Learning and Change Management Articles
Our expert staff is well known throughout the industry for its breadth of knowledge gained through years of practical experience. The following articles, written by members of our staff, have been published in industry journals and Web sites.
Are You Resistance?
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in Learning to ChangePeople fear (and subsequently hate) change. Therefore, they struggle against it like a puppy that hasn’t yet learned to put up with walking on a leash. And the only way to counter that resistance is to outlast it, saying yes one more time than they say no.
Learning for All
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., Life Cycle Engineering
Design learning events for everyone. One approach to this is styles. While there are many learning styles models, one of the time-tested ways of understanding learning styles is David Kolb’s experiential learning theory.Sponsors Create Change
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., Life Cycle Engineering
Sponsorship means involvement and participation. It means championing a change from start to finish, and knowing why the change is needed. It means communication. Maybe most importantly, it means commitment to seeing the change through from beginning to end. It means creating the change you believe in.Chinese Rooms, Garbage and Change Management
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in Learning to ChangeEver hear of American philosopher John Searle’s Chinese Room? If not, here’s the gist of it: Searle’s Chinese Room is a thought experiment devised as an argument against “strong artificial intelligence,” the school of thought maintaining that machines can meet and exceed human cognitive capabilities, given sufficient processing horsepower, proper architecture, the right software and so on.
Results or Competencies?
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., Life Cycle Engineering
“Results. We need results.” The assumption, when someone says something like this, is that the results will be positive. “Results” is a pretty general term. They can be good or bad, weaker or stronger than expected.Reflections from Change Management 2014
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., Life Cycle Engineering
Why should I invest in change management? Where should change management reside? How can we be more effective sponsor coaches?Do as I Say, Not as I Do
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in Learning to ChangeChange outcomes improve when employees participate in change initiatives—for example, helping assess and develop change projects. Most of us already know this at some level. Formal research on resistance reveals that this is true around the world and in a wide variety of organizations.
5 Tips for Improved Coaching Skills
By Dave Berube, Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in RxTodayOver the course of numerous engagements with clients, I see leaders at all levels of the organization struggle with successfully coaching employees. To become an effective leader, you must be an effective coach. Great leaders who are effective coaches can inspire and motivate employees, laying the foundation for the organization’s next generation of leaders.
Engaging Introverts and Extroverts
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in Learning to ChangeHas this ever happened to you? You’re on a plane, sitting between two strangers. The man on your left has his nose buried in a book. He barely says hello. On your right is a woman who can’t seem to sit still. She fidgets and can’t relax. Finally, almost in desperation, she strikes up a conversation with someone—anyone. If it happens to be you, you could be chatting for hours.
The Power of Negativity Bias
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., Life Cycle Engineering
Some years back, I got a case of the flu. Not the sniffles-and-vague-feeling-of-nausea kind, but the stop-talking-so-loudly-because-you’re-making-my-hair-hurt kind. And unfortunately, just before I began feeling ill, I ate a plate of chicken chow mein.Change Management and the Twilight Saga
By Scott Franklin
As appeared in Learning to ChangeOne of my guilty pleasures is reading (and re-reading) the Twilight series (which is not something I share with a lot of people, so feel free to judge, but please don’t tell). One of my favorite sections is when the Cullens are preparing for the climactic visit from the Volturi.
Shared Vision
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., Life Cycle Engineering
Recently I came across a 2009 Harvard Business Review article written by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner and entitled To Lead, Create a Shared Visio. What struck me most about the article was a single sentence: "As counterintuitive as it might seem, then, the best way to lead people into the future is to connect with them deeply in the present."Don’t build a ship. Create a yearning for the seas.
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in Learning to ChangePeople, as the agents of purposeful change in an organization that is nothing without them, are the real focus of change management, not processes and workflows. Here's a quote from Antoine de Saint—Exupery, author of The Little Prince, which illustrates that nicely...
Freezing Change Starts at the Top
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in Learning to ChangeEver thought about why an ice cube floats? Or, for that matter, an iceberg? Why does a pond freeze from the top down, rather than the bottom up, as it would if it were filled with almost any other liquid? And what does any of this have to do with change management?
The Master’s Lessons on Learning
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., Life Cycle Engineering
Leonardo da Vinci once said that “learning never exhausts the mind.” Although we’ll never know for sure exactly what he meant, it sounds like he was saying something like this: Real learning happens when people do stimulating things that don’t wear them out.Do you need a certificate or a certification?
By Bill Wilder, M.Ed., Life Cycle Engineering
As appeared in Learning to ChangeWhat is the difference between a certificate and a certification? The certificate indicates that you have attended and participated in an educational event. A certification indicates that you have demonstrated experience and competence in a specific body of knowledge.
Free T-shirts, Change Management and “Wait for it…” Moments
By Scott Franklin
As appeared in Learning to ChangeOne of my life lessons is looking for those “Wait for it…” moments. These are the moments where you know what is coming next and have the opportunity to either use it as a teachable moment or possibly just enjoy watching it happen.
What’s in a name?
By Bill Wilder, Director of the Life Cycle Institute
We have named what we do change management. But what’s in a name? A lot.Invest in Doing
By Bill Wilder, Director of the Life Cycle Institute
"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." You have heard this quote often attributed to Confucius. What does this statement really mean to learning and change management professionals?All Aboard: Lean/Six Sigma journey
By Bill Wilder, Director of the Life Cycle Institute
As appeared in Plant Services Magazine
Lean/Six Sigma is shifting from a singular focus on implementing tools in a value stream, or small portion of it, to integrating lean operating systems throughout the enterprise.
