Chapter 3: Adaptive Action: Changing Change Consulting

Like all the other change consultants I know, I am eager to help clients thrive. We all understand that no one can thrive without changing to meet evolving demands. Over the past 30 years, everything from technology, globalization, information and networks to integrated supply chains have transformed business. At the same time, ironic as it may seem, we have struggled to make our practice as change consultants as predictable and replicable as possible. We trademark new ways to say old things, and our clients’ employees complain about the “flavor of the month.” We bring people into dialogue to transform their hearts and minds, but their policies and practices often lag behind. We introduce Lean and Six Sigma to reform processes, but too many people get lost in the shuffle. As my mother used to say, “The harder we work, the behinder we get.”