Posts by Daniel Lock
How Organizations Can Drive Successful Change
Change scares the life out of most people. Even positive life events fill many with a sense of trepidation and fear. Aversion to change is why brides and grooms-to-be have second thoughts. And these are all examples of ‘self-inflicted’ change. Force change on people and their fear of the future ratchets up several notches. “When…
Read More5 Behaviours to Lead Successful Change
Just how do leaders energise their people to embrace change? The need for change is constant in a constantly changing business environment. Unfortunately, the failure rate of change projects has little changed in recent years, despite the increasing use of agile methods. According to a 2012 McKinsey study, 17% of change projects conclude so disastrously…
Read More11 Ways to Communicate Change
How do you lose weight? That’s right, eat less and exercise more. But like many things in life, knowing makes no difference. Change management is a lot like exercise, we often know what we want to do, but how do we change the how the circumstances show up such that people want to make the…
Read MoreUsing Cross-Functional Teams to Drive Innovation and Improvement
What is process innovation when it comes to cross-functional teams? More and more often, companies are turning to task forces and focus groups that draw from a myriad of resources to get the job done. The theory here is that even if you’re trying to, say, build a better bicycle, the engineers you have on…
Read MorePower Management: Simplifying the Organization
Organizational complexity and bureaucracy are a threat that managers must continually be wary of… The term change fatigue is a real and common problem that organizations face and must deal with when considering a change or transformation initiative, or even a simple process improvement initiative. But at its source is the manager. The late Peter…
Read MoreChange Management and the Structure of Innovation
Often innovation is cast in the minds as a pure product related process. Apple’s iPod to iPhone to iPad, for example, is, perhaps, a perfect reflection of how most people would define innovation. But innovation doesn’t have to be limited to product design and new product ranges. It also encompasses process and structure, where change…
Read MoreTwo Factors For Change Management Success
Long-term thinking is a vital element of effective change leadership. For change to pay off, a leader must have grit and a desire to see change through to the end. However, it can be tempting to focus your attention on the current quarter’s results, and put key change initiatives off. The forces pulling you to…
Read MoreThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective Change Leaders
What does it mean to be a change leader? What behaviors must they engage in day in and day out to drive real and meaningful change? Having worked in the change and process improvement for 15 years, and worked with dozens of clients, since I launched my consulting business, I have identified seven behaviors and habits…
Read MoreMiddle Managers as Engines of Change
The captain may be in the bridge, but is the engine room operating on all cylinders? Last week I wrote about the importance of leadership and change. Nothing happens until the top leadership says so. Leaders have this organisational power because they choose the incentive systems, the values and behaviours that create cultural norms. But when…
Read MoreAre You a Change Leader?
The power is in the engine, but the wheel is in the bridge. When Lou Gerstner took over as CEO of IBM in 1993, he took the reins of an old and prestigious institution with a rich history. Gerstner had no experience in the computer industry, but he did know about leadership. His resume included…
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