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Organisations
23
Jul
July 23, 2019

Change can be fun!?

A neglected question in process design [2-minute view + 3-minute read]   Aside from being a cute video, this is also a challenging one. It suggests that we should be looking for ways in which the changes we’re trying to make could be fun. Thinking about how they might appeal to the people’s desire for...
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29
May
May 29, 2019

Leadership Succession: a life-and-death question for South African NGOs

3 first steps for avoiding crisis [7-minute read] Recently, the theme of leadership succession has been pretty ubiquitous. It keeps cropping up in conversations with clients in the NGO sector, in colleagues’ work, even with friends. Why now? On one level, this is a very worrying sign – it undoubtedly means I’m getting old. On a less...
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14
May
May 14, 2019

Honouring our legacy & making change (exercise)

[4-minute read] Recently, I worked with a new client that was older than most — approaching its centenary. Its leaders, managers, staff and other stakeholders wanted to figure out how to remain relevant and cutting edge for another hundred years.  This post shares one of the steps we took together en route to figuring out their...
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06
May
May 6, 2019

Everything is strategy | Strategy is everything

[4-minute read] Often organisations spend a lot of time talking about strategy… Developing strategic plans… Trying to engender a culture of strategic thinking… Building ownership of the strategy amongst staff. And so on. This makes complete sense: good strategy is critical for success. It’s our road-map into the future, towards our goals and aspirations.  And,...
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team training warren banks self-diagnosis-briefing-consultants-facilitator-organisation-development-consultant-durban-south-africa-stethoscope
23
Apr
April 23, 2019

Self-diagnosis (& briefing consultants)

[4-minute read] When leaders or managers approach organisation development (OD) consultants, facilitators or other kinds of helping professionals, they will often name an issue or problem and then request a fairly specific solution. The classic example is: ‘The team is not quite gelling and morale is a bit low.’ ‘I want a team building exercise!’...
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17
Apr
April 17, 2019

Crisis and development (Part 2)

[4 minute read] Facing crisis When we face crisis in our lives or in our organisations, we tend to ask: ‘Why is this happening?’ And perhaps even, ‘Why is this happening to me!?’ The first question can be useful, but it’s also risky to get stuck in a forensic exercise when the situation demands a...
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conflict crisis warren banks facilitator-durban-stuck-movement-solution-strategy-risk-management-directionless-leadership-shattered-glass
16
Apr
April 16, 2019

Crisis and development (Part 1)

[2 minute read ] Crisis is not a word with many positive associations. “Oh, he’s in crisis again,” we might say of our drama-queen friend. “The government is facing a crisis of confidence,” we note as the latest in a growing litter of corruption scandals squirms, stinking, into the light of day. “She’s taken six...
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paradoxical theory of change warren-banks-organisation-development-durban-leadership-development
09
Apr
April 9, 2019

The paradoxical theory of change

[ 2-minute read ] This is an idea from Gestalt Systems Development, which is an offshoot of Gestalt psychology, but focuses on organisations and other human systems. The paradox it refers to is that change happens more naturally, easily – even organically – the more we connect with what is. This is counterintuitive — thus, the...
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are we in balance workshops durban warren banks workshopping-problem-solving-effectiveness-efficiency-meaning-in-work-leadership-accompaniment
22
Mar
March 22, 2019

Are we in balance?

[ 3-minute read ] The Three Bubbles Model The idea is simple: teams, organisations — and even events (like workshops or conferences) — work best if we find the right balance between three key elements: Task – WHAT we are here to do; what the work is about (purpose, goals, issues, content). Process – HOW...
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About these resources

These articles are for people who work with and in organisations of any kind – as leaders, managers, formal or informal change agents. If you are trying to work more consciously and effectively with change in your organisation, I hope you’ll find some ideas here that make your work (and your life) a bit easier, and your organisation a more effective, creative and positive place to be.

If you would like to engage around these ideas, ask a question or discuss the possibility of working together, please drop me a line.

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