The Change Catalyst

Acknowledgements

‘Why don’t I write a book?' I thought. How hard could it be? I suppose this is how all new ventures begin – with the triumph of optimism over experience. But I must admit, it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Even the times spent staring at a blank screen while the cursor flashed contemptuously at me, silently deriding the presumptuousness of the entire enterprise. Luckily, the times when the words gushed forth, overwhelming my pedestrian typing skills to be honest, were far more frequent and uplifting. The whole process forced me into a very healthy period of contemplation; to re-assess all of the tools and approaches I have used over the years to help organisations change; to better understand why change fails and how people and companies can be helped to achieve successful and sustainable change.

I would first like to thank all of the people within the many organisations that I have worked with, for and occasionally against over the last quarter of a century. The leaders, managers, employees, consultants, mentors and coaches that have helped hone my understanding of the business of change. Without them, there would be no book.

I completely underestimated the effort required in proof-reading and editing. So my deep gratitude goes out to my darling wife, Jane, a great friend, Katherine Mathers, and my incredible daughter, Emily, for their tireless and thorough efforts in reading and re-reading the earliest drafts, spotting a myriad ...