Apr 30, 2025
Breaking the Rules: Why Traditional Change Management Is Holding You Back
Still clinging to those old-school change management playbooks and wondering why it’s not working? Sounds like a classic case of “But that’s the way we’ve always done it.” Don’t worry, you’re not alone. We’ve seen too many companies trudge through slow, bureaucratic change processes. Endless meetings, rigid frameworks, top-down directions nobody asked for… It’s enough to send shivers down your spine. So, let’s talk about why it’s time to bin the outdated rulebook, and what you should be doing instead.
1. Stop Managing Change, Start Designing It
If your change management strategy still follows this tired formula - Plan → Announce → Train → Cross Your Fingers… We need to talk.
Real change isn’t a neat little checklist. It’s messy, unpredictable and needs constant adjustment. Think of it as an ongoing experiment - one that evolves in real-time, not just in boardroom plans.
For our client’s change project, we built a peer support community to gather real-time feedback from their colleagues, keeping us in tune with what was and wasn’t working.
2. Leadership Isn’t Just a Title
Signing off on change from behind closed doors? Sounds convenient, but that’s not leadership. Real change sticks when leaders show up, not just sign off. The best change leaders inspire, listen and actually lead by example.
To showcase our pharma client’s leadership in action, we filmed them discussing the change initiative. Blooper reel and quick-fire Q&A included!
3. Innovation Dies in Silos
Change works best when everyone is on the same page. If your teams are aligned, collaborating and actually talking to each other, you’re on the right track to creating change that sticks.
Why not host an in-person event to connect teams, showcase the impact of change and bring your initiative to life? See how we did it for our client here!
4. Metrics Matter (But Only if You Track the Right Ones)
That’s right, you have to go a bit further than counting the number of people who sat through a training session. Attendance doesn’t equal adoption, and ticking a box doesn’t mean change is working. Instead, track what actually moves the needle:
Build feedback surveys into your change comms plan from the get-go. This will make sure you can track progress over time, and help you adjust your plan on the fly!
So, where do you stand?
Is your organisation stuck in the past or shaping the future? Take it from us: The companies winning in 2025 will be the ones rewriting the rules on change - not clinging to outdated playbooks.
If you’re ready to shake up how change happens in your organisation, let’s make it happen!