In this episode of The Change Cafe, host Andrew Ourique sits down with Phil Buckley, award-winning author, speaker, coach, and founder of Change with Confidence, for a candid conversation about what it really means to lead change in complex environments.
Phil shares how he first entered the change management field through a major merger, what large-scale transformation taught him about pressure, culture, and leadership, and why change practitioners need to be careful not to fall in love with their models at the expense of the people and context in front of them.
The conversation explores the emotional side of resistance, the importance of self-awareness, why co-creation can be more powerful than the technically perfect plan, and how change professionals can keep growing by learning from mistakes. Phil also discusses why communication practices need to evolve as the way people consume information continues to change.
This episode is for change practitioners, leaders, project teams, and anyone navigating transformation who wants a grounded, practical, and human conversation about how change actually happens.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Phil’s path into change management
- Lessons from mergers, SAP implementations, and high-pressure project environments
- Why emotions often sit beneath resistance
- How to use curiosity when difficult behaviours show up
- Why co-created change plans are more likely to stick
- The risk of relying too heavily on familiar tools and templates
- What it means to grow as a change practitioner
- How change communication needs to evolve
Guest: Phil Buckley
Host: Andrew Ourique
Presented by: ACMP Ontario
Links and references mentioned:
Phil Buckley / Change with Confidence: https://www.changewithconfidence.com/