Next Is Now

1. Change is the New Constant; Resistance is Futile and Costly

Change is no longer the exception, it’s the rule. And it is going to rule you, unless you take charge.

The new reality. The world is undergoing sweeping, radical transformations driven by technological innovation, evolving customer tastes, and new business models. Change is not a passing trend; it's the permanent state, impacting every industry from transportation to healthcare. Ignoring or resisting this constant flux is no longer an option, as it leads to a loss of relevance and significant financial costs.

The cost of inaction. Organizations often spend time and effort fighting change instead of evaluating its merits, leading to delayed adoption and missed opportunities. A study by Strativity and Harvard Business Review revealed that organizational change efforts succeed a mere 9% of the time, largely due to human resistance. The "Return on Nothing" calculator demonstrated that inaction, while seemingly saving money, actually results in significant market share loss and unrealized expectations.

Wake-up call. This pervasive resistance stems from a natural human inclination to cling to the familiar "Now" rather than embracing the uncertain "Next." However, in today's rapidly evolving landscape, "playing it safe" is the most dangerous course. The book serves as a wake-up call to own the change before it owns you, transforming it into a life and business accelerator.

2. Change is Deeply Personal and Emotional, Not Just Logical

All the data and so-called rational arguments won’t penetrate the emotional wall of rejection and fear of change that we all possess.

Beyond logic. Despite clear facts and compelling reasons for change, people often resist new ideas and ways of doing things. This resistance is not logical; it's deeply emotional, rooted in fear and a natural fight-or-flight response. For individuals, change can trigger an identity crisis, threatening self-esteem, financial security, and belief systems.

The hidden fears. Resistance often manifests in seemingly rational excuses, but these are thin veneers hiding deeper anxieties. The "pyramid of fears" illustrates this:

• Future-based fears: "What will it be like?"
• Past-rooted fears: "How does this invalidate my past efforts?"
• Identity-based fears: "Is this a threat to who I am?"
  Addressing these underlying emotional issues is crucial, as ignoring them leads to creative methods of sabotage and lukewarm results.

Universal struggle. Even highly successful and agile organizations like Disney experience intense emotional resistance and internal conflict during transformations. This highlights that resistance to change is a fundamental human quality, not limited to dysfunctional companies. Recognizing this shared struggle allows for empathy and a more effective approach to overcoming personal and organizational inertia.

3. Anchor in Your "Core Cause" to Navigate Constant Change

In this approach, we start by remembering everything that doesn’t change.

The unchanging compass. To develop change resilience, individuals and organizations must identify their "core cause"—their fundamental purpose, mission, and values. This core cause acts as an unchanging bridge from the past into the future, providing stability amidst constant disruption. It's about why you exist and whom you serve, not the tools or processes you use.

Beyond the tools. Many people mistakenly associate their work with the tools they use, rather than the impact they make. For example:

• Teachers: Educate and inspire, not just give tests.
• Police officers: Create safety and security, not just make arrests.
• Bankers: Foster financial confidence, not just manage spreadsheets.
  When the focus shifts from tools to the core cause, new technologies become accelerators, not threats. David, a customer service employee, realized his purpose was delighting customers, not using specific software, which allowed him to embrace new systems.

Impact over process. The CPP Group, a credit card insurer, navigated a public crisis by refocusing demoralized employees on their core cause: "Helping the customer in need." This re-emphasis on their impact—saving honeymoons, ensuring peace of mind—reignited their pride and commitment, demonstrating that a strong connection to purpose is the antidote to disengagement and a powerful driver of change resilience.

4. Engagement is Driven by Impact, Not Just Incentives

In other words, people demonstrate the highest engagement not when their personal needs are being met, but rather when they feel empowered to make an impact and help others.

Beyond willpower. Initial interest or external incentives are insufficient for sustained commitment to change. The failure of MOOCs, despite free access and high initial enrollment, showed that without context, discipline, and consequences, interest doesn't translate into completion. True engagement stems from a deeper, intrinsic motivation.

The Impact Index. A Strativity/Harvard Business Review study on employee engagement revealed that the strongest correlation to engagement came from three factors, forming the "Impact Index":

• Leaders inspire employees to follow them.
• Employees understand customers' needs and expectations.
• Leaders effectively communicate with employees.
  These factors highlight that engagement flourishes when individuals feel empowered to make a meaningful difference, especially for real human beings. Employees who directly interacted with customers showed higher engagement.

Empowerment through purpose. Organizations often treat employees as "process operators," not independent decision-makers, leading to low engagement. When a logistics company's manual focused on granular process details rather than customer impact, employees felt disempowered. Conversely, allowing auto dealership technicians to briefly interact with customers transformed their engagement, as they realized they were "moving people," not just "moving metal." Giving employees ownership of strategy and connecting their work to a clear human impact is paramount.

5. Embrace a 5-Step Methodology to Build Change Resilience

Our five-step Future Ready Impact process was designed to help you get there—and to take your colleagues and your organizations with you.

A structured journey. Building change resilience is not a spontaneous event but a structured journey. The Future Ready Impact process provides a clear roadmap to move from denial and fear to ownership and proactive leadership. This methodology applies equally to personal and professional transformations, guiding individuals and organizations through the complexities of change.

The five critical steps:

1. Face it!: Objectively confront the facts and reasons for change, shedding preconceived notions and victim mentalities. This involves analyzing operational excellence, customer relevance, technology trends, and competitor trends.
2. Analyze it!: Understand and acknowledge the emotional fears and resistance to change, recognizing that emotions often override logic. This step involves self-assessment of change readiness and addressing underlying anxieties.
3. Redefine it!: Reframe the change by aligning it with your core cause and understanding its positive impact on others. This transforms change from a threat into a means of fulfilling purpose and dreams.
4. Grow it!: Operationalize the change by practicing new behaviors and skills in a safe, low-risk environment. This builds confidence and prepares for flawless execution in real-world scenarios.
5. Own it!: Fully integrate the change into daily practices, setting goals, celebrating milestones, and continuously adapting. This involves creating an "ecosystem of success" for sustained transformation.

Becoming a superhero. Just as superheroes provide hope and stability in a changing world, this methodology empowers individuals to become their own "superheroes" of change. It's about proactively owning one's destiny and using skills to help others, rather than passively waiting for external forces to dictate the future.

6. Practice and "Growth-Play" New Behaviors in Safe Environments

We all need time to practice in a safe environment to develop our confidence and commitment.

Rehearsal for reality. Moving from inspiration to impact requires operationalizing new behaviors. This means creating safe spaces for experimentation and confidence-building, rather than expecting flawless execution from day one. Just as actors rehearse, individuals need to "growth-play" new techniques without fear of public embarrassment or penalty.

Walking in their shoes. A powerful technique is to "walk in your customer's shoes." A Canadian luxury brand, losing market share, sent employees to shop and dine at high-end establishments. This immersive experience helped them:

• Understand affluent customers' demanding expectations.
• Identify subtle cues of excellent (or poor) service.
• Appreciate the emotional impact of every interaction.
  This personal insight drove a new commitment to elevate their own customer service, making the change personal and easy to execute.

Operationalizing the cause. The mortgage loan officer who personally fixed a veteran's home issues to secure a loan exemplifies living one's cause beyond process. To achieve this level of impact performance, individuals can:

• Map daily activities and identify how change impacts them.
• Visualize new activities and their customer impact.
• Create step-by-step diagrams of new skills and behaviors.
• Develop a communication plan to explain the change to customers.
  This systematic approach allows for "emotional upgrades" in service, where empathy and understanding become as crucial as technical proficiency, elevating value beyond mere transactions.

7. Leaders Must Embody Change and Foster an "Ecosystem of Success"

Leadership is about activating the causes of employees and aligning them with a vision, tools, and the confidence to drive the transformation.

Beyond mandates. In a world of diminishing centralized authority, leaders must recognize that their organization's future is the sum total of employees' daily decisions. Their role shifts from dictating to empowering, activating the intrinsic motivations of their teams. When employees are inspired and confident, change accelerates; when restricted, it drags on.

Lessons from change veterans:

• No complete plan: Leaders like Steve Cannon (former Mercedes-Benz USA CEO) and Deborah Rutter (Kennedy Center CEO) emphasize that a fixed, predefined strategy for change is unrealistic. Leaders must be prepared to learn, experiment, and adapt as they go.
• Fix the trust gap: Leaders often fail to convince employees of their commitment to change, leading to skepticism. The "Nordstrom tissue" story illustrates that leaders must model the desired behavior, not just declare it. Actions speak louder than words, building credibility and trust.
• Remove change blockers: Individuals or groups actively resisting change can derail an entire transformation. Leaders must address these "naysayers" directly, and if necessary, remove them from the ecosystem. This tough decision builds trust with the rest of the organization and signals serious commitment.

Authenticity and conversation. Leaders must be authentic, focusing on the "cause" rather than just numbers. Every meeting and communication is an opportunity to repeat the core cause, inviting others to experiment and share progress. This transparent, conversational approach fosters alignment and rallies people towards the future, making it clear that transformation is a shared journey, not a top-down directive.

8. Cultivate a Relentless Pursuit of "What's Next"

I think of change resilience as 'a relentless pursuit of What’s Next.'

Beyond compliance. An organization where employees are only "empowered to make the right decision" often defaults to the safest, old ways, stifling innovation. A change-resilient culture rewards exploration and continuous improvement, not just compliance. It's about fostering a mindset of "we can always do better."

Daily habits for continuous evolution:

• Daily rituals (huddles): Short, focused meetings to review core cause, operational changes, yesterday's performance, and plan today's impact. This aligns hearts and minds and reinforces commitment.
• Plan to fail: Acknowledge that setbacks are inevitable. Willpower can tire, so plan for failures and have strategies to get back on track immediately. This prevents temporary slips from becoming permanent derailments.
• Daily experiments: Encourage small, low-risk explorations in daily life (e.g., trying new fonts, websites, or features in existing tools). This keeps curiosity alive and flexes the "change muscle."

Impact and celebration. Capture and share qualitative success stories—moments where employees made a real human impact (like the car washer helping a stranded Mercedes driver). These stories fuel passion and commitment. Also, solicit honest feedback (both positive and negative) and celebrate achievements, even small ones. Rewards don't have to be monetary; recognition, like naming a truck after an employee, can be incredibly motivating. This ecosystem of success ensures that transformation is a continuous, celebrated lifestyle, not a one-time event.

Last updated: July 30, 2025