Change initiatives fail because humans are hardwired to return to what's worked for us in the past. This book offers a straightforward process for rewiring ourselves and those we lead to be more change-capable.
Erika Andersen says avoiding change has been a historical imperative. In this book, she shows how we can overcome that reluctance and get good at making necessary change. Using a fictional story about a jewelry business changing generational hands, Andersen lays out a five-step model for addressing both this human side of change and its practical aspects:
Step 1: Clarify the change and why it's needed-Get clear on what the change is and the benefits it will bring.
Step 2: Envision the future state-Build a shared picture of the post-change future.
Step 3: Build the change-Bring together a change team, engage key stakeholders, and plan the change.
Step 4: Lead the transition-Build a transition plan that supports the human side of the change, then engage the whole organization in making the change.
Step 5: Keep the change going-Work to make your organization permanently more change-capable.
With opportunities to self-reflect and try out the ideas and approaches throughout, this book is a practical guide to thriving in this era of nonstop change.
We are operating in a world defined by constant connection, rapid change, and abundant choices. News that once took months, even years, to spread now reaches across the globe in seconds. Advances in medicine and science are pushing boundaries with gene therapy and stem cell transplants. And decisions about where and how to work and live are nearly endless. As new knowledge-and the possibilities that arise from that knowledge-propels us forward, leadership readiness expert and renowned author Erika Andersen suggests that success in today's world requires the ability to acquire new knowledge and skills quickly and continuously-in spite of our mixed feelings about being a novice. In her newest book, Be Bad First, Erika explores how we can become masters of mastery; proficient in the kind of high-payoff learning that's needed today. She encourages listeners to embrace being bad on the way to being great-to be novices over and over again as we seek to learn and acquire the new skills that will allow us to thrive in this fast-changing world.
