendar for the timing of deliverables. 

Negotiating deadlines requires aligning leader and project team expectations with your assessment of the transition work and the time needed to complete it.

So, how do you negotiate deadlines that enable you to complete tasks and activities to their specifications within dynamic operating environments?

You can reach Cathy at:

Email: bcathy188@gmail.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathybrown188/

Phil is joined by sales professional Sam Buckley to discuss the importance of confidence during change.

Confidence is the most important trait leaders and managers can draw upon when navigating through the uncertainty that comes with large transformations. 

People perform at their best when they’re confident they’re doing the right thing given the circumstances they face when they know what to focus on and what to do next. 

Without confidence, their “fight, flight or freeze” response is triggered, and their thinking, actions and behaviours can be hijacked by the need for self-preservation and survival. This can make them be at their worst when they need to be at their best. 

So, how do you build your confidence so you can fully leverage your knowledge, skills and behaviours to successfully manage change?

Sam can be reached at: 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-buckley-589345b5/

Phil is joined by change expert Rich Batchelor to discuss the best ways to define how people must change to adopt a large-scale change. 

People need to operate differently for positive change to happen. Organizationally, this could include new reporting relationships, skills, processes, co-workers, locations and culture. Preparation and readiness for these adjustments require people to adopt new mindsets, actions and behaviours.  

So, how do define how people must change to prepare them for taking on new ways of working? 

Rich can be reached at:

Email: rich@capillaryconsulting.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richbatchelor/

Websites:

https://www.capillaryconsulting.com/

https://capillarylearning.com/

Twitter: @RichBatchelor 

Instagram: @richbatchelor1

Phil is joined by learning and development and business management expert David Donaldson to discuss addressing an emergency during change.

Since there are many parts in motion during change, it makes sense that sometimes some of those parts just don’t work. Plans are made with the best available information, and many assumptions are created to fill in the unknowns, especially when time is short. In this environment, emergencies are inevitable. They also are risks that can determine the success of your change initiative. 

So, how do you address emergencies to minimize damage and quicken recovery? 

David can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgdonaldson/

Email: david@dragonsong.ca

Additional resources: David's TEDx talk: Resilience, The Upside of Down,

https://www.ted.com/talks/david_donaldson_resilience_the_up_side_of_down

Phil is joined by change and communications expert Rob Caldera to discuss strategies for building change champion networks.  

Change champions (or agents) are respected and trusted people whose views and actions influence their peers. 

A Change champion network organizes these highly regarded individuals into a team to support a change by sharing information, articulating benefits, role modelling new ways of thinking and behaving and providing feedback on how people are doing. They are essential to a nimble and successful change initiative.

So, how do create a Change Champion Network that enables its members to act as your arms and legs throughout your organization as you implement a change plan?

Rob can be reached at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robcaldera/

Website: https://www.futureshiftconsulting.com/    

Phil is joined by author, podcast host and HR consultant Jamie Allison to discuss the best ways to set your own personal goals for a change initiative. 

A change project provides real opportunities for personal growth because the environment is dynamic, complex, and involves people at all levels and areas of an organization. Without personal goals, however, you are more likely to focus on completing tasks with little thought or time given to increasing your capabilities.

So, how do you set change project-related goals that help you grow from the experience?

Phil is joined by transformation expert Graham Christie to discuss motivating people to care about a change initiative

It’s not surprising that many people view new company initiatives as either more work or irrelevant to their success. Most have too many things to accomplish, given the resources available – time, influence, people and money. Without making a personal connection, the change often represents just more work to do.

So, how do you get people to care about a change initiative, so they are personally committed to its success?

You can reach Graham and learn more about his book, Change the Game, at:

Website (download a free chapter): https://www.ctgplaybook.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grahamchristie/

Phil is joined by senior engineering and organization change management professional Denis Kelly to discuss competing for resources.

Securing adequate resources to implement your plan is one of the most important negotiations impacting your success.

Most companies take on larger change agendas than the resources available to implement them. This can lead to insufficient or misaligned resources supporting your change initiative.

A large portfolio of change projects can also limit the capacity of those impacted by the change to implement your plan and transition to new ways of working.

So, how do you compete for the resources your need to support people as they adopt change and achieve intended results?

You can reach Denis at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisrkelly.

Phil is joined by fellow change consultant Tim Morton to discuss the best ways to prepare leaders for change. 

Most surveys cite sponsor engagement as the number-one success factor of change. I think this is because people imitate their leaders. Everything a leader says and does is scrutinized by employees who watch for signs of commitment or resistance to change.

So, how do you prepare leaders for their role so they fulfill they are aligned champions of a change?