IMPACT: 21st Century Change Management, Behavioral Science, Digital Transformation, and the Future of Work (Leading Change in the Digital Age) - Softcover

Gibbons, Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0997651210 ISBN 13: 9780997651218

Publisher: Phronesis Media, 2019

Synopsis

Change is inevitable, whether it represents progress is up to us.
Astute leaders know that upskilling, culture change, and mindset are critical ingredients for successful digital change – but do not know how to change those quickly enough to keep up with pace of technological change. That is because our 20th century change models are not up to the challenge of 21st century digital transformation and the future of work – and that explains McKinsey’s finding that only 25% of digital transformations succeed.
In Impact, globally recognized culture change expert, Paul Gibbons gives leaders 21st century change tools and models that are based on up-to-the-minute research in behavioral sciences, complexity theory, agile methods, information science, and more.
Gibbons shows leaders that “the more technologically-enabled workplaces become (AI and robotics), paradoxically, the more important the “human” becomes – community, purpose, connection, empathy, relationships, and trust.”
He continues, “... central to the whole picture of changing how we change, of humanizing business, and of upskilling workforces, is leadership. In a world where advancing human capability is critical, leaders need to lead learning.” Then, using that idea of leader as learner, Gibbons illustrates and how learning can happen faster and more efficiently through understanding the latest research and making appropriate use of 21st century learning technology.
Impact is about leading change, and about those “upgrades” to the human side of organizations, leading, learning, communicating, changing, collaborating, deciding, and engaging. As computers do more of our thinking for us, taking over many of our cognitive tasks, our “competitive advantage” is in the social domain. Crudely, we can outsource some of our thinking, but not much of our collaboration. The upside is liberation from cognitive drudgery; the challenge is to raise our game and to become better at what makes us distinctively human – the social, the collaborative, the creative, the visionary.
Leaders will learn through case studies from leading business (such as Google and Microsoft) and insights from the latest “human sciences” which will show them that – “shared purpose is more important than traditional incentives; empathy, trust, and psychological safety beat old school methods of behavior change; behavioral science sometimes produces major results through small tweaks to the environment; constant engagement works better than town halls, workshops, and focus groups; and technology-enabled dialog with stakeholders works better than surveys do."
Gibbons, author of the change bestseller The Science of Organizational Change, illustrates the inauthenticity of using analog methods to drive digital change and the irony of using 20th-century change management practices with millennial workforces. Then Impact walks through the most hallowed change models, points out their flaws, and suggests updates, based upon principles such as: human-centered, technology-enabled, systemic, creative, scalable, and a based on a holistic understanding of what inspires today’s generation of workers.
The author brings a fresh, challenging voice, that of philosopher, scientist, and economist, to the world of change, strategy, and leadership. In 2017, he was voted top twenty in the world in culture change and nominated for the UK’s prestigious FRSA – Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His popular podcast Think Bigger Think Better was voted a top twenty philosophy podcast (out of thousands globally.) He has been a business school professor, entrepreneur, CEO, consultant, an investment banker and has degrees in neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology. He is Brexit refugee living in Colorado with his two sons and an international mindsports competitor.

About this title

About the Author

Paul Gibbons is a former investment banker, consultant, professor, and CEO (yes, he is that old.) Today, his writing, speaking, and scholarship focuses on how science and philosophy can provide practical solutions to the problems we face in the 21st century. Paul's most recent book Impact gives leaders 21st-century change tools and models that are based on up-to-the-minute research in behavioral sciences, complexity theory, agile methods, information science, and more. Astute leaders know that upskilling, culture change, and mindset are critical ingredients for successful digital change - but do not know how to change those quickly enough to keep up with pace of technological change. Impact is about those "upgrades" to the human side of organizations, leading, learning, communicating, changing, collaborating, deciding, and engaging. His first book, The Science of Organizational Change, is listed as one of the top-ten organizational change books of all time. The book debunked management double-speak with 21st-century research from the human sciences: philosophy, economics, political science, public health, psychology, neuroscience, sociology, and history. Paul's bigger project could be called "humanizing business and change." The most urgent questions for this century, suggests Paul, are two-fold. First, how can we balance the good business does, lifting billions from poverty, allowing collaboration and innovation on a global scale, and commercializing science for the common good, with its potential for great harm consumer fraud, financial bubbles, environmental damage, shattered communities, and corruption of our democracy? Second, how can we use science and reason, and not pseudoscience, myths, gurus, quacks, and dogma, to make better decisions in our lives and for our society? Paul "bumper stickers?" (1) "Change is inevitable, whether it represents progress is up to us." (2) "As computers do more of our thinking for us, taking over many of our cognitive tasks, our "competitive advantage" is in the social domain." (3) "In a world where advancing human capability is critical, leaders need to lead learning." His popular practical philosophy podcast, Think Bigger, Think Better can be found on Itunes and Stitcher. In 2017, Paul became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In 2016, he was named a "Top-30 global guru" in organizational culture, and in 2008, CEO Magazine called Paul one of two "CEO Super Coaches". He has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Guardian, and Independent newspapers. Paul has degrees in biochemistry, philosophy, and psychology, and has taught business ethics and business leadership at some of the world's top business schools. He lives in Colorado with two young sons, serves on the board of Denver's Institute for Enterprise Ethics, and competes in "mindsports", chess, bridge, MOBA, and poker.

Review

Praise for Impact
"Digital transformation is on the rise. The problem is there is a lot of noise and not enough empirically grounded thinking around what all this complexity means for organizations. Paul Gibbons' new book is the signal in the noise that we need to help frame the conversation drawing inquisitively from both the complexity and behavioral sciences. Wonderfully researched and well-written, it is a must-read for leaders navigating their organizations
through transformation."
Dr. Kelly Monahan, Talent Research Lead Senior Principal at Accenture Research

"If you read one book on 'change' make it this one! It combines the best research on the science of change AND brings it bang up to date with the disruptive elements in 'The Digital Age'. It's not only easy to read, it's packed with references, sources, and critical thinking that takes a long hard look at how we've been misdirected around change. His conversational style brings to life what are usually dry topics and makes them entertaining and memorable. Loved it!"
Rosemary Gorrell, Change Strategist and Author

"Organizational Change is hard - trust me I've helped many organizations with it. Paul is excellent at debunking myths, highlighting cognitive biases, and finding us tools to replace them. He has even managed to Humanize Change."
Mark Levinson, Agile Organizational Change Artist

"In an era of constant change, it is imperative for leaders to understand the trends that impact their organizations and pivot to leverage their best opportunities. Paul lays out clear trends as well as new tools and mindsets to implement these changes in an emerging landscape."

Maureen Metcalf - Maureen Metcalf, CEO of the Innovative Leadership Institute

"If psychology and microeconomics were to have a baby, the product would be behavioral economics...the foundation of decision science. Paul Gibbons captures the application of decision science in Impact...a must read for anyone who is responsible for people, processes, and outcomes."
Dr. Michael Barbera, Chief Behavioral Officer, Clicksuasion Labs

Edition details

• Publisher: Phronesis Media
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 0997651210
• ISBN 13: 9780997651218
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 352