The New Way – Details, episodes & analysis

As the year draws to a close, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that progress in your change program is futile. You might believe that everyone's focused on holiday festivities and not paying attention to your initiatives but today I’m telling you why that’s simply not true.  Stakeholders, customers, and talent are still watching, and your team still wants to know how change will impact them. In this episode, I'm sharing insights and practical tactics on how you can keep the momentum going and avoid the common mistakes I see change leaders make at this time of year. 

One of the biggest mistakes I see change leaders make is not having a clear end of year strategy. Without a focused strategy for December and January, you risk wasting valuable effort that you’ve made throughout the year. This time is actually an excellent opportunity to make a significant impact while keeping your stakeholders engaged. I share my suggestion for creating holiday-specific plans that are low-intensity but high-impact, ensuring that everyone on the team is aligned with the priorities.

Business activities naturally slow down during the holidays, but I've discovered that disappearing entirely can lead to a loss of momentum. When you’re not visible as a change leader, stakeholders tend to deprioritise change-related tasks. Today I reveal some excellent tools you can use to maintain visibility during the festive season, including creating a holiday roadmap, sharing a holiday calendar, and sending personalised end-of-year messages to key stakeholders.

The holiday season doesn't have to mean a standstill in your change program. By avoiding these common mistakes and implementing the strategies I share today, you can keep the momentum going and set the stage for a successful start to the new year. It's all about being intentional, strategic, and thoughtful in your actions. Remember, your change program still matters, even during the holiday season. So, choose one or two impactful tactics, stay visible, and make the most of this time.

LINKS

Connect with me: 

There are 4 different Change Leadership Styles. Which one is yours? Take my free 2 min quiz to discover your Change Leadership Style here!

Website:            https://www.everchange.com.au/

LinkedIn:            https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkatebyrne

My guest today is Gillian Fox, an expert in all areas of women's career advancement and the founder of Your Brilliant Career and the Gillian Fox group. Gillian is not only an accomplished author but also a renowned moderator, keynote speaker, and senior executive coach, with a focus on leading gender diversity programs in some of Australia's largest businesses. 

Gillian’s work primarily revolves around helping executive leaders in major organisations elevate women into leadership positions. With over a decade of experience in designing and delivering leadership programs, Gillian is recognized as a leading business educator in this space. 

If you are looking to advance your career or if you are serious about increasing diversity and inclusion within your organisation to make way for more women to step into senior leadership roles, this is the episode for you. 

Gillian and I delved into the critical link between fostering diverse leadership, specifically advancing women, and creating a high-performing, change-ready organisational culture. We discussed the concept of "missing women" in organisations and why this can pose challenges. We also explored how to articulate your value within the organisation and the essential distinction between mentoring and sponsoring, with Gillian offering valuable insights on attracting sponsors and what sponsors look for in potential sponsees.

We explored the benefits of introducing more diversity at senior levels, including improved resilience to change and enhanced organisational performance. Gillian also shared her perspective on the importance of women in leadership positions, emphasising that while not everyone desires to climb the corporate ladder, for those who do, organisations must provide the necessary support to make that journey possible.

For those who aspire to advance their careers, Gillian offered valuable insights into showcasing their value within the organisation, both in meetings and impromptu interactions. She emphasised the importance of aligning your work with the organisation’s goals and mastering the art of articulating contributions with enthusiasm.

We also talk about the distinction between mentors and sponsors. Gillian explains how mentors offer advice and perspective while sponsors actively open doors and advocate for advancement. She shares her tips on how to attract sponsors, stressing the importance of being good at what you do, demonstrating loyalty, and consistently adding value to potential sponsors.

We covered so much ground in this conversation and whether you’re an employee looking for more opportunity or a leader wanting to be proactive in driving change within your organisation, you’re going to find so much value here today. 

LINKS

Connect with Gillian Fox:

Website:https://www.gillianfoxgroup.com.au/     

https://www.yourbrilliantcareer.com.au/   

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillian-fox  

Gillian’s Free Guide to Strategic Self-Promotion

Connect with me: 

There are 4 different Change Leadership Styles. Which one is yours? Take my free 2 min quiz to discover your Change Leadership Style here!

Website:            https://www.everchange.com.au/

LinkedIn:            https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkatebyrne

Let's face it – change can be both exhilarating and challenging. It brings up a whole array of emotions and issues, and that's where Shelley Johnson’s expertise truly shines. She's not your typical HR expert; Shelley is a dynamic force who's been leading human resources teams for over a decade. She's coached executives and business owners to level up their leadership game, build dream teams, and cultivate thriving cultures. 

Shelley is the founder of Bold Side, a consultancy practice focusing on HR and leadership development. Plus, she's also a familiar voice behind the microphone on the My Millennial podcast, where she's helped countless individuals find their career paths through the airwaves. Trust me, this episode is packed with practical insights you won't want to miss.

One major dilemma when it comes to navigating organisational change is finding the delicate balance between agility and stability. How do you keep things moving swiftly while ensuring your team feels secure and grounded? Shelley's insights are golden here. She emphasises the need to recognise the tension between these two seemingly opposing forces. It's all about acknowledging that these aspects can coexist, albeit uncomfortably. Shelley's advice to leaders is simple yet profound: communicate openly and involve your team in brainstorming solutions that honour both agility and stability. It's about finding that sweet spot where progress and security intersect.

Retaining top talent during rapid change is another mountain leaders often need to conquer. Shelley introduces the concept of "retention hooks," which are like lures that keep your team engaged and committed. She's all about understanding what truly motivates each team member individually. It's not just about the surface-level stuff – it's about uncovering those deep drivers that make people tick. Shelley also shares some really powerful tools to help you uncover those internal motivators. 

Managing people through change is both an art and a science. Shelley's expertise offers a guiding light for leaders navigating the tricky terrain of change management. From fostering authenticity through icebreakers to creating personalised retention strategies, Shelley's advice is both practical and transformational. You’re going to love this one.

LINKS

Resources Mentioned:

Strength Finder

Moving Motivators

Connect with Shelley Johnson:

• Shelley's LinkedIn account: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelley-johnson/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boldside_
• Website: http://boldside.com.au/
• The Nick Cage Gauge: https://brightpilots.com/blog/post.php?id=23
• Funny Business podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/funny-business/id1508669714
• Dan Pink's book Drive: https://www.danpink.com/books/drive/

Connect with me: 

Download my Energy Management Toolkit here!

Website:            https://www.everchange.com.au/

LinkedIn:           &nbs

I know it can be so challenging to get your employees and stakeholders pumped for your digital transformation. People have a tendency to tune out if the messaging doesn’t seem relatable, they don’t understand it or it contains too much jargon. 

You can get your employees on board and thrilled for the transformation by bringing the messaging down to earth to ensure it lands with everybody. Put your important points in the context of the business outcomes, rather than the technology. 

To help you strategize and simplify your messaging, I will share with you four hot tips to get your people excited and motivated for your digital transformation and really engaging with your journey.

LINKS

Resources mentioned:

Podcast referenced:The Killer Mistake Most Leaders Make Talking About Transformation 

The Hemmingway App: Hemingway Editor (hemingwayapp.com)

Website:https://www.everchange.com.au/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkatebyrne/

Is the list of stakeholders for your change program in the hundreds? 

Are you not sure how you will be able to split your team’s time and energy amongst creating relationships with all of them? 

You and your team can not be all things to everyone. 

In this episode, I share with you the five questions that I use to determine if a stakeholder is critical and worthy of spending considerable time and effort building a relationship. 

I provide you with examples of scenarios for each question so that you can see how they may apply to your program. 

I encourage you to listen to this episode and then connect with me to share how these simple questions have worked on your list to identify your most important stakeholders.  

LINKS

Website:https://www.everchange.com.au/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkatebyrne/

Does your change program include running workshops, webinars, listening tours, panel discussions, steering committees, training sessions or meetings?

If it does, you’ve got to make sure you’re thinking about how to make these experiences as engaging as possible for your stakeholders. Taking your experiences to the next level is exactly what I’m diving into with my guest today.

Leanne Hughes is an entrepreneur and high performance business consultant. She combines her experience in marketing and her education with group dynamics and psychology to help leaders create engaging everyday experiences that are so contagious they scale across teams, function and regions.

Leanne is the 2021 winner of the Asia Pacific Learning Impact Awards for Learning Professional of the Year. Huge! She’s also the host of two podcasts - First Time Facilitator and Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large.

In today’s conversation we cover:

• Leanne’s approach to inspiring change
• If you should be aiming for buy in or pre-orders
• How to create more engagement in your events and experiences
• Whether online or virtual channels limit opportunities to deliver great experiences, and how to address those limitations
• Exactly what to keep in mind when designing and planning experiences

Leanne has incredible energy - she really knows her stuff and she shares so much gold with us in this episode. Get ready to take your events and experiences to the next level.

LINKS:

Jonah Berger books - Contagious / Invisible Influence

Connect with Leanne Hughes:

Podcast Work and Live Large:https://podcast.leannehughes.com/

Podcast First Time Facilitator:https://www.firsttimefacilitator.com/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/leannehughes/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/leannehughes/

Website:​​https://www.leannehughes.com/

Connect with me: 

Website:https://www.everchange.com.au/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkatebyrne

How much real thought did you put into the training plan for your last change initiative? So much has changed in this space over the last few years and traditional approaches to training and learning just aren’t that relevant anymore.

So - when it comes to learning at work - what’s working now?

Steph Clarke, a learning and development professional, designer, workshop facilitator - takes a deep dive into this topic with us. Through her consultancy YesAnd, Steph helps businesses reimagine their approach to learning and development; helping clients develop, design and facilitate professional learning that’s designed for actual humans.

This is such a great conversation - we talk exactly about how and why things are changing in the learning space, the biggest trends at the moment and what is working now. And - vitally - what you have to consider when you’re designing your next learning or training strategy.

Steph shares some really helpful insights into why having a blended learning approach is important, including some excellent examples that are so helpful when navigating a change program. She also shares insight into why she thinks getting back together in person is so important and ways that learning experiences can be elevated and amplified.

This episode is brimming with practical tips and really helpful insights on how we can modernise learning and development for the post-COVID era. I know you’re going to get a lot out of it!

LINKS:

The People Spot app by Colin Beattie

Rethinking trust at work with Rachel Botsman

Connect with Steph Clarke:

Podcast:https://www.stephsbusinessbookshelf.com/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/steph-clarke/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stephsbizbookshelf/

Connect with me: 

Website:https://www.everchange.com.au/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkatebyrne

What actually makes a difference to the success of your change initiative? 

And what is just a big waste of time? 

My guest this week is Justin Balaski. Justin is the founder and principle consultant of IdeaLeap and is an award-winning change management professional who helps corporations and government agencies maximize benefits from change initiatives and develop organizational change agility. Justin takes a people-centric approach to lean change management that is focused on co-creation and experimentation. 

In this episode, we explore why you need to take a more agile approach to change management. An agile approach is a deeper method of learning and experimentation. There is a smaller amount of planning that is conducted more often instead of doing a big heavy plan in the beginning and not revising it as the change is taking effect. 

Justin takes us through the opportunities that arise from taking a fresh, more modern approach to change management. We talk about what agile and lean change management is all about and what actually moves the needle forward on your change projects. 

Justin then takes us through the practices, lightweight tools, mindset and team rituals that you can use to bring a leaner approach to change management every day. He encourages all change agents to step out of their comfort zone and try experimenting with something new. You will start finding excellent results by using a more agile approach to change management without all of the heavy planning. 

I could’ve chatted with Justin all day! He’s an absolute wealth of information and practical ideas that you can start implementing in your change strategy right now to effectively engage your team and deliver change success. 

LINKS:

Resources mentioned: 

IdeaLeap: https://idealeap.com/downloads 

Connect with Justin Balaski: 

Website: https://idealeap.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/justinbalaski 

Connect with me: 

Website:https://www.everchange.com.au/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkatebyrne

How can business architecture help change leaders deliver more successful transformation programs? 

My guest today is Krishan Jogia founder and Managing Director of Evolve&Amplify, a business and enterprise architecture consultancy. Krishan specialises in the areas of business strategy, architecture, portfolio management and design thinking. Krishan is passionate about helping executives to define their business vision and break it down into strategies and target operating models.

In this episode, we’re discussing how to align change management and business architecture. Krishan explains what is involved in business architecture, how it overlaps and aligns with change management, and examines the touch and pain points to analyse the service that is delivered. 

Krishan delves into the importance of examining the stakeholder's experience, mapping customer journeys, the benefits of working in multidisciplinary teams, and the current trends in business architecture. 

This conversation will be of great value to anyone who wants to find out more about how business architecture can work together with your change management strategy to deliver the best transformational results for your organisation. 

LINKS:

Connect with Krishan: 

Website: https://evolveandamplify.com/ 

LinkedIn Evolve&Amplify: https://www.linkedin.com/company/evolveandamplify/ 

LinkedIn Krishan Jogia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krishanjogia/

Connect with me: 

Website:https://www.everchange.com.au/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkatebyrne/

While change management is a critical aspect of organisational success, there was much less recognition of its importance in years gone by. In this episode, I chat to Doug Wolfson about how change management has evolved over the last 20 years, and how community and connection plays a vital role in driving better outcomes for organisations.

Doug Wolfson is the director of Pivot Consulting with 25 years experience in change management. He works with organisations going through major transformation initiatives at both the strategic and the operational levels, and is passionate about supporting change management professionals to connect with one another and continue to grow in their practice. 

In our conversation, Doug shares the driving force behind establishing The Change Management Institute, a community of like-minded professionals who come together to share their experiences, insights and knowledge. 

There has been much progress in the industry over the last 20 years, and Doug talks about the changes he’s observed, such as the shift towards more agile approaches to change management. We speak about organisations recognising the need to become more adaptable to ever-evolving circumstances, as well as the importance of engaging people managers in the change process. 

Changes within an organisation can present many challenges, and we often see these initiatives attempted, yet fail. This can lead to cynicism among middle managers, who have experienced the coming and going of well-intentioned game plans that never truly stick. Doug speaks about the importance of working with these leaders in the middle, who can grasp high level strategy, as well as bring insight on how to get things done. When it comes to overcoming scepticism, co-creation is key.

For change management to continue to advance, its practitioners need to be dedicated to continuous learning. Doug emphasises the importance of gaining insight from others and borrowing wisdom from fields such as design thinking and neuroscience. 

He shares all about Rethink Change, an events-based entity he co-founded that brings industry professionals together, and we chat about the upcoming Rethink Change conference that will focus on the latest trends and insights in change management. 

Doug has a wealth of knowledge from his many years in the industry, and I hope this episode challenges you to think about the ways in which you can create innovation in your own methods of communication, collaboration and engagement. 

LINKS

Rethink Change Conference

10% off discount to Rethink Change Conference

Connect with Doug:

Website: https://pivotconsulting.com.au/ 

LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/douglaswolfson 

Connect with me: 

Download my Energy Management Toolkit here!

Website:            https://www.everchange.com.au/

LinkedIn:            https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkatebyrne