Change Course

The only constant is change.  Heraclitus of Ephesus (ancient Greece) was an ancient philosopher who introduced the central characteristic of the universe was not static but that is was ever-changing.  While Heraclitus defined this central characteristic in 500 BC, this idea hasn't formed the central tenet of change management.  What if our approach to change needs to be more aligned with natur...

"We knew something was happening when we saw those swans dancing".  You may have noticed the images of dancing swans and wondered what all of this was about.  Story, imagery and symbolism can be a powerful tool to transmit messages without saying anything at all.  We talk about the story of the ballet of Swan Lake, how it was used to buy time and distract in the context of regime change,...

In this episode, we address a question from one of our listeners: what effect do the laggards have on the innovators and early adopters and why?  We dig deep in this question, and pick apart why laggards have such a negative effect on others and why focusing too much on the lagging end of change can undermine your efforts. The three main areas we dig into are leadership and what we are saying to o...

In this follow-up episode to last week's brief history of change management, we talk about where the practice of change is going, focusing on three key areas: how we look at organizations, deepening our understanding of people and how the way we work is changing. Key resources in each of the areas are outlined and provided in the show notes. show notes:  www.connectedchange.com Want more amazi...

Did you know that the first change management theory was introduced in the 1950s?  Change Management is a relatively new field of study and research and it is evolving at a really fast pace.  This episode acts as a primer for the key theories and models that have built the foundation of change management and is great for those who want to learn more about change, and the leading practices out ther...

The previous episode was recorded on February 11th, and since the additional events of the past week and weekend, there were a few more things to add to the episode from this week.  We continue to wrestle with an extremely negative outcome of change in society, and there are ways to come out of this.  However, there is no freedom without accountability or responsibility.  Empathy and accountabilit...

And we want it back "When you're accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression".  The pandemic has been a change that has happened to us, and with that comes a feeling of a loss of power. When a crisis prompts a change, unexpectedly, there is a danger that this loss of power and control can manifest in very negative responses to change.  Understanding power dynamics, who ga...

We all want to implement change that seems to ignite a spark and start an unstoppable fire within our communities and organizations.  Going Viral is what it feels like when a change builds up momentum, excitement and effort in the first stage and gathers speed as it impacts more and more people.  Tying the ideas of the Technology Adoption Curve, Crossing the Chasm and Tipping Point Change Influenc...

Change Champions -- who are these magical people?  This week, we dive into who change champions are, and how they can help hasten the adoption of change.  We walk through the three main character types we see in organizational change, how they help us and how to find them.  show notes:  www.connectedchange.com Want more amazing content? Sign up for the Navigator Newsletter here: https://www.connec...

What does technology adoption have to do with change? We often use the technology adoption bell curve to talk about how change actually works and happens in groups of people. One of the most important factors to why it works is the level of power and influence that your change leaders and stakeholders have. We talk about change champions, and the specific types of influencers that you’re looking f...

Change resistance is one of the most misunderstood aspects of change and one of the most difficult to manage well.  Resistance will show up in every change effort, even though people are often surprised by it! While many change models and approaches in the popular literature tackle resistance head on, we do this very differently.  In fact, managing resistance is a numbers game, and spending to muc...

One of the biggest roadblocks encountered in change efforts is change fatigue. Change fatigue can happen at various points and can show up unexpectedly at the end of a transformative or profound change. In present day society after 2 years of a pandemic we are all experiencing a state of change fatigue. This experience can help us become better change leaders and learn how to manage change fatigue...

When we're leading change, we are in control of our own response and outcomes. When change happens to us, it involves a sense of loss.  When we experience unexpected or unwanted change that happens to us, we are left grappling with feelings of loss, and grief.  The five stages of grief by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross is an oft-cited and poorly understood framework in change.  We discuss the additiona...

What has the last two years of the pandemic taught us, and how can we use these experiences to become better change leaders? Reflections on the lessons of our current circumstances, and the role of empathy in effective change leadership. show notes:  www.connectedchange.com Want more amazing content? Sign up for the Navigator Newsletter here: https://www.connectedchange.com/newsletter And if you l...

Introducing Change Course, the podcast from the founder and principal of Charthouse Advisory Services, Natalia Lobach.  In her experience as a change leader and as a sailboat captain, Natalia draws links between change practice and what this looks and feels like in our modern world. She helps you become a more effective change leader when you're tasked with making big transformative change hap...