'Lost in Business Transformation'

Despite the fact that there is a solid body of knowledge about the topic of change management for several decades already, McKinsey's infamous notion that '70% of all change management efforts fail' is still seen as adequately representing the current situation.

Rupert Brown is an experienced chief people officer and change management specialist with extensive expertise in mergers, acquisitions, digital transformation, joint ventures, and turnarounds. Through his book 'Lost in Transformation', Rupert aims to deliver a candid, emotionally intelligent manifesto for doing transformation differently.

In the 35th episode of the Leadership 2.0 podcast, I interview Rupert about his book and how organizations can ensure the success of their change management efforts.

• Why Transformation projects continue to fail
• The difference between Change and Transformation
• The Bad Reputation of the word 'Transformation'
• Why we still struggle with Change Management
• In-Groups and Out-Groups in Change Management Processes
• Chief Acceleration Officers
• Trust is Energy
• Crises as Catalysts for Change
• The impact of our Permacrisis on Change Management
• Behavioral Skills to cope with the BANI world'
• Change Management and AI

► About Rupert Brown

Rupert Brown is an experienced chief people officer and change management specialist with extensive expertise in mergers, acquisitions, digital transformation, joint ventures, and turnarounds. His insights are captured in this book that emphasizes leading change in various organizations.
Rupert has worked for and advised global multinationals like Procter & Gamble, Gillette, and A.P. Moller-Maersk, as well as nimble, private equity-backed, and family-owned businesses across diverse sectors such as consumer goods, shipping, software, telecommunications, education, and not-for-profit. His knowledge is particularly valuable for those feeling lost in transformation initiatives.

► Book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Transformation-Discover-Leadership-Derailing/dp/B0FQ1FWCKD

► Website https://rupert-brown.com/

Any questions or comments? Press this link and send me a message!

'Adult Innovation'

Many individuals and organizations wrestle with the question of how they can become more innovative, ... and Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg has the answers!

Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg is the author of What’s Your Problem? (Harvard Business Press, 2020), a book on how to solve the right problems. He is also the co-author (with Paddy Miller) of Innovation as Usual, a Harvard Business Review Press book on the art of driving innovation in regular organizations.

In the 34th episode of the Leadership 2.0 podcast, I interviewed Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg about innovation, both at an individual, as well as on an organizational level.

During our conversation, we discussed the following topics:

1. Reframing Problems
2. Weaponizing Frames
3. Never fall in love with your obstacles
4. The importance of Bright Spots
5. The Acid Test for Potential Solutions
6. The Value of Different Perspectives
7. Most Ideas are Bad Ideas & Do Not Celebrate Failures
8. "Focus" versus "Throw Against the Wall and See What Sticks"
9. How to Ensure Adoption in Corporate Environments (‘Stealthstorming’)
10. The Past as the Best Predictor of the Future

► About Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg

Thomas has worked with managers in nearly all parts of the globe, including China, India, Russia, Singapore, Britain, France and his native country, Denmark. His research has been featured in Harvard Business Review, The Economist, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, BBC Radio, Bloomberg Businessweek and the Financial Times. His work on innovation led HR Magazine to recognize him as a “Top 20 International Thinker”.

As an executive advisor and keynote speaker, Thomas has addressed organizations such as Cisco, Microsoft, Citigroup, Time Warner, AbbVie, Caterpillar, Amgen, Prudential, Union Pacific, Credit Suisse, Deloitte, the Wall Street Journal, and the United Nations.

Thomas holds an MA in Media Science from the University of Copenhagen and an MBA from IESE Business School. Prior to his business career, Thomas served for four years as an officer with the Danish Royal Guards.

► Five nested strategies to reframe your thinking of a problem to make sure you're solving for the right things:

1. Look outside the frame. What are we missing?
2. Rethink the goal. Is there a better objective to pursue?
3. Examine bright spots. Where is the problem not?
4. Look in the mirror. What is my/our role in creating this problem?
5. Take their perspective. What is their problem?

► Key actions leaders who want others to act as innovation architects should take

1. Focus: Direct people to look only for ideas that matter to the business. (Focus beats freedom)
2. Connect: Urge people to connect to new worlds (customers, colleagues, external experts). (Insight comes from the outside)
3. Tweak: Challenge people to test, challenge, and reframe their initial ideas repeatedly. (First ideas are flawed)
4. Select: Guide people to filter and select the best ideas and discard the rest. (Most ideas are bad ideas)
5. Stealthstorm: Help people navigate the internal organizational politics of innovation. (Stealthstorming rules)
6. Persist: Motivate everyone to continue pursuing the other five keystone behaviors. (Creativity is a choice)

► Books

► Website

Any questions or comments? Press this link and send me a message!

'Eating radishes'

That is how, according to Matt Dixon, many 'doer-sellers' experience selling their services.

People do not become management consultants, executive coaches, accountants, lawyers, or engineers to sell. However, for those working in professional service firms or independently, selling is an integral part of their role.

At the same time, professional sales processes are changing. More and more professional services are sourced through RFPs, and buying committees are replacing traditional client relationships. This means that doer-sellers need to change their approach to sales in order to stay relevant.

Based on an extensive quantitative study of nearly three thousand partners across industries such as law, accounting, consulting, investment banking, executive search, and public relations, five distinct seller types within professional service industries were identified; however only one of them, the Activator, consistently drives growth.

In the 33rd episode of the Leadership 2.0 podcast, I interviewed Matt Dixon about 'The Activator Advantage - What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently.

During our conversation, we discussed the following topics:

00:00 Sales, Acquisition or Business Development
01:43 Why Doer-Sellers Do Not like Selling
04:28 What Inspired Matt To Write 'The Activator Advantage?'
07:24 The Five Types Of Professional 'Doer- Sellers'
20:19 The Three C’s of the Activator
28:22 Why The Purchasing Behavior Of Clients Is Changing
32:18 The Three Categories Of Stakeholders In The Buying Process
36:00 The Three Elements Of The Activator Mindset
39:24 Business Development Habits
44:19 Instilling An Activator Mindset In The Organization
50:15 Can I Learn To Like Eating Radishes?
52:38 Final Thoughts

► About Matt Dixon

Matt Dixon is one of the world’s leading experts on sales, customer service and customer experience. He is a Founding Partner of DCM Insights, The Customer Understanding Lab.

Prior to co-founding DCMi, he served as the Chief Product & Research Officer of Tethr, an AI venture in Austin, TX, that helps companies mine customer voice data for insights. And before that, he spent time as a Senior Partner and the Global Head of Sales Force Effectiveness Solutions at Korn Ferry Hay Group and as Group Leader of the sales, service and customer experience practices of CEB, now Gartner.

Matt is a sought-after speaker and advisor to corporate leadership teams around the world on topics ranging from sales effectiveness to customer service and customer experience. He also (co)authored a number of books:

• The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation
• The Effortless Experience: Conquering the New Battleground for Customer Loyalty
• The Challenger Customer: Selling to the Hidden Influence
• The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision

Matt is also a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review with more than 20 print and online articles.

Matt holds a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh as well as a B.A. in International Studies from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He lives in Silver Spring Maryland with his wife and four children.

Visit DCM Insights at https://www.dcminsights.com/ and visit Matt on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top or follow him on Twitter at @matthewxdixon

► Book 'The Activa

Any questions or comments? Press this link and send me a message!