Top Down Change

02/25/21 • 8 min

I've lived with five different dogs in my life, and each one has taught me something valuable--including lessons about organizational change.

In this episode I'll share the story of how I imposed a change on my dog...and how her responses mirrored those I see in top down change in organizations.

I've lived with five different dogs in my life, and each one has taught me something valuable--including lessons about organizational change.

In this episode I'll share the story of how I imposed a change on my dog...and how her responses mirrored those I see in top down change in organizations.

Previous Episode

Power Over | Power With

Power is ever present in organizations--and in change. Most change efforts rely on power over--the sorts of power that involve directives and rewards, and some times threats. But you'll get better results using power with. In this episode I'll talk about the sort of power most commonly used in organizations--and why you might not want to use them to accomplish change.
If you want to learn more, you read Raven and French's seminal paper, The Bases of Social Power.

Next Episode

Experiencing Change

This year, we all experienced changes with the pandemic. On an individual level, the impact ranged from minor blips and stunning upheavals. Organizations had to adapt to remote work. And in this all there is a common thread, the human experience of change.
In March 2020, my state went into lock down due to the pandemic. By June all my in-person workshops for the year evaporated. In this podcast, I trace my journey through old status quo, and chaos...until a transforming idea helped me see a way forward to a new status quo.