The document provides tips for understanding how an organization works in order to successfully introduce change. It advises observing key aspects of the organizational culture like decision-making processes, values, communication styles, and business cycles. Understanding these dynamics from different perspectives helps one position new ideas for approval in a way that fits with the existing environment.

1. The
Change
Process:
Learning
how
the
organiza4on
4cks

2. The
more
you
know
the
environment
at
work,
the
be<er
you’ll
be
able
to
figure
out
how
to
best
posi4on
a
new
idea,
geBng
it
Understand
your
approved
and
adopted.
organiza4on
to
be
You
don’t
want
to
try
to
change
the
able
to
make
change.
environment
and
all
its
associated
poli4cs
and
cultural
norms.
That
might
be
a
Career
Limi4ng
Move
(CLM).
It’s
also
probably
impossible.
Create
change
but
don’t
try
to
change
(As
is
trying
to
change
your
boss,
or
your
boss’
boss.)
your
organiza4on.
What
is
helpful
is
learning
how
your
workplace
4cks.
2

3. Be
like
Sherlock
Holmes
Using
keen
observa4on
skills,
look
for
clues
about
your
organiza4on:
•
What
is
most
valued?
•
How
are
decisions
made?
•
What
are
the
business
cycles?
•
Who
influences
what
and
whom?
•
What
goals
are
most
revered
–
formally
or
informally
?
3

4. Prac1ce
“perspec1ve
taking”
A
valuable
observa4on
approach
is
called
“perspec4ve
taking,”
which
is
simply
the
ability
to
see
things
from
others’
perspec4ves
in
order
to
understand
and
interact
with
them.
The
more
you
understand
the
perspec4ves
of
other
people,
the
be<er
you
can
posi4on
your
ideas
with
them.
What
it’s
like
to
be
him
or
her?
•
What
might
appeal
to
her?
•
What
is
he
likely
to
say
no
to?
•
What
mo4vates
her
to
take
a
risk
on
something
new?
•
What
holds
her
back?
4

5. What
is
the
big
picture?
What
are
the
organiza4on’s
expressed
goals
or
objec4ves?
What
is
the
organiza4on’s
philosophy,
or
mission?
What
does
the
organiza4on
stand
for
and
why
does
it
exist?
How
does
your
idea
support
these
stated
goals
and
values?
5

6. What
does
the
organiza1on
value?
What
stories
have
become
legends?
What
happened
that
made
the
story
something
worth
retelling?
Are
there
elements
of
that
experience
that
people
would
love
to
be
able
to
do
again?
Did
it
shine
a
light
on
the
organiza4on’s
strengths?
Is
there
a
way
to
align
your
idea
with
those
aspira4ons?
What
do
people
get
recognized
and
rewarded
for
–
formally
or
informally?
What
does
the
organiza4on
value
the
most?
Risk
or
certainty?
Speed
or
though]ulness?
Challenging
status
quo
or
upholding
standards?
Finding
new
opportuni4es
or
improving
what
exists?
6

7. How
do
things
work?
•
How
does
informa4on
flow?
•
Which
departments
are
responsible
for
which
ac4vi4es?
•
Are
ini4a4ves
with
different
sized
budgets
assessed
differently?
•
Where
does
the
decision-­‐making
power
rest?
•
What
are
the
business
cycles?
•
When
are
new
project
funding
decisions
made?
•
How
soon
in
the
cycle
do
new
ideas
need
to
be
introduced,
and
in
what
way
•
Are
calendar
fiscal
year
budgets
and
plans
decided
on
in
September?
•
When
do
managers
put
their
first
drac
plans
and
budgets
together?
7

8. What
are
the
hidden
signals?
• What
emerging
trend
is
creeping
into
conversa4ons?
(Is
there
a
way
to
link
with
it?)
• What
terms
and
buzzwords
signal
that
people
are
looking
for
or
considering
new
ideas?
• What
types
of
new
ideas
have
been
approved
in
the
past
two
years?
Shunned?
Why?
• Who
in
the
organiza4on
gets
new
ideas
or
projects
green
lighted?
What
helps
her
or
him
get
support?
What
could
you
learn
from
that?
• When
you
ask
people
to
retell
memorable
stories
about
work,
what
kind
of
words
do
people
use?
How
might
those
words
help
you
understand
what
is
most
important
to
people
–
or
communicate
your
idea?
8

9. How
do
people
make
decisions?
What
influen4al
people
tend
to
support
what
kinds
of
new
programs?
How
does
your
boss
(or
the
person
you’re
seeking
approval
from)
like
to
make
decisions?
•
Lots
of
data
and
best
prac4ces?
•
Knowing
that
you’ve
socialized
the
idea
with
certain
key
people
and
received
their
support?
•
Seeing
results
from
a
small-­‐scale
pilot?
•
Learning
that
a
compe4tor
is
doing
something
similar?
At
what
4me
of
year
do
most
decisions
get
made?
How
do
you
get
on
the
“decision
agenda”?
9

10. How
will
people
feel?
Organiza4ons
are
made
up
of
people.
All
change
affects
people.
You
may
have
a
strategy
that
could
double
sales,
cut
costs
by
a
third,
and
win
industry
accolades.
But
it
s4ll
affects
people.
To
be
successful,
figure
out
how
people
feel
and
factor
that
into
how
you
frame
the
idea,
socialize
it,
and
roll
it
out.
The
be<er
people
feel
about
the
idea,
the
more
likely
it
will
work.
10

11. About
the
author
Lois
Kelly’s
clients
are
the
type
of
execu4ves
–
and
corporate
rebels
-­‐-­‐
intent
on
making
new
things
happen,
which
means
they
some4mes
work
ahead
of
everyone
else
and
need
help
posi4oning
and
communica4ng
their
ideas
to
get
people
to
believe,
support,
invest
and
buy.
That’s
why
companies
like
SAP,
FedEx,
Hewle<
Packard,
and
Communispace
hire
Lois.
She
creates
clarity
from
complexity,
and
inspires
people
to
change.
Lois
is
founder
of
Foghound,
and
co-­‐creator
of
the
Rebels
at
Work
movement.
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