Week #1 - What to write?

Well, I am about due a “governance” post on the book. I will confess that other “Life” matters have distracted me a little, but it is worth laying out my high level intent and setting expectations about the content design.

The big question is what am I going to write and indeed who for – or should that be the other way around?

When I started thinking about creating and e-publication it was going to be based upon a number of papers and ideas I had written that I thought would be helpful, or at least thought provoking to other change agents. In this instance the target audience was people like me. With my then collaborator we recognised that there needed to be some sort of structure to the contents so I created a graphic that essentially looked at how one navigated an organisation, other individuals and oneself through change.

During the time we worked together my collaborator’s ideas changed and she started looking to create a more mainstream and traditional change book.

When we stopped collaborating I knew I needed a stronger hook and from many conversations (and previous personal experience) I knew two things. Firstly that poor sponsorship is an oft cited reason why change fails to deliver what was expected and secondly that the support (training, coaching, advice, etc) for sponsors is poor. This developed into the idea of a change sponsors’ handbook that would have tips, advice, information that should be helpful to anyone with the responsibility to sponsor a change project or programme. I developed the working title “To delivery and beyond…” partly in humour (as in the misquote of Buzz Lightyear) but mainly with serious intent as a sponsor is usually part of the business and around longer than a project/programme manager and thus more influential in delivering the expected benefits. Yes, the sponsor has to help the project/programme manager to deliver the capabilities, services, tools, etc, but is only in driving their use after the project/programme has closed will we find success.

In recent months my mind has moved on to the need for smarter ways to deliver change. The argument being, with a lot of experience and some objective measures, that the rate and complexity of change is outpacing our ability to deliver change in what is essentially an “Industrial” manner; an approach that fits with the “Industrial” management structures found in most organisations, which itself seems to be failing.

I passionately believe that we do need to be smarter and wish I had the answers, but right now I don’t and indeed I am not sure if anyone has. It is also true that today it is hard to see who the audience would be other than other “thinkers” in the change field.

So essentially the question is:-

1. Something for change agents?
2. Something for sponsors?
3. Something about new ways of delivering change?
4. Something else?

As I clearly need to focus I will rule out option 4.

Option 3 is still something to hold on to, but I do not have enough to build content right now and the audience is unclear/smaller than the others.

The same lack of clarity about the audience afflicts option 1.

This leaves Option 2 which seems to tick enough boxes.

• There is a clear and growing audience
• I have material that can be used and be meaningful
• I believe I can demonstrate the thought leadership I set as one of my objectives
• Many of the target market use smartphones, tablets, internet resources etc. so I can  reach a broad group
• I thin I will learn a lot doing this

OK decision made in terms of the what, but I am not entirely sure about the working title and need to create an outline of the expected contents so that I can start planning the book’s creation.

While I will think about the title as I go about other aspects of the book I don’t need to firm up on that yet. I do however need the outline so that will be my focus for the next few days or so and I will post that next.

If you do read this and want to be part of keeping me honest in this endeavour, please do follow this blog, it helps me know that I eyes watching me and not just chance visitors.week