New leadership, new investors, M&As...most orgs will face changes in their journeys. But why do so many big changes fail, even when the strategy was solid?

Because most leaders ignore the human side of change.

This episode we're joined by org change expert Toni Cairns (fractional Chief People Officer and founder of YellowBox), to learn how we as HR professionals can help guide orgs to survive and thrive through big changes.

What you'll learn:

• The top 3 mistakes orgs make in managing changes

• The importance of (over)communication
• How to build a change plan 101 (using ADKAR*)
• What actually causes the friction during change clashes
• Managing emotional responses with the 'change curve'

• Common change scenarios - and how to do them better

*ADKAR: Awareness / Desire / Knowledge / Ability / Reinforcement

Whether you’re in HR, a founder, or a leader facing big changes, this episode is packed with expert insights, real case stories and practical tips to help your next change run smoother.

Let us know in the comments if you enjoyed this episode!

Chapters

00:00 Coming up…

01:05 Toni Cairns: Change expert

03:12 Top 3 Change Do’s & Don’ts

04:22 Change Curve model (Kubler-Ross)

07:08 Change plans & comms

Change cases

11:59 Leadership changes: Founder to CEO

15:59 Always ask “why”

18:30 Leadership changes: Old vs new (more corporate) guard

23:09 After investment

27:15 M&A, mergers, takeovers - overcommunicate!

32:08 When M&As go wrong

34:22 Managing the emotional fallout

Intermezzo

39:11 1 big change vs lots of little ones over year?

Proudly pragmatic

41:58 Making Change Plans 101 (ADKAR)

43:33 Key takeaways