Change is about people and when it comes to people, there is no formula and there is no one way, this is challenging and hard. For designers, architects, planners who are trying to convince people to do something different, to do something maybe that business has never done before, what tools do we need to help take our clients on that “change” journey with us?
I was lucky to catch up with the Change Master, Jennifer Bryan, who will also be speaking at Workplace Trends in London on 18th October 2023. Jennifer shares with us some tips to help you lead that change, for her there is “no change without learning and no learning without change,” and it has to come from a “people centric perspective.”
Jennifer, gives us some sound advice. She describes what she calls the “end person in mind approach.” If you think about the person who is the furthest away from the decision making room, when they first hear about the change (whether that the watercooler gossip or a town hall) if you can make that initial moment for that positive then you will have a positive initial moment for everyone else in between.
There are 8 different reasons why people resist change. Jennifer outlines some with us here. Sometimes it’s because they don’t understand the change, or it could be how they perceive it, it could be fear or emotional, or historical. If you want to fine tune your potential to lead change, get your hands on her book: “Leading People in Change”. Understand where that “resistance” might be coming from. Ask the questions so you might understand why they might be resisting. Take them on a bit of a journey. Help people understand the “so what”.
We forget that other people aren’t in that same space, and we need to be able to articulate that “so what” but it has to be that “so what” for them.
Think of this podcast as the essential spanners in your “Toolbox of Persuasion.” There’s a lot of good advice in this podcast for those involved in bringing Biophilic Design into the mainstream. We can help leaders and managers understand that Biophilia is not just fluff, help them to visualise a positive outcome and from a different angle.
Jennifer says there are three key questions you need to consider, and when you know the answers you have to articulate the solutions from the heart. Firstly, what is it you’re trying to do, secondly why now, and finally how are people going to think and feel about it?
Remember we all have the passion within us to bring about change, learning how to lead that change is a skill, which is why advice from consultants like Jennifer are helpful in encouraging your clients build that change muscle internally.
Why not come and meet Jennifer in person on 18th October 2023 in London, where she will be speaking about “Adopting Foresight” at Workplace Trends event, and presenting results from a research project with Henley Business School. To register your place at the event visit:
https://workplacetrends.co/events/wt23-programme/
USE CODE JBD20 for 20% off the published delegate rate at https://workplacetrends.co/events/wt23/
To find out more about Jennifer, visit
linkedin.com/in/jennifer-l-bryan abchangeconsultancy.com
JenniferLBryan.com (Portfolio)
inspirationalspeakers.co.uk/speaker/jennifer-bryan/ (Portfolio)
And don’t forget to buy her book “Leading People in Change”
To buy a copy of The Journal of Biophilic Design visit our website www.journalofbiophilicdesign.com or from Amazon. If you like our podcast and would like to support us in some way, you can buy us a coffee if you would like to support us, thank you x
Credits: with thanks to George Harvey Audio Production for the calming biophilic soundscape that backs all our podcasts.
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