Change Management And Innovation

70% of change initiatives fail. (And it's rarely because the idea was bad.) Here's what actually kills transformation: You picked the wrong change model for the job. It's like performing surgery with a hammer. Sure, you're using a tool. But it's the wrong one. I've watched brilliant CEOs tank their companies this way: Using individual coaching (ADKAR) for company-wide transformation. Result: 200 people change. 2,000 don't. Running a massive 8-step program for a simple process fix. Result: 6 months wasted. Team exhausted. Nothing changes. Forcing top-down mandates when they needed subtle nudges. Result: Rebellion. Resentment. Resignation letters. Here's what nobody tells you about change: The size of your change determines your approach. Real examples from the field: 💡 Startup pivoting product: → Used Lewin's 3-stage (unfreeze old way, change, refreeze) → 3 months. Clean transition. Team aligned. 💡 Enterprise going digital: → Used Kotter's 8-step process → Created urgency first. Built coalition. Enabled action. → 18 months later: $50M in new revenue. 💡 Sales team adopting new CRM: → Used Nudge Theory → Made old system harder to access → Put new system as browser homepage → 95% adoption in 2 weeks. Zero complaints. The expensive truth: Wrong model = wasted months + burned budgets + broken trust Right model = faster adoption + sustained results + energized teams Warning signs you're using the wrong model: • High activity, low progress • People comply but don't commit • Changes revert within weeks • Energy drops as you push harder • "This too shall pass" becomes the motto Match your medicine to your ailment: Small behavior change? Nudge it. Individual performance? ADKAR it. Cultural shift? Influence it. Full transformation? Kotter it. Enterprise overhaul? BCG it. Stop treating every change like a nail. Start choosing the right tool for the job. Your next change initiative depends on it. Your team's trust demands it. Your company's future requires it. Save this. Share it with your leadership team. Because the next time someone says "people resist change," you'll know the truth: People don't resist change. They resist the wrong approach to change. P.S. Want a PDF of my Change Management cheat sheet? Get it free: https://lnkd.in/dv7biXUs ♻️ Repost to help a leader in your network. Follow Eric Partaker for more operational insights. — 📢 Want to lead like a world-class CEO? Join my FREE TRAINING: "The 8 Qualities That Separate World-Class CEOs From Everyone Else" Thu Jul 3rd, 12 noon Eastern / 5pm UK time https://lnkd.in/dy-6w_rx 📌 The CEO Accelerator starts July 23rd. 20+ Founders & CEOs have already enrolled. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/dwndXMAk

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, leadership development can't afford to stand still. Just as we regularly upgrade our technology, we must consistently upgrade our leadership capabilities - but unlike a software update, leadership skills can't be installed overnight. Along with my colleagues Leslie Kawai and Erin Wilson Burns from The RBL Group, we've identified five essential strategies that are reshaping how organizations develop their leaders. Drawing from our Leadership Code Research Initiative findings, we explore evidence-based methods, expanded coaching access, personalized development approaches, stakeholder-focused assessments, and the critical need for strategic reflection time. These aren't just theoretical concepts - we've included real-world examples of organizations successfully implementing these strategies to build stronger leadership pipelines and drive measurable business results. I invite you to read our full article and share your experiences: Which of these five strategies has had the most impact in your organization? What other leadership development approaches are you finding effective in today's business environment? Let's learn from each other as we work to build the next generation of leaders. #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #TalentDevelopment #HR #OrganizationalDevelopment

According to the 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐈𝐎 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲 by Foundry, 𝟕𝟓% of CIOs find it challenging to strike the right balance between these two critical areas. This difficulty is notably higher in sectors such as education (𝟖𝟐%) and manufacturing (𝟕𝟖%), and less so in retail (𝟓𝟒%). (Source: https://lnkd.in/ebsed9i7) 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬: The increasing emphasis on digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI) is driving the need for innovation. In 2024, 28% of CIOs reported that their primary CEO-driven objective was to lead digital business initiatives, a significant increase from the previous year. This push towards innovation often competes with the imperative to maintain operational excellence, including upgrading IT and data security and enhancing IT-business collaboration. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: The tension between innovation and operational excellence can lead to a misallocation of resources if not managed correctly. It can result in either stifling innovation due to overemphasis on day-to-day operations or risking operational integrity by over-prioritizing disruptive technological advancements. For instance, sectors with a high focus on operational challenges, such as education and healthcare, particularly emphasize IT security and business alignment over aggressive innovation. 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐈𝐎𝐬: • 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚 𝐃𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚: Get used to it! CIOs should advocate for an IT strategy that equally prioritizes operational excellence and innovation. This involves not only leading digital transformation projects, but also ensuring that these innovations deliver tangible business outcomes without compromising the operational integrity of the organization. • 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈𝐓 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Strengthening the collaboration between IT and other business units remains a top priority. CIOs should work closely with business leaders to ensure that technological initiatives are well-aligned with business goals, thereby enhancing the overall strategic impact of IT. • 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩 𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥: To manage the dynamic demands of both innovation and operational tasks effectively, CIOs should adopt a flexible resource allocation model. This model would allow the IT department to shift resources quickly between innovation-driven projects and core IT functions, depending on the business priorities at any given time. ******************************************* • Visit www.jeffwinterinsights.com for access to all my content and to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends • Ring the 🔔 for notifications!

Technology isn’t a cost center, it’s your competitive edge. If you can’t shift this perspective, you won’t be able to innovate 📈 Over the past decade, I've guided numerous companies, from pharmaceutical giants to financial leaders, on their journey to becoming product-led. One common mistake I've seen is treating technology as a mere expense, not a strategic advantage. This view undermines transformation efforts. Here's how it unfolds and what to do about it. In many organizations, technology is seen as a cost center. When executives talk strategy, it's often about cost reduction. They can articulate market differentiators well but stumble when asked, "How does your tech vision enhance your competitiveness?" Silence. The competitive edge dulls as rivals leveraging tech strategically catch up. This approach is like playing corporate whack-a-mole: solving cost issues while missing opportunities. What if the process you streamlined wasn't needed at all? Or if you could innovate beyond traditional methods? Many transformations start with Agile to address slow development cycles. But speed alone doesn't equate to success. Agile without product thinking can lead to an output-focused mindset: success measured by backlog clearance rather than solving real business problems. Transformations stall when teams build features quickly without building the right ones. It's crucial to view software products as strategic enablers, not just tools to "run the business." Without this shift, product strategies remain uninspiring. Even if your software isn't sold, it can be a major strategic differentiator. Consider Capital One's journey: disrupting the banking sector by using data analytics for credit risk models and improving customer experiences by eliminating unnecessary processes. What about internal tools? For pharmaceutical companies, bringing drugs to market is essential. Instead of merely speeding up processes, your tech could identify study participants and predict outcomes better than competitors. It's about asking the right questions. "How do I make this cheaper?" leads to outdated solutions. "How do we re-imagine this process for an exceptional experience?" drives innovation. If you're on this journey, start by changing the conversation. Ask "why?" and "what if?" Shift from cost-cutting to value-creation, from outputs to outcomes, from project management to product thinking. Real transformation isn't about new processes or team reorgs. Those are secondary. The core shift is viewing technology as a strategic asset driving business value. That’s where the real transformation begins.

Over the years, I’ve realised that the real impact of a decision is rarely visible in the room where it gets made. It shows up later - in execution. In how clearly teams understand it. In how effectively it works on the ground. And in whether people truly align with it. Some of the most challenging situations arise when decisions are taken from an air-conditioned room, far away from the realities of day-to-day operations. On paper, the idea may look sharp. But on ground, even a well-intended decision can create friction if the practical realities and the people executing it were never part of the thinking process. That’s why thoughtful decision-making needs more than speed and intent. It needs perspective from the ground. It needs conversations with the people closest to the problem. And it needs clarity on whether the outcome will create sustainable impact over time. Because the strongest decisions do more than solve immediate problems. They create confidence, ownership, and better execution across teams. Good decisions solve problems. Thoughtful decisions build people.

I have become something of a persona non grata in certain change management circles. Which is a little ironic. My PhD is in Organizational Behavior, and for years I taught organizational development and change management to executives and graduate students. The field shaped much of my early thinking about how organizations evolve. And I still believe many of its foundational models were extraordinary contributions to management practice. But yesterday, during a call with a client team, the tension became very clear. They asked: “Dr. Nadya, can I ask for your take on the traditional change management models — Kurt Lewin, John Kotter, ADKAR, and so many others?” It’s a fair question. These models are deeply embedded in how many organizations approach transformation. My answer surprised them a little (because it confirmed what they were afraid to say out loud). I told him that these frameworks were exceptional for the world they were designed for. A world where: • industries evolved slowly • business models lasted decades • transformations were occasional • organizations moved from stability → change → stability In that environment, stage-based change models made enormous sense. Unfreeze → change → refreeze. Create urgency → build a coalition → implement change. Build awareness → desire → knowledge → ability → reinforcement. But the environment leaders are navigating in 2026 looks very different. Today: • disruptions stack on top of each other • technologies reshape industries in months • regulation rewrites markets overnight • business models expire faster than strategies can be approved Organizations are no longer moving from stability to change. They are operating inside continuous turbulence. And this changes the nature of the problem. The challenge is no longer managing a change initiative. The challenge is building the ability to continuously reinvent the organization while it is running. That shift requires several important evolutions in how we think about change. 🚨 From episodic change → continuous adaptation 🚨 From linear stages → nonlinear experimentation 🚨From “the people side of change” → integration of strategy, innovation, and execution 🚨From transformation programs → organizational capability Perhaps most importantly, it means recognizing that the business side of change and the people side of change cannot be separated. Strategy shifts require new capabilities. New capabilities require new behaviors. New behaviors reshape the organization. All of it happens simultaneously, not sequentially. None of this diminishes the importance of change management as a profession. If anything, the need for thoughtful practitioners is greater than ever. But the environment has changed. And when the environment changes, our tools, models, and assumptions must evolve with it.

Strategy is not a document or a plan. It is a disciplined sequence of leadership moves. Many leaders jump straight to planning and execution. But strategic leadership requires a deeper progression. My friend and Strategy.Inc cofounder Timothy Timur Tiryaki, PhD structures this progression into seven steps in his forthcoming book "Leading with Strategy." I find that sequence both practical and intellectually honest. Unlearn. Strategic work often begins with subtraction. Questioning inherited assumptions about markets, growth, leadership, even success itself. Without unlearning, we simply optimize yesterday. Rethink. Strategy is no longer just competitive positioning. It is reimagining how value is created through culture, business models, and transformation. That requires systems thinking, not isolated initiatives. Discover. Leaders need a North Star. Purpose, identity, and inner compass are not soft elements. They are directional anchors that shape real choices. Design. Strategy becomes architecture. Coherent choices, aligned systems, and clear logic. Not fragmented projects, but an integrated whole. Deepen. The hardest part. Navigating paradoxes and tensions instead of resolving them too quickly. Mining conflict for insight. Staying with complexity long enough to learn. Execute. Clarity must move. Strategy only exists when it changes behavior, resource allocation, and daily decisions. Evolve. Foresight is disciplined preparation. Especially in an age shaped by AI, leaders must cultivate the capability to anticipate and adapt. What I appreciate about this framework is that it connects reflection with action, identity with performance, and thinking with doing. Strategic leadership becomes a meaningful practice, not just a title or ritual. === Tim's book, "Leading with Strategy" launches on March 3 and can already be preordered through the usual channels. If you are serious about strengthening your own strategic leadership, this book deserves a place on your reading list.

Why 90% of transformations fail miserably. And why brand is the fix. Every company today claims to be “going through a digital transformation.” The truth is, it has been happening for the last 60 years. AI has simply made everything feel more urgent and a lot noisier. Yet McKinsey found that only 16% actually succeed. That means 84% spend millions changing tools, not behaviour. Even in the most tech-savvy industries like media, telecom and high-tech, success rarely breaks 26%. In traditional sectors, it drops to 4–11%. The problem isn’t technology. It’s translation. Companies install software, not belief. They digitise workflows, not purpose. They roll out systems, but forget to align stories. McKinsey’s global research identified five traits of companies that do get it right: 1: Digital-savvy leadership — not delegating change, embodying it. 2: Capability building — redefining roles, investing in people. 3: Empowered culture — where experimentation is rewarded. 4: Upgraded tools & processes — technology that makes work better, not busier. 5: Clear communication — a shared story everyone understands. But here’s the truth most leaders miss: These aren’t IT principles. They’re brand principles. Because transformation is not a technical exercise. It is a human one. Sure, technology, AI and all the shiny innovations are incredible. But they are absolutely useless without the capabilities and belief to back them. That is the real gap between ambition and reality. Not resources. Not tools. People who understand, commit and care enough to make the change happen. The truth is, the companies that actually win see their brand as the operating system of the business. Not a marketing layer. Not a campaign. A connected operating system that aligns everything. This OS connects: → Vision and Purpose (our direction and reason) → Strategy and Architecture (how we define and structure the brand) → Identity and Expression (how the brand shows up across design, content and experience) → Product and Service (what brings the brand promise to life) → Culture and Leadership (how people live and lead the brand every day) → Systems, Processes and Measurement (how we align, scale and evolve it over time) When that alignment is real, transformation moves fast. 100k people move as one. Because everyone finally knows what game they’re playing. Without unlocking your brand as the operating system, every transformation stays stuck at the surface. You end up upgrading tools without upgrading meaning, improving processes without improving coherence. Teams work harder, but not together. Initiatives multiply, but don’t connect. And ultimately, people will do what they are best at: Going back to status quo. Before you transform digitally, align culturally. Build a brand that connects every department, decision, and direction. Otherwise, your transformation won’t transform anything. Because in the end, the software can’t change you. Only (good) brand can.

Transformation thrives when people are empowered to make the most of technology. 🚀 My recent visit to the Bosch production facility for automotive and eBike drives in Miskolc, Hungary, showcased this perfectly. I was deeply impressed to see firsthand how their progress in digitalization and the implementation of the Bosch Manufacturing and Logistics Platform (BMLP) is reshaping their manufacturing operations. BMLP is a globally standardized, open IT platform that connects all stages of production and logistics. During an insightful plant tour, I observed a successful example of how the platform leads to significant improvements in efficiency, quality, and data transparency across the plant. What stood out most was seeing the passionate and enthusiastic team at Miskolc leverage this technology in action and achieving great results towards operational excellence. Here are three key areas where BMLP is contributing to the plant’s digital transformation success, powered by our NEXEED IAS: 1️⃣ Enhanced Efficiency & Reduced Downtime: The module Shopfloor Management enables a closed PDCA cycle in production by consequent integration of all relevant information in one system. This leads to quick reaction in case of deviations to minimize downtimes and safeguard the daily performance targets.   2️⃣ Improved Product Quality: Continuous monitoring throughout production stages helps the team identify issues early, ensuring top-tier quality while driving process improvements.   3️⃣ Change Management: Change management plays a crucial role in digital transformation within a plant. As seen in Miskolc, effectively managing change ensures that the workforce is engaged, and equipped to embrace new technologies, driving sustainable success. In Miskolc we have seen solutions using gamification that help to involve all associates, making the transition both engaging and effective.   I was also excited to see AI in action with a live demo of 8D Analysis using GenAI, cutting failure analysis time by half. By automating the root cause analysis process, engineers are now spending less time on administrative tasks and more on proactive problem-solving – a great example of how technology empowers people. Beyond the production lines, the most rewarding part of the visit was engaging with the team. Their passion for digitalization, commitment to upskilling, and their drive for innovation truly brought home the message: technology is only as strong as the people behind it. A special thank you to the entire Miskolc team for the inspiring discussions and warm welcome – along with Volker Schilling, Klaus Maeder, Joerg Klingler, Volker Schiek, Norbert Jung, Stephan Brand, Aemen Bouafif, and everyone who joined us on this great trip. I’m excited to see what’s next on this incredible digitalization journey!

I recently reinitiated my daily PubMed email alerts with the keywords #Innovation OR #Design AND #Healthcare OR #Nursing. A new article in last week's email is an interesting one that supports the need for organizational support of nurse-led innovation. The title: Beyond Tradition: Building the Organizational Infrastructure for Nursing Innovation by Da Costa M and Da Costa JV, in Creat Nurs. doi: 10.1177/10784535261472789. The article "focuses specifically on the organizational conditions that support innovation..." They ask an important question: "If innovation is widely recognized as essential to health-care transformation, why does it remain so difficult for nurses to pursue?"  They surmise that: "One explanation is that innovation is often conceptualized as an individual characteristic rather than an organizational capability." But, and this is what healthcare organizations need to understand, "Individual nurses undoubtedly serve as catalysts for innovation; however, whether their ideas are developed, evaluated, implemented, and sustained depends largely on the organizational environments in which they practice." And organizations can support nurses innovating by understanding and incorporating these seven things (read the article for the full details of each): 1) Innovation Requires More Than Innovative People 2) Psychological Safety: Creating the Conditions for Innovation 3) Design Thinking: Moving From Problem Recognition to Problem Discovery 4) Protected Time, Resources, and Organizational Commitment: Creating Capacity for Innovation 5) Creating Spaces for Innovation: Innovation Centers, Makerspaces, and Hackathons 6) Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Innovation at the Intersection of Perspectives 7) From Ideas to Impact: Organizational Learning, Knowledge Sharing, and Innovation Diffusion They propose the below Nursing Innovation Ecosystem Model that incorporates these items to enable nursing innovation within healthcare organizations. They conclude by stating: "Sustainable nursing innovation requires more than developing innovative individuals; it requires organizational environments that intentionally support innovation." I couldn't agree more!