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The Change Management Process

Articles, templates, and case studies on the Change Management Process.

Taiichi Ohno on Lean Leadership

by Pete Abilla on September 28, 2011

lean leadership, toyota production system

In Yoshihito Wakamatsu’s book The Toyota Mindset, he explains Taiichi Ohno’s approach to Lean Leadership and how to deal with resistance to change. To read my reviews of Wakamatsu’s book on Taiichi Ohno, please visit the links below. Taiichi Ohno on Standard Work Taiichi Ohno on Genchi Genbutsu Do Not Act Spoiled Learn from Previous [...]

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Change Management is Like Potty Training

by Pete Abilla on September 30, 2010

My son turned 2 years old in June 2010. By most standards, barely a 2 year old isn’t ready to be potty trained. I beg to differ. The other day, after breakfast, I placed him on the toilet, hoping so badly he would go poopy. After 30 minutes or so, he finally went poopy and [...]

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Cigarette Sin Tax and Lean Six Sigma Deployments

by Pete Abilla on September 23, 2010

how to pay lower taxes

What motivates an individual and an organization is sometimes not aligned with the rewards system we put in place to encourage a higher level of performance. We see this dynamic in the cigarette sin tax situation where a higher sin tax does not lead to less smoking. Thinking about the specific Lean Deployment or Six [...]

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Extraordinary Response

by Pete Abilla on November 24, 2009

adversity and growth

Often, our best moments are during times of trial. Indeed, what we remember most and what is most inspiring are not the scores of naysayers that exclaim “it’s dark, it’s dark” to describe the gloom that is all around us, but the humble, smug, and steady person that lights a candle so that others can [...]

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Complacency, Urgency, and Change

by Pete Abilla on November 22, 2009

John Kotter makes a good case that urgency is the key ingredient in any organizational transformation.  Conversely, the lower the urgency, the higher the likelihood that the firm will collapse or fail or not transform in a way that will enable it to win in a changing marketplace.  Kotter does something else that is interesting: [...]

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A Transformation Story

by Pete Abilla on November 8, 2009

We all love stories.  Stories have characters that we relate to or hate, there’s drama, heroes and villains, and the best stories stir the emotion.  The same goes for companies and their stories – all companies have a story.  Most stories are in-process still, whereas some have ended, such as the story of Enron.  What [...]

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Why Transformation Efforts Fail

by Pete Abilla on September 28, 2009

Change efforts sometimes fail. Specifically, transformation or Change efforts sometimes fail.  In fact, the numbers are staggering – most of them fail.  While the root cause is wide and varied, there are general themes or characteristics that are important to keep in mind in your own transformation efforts.  Think of these as symptoms also — [...]

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Maintain Forward Tension

by Pete Abilla on July 20, 2008

creative tension, coil, forward tension

One principle in Wing Chun is the maintaining of forward tension.  To explain, I’ll draw the distinction between Tension and Energy and show how this principle in Wing Chun can be applied to Change Management. Tension is a type of Energy A Wing Chun maxim goes as follows: soft and relaxed strength will put your [...]

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