Expert Talk - Warning ... Batteries not included! Harnessing the energy to make change successful (Track 3 VIP Session)

Has the energy disappeared for your organization's big new project? You have assigned good teams with good leaders, so what's the problem? My recent study, Batteries Not Included™, will shed light on what's really happening.

Energy can quickly drain out of a big change for a variety of reasons. But I heard a new one recently.

I was interviewing a senior person in an organization regarding a study I am doing on Batteries Not Included™. She said that they did a great job Making a Case for Changes and Getting Started on the Right Foot, but something happened as projects tried to move to the Implementation stage. Their batteries just seemed to give out.

Then it hit her that the problem wasn’t lack of talent, motivation, or clear goals, it was much simpler. The leaders and change teams who handled Getting Started on the Right Foot did their jobs well. And, the organization assigned good leaders and teams for the Implementation stage as well.

But, the hand-off from one stage to the other was the problem. I told her that I was imagining a relay race where each runner was a speed demon but they never practiced handing the baton to the next runner. Speed along. Stop. Pick up the baton. Speed along. Stop. Etc. etc.

Here are some tips that might help if you face a similar challenge.