Books
The Hybrid Team - New Capacities
leading the workforce of the future
Leading a high performing hybrid team requires new capacities and competencies. A companion to “The Hybrid Team – New Capacities”, this publication explores the capacities needed today.
The leadership skills that are needed to effectively lead a hybrid team are different to those needed to lead a co-located team. There is no rule book, standard operating procedure, or manual for this new era of work. Leaders have found themselves leading a hybrid team whilst they are learning how to lead the hybrid team. They are building the aircraft whilst they are flying it!
The Hybrid Team - New Competencies
leading the workforce of the future
Leading a high performing hybrid team requires new capacities and competencies. A companion to “The Hybrid Team – New Capacities”, this publication explores the competencies needed today.
The leadership skills that are needed to effectively lead a hybrid team are different to those needed to lead a co-located team. There is no rule book, standard operating procedure, or manual for this new era of work. Leaders have found themselves leading a hybrid team whilst they are learning how to lead the hybrid team. They are building the aircraft whilst they are flying it!
Enterprise-Wide Organizational Change Management
Create New constructs for a Winning capability
The traditional construct for organizational change within an organization has been a handful of change management professionals forming a center-of-excellence for organizational change across the entire enterprise. In my experience, the number of change management resources within an organization has never been commensurate with the size of the organization or the amount of change being undertaken.
Whilst there may have been a distant time when change was less frequent than it is today and this structure endured, it certainly cannot work today. Change is volatile, disruptive, uncertain, unprecedented and ambiguous. Change is constant, we cannot control it, and often we will not see it coming. Management of change cannot be left in the hands of a few.
We need an enterprise-wide change management capability.
Balanced Diversity. A Portfolio Approach to Organizational Change
REVISED EDITION 2020
Back in 2010, I came across a body of research that I realized had far-reaching implications for those of us leading change.
Although the focus of the research was on embedding sustainability into organizational culture, my examination of the research results clearly showed that the findings could be related to embedding any type of change into an organization.
On discovering this research,I contacted the researchers as I realized I had uncovered something that was going to transform the way we look at introducing changes related to IT service management into our organizations. IT service management was my profession at this time.
Of all the books published by The IT Service Management Forum International, during the time it had a publishing arm, it was the best seller and widely acclaimed in service management circles.
Ten years on, I am excited to announce that a revised edition of Balanced Diversity; A Portfolio Approach Organizational Change has just been released. The difference is that first publication presented the framework as detailed in the original research and demonstrated its practical application to IT service management. The revised publication presents the framework as detailed in the original research and demonstrates its practical application in relation to any industry. This edition is targeted to a much wider audience—everybody.
Watch the video about what others have to say about Balanced Diversity.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
This book at this time is a godsend to my career.
I’m only about halfway through, but I was getting so excited about writing this little review, it was distracting me from my reading…
Round about 2009 or 2010, I wrote a blog post about how much I despise every Organizational Change Management model/approach/framework/methodology I’ve ever come across. (I'd post a link, but my hosting provider is awful and I've let my site fall into disrepair.) Every one of them reads like instructions on how to create better propaganda – which, in itself, is bound to lead to failure. They were all change-driven, organization-first, top-down means to sway people and force change throughout the organization – and they all sucked!
In 2011 (I think… It may have been 2012) I attended a session Karen Ferris held for ‘Balanced Diversity’ at Pink (ITSM industry conference) and was blown away! This was the first time I’d heard ANYONE present a people-first OCM approach, and the idea was utterly brilliant!
The book, genius as it was, felt unfinished – as if a beautiful sapling wanting to become a mighty tree.
Karen revised the book in 2020, and I ordered it the moment I found out about it, a couple weeks back. (A better friend would have known sooner, but I do what I can.)
The revised edition is a mighty tree, indeed! ‘Balanced Diversity’ is not unnecessarily dense or heady. Its approachable language, comfortable flow and new, more intuitive layout makes it easy to digest and an absolute pleasure to read.
If you are in any way involved in leading change at an organization of any size, you will benefit from reading this. In my new role, a primary focus for me is helping to build out and mature a Business Process and OCM arm within our consulting firm. This book at this time is a godsend to my career. I will do all I can to embed Karen’s brilliance into the DNA of everything we do.
I’m going to buy my manager a copy and make him read it – by force, if I have to!
- Craig Wilkey, Senior Business Process Consultant, Thirdera
Unleash the Resiliator™ Within - Resilience: A Handbook for Leaders
Change is happening to organisations, and to everyone within them, faster than ever before. It is not going to slow down; we cannot predict or control it.
How do you lead people through constant and uncertain change, and ensure they are equipped to deal with difficulties, demands and stress without burning out?
You need the Resiliator™
Resiliators don’t just bounce back from setbacks; they bounce forward and make good of the situation. They embrace change and are ready to adapt and reposition with confidence.
This handbook is for anyone tasked with maintaining and sustaining the resilience of those they are leading.
In these pages, leaders have access to 20 superpowers that will Unleash the Resiliator Within.
This handbook is a companion to the publication Unleash the Resiliator Within - Resilience: A Handbook for Individuals.
What THEY ARE SAYING
Makes a vague concept accessible and understandable
I have just finished reading the leader version of the book.
I liked the way you have broken the concept of Resilience down into personas and introduced stories to reinforce each message.
This approach makes a vague concept accessible and understandable to most readers. It also serves to put a practical definition to the concept.
- Brett Walker, Project Manager, Customer Programs
Unleash the Resiliator™ Within- Resilience: A Handbook for Individuals
Change is happening to organisations, and to everyone within them, faster than ever before. It is not going to slow down; we cannot predict or control it.
We must embrace the uncertainty, be truly agile,, diverge and converge, and be ready to adapt and reposition at a pace never experienced before.
How do we do this while dealing with difficulties, demands and stress without burnout out?
You need to be the Resiliator™
Resiliators don’t just bounce back from setbacks; they bounce forward and make good of the situation. They embrace change and are ready to adapt and reposition with confidence.
This handbook is for everyone who needs to develop resilience.
In these pages, you have access to 20 superpowers that will Unleash the Resiliator Within.
This handbook is a companion to the publication Unleash the Resiliator Within - Resilience: A Handbook for Leaders.
What THEY ARE SAYING
Well worth a few dollars.
As Karen says, this is a handbook for people who need to develop resilience, and at the moment that is most people.
The book is primarily framed for work thinking, but it will suit anyone going through any kind of change, whether that is work related, personal or life in general (moving from school to uni or work).
It's easy to read and full of explanations and hints.
Well worth a few dollars.
Next I'll be reading the companion book for leaders.
- James Gander, MD Gander Service Management
Game On!
It’s match day. Your team is playing a big game.
It’s going to be a tough one.
This game, like all those that have been played before, is different.
The ground, the weather, playing conditions, opposition, tactics, team composition, player positions have all changed.
Even during the game there will be change. Player positions and roles, tactics, team numbers and players may also change.
There is no resistance to change. There is resilience in the face of change. It’s game on!
You and your organization must be the same. With increasing competition, disruption and transformation, organizations face change that is constant, complex, volatile and uncertain and happening at a pace never seen before.
If you want to stay ahead of the game, you need the same resilience as your winning team.
In this book, self-professed organizational change management rebel with a cause, Karen Ferris, introduces you to the tactics needed to be resilient and successful – tactics that enable you and your organization to triumph in the face today’s challenges.
You and your organization can be fit, skilled, capable, supported and well-prepared for constant change.
What THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT Game ON!
Must read for leaders and team members that want to adapt and transform
Karen Ferris has provided a fantastic playbook on how to deal with change in the workplace.
I've had the privilege of attending some of Karen's events and meeting her in person, she has a wealth of experience and knowledge in how organisations can shift and be proactive in the face of disruption. She has captured her key learnings in this book and created a book that is well structured, easy to read and best of all full of advice that is able to be implemented by any organisation! The tactics in this book are perfectly suited to the changing workplace and the disruptive challenges that all industries are facing.
I've worked with many leaders and organisations going through large transformations and this is a book I highly recommend to them.
- Mia Elliott, Consultant, Facilitator and Coach
Packed with advice for change leadership in a VUCA world
At last, a relatable change management handbook, filled with advice and examples of leading change in our fast paced 'VUCA' world. Karen shares many useful models. analogies and methods that we can immediately apply to managing transformation projects and change programs. With these tactics under their belts, todays leaders will be more confident to lead the charge... Game on!
- Abby Phillips, General Manager
This book is easy to read, with practical tools to use in your next change program. Karen uses the game of soccer as an analogy for change making this CM approach one that anyone can pick up and utilise to lead change back in the workplace. A fun, fresh and uplifting way to approach change in our VUCA world!
- Kimberley Spiteri, Organisational Change Leader
Great analogy
I enjoyed reading it. Easy to read, well structured, nice combination between principles and practical lessons for leaders and managers to learn. Strongly recommend.
- R. England, Managing Director
Wow. It is that experience when you sit (or lie in my case) down for a quiet Sunday afternoon read and the information is mind blowing. That feeling when you read something and it is a perfect summary of all your thinking, talking and work - I had that experience today. I finally got to read Karen’s book "Game On, Change is constant". That is when I got that feeling of 'wow'. This is no BS. Taking a complete different angle to change, 100% aligned to Lean Thinking about engagement, empowerment & trust in people. Lean has the '8 wastes of Lean' my favourite one - non utilised talent. To understand what that means - read this book. I feel so embarrassed now when I spoke about this subject in Wellington with Karen front row in the audience!! ha ha talk about the apprentice sending the message to the teacher! But seriously people, it is an easy read - I smashed most of it out in nearly a day! It will change how you lead, engage and see how to achieve operational excellence.
- Rob Bull, Director
A must read for the future of Change Management!
I found this book to be thoroughly engaging and full of ah ha! moments. Karen writes in such a style and with such great breadth of examples that it really takes the reader on a journey with her. It shows us as change management practitioners how we should be working now and into the future. I have found numerous practical applications from her book in my day to day practice and have referenced it in whole and in part on a number of occasions already. The focus on leaders and adaptive leadership particularly resonated with me. Really looking forward to her next book! Highly recommended!!
- Andrew Waugh-Young, Senior Change Consultant
Leadership where you never walk alone
A fantastic insight into not only how someone can show great leadership but how they can build and continue to foster great leadership. If you're looking for ideas on how to adapt and create a culture of strong leadership throughout all areas of a dynamic, fast paced working environment than this book will have you thinking more broadly. Presented in a format that's easy to follow with some terrific sporting analogies thrown in.
- Michael Gibson, Change Manager