by Phil Jones | Updated 20 Feb, 2018 | Behavioural & cultural change
The gorillas, the bananas and the hosepipe. An allegorical story that explains how we learn and embed behaviours in our organisations. I heard a story about a rather sad experiment on Gorilla behaviour. I understand it is not true, it is just a story. I want to be...
by Phil Jones | Updated 30 May, 2020 | Behavioural & cultural change
You will have heard someone say, “People don’t like change”. Did you ever stop to think why they said it? I suggest that someone who says “People don’t like change” is using it as an excuse for the failure of their own strategy for change (If...
by Phil Jones | Updated 30 May, 2020 | A Modern System of Management
Something has been bothering me for a while. I have noticed that organisations rarely consider “How we manage” when they are thinking about their strategy. If they do think about how we manage, it is not explicit. It is not management by...
by Phil Jones | Updated 30 May, 2020 | Communicating change
The Chief Executives I interviewed whose strategy required significant change in culture, started with a compelling imperative for change. They made sure their people understood the rational and emotional reasons for the change. This article explains how a compelling...
by Phil Jones | Updated 21 Feb, 2018 | Communicating change
The burning platform is a popular metaphor for how to bring about organisational change. However I think it is 1) Insensitive and 2) An unhelpful metaphor for change. I will explain how Chief Executives actually encourage and explain the need for change in their...
by Phil Jones | Updated 16 Feb, 2018 | Performance management language
The tyranny of targets is the effect on an organisation of excessive and inappropriate target setting. It occurs when the need to achieve targets, and avoid the consequence of missing targets, overcomes common sense and doing the right thing, creating an adverse...
by Phil Jones | Updated 16 Feb, 2018 | Performance management language
Measure mania is a disease of performance management. it is easily caught and spread. It is a compulsive behaviour to measure absolutely everything. How do we recognise measure mania? Measure mania is easily recognised in organisations. The organisation will be...
by Phil Jones | Updated 26 Jun, 2018 | Performance management language
Obsessive compulsive target setting is a disease of organisations and regulators. It is also loved by the media. It is a disease easily caught by those starting in performance management. How do we recognise obsessive compulsive target setting Obsessive compulsive...
by Phil Jones | Updated 5 Feb, 2018 | Paradigm shifts
To avoid clichés and platitudes, let us be clear what is a paradigm, and therefore what is a paradigm shift. The phrase ‘Paradigm shift’ has become a cliché. This overuse is causing the phrase to lose its impact. Are you, like me, fed up with any change being...
