Process Improvement

Transformation principles – the implications for change agents by Nick Kemp

I recently went along to a Round Table event for Transformation Executives hosted by Annapurna Change. There were about 20 of us discussing the inevitability or otherwise of Transformation Programmes losing momentum. 

As the conversation around the table developed, it became apparent that we had very different views of what we meant by ‘Transformational Change’. According to the wiki dictionary a Transformation is ‘a marked change in appearance or character, especially one for the better’. Well, fine, but surely this could describe any large change programme. 

Change managers are experts at knowing 'what'​ needs to change. The 'how'​ comes later by Karen Walker

The most important skill of an expert in managing change, is knowing how to identify what needs to change, for industries and organisations.

Popular thinking about organisational change management really needs to be flipped upside down.

FROM ... it's supporting the implementation of an already defined solution to a problem or opportunity ...

TO .... it's knowing what needs to change.

Beyond the Workshops: Three ways leaders can foster Design Thinking capabilities by Dani Chesson

Over the past two decades, Design Thinking has emerged as a practice that enables innovation, change, and complex problem solving. Many companies hoping to benefit from Design Thinking invest in training workshops to learn the Design Thinking way of working. While training workshops are an effective way to learn new skills, putting new skills to use requires taking the learning beyond the workshop. It is when organizations put new skills into practice that they start to see the benefits. So, how can you continue to foster Design Thinking capabilities after the workshops?

 

Design Thinking in Action: Insights from the field by Dani Chesson

In practice, Design Thinking happens in stages: Understanding, Conceptualizing, and Experimenting. It is important to remember that while these stages are described in a linear fashion, in practice Design Thinking is iterative. The iterative nature of Design Thinking means that stages are cyclical rather than linear in reality.

Establishing a Culture of Continuous Improvement (Part 2) by Bryan Robertson

Recently I was asked to speak at a leadership event for representatives from all over NHS Scotland, to share some examples of what we had experienced as the critical success factors for delivering improvements in organisations, to ensure lasting results.

Upon reflection, it certainly felt that the 10 factors to deliver sustainable improvements, had a lot of resonance with the challenges and the opportunities the NHS faces at 70.

Coexistence of Command, Control and Agile Leaders, bad for employees and business by Karen Walker

The existence of contrasting ways of managing people - agile and traditional top-down leadership - creates divergent experiences for employees, also sending mixed messages about what the organisation values. The case for all leaders becoming more agile in their thinking and actions ahead of changing structure in any part of an organisation, when introducing agile ways of working.

Blockchain: what are the opportunities for Procurement? by Bertrand Maltaverne

To be honest, I haven’t totally figured out all of the details of the inner workings of the blockchain technology. And, I do not think I will ever try to as some of it is very technical. I also do not believe that Procurement professionals should do it either. However, it is important to understand the implications of the blockchain technology. Because of the way the blockchain works, it has unique characteristics that represent a breakthrough with tremendous value for Procurement.