Perspectives on Change

Exploring the Human Side of Change

The Big Questions Before Taking on a Large Organizational Change

General Colin Powell's advice on determining if you should go to war became known as The Powell Doctrine. The exact wording varies depending on the source because Powell talked about these items in speeches, interviews, and his memoirs. But the central ideas are...

The Thought Bubble Test: Start with Their Story, Not Yours

Building trust during change often begins before we ever explain the change itself. People are already forming opinions about us and our message. Yesterday someone knocked on my front door. He introduced himself and told me he was offering free insulation inspections...

And “The Grunt” Lives: How to Influence Leadership Without Authority

A couple of weeks ago, I shared the story of The Grunt—an underground newsletter employees created because they felt unheard. Senior management's first instinct wasn't curiosity. It was to stop it. That's understandable, but it's also revealing. When leaders feel...

Building Support for Organizational Change: How to Avoid Avoidable Mistakes

When I talk with leaders about the challenges they're facing, I hear the same questions over and over again. "Why don't people get it?" "Why don't they support what we're trying to do?" "Why do our meetings seem to go on forever without accomplishing much?" One CEO...

Creating a Workplace Where People Speak Honestly

Many years ago, I heard about an underground newsletter inside an organization called The Grunt. It wasn't a company publication. It wasn't approved. It was created in secret on a mimeograph machine and circulated among employees. And it wasn't exactly filled with...

Why People Don’t “Get It” During Times of Change

Have you ever found yourself asking: "Why don't they get it?" Most leaders have. When people push back on a new initiative, strategy, or change effort, the natural assumption is that they need more information. So we build longer presentations. Add more data. Create...