Change Signal – Details, episodes & analysis

If you lead organizational transformation, this will be your favourite podcast. Leading change in organizations is harder than ever. It’s complex, it’s unpredictable and it’s overwhelming. Change Signal cuts through the noise to find the good stuff that works. New episodes drop every two weeks.  Sign up for our weekly newsletter at https://thechangesignal.com/ == A welcome from Michael I’m so delighted you’re here. Thank you. If you know me at all, you might know me as the author of The Coaching Habit. It’s become the best-selling book on coaching this century, Brené Brown called it “essential,” and Seth Godin said it is “the best book on coaching.” So what am I doing digging into organizational transformation?  The truth is, I've spent three decades hunting for the best insights, strategies, and tools in change management.  My journey started in innovation, working in an agency helping clients launch new products and services. It was a fun first job … but we didn’t make much of a difference. It’s true, I can boast playing a small role in stuff-crust pizza and in a whisky that’s been rated “the worst single malt whisky ever invented” … but mostly, we found it hard to get things done. Frustration with our low success rates led me to become a change management consultant. I did end up writing the vision for GSK when it merged, but mostly I learned that consultants don't always have the answers. Or at least, not the useful ones. I led an internal culture change initiative (with middling success), and then founded Box Of Crayons, where for more than twenty years we’ve helped major organizations harness curiosity as a catalyst for change. Along the way, I've seen some transformation projects succeed brilliantly, a few fail spectacularly, and many be … underwhelming. From digital transformations to mergers, from product launches to technology upgrades – I've collected a few trophies and a ton of scars. I’ve learned enough that I’ve had the privilege of writing the introductions to books by two of my big change influences, William Bridges and Edgar Schein. But I'm still learning. This field feels like it needs a shake up. There’s too much that’s bland, predictable, tired, colonized by the big consultancies, and outdated. I want to change that I’m on a quest to bring you the good stuff that works. I want you to feel more confident and less overwhelmed, more influential and less stretched. Change Signal feels like the culmination of a thirty-year journey. I’m glad you’re here with me. ~ Michael Bungay Stanier PS - Sign up for our weekly newsletter at https://thechangesignal.com/

Fresh starts supercharge change initiatives, pre-mortems predict failure points before they happen, and the “movable middle” holds the key to transformation success. Ever notice how change initiatives start with a bang but fizzle by February? As someone leading organizational change, you’ve probably seen this pattern too many times. In this episode, I explore these challenges with Katy Milkman, professor at Wharton and author of “How to Change.” She shares a mind-blowing insight: 40% of premature deaths come from changeable daily decisions – which got me thinking about how this applies to organizational transformation. We dig into practical tools for change leaders, including how to diagnose resistance (spoiler: your assumptions are probably wrong), why traditional change management wisdom fails, and what actually moves people to embrace new ways of working. Plus, Katy busts one of the most persistent myths in change management. Turns out all that “visualize success” stuff? Not backed by science at all. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change management. 🎧 New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at thechangesignal.com.

What if transformation started with a company-wide vote, moved at the speed of experimentation, and put connection before process? Meet Pim de Morree, co-founder of Corporate Rebels and a leader who’s transformed over 100 organizations into self-managing powerhouses. His radical approach? No acquisition happens unless 80% of employees vote yes after a two-day deep dive into what’s coming. Here’s what’s fascinating: the structural changes - ditching hierarchy, rewriting policies - that’s actually the easy part. The real work happens in what Pim calls “group therapy,” where teams tackle the human side of transformation. But don’t let that scare you. These aren’t fluffy feel-good sessions. When people genuinely co-create change rather than having it done to them, the results are striking: increased revenue, higher productivity, and deeper engagement. The big insight? Most change models are 40-50 years old. Maybe it’s time to throw out 99% of them and focus on one thing: building change around people, not process. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change management. 🎧 New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at thechangesignal.com.

Here's how to rebuild agency in change-resistant organizations, why euphemistic language kills transformation, and what we can learn from artists about embracing the unknown. When you're trying to lead organizational change, it's easy to fall into the trap of infantilizing your people - treating them like children who can't handle the truth. Margaret Heffernan, author of "Uncharted" and mentor to global CEOs, challenges us to think differently. Drawing from her experience running tech companies and advising executives, Margaret shows why most transformation programs fail: we've created management systems that turn people into robots, then wonder why they lack initiative. She shares a fantastic case study from Pixar that demonstrates how to engage your entire organization in solving complex challenges. What I love most about this conversation is Margaret's no-BS approach to change. She argues that constant change isn't just inevitable - it's literally a sign of life. If you're wrestling with resistance to change or trying to figure out how to give your people more agency in transformation, this episode will give you practical insights you can use right away. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change management. 🎧 New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at thechangesignal.com.

When everyone else is adding, it pays to subtract. Seems simple enough, but it’s a strategy that’s overlooked and misunderstood, and change projects suffer because of it. Leidy Klotz reveals this blind spot we all share when looking to make improvements: we instinctively think about what to add rather than what to take away. Leidy offers practical approaches to overcome this bias, like incorporating subtraction into performance reviews and using "reverse pilots" to test removing processes. As change leaders, we can make subtraction visible by celebrating what we've eliminated. The conversation with Leidy will help you distinguish your organization by finding the courage to cut what no longer serves you. His insights at the intersection of engineering, architecture, and psychology illuminate why less is often more. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change management.  🎧 New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at thechangesignal.com.

Here's why auditing current commitments is essential before launching any new initiative, how to overcome our powerful bias toward maintaining the status quo, and what a 19th-century philosopher's fence teaches us about intelligent transformation. When leading organizational change, it pays to first understand what's already in motion. In this bonus episode, Caroline Webb, leadership coach, former McKinsey consultant, and author of "How to Have a Good Day," reveals our tendency to add new initiatives without stopping existing ones—and how this leads to burnout and ineffective change efforts. Drawing from her experience coaching executives and leading organizational transformations, Caroline highlights our blind spot: we don't even know what we're already committed to. She shares a powerful example of mapping initiatives with a hospital CEO's team, where they discovered projects some thought were finished, others no one had heard of, and many with unclear status. What makes this conversation valuable is Caroline's no-nonsense approach to the change leader's dilemma: you can't add something new without making space by removing something else. Her insight that every choice—including not changing—comes with "prizes and punishments" and provides a powerful framework for decision-making. The audit process she describes helps not only identify what to cut, but also reveals where you can leverage existing work rather than creating something entirely new. If you're wrestling with overwhelmed teams, wondering how to create space for new initiatives, or trying to focus on what truly matters, this episode gives you actionable tools to audit your current state before embarking on any change journey. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change management.  🎧 New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at thechangesignal.com.

Audit your change tools, map them on a 2×2 matrix, and discover your untapped breakthrough approaches. In my first solo episode, I share a practical framework for evaluating your change management toolkit — perfect for transformation leaders who want to boost their success rate. Inspired by my conversation with Carolyn Webb, I suggest creating a consultant's classic tool: a 2×2 matrix plotting usage against impact. This matrix reveals four crucial insights about your change approaches. Your high-use, high-impact tools are your trusty go-tos, while the low-use, low-impact quadrant shows what you've wisely abandoned. The most interesting quadrants? High-use with low-impact (why are you still using these?) and the potential goldmine: high-impact tools you're underusing. These underutilized approaches might be your breakthrough opportunity. Are you clinging to comfortable but ineffective methods? Or avoiding powerful tools because they're challenging? Your transformation's success might depend on your answer. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change management. 🎧 New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at thechangesignal.com.

Emotions at work, agency in change, and turning bitter into better: these are the deep insights for what it takes to maintain enthusiasm for successful transformation. In my conversation with Cassandra Worthy, she shares how painful corporate acquisitions led to her developing the "Change Enthusiasm" mindset and framework she now champions. She challenges the consulting doomsayers who claim 70-95% of change initiatives fail. Instead, Cassandra offers a refreshing perspective: change happens for you, not to you. Her powerful insight? "Our potential as human beings is determined by what happens at the intersection of change and emotion." Signal emotions aren't to be suppressed but embraced as guides. Leaders must create courageous containers where people feel safe expressing authentic feelings. By building momentum with enthusiasts and skeptics, you'll eventually win over the cynics, too. This isn't just theory — it's a well-tested approach from someone who's navigated corporate upheaval from the trenches to the executive suite. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change management.  🎧 New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at thechangesignal.com.

Find leverage points that yield disproportionate returns, study bright spots instead of just solving problems, and tap into existing motivation rather than forcing buy-in. Dan Heath is one of the smartest writers I know about change and transformation, and his new book "Reset: How to Change What's Not Working" explores systems-level change that complements the behavior change approach from his earlier book "Switch." Dan shares brilliant insights about how teams miss change opportunities by accepting the status quo and believing change isn't possible. He explains why studying your bright spots — the areas already working well — can provide powerful leverage points and practical solutions without triggering resistance. I love Dan's distinction between the over-developed "problem-solving muscle" and the neglected "success-spotting muscle" that leaders need to strengthen. His most provocative idea? The straight-line path to change that makes analytical sense is often doomed if you ignore what actually motivates people. The conversation offers practical frameworks for leaders facing tough trade-offs and needing to make courageous choices about what to prioritize and what to let go. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change management. 🎧 New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at thechangesignal.com.

In this episode: Navigating uncertainty versus ambiguity, treating strategy as a living conversation, and looking beyond the obvious for weak signals. Dr. Jason Fox challenges conventional notions of change management by urging us to develop sensibilities rather than just skills. He argues that traditional scenario planning creates an illusion of control that fails when contexts shift radically. We’re both deeply skeptical of outsourcing strategy to consultants with impressive PowerPoint decks. Rather, Jason suggests cultivating in-house intelligence and attunement to what's emerging. "Strategy emerges from relationality," he explains, emphasizing the importance of collective sense-making. Perhaps most provocatively, he warns against fixating on the bright, shiny trends everyone's talking about. "When you fixate upon something that's shining bright, it means that it's harder to see what exists in the penumbra," Fox notes — encouraging leaders to develop curiosity, empathy, and attunement to weak signals. Whether you're leading transformation or just trying to stay ahead of disruption, Dr Jason Fox's perspectives offer a refreshing alternative to business-as-usual approaches. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change management.  🎧 New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at thechangesignal.com.