University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Change
Book

Change

How to Turn Uncertainty Into Opportunity

Curtis Bateman, Marche Pleshette, Andy Cindrich and Christi Phillips
Mango Publishing, 2023
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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Concrete Examples
  • Insider's Take

Recommendation

When Paul Walker became president of FranklinCovey he helped lead a massive change program that upended its business model and strategic imperatives. In this practical guide, FranklinCovey executives Curtis Bateman, Marché Pleshette, Andy Cindrich and Christi Phillips unveil how the company navigated this ambitious shift, which included the transformation of its digital operations to a subscription-based model. The authors share FranklinCovey’s “Change Model” and discuss practices leaders can use to help their employees adapt to and embrace transformation.

Summary

Human behavior makes corporate change initiatives more complicated.

Change management strategies often look great on paper, but when organizations attempt to implement them, they encounter problems. Change becomes challenging because leaders fail to take an essential truth to heart: The outcome of any change effort depends on human behavior.

People’s natural reactions and behaviors can inject unsettling complexities into a change effort. Moreover, for many leaders, that behavior often feels utterly unpredictable. For example, consider an incident from the history of the Rolling Stones: Singer Mick Jagger told the band’s other members he had negotiated an incredibly lucrative deal for future albums. When Jagger explained that the deal covered only his solo albums, drummer Charlie Watts punched him in the face, nearly knocking him through a window. 

While Jagger was happy with his contract, he didn’t consider that sudden change could trigger other people’s fight-or-flight response. Initially, Watts found Jagger’s just-for-me deal too much to handle, but he cooled down...

About the Authors

The authors are FranklinCovey executives: Curtis Bateman is vice president of international direct offices. Marché Pleshette is a consultant, and Andy Cindrich is a senior consultant. Christi Phillips, PhD is the director of learning, development and inclusion.

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