Find the Spark. Then Feed It. A spark, on its own, does very little. It flickers. It shows that something is there. And then, if nothing is added to it, it goes out. Most sparks do not fizzle out because they were weak. They fizzle out because nobody fed them. A few...
Force Doesn't Change People. It Only Makes Them Adapt. One may think he or she has the power to change others. A manager with authority. A sponsor with a budget. A parent with the final word. A leader who can set the rules, approve the promotions and decide who stays....
Our Work Is to Clean Our Colour, Not Change It We are colours of nature. Unique in many ways, yet blend in many ways. No two people are quite the same shade. Each of us carries a particular mix of temperament, history, strengths and instincts that nobody else has in...
We Rarely Lose Our Freedom. We Give It Away. Freedom is about freedom of mind. When we hear the word freedom, we usually think of something outside us. Laws, rights, borders, the absence of anyone telling us what to do. Those matter. But most of us, most of the time,...
The Level You Engage At Decides What You Get There are multiple ways to solve our problems. There are also multiple levels at which our problems are solved. We tend to notice the first and overlook the second. When something needs fixing, we look for someone who can...
You Don't Argue People Into Change. You Win Them Into It. When the status quo is the norm, change is perceived as a crime. Not openly. Nobody stands up and accuses anyone. It sits deeper than that, hidden in people's minds. What you hear instead are lines that sound...
The End Is Not the Point. The Value Is. We love to see the end of a project. Go-live is one of the most important dates in any project. It is discussed in the business case, in the steering committee, in the corridor and in every update to the executive. Everyone...
We Are Shown What We Want to See People follow the path of least friction, mental energy and hassle. That is not a criticism. It is how most of us get through a working day. We read the room, we work out what is expected, and we give it. Not because we are dishonest,...