Culture change is a human experience. It’s not just a business imperative, as it has been viewed for decades, as reflected in these expressions: “If we’re going to grow, we have to change the culture” and “This culture is toxic,…
Change Management
We Want Disruption Until It’s Us Being Disrupted
“So many of us in business (say) ‘I want innovation. I want disruption. I want the next big thing’,” said Bradley West to his DisruptHR audience in Winnipeg last year. But “Stop changing my process,” he added mockingly. The message…
The 21st Century Way to Getting Your People to Do Great Work
Leading is like parenting — everybody thinks they do a much better job than they actually do. There’s a definite gap between how most executives assess themselves and how their direct reports do. Leaders and their teams seem to be watching two…
3 Conversations to Help Your Team Get Through a Reorg
A while ago, I was counseling a senior executive of a government bureau who was two years into shaping his agency to be more customer and results-centered. He rebuilt his 200-person group, propelled key actions, coached his staff on changing…
7 Tips to Focus On The People Side Of Change
Change is hard. Some of you may be saying “duh!” Yet many people underestimate how challenging change can be. Anyone who tells themselves change is easy has never lived through it or is choosing to pull the wool over their…
How to Overcome Leadership Blindness: The Challenge of Seeing Differently
The world of business mimics that of entertainment. Both artists and top executives have two lives. The one glamorous of success and perfection; and the other one human, vulnerable, the life behind the scenes. “What you don’t see backstage is what really controls…
Stop Talking About Change. Start Talking About Adaptation!
Let’s talk about change for a moment. Think of yourself. Think of any groups or organizations (including family) in which you are involved. Now, imagine I come to you and say, “I want to talk to you about some changes…
The Day the Chicago YWCA Blew-Up HR
When you’re a 140 year-old social services institution that wants to be more like a startup, what do you do? If you’re the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, you start with your own people first. “If we’re going to empower millions…
Creating a Culture Where Upper Management Admits Imperfection
Note: This is the 5th in a series of occasional articles on workforce optimization. The first, “Is Workforce Optimization the Missing Piece to Your Organization’s Success?” discusses how and why the most successful organizations are changing the way they work…
Insights On Culture From Pioneers and Leaders
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. said, “A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience.” So, when an opportunity presents itself to learn from those who have repeatedly and successfully managed the culture journey, it’s imperative to take the leap. Do you…
How Not to Hate Change: Communicate. Then Communicate Again. And Again.
This is part three of a three-part look at how companies can manage change in meaningful ways that make sense for individual employees and the organization as a whole. Today’s post focuses on the role of communications in change management….
Why the Change Averse May Be Better at Change
Let’s admit it: Almost none of us much like change. Oh sure, we say we do, especially when the change is our idea. And we can even enthusiastically get behind some types of change. But disruptive change — where teams…
How Not to Hate Change: Be Ready For It
This is part two of a three-part look at how companies can manage change in meaningful ways that make sense for individual employees and the organization as a whole. Today’s post focuses on the role of learning and development in…
How Not to Hate Change: Make Better Decisions
This is part one of a three-part look at how companies can manage change in meaningful ways that make sense for individual employees and the organization as a whole. Today’s post focuses on the role of decision-making in change management….
4 Reasons Change Is Becoming More Complex
We are living in the new age of wonder where astute questions put us on the path of fascinating possibilities through the allure of utopian manifestations coupled with the sinister beckoning of dystopian outcomes. This dilemma of harvesting rich rewards…
6 Lessons From My Journey to a Transparent Culture
Fear has become, unfortunately, a regular emotion at work. How often do you feel afraid of sharing your thoughts because of what might happen to you? Have your colleagues stopped sharing their ideas after being censored over and over? I…
The Biggest Issue Facing HR May Be Managing Change
PIHRA’s California conference, which concluded yesterday, is, in many ways, similar to other large HR conferences anywhere in the U.S. One of the two or three largest HR conferences, the PIHRA conference offers the usual assortment of workshops, certifications, networking…
When Getting Angry Is a Positive
What if getting angry at work is a good thing? Heresy! Blasphemy! Sin! you say? Not to Susan Bernstein, a PhD executive coach and leadership consultant. Now don’t go thinking she’s suggesting you need a rage room, or that everyone…
Host a Culture Workshop and Discover How to Build a Stronger Company
We all aspire to work for a company that values our work and treats us like grown-ups. But what else do you want from the place where you spend the majority of your waking life? Company culture is best defined…
7 Steps to Successful Technology Adoption
So you’ve decided to implement new technology (ERPs, EHRs, SaaS, mobile, cloud, etc.) within your organization – congrats! New technology can definitely make your organization more effective and productive, but only if the people within your organization actually use the…