CONQUER BARRIERS TO CHANGE. ACHIEVE YOUR GREATEST AMBITION.

The great human change paradox

It’s a fascinating paradox that humans are remarkably adaptable yet seem to dislike and constantly avoid change. We’ve proven relentlessly that change is possible and that we can change ourselves quite quickly. Just consider the remote-work shift and other pivots during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Yet we still seem to panic about the prospect of other significant changes, such as the workforce impact and economic potential of the artificial intelligence transformation. We assume the worst. We expect catastrophe. We doubt our ability. We overstate our fears and underestimate ourselves. We fail to see the potential opportunities because we’re so focused on all the potential downsides. 

This is one form of what I call “change hysteria” – a psychological state where our perceptions of change are guided by emotions, fear, unconscious biases, cognitive distortions and a poor understanding of human behaviour. This book aims to cut through change hysteria and offer a straightforward approach to change based on evidence of how humans think, act and work.

Change hysteria starts at the top and spreads in all directions

Executive leaders suffer from change hysteria too, but it shows up in a different way to employees. Many troubling beliefs in the workforce are understandable because so many decision-makers at the top of organisations have simply failed to comprehend and lead change effectively. 

They have bombarded their people with an impossible volume of change while under-resourcing support for them to navigate it. 

They’ve overstated urgency, which only creates fear and panic while eroding much-needed, conscious, rational thinking. 

They’ve assumed all employees want the change as much as they do and assumed they’re equally change-capable. 

They’ve bought into the belief that software is a silver bullet to solve all their problems, rather than a tool whose utility and value is determined by a human user. 

They’ve outsourced change to project teams and consultant labour forces that have no significant stake in the long-term future. 

They’ve failed to involve middle managers when their insight and influence is one of the most pivotal determinants of success or failure. 

They’ve failed to build the capability of their people to lead, govern and manage change. 

Workers are tired of it. National economies are burdened by the productivity destruction. 

It’s time for a rethink. 

I’m on a mission to educate people in what really drives change. The simple answer is people. But in the age of technology, people have taken a back seat. People – their beliefs, behaviour and capabilities – are an enigma to modern executive leaders. I want to demystify change for them to unlock value for all those they lead, for their organisations and for our economy and society.

Change is about human behaviour, not just project plans

This book is about change at an individual human level and at an organisational level. I weave in numerous case studies and examples that demonstrate the challenge of influencing ourselves and others, often at scale, to change. The concepts covered are relevant to both because change is inescapably about human behaviour, no matter the context. 

Part of the objective of this book is to demonstrate this and show that the more you understand how human behaviour changes, the more successful you’ll be at implementing organisational strategy. But also, the more successful you’ll be at achieving literally any aspiration you have as an individual. 

Organisational change is commonly treated like a logistical project management challenge rather than a human-influencing challenge. It is both, but awareness of and capability in the former is in abundance compared to the latter. The project management side is black and white and easier for people to grasp. The human side is complex, hidden, unpredictable, emotional and volatile. 

If you want to change and improve anything about yourself, this book is for you. 

If you want to be a better leader and build an adaptable, high-performing team, this book is for you. 

If you want to lead a transformational change that impacts your entire organisation and all its stakeholders, this book is also for you. 

In fact, if you want to influence political or social change across an entire nation or the world, many of the principles in this book will help you. 

Whether influencing change one-to-one or at scale, I guarantee you will find something in this book that will help.