Perspectives
Sharing what interests me
What business change can learn from the affichistes
25th May 2025
The affichistes — artists like Jacques Villeglé and Raymond Hains — didn’t paint. They tore.
What’s your theory of change?
24th May 2025
Rebecca Solnit’s answer in The Guardian today grabbed me.
Postmodern thinking and business change
23rd May 2025
Although they might not realise it, most change programmes are built on modernist assumptions – that with the right data, the right plan, and the right leadership, we can drive predictable outcomes.
'Single source of truth' – or shared access to master data?
22nd May 2025
You can have a single source of data. You can agree on where the master records live. You can make sure everyone’s working from the same numbers.
I was really touched to receive this feedback from a colleague last week.
21st May 2025
“I’m honestly in awe of you. I haven’t met a consultant in this business who’s given me as much confidence as your website just has.”
What if the best change strategy is no strategy at all?
20th May 2025
Taoism teaches us that life flows best when we stop forcing outcomes.
Does this resonate with anyone?
20th May 2025
What transformation promises versus what you get
What does business change have to learn from Japanese thinking?
19th May 2025
We often approach change like it’s a project. Define the scope. Set the goals. Hit the target. Finish the job.
Inviting doubt in a world that wants certainty
12th May 2025
In business, we often reward clarity, confidence, and decisiveness. But sometimes, a well-placed doubt can cut through the noise far more effectively.
Chaos isn’t the enemy. It’s the beginning.
4th May 2025
In early Greek cosmology, Chaos wasn’t disorder – it was the fertile void. The raw potential from which Cosmos – order, beauty, and structure – emerged.
Award winners!
11th April 2025
Very happy to win the Future-Ready Leadership category at the Change Awards last night.
Making change feel safer with the SCARF model
10th April 2025
Ever wonder why people say they’re on board with change… but then quietly resist it?
Where are your change programme stakeholders on the Head/Heart Matrix?
9th March 2025
In a recent discussion about winning ‘hearts and minds’, I sketched out this simple 2x2 matrix that plots alignment against engagement.
Authentic communication: Ten questions for change leaders.
6th March 2025
I invite leaders of change and transformation programmes to answer these ten essential questions when considering how to communicate more authentically:
Personal stories are more persuasive than facts.
4th March 2025
A headline from The Guardian yesterday caught my eye: “Researchers believe personal stories are more persuasive than facts alone in addressing vaccine scepticism.” Of course they are.
The power of persuasion.
27th February 2025
Behind all effective communication is persuasion. The three rhetorical appeals that Aristotle described in the 4th century BCE are just as relevant today.
Storytelling vs. PowerPoint. Which wins?
25th February 2025
Whenever I need to communicate something important, I try to turn it into a story.
Does change need marketing?
24th February 2025
Before becoming a Lean Change practitioner, I spent a decade running a digital marketing agency.
I am an impacted stakeholder in a transformation programme – and I’m scared.
21st February 2025
The programme is called ‘The New World Order’. It’s a large-scale transformation over which I have no control, yet it will dramatically change my life. I feel anxious, scared, and powerless.
Making meetings more enjoyable and productive
18th February 2025
Yesterday I facilitated a Lightning Decision Jam (LDJ) with a client – one of my favourite ways to help teams solve big problems, fast.
Titanic II - Names matter.
17th February 2025
A couple of years ago I joined a company that had previously launched a disastrous change programme called PURE.
Why relapse is a crucial part of behaviour change
16th February 2025
Prochaska and DiClemente’s Stages of Change model – widely used in substance misuse recovery – has powerful lessons for business change.
Greatness: A must-watch for change leaders
15th February 2025
What happens when you give control instead of taking it?
From business as usual to brave new work
13th February 2025
A colleague recently said: “I think you’ll like The Ready". They were right.
What can change management learn from psychotherapy?
12th February 2025
Imagine if your therapist called themselves a ‘Change Manager’, and you brought them in to manage the change you wanted in your life.
Successful transformation comes from within
9th February 2025
This morning I went to book a ticket for the London Book Fair and was delighted to see the smiling face of my friend and colleague Charlotte Talmage from Uuna on the landing page.
The future of work is self-organising
7th February 2025
I love this video from Selena Resvani. It makes me even more optimistic about the future of work not being based around hierarchy.
‘Workshopper’ – an ugly word for a beautiful concept
6th February 2025
I love discovering new words, and today’s find is 'workshopper'. With thanks to Jonathan Courtney.
Lean Change skills: Listening
4th February 2025
"Listening isn’t waiting for your turn to speak. Listening is the ability to make others feel heard. One of the ways to do that is to practice using these three statements when someone is telling you something"
Can change be managed?
2nd February 2025
For over a century, organisations have been treated as machines. Although complicated, they can be broken down, optimised, and controlled.
Is Lean Change the Future of Change?
31st January 2025
Last week, a colleague of mine met with the Portfolio and Transformation Director of an innovative UK company with 5,000+ employees and asked him about change management opportunities.
What I’ve learnt from Frank (my dog)
29th January 2025
Frank is a beautiful, gentle, loving companion who’s been by my side through thick and thin. But the biggest lesson he’s taught me?
Meetings are the tax you pay to do the work you want to do.
27th January 2025
When teams try to collaborate on a project, it often starts well, but it quickly dissolves into chaos and inaction and the only outcome of each meeting is ‘let’s have another meeting’. Bad times.
UK Government adopts Lean Change approach
26th January 2025
I’m encouraged to see that Test and Learn is being adopted by the UK Government in a bid to make the state “more like a start-up”. The Government has launched a £100 million fund to pioneer public service reform and deliver the Government’s Plan for Change.
What does Change Management have to learn from Van Gogh?
24th January 2025
The Van Gogh exhibition at The National Gallery in London has just closed with 334,589 visits, making it the most popular ticketed exhibition in the gallery's 200-year history.
Self-Organising for start-up founders: Helping you do more of what you love
21st January 2025
Founders of start-ups begin by doing what they love and what they are good at and loving what they do.
Lean Change – The 5 Universals – ‘Purpose Over Urgency’
20th January 2025
This is the first of five posts – one on each of the 5 Universals of Change, created by Jason Little.
How talking circles are supporting a healthier masculinity
17th January 2025
Yesterday, I launched Men Listening – safe, supportive and confidential online groups for men to share what’s really go on for them at work – and feel heard.
Men’s mental health in the workplace – is anyone listening?
15th January 2025
Thirty years ago, while training to be a counsellor, I set up and ran a men’s group called ‘Men on the Hill’.
Self-Organising: What can start-up founders learn from bees?
13th January 2025
The beekeeper forgot to put the frames in this beehive, so the bees were free to build a structure that worked for them. This had natural ventilation, so the air could flow freely and maintain a stable temperature, and it also produced more honey in the space available.
What is Lean Change?
5th January 2025
Lean Change is an innovative approach to managing organisational change that combines principles from Agile, Lean Startup, and Design Thinking. Inspired by Jason Little's 2014 book Lean Change Management: Innovative Practices for Managing Organizational Change, this approach challenges traditional change management methods by prioritising collaboration, experimentation, and adaptability.
The Double Diamond design approach – it works wonders!
5th October 2021
To design the right solution, you first need to understand the problem. Enter: the Double Diamond.
Using the Bridges Transition Model to manage business change
27th July 2021
If you're struggling to deliver change in your business, understanding the Bridges Transition Model can help steer you in the right direction...
