The Problem With Change

The big new idea in business, for fans of Simon Sinek and Adam Grant—the much-needed rebuttal to those who worship at the altar of constant disruption by former Deloitte and Cisco top leadership development executive, Ashley Goodall.

'A crucial read.' – Marshall Goldsmith

'A must-read.' – Marcus Buckingham

The Problem With Change challenges the notion that change and innovation are the cornerstones of dynamic and modern business. Or so we are told.

Whether it's a merger or re-organisation; a new process, policy, or IT "solution"; or reconfiguring the office layout, change has become the ultimate easy button for leaders, who pursue it with abandon and thereby unleash an endless torrent of disruption on employees. The result is life in the blender—a perpetual state of upheaval, uncertainty, and unease.

Yes, companies need to grow, innovate, and adapt to changing needs. However, stressed-out employees rarely go the extra mile, chaos rarely produces agility or speed, and it's hard to innovate or grow while bleeding talent to turnover and quiet quitting. This is how change stymies the very progress that it seeks.

Drawing on decades spent leading HR operations at Deloitte and Cisco, Ashley Goodall explores the essential nature of human performance and offers a radical new alternative to the constant turbulence that defines corporate life. By prioritising team cohesion (instead of reshuffling teams at will), communicating in real words (rather than corporate speak), striving for predictability (instead of charisma), honouring shared rituals (instead of corporately-mandated bonding), fixing only the things that are truly broken (instead of moving fast and breaking everything in sight), and more, leaders at every level can create environments that allow people to do the best work of their lives.