Introduction

When was the last time you experienced change at work – did you feel it was being done to you, or perhaps you were involved in trying to communicate or deliver it? Did the change achieve the promised results, or did it fizzle out? How effectively was it managed? Did it leave people energized, puzzled or cynical?

The reality is that change has become the new normal, yet many changes are still poorly planned, communicated or implemented. It is rare for us to hear that managers or employees have been trained in how to deliver or react to change. Even people with transformation or change in their job title are often poorly prepared for the complex requirements of managing change well. Ultimately, poorly managed change results in reduced business outcomes and can leave people emotionally damaged by the experience. So, isn’t it time to ‘do change’ better?

How to be a Change Superhero is aimed at anyone who wants to feel better equipped to manage, deliver or respond to change in the workplace. We will explore the skills and traits (Superpowers) that can be helpful when involved in change and consider how we can develop these. We will also consider the human and cultural responses to change (Heroes and Villains) that can make change feel smooth or bumpy. Finally, we will explore how to bring this all together into a change ‘Master Plan’ that will allow you to utilize the strengths of a team (your Change League) and understand clearly how to plan and deliver large-scale change successfully.

This book is primarily aimed at those involved in organizational or business change and I will use these terms interchangeably. That said, several chapters will also be relevant to those of us experiencing personal change too. Don’t worry if you are already tiring of the Superhero analogies; they are here to lighten the topic and make the book accessible to all. I replace the term Change Superhero with the more commonly used expression Change Agent in many places. Ultimately, this book should be relevant to anyone who is involved in designing or implementing organizational change, which is most of us nowadays. It is my hope that you will find this book easy to read, yet highly applicable and practical whatever your level of experience. I have tried to strike a balance between theory, personal examples and practical tools that you can pick up and run with.

The book is divided into three parts; the first is about the individual skills or Superpowers that we need to develop for us to become potential Change Superheroes. The second focuses on ‘Change Challenges’; this includes the people who resist and challenge change, making your life harder, as well as specific hurdles that we come across during change, which are often cultural or structural. Finally, the third part is themed ‘Building a Change Master Plan’ and is about working with others to deliver large-scale change successfully. Each chapter will feature a summary of key takeaways, a real-life case study to illustrate some of the points made in that chapter and, where applicable, useful tools and resources that you can download for free from our website, which can be accessed at www.changesuperhero.com.