Viral Change
The Alternative to Slow, Painful and Unsuccessful Management
of Change in Organizations
Author: Leandro Herrero
Publisher: meetingminds
Date of Publication: 2006
ISBN: 978-1-90-577601-6
About the Author Number of Pages: 392 pages
D r L e a n d r o
Herrero is co-
founder and CEO of
The Chalfont Project
Ltd, an international
consulting firm of
organizational
architects.
THE BIG IDEA
Many people have the idea that organizational change is a long,
His keynote addresses at major agonizing, drawn-out process, and this is indeed true in many
conferences and invitations to cases. However, change can rapidly take place in small,
speak to senior management incremental steps. Moreover, it need be initiated neither by large
groups complement his groups of people and/or influential individuals; positive change can
consulting work with The
Chalfont Project.
come not only from the people on top, but can be effected by, in
extreme cases, solitary people working alone.
Dr Herrero has authored three
psychiatric books and several This book is about how a small number of people can initiate a small
scientific publications. For many set of behaviors that could bring about sustainable change.
years, he also maintained a
monthly article on management-
related topics in Scrip Magazine,
a worldwide publication for the TIPPING POINTS
healthcare/pharmaceutical The infectious power of a new behavior or pattern which eventually
industry. leads to major organizational change depends on three variables:
Dr Herrero is Fellow of the
Chartered Management Institute 1. The 'contact' between infective people and receptive
and fellow of the Institute of people. As in disease epidemics, susceptible people need to
Directors (UK). He holds an MBA be in contact with infective people.
from Henley Management
College (UK) and a diploma in 2. The number of people interacting. The number of people
bioengineering. In 2005, he was interacting will create a critical mass above a threshold that
appointed member of the
advisory board of the
makes the behavioral pattern visible.
Operational Research
Department at the London 3. Enough low threshold people. In these small worlds, there
School of Economics and Political must be a sufficient number of people with a low threshold for
Science. adoption, who will probably just copy or mirror a new behavior
For more about Dr Herrero, Published by BusinessSummaries, 7891 W Flagler St, # 346 Miami Florida, 33144
please go to ©2008 BusinessSummaries All rights reserved. No part of this summary may be reproduced or transmitted
http://leandroherrero.com/ in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, or otherwise, without prior notice of
BusinessSummaries.com
Aha! Performance by Douglas Walker (with Stephen Sorkin)
from another colleague or small group.
CHANGE CHAMPIONS: INFECTION BY DESIGN
Here is a menu of people you can choose from to help boost any effort of yours you
want to push virally:
·Movers, Shakers, and Activists. These people are well-known because of
their ability to 'move things forward', to perhaps question the status quo, to
stimulate and sometimes irritate.
·Mirrors. People literally 'look at them' for endorsement, or for the opposite:
signs of non-commitment.
·Super-nodes. They have extensive links with everybody and seem to navigate
the organization with clear knowledge of its hidden map. Often, but not always,
these people have been around for a while.
·Simply healthy restless people. They portray themselves with a mixture of
that frustration and at the same time commitment to make things better, to
change.
15 CHANGE MANAGEMENT ASSUMPTIONS REVISITED
Here are 15 of the most prevalent assumptions change management holds dear and
how Viral Change nullifies them.
1. “Big change requires big actions.” Viral Change banks on the power of a
small set of levers behaviors that can generate great change in a non-linear
way.
2. “Only change at the top can ensure change within the organization.”
'Change at the top' is obviously desirable, but Viral Change does not wait until
this is happening to take place itself.
3. “People are resistant to change.” Viral Change proves that behaviors that
could be called resistant disappear when alternative behaviors are reinforced.
4. “Cultural change is a slow and painful long-term affair.” Viral Change is
adamant that if we can't see those 'cultural changes' happening in short
timeframes, something is wrong.
5. “Everybody needs to be involved in the change.” Viral Change uses the
power of internal networks to effectively reach everybody, but communication-
to-all is actually the most ineffective way to do so. A small percentage of the
organization is highly connected and of high influence and they can be the ones
directly reached instead.
[2]
Aha! Performance by Douglas Walker (with Stephen Sorkin)
6. “Communication and training are the vital components of change.” Viral
Change tells us that communication and training are components of the change,
but also that we really need to focus on behaviors.
7. “New processes and systems will create the new necessary behaviors.”
Viral Change tells us that the assumption is wrong. We need to have new
behaviors in place in order to support new processes and systems.
8. “People are rational and will react to logical and rational requests for
change.” Viral Change tells us that what really matters is behavioral change
and that this is only going to happen if particular behaviors are reinforced.
9. “There is no point in creating change in one division without the rest of
the company participating.” Viral Change focuses on the spread of changes
via internal viral networks.
10. “Skeptical people and enemies of change need to be sidelined.” Viral
Change has the following words of wisdom: suspend judgment, be willing to be
surprised and, above all, don't write off assets that quickly.
11. “Vision for change needs to come from the top and cascade down.” In
Viral Change, initial vision may come from the top leadership itself, but it doesn't
follow the forces of gravity.
12. “After change you need a period of stability and consolidation.” Viral
Change provides a mechanism for a continuum between changes (from tipping
points) and establishment of new behaviors as a routine.
13. “Short-term wins are tactical but they do not usually represent real
change.” A central tenet of Viral Change is of course that small changes can
lead to a big impact; it is but natural that short-term wins be part of the picture.
14. “There will always be casualties - people not accepting change - and
you need to identify and deal with them.” Viral Change asks you not to make
early assumptions. From those who finally exclude themselves, we can learn
not only what was 'wrong', but perhaps also what is going so well that they can't
integrate it!
15. “People used to not complying with norms will be even worse at
accepting change.” Viral Change is using completely different highways to
establish 'norms'. Non-normative people often make good champions!
[3]
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
It only happens once a season and today is the start of BusinessSummaries.com's Super
Savers' Spring Sale!
What an amazing time to catch up on valuable business reading with just a few dollars.
Your chance to subscribe to BusinessSummaries.com Pro for only $39.95 is happening now
until the end of April. Yes, that is $30 off the regular subscription price!
·Unlimited access to a continuously-growing online archive of over 300 business book
summaries valued at $1,200.00.
·A new summary each week for an entire year - a total of 52 books valued at $69.95.
·Easy and convenient access to summaries in these easy formats:
·Adobe Acrobat (PDF)
·Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT)
·Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)
·Audio (Mp3)
·Video
·MindMap
·HTML
·Access to easy-to-navigate membership site.
SPECIAL BONUS OFFER!
Free copy of Inside the Guru Mind Series*
That is a total of 12 summaries valued at $49.95 at no extra cost! This is available only at
BusinessSummaries.com.
·Get more than $1,200 worth of value for only $39.95 and:
·Increase your business confidence by leaps and bounds.
·Spend less time learning, and more time doing! Put the latest business ideas into practice
immediately!
·Remember better and learn more
·Save time and reduce information overload!
·Stay ahead of the latest marketing trends, learn explosive marketing techniques, and discover
investment strategies for the new economy.
·Improve your leadership skills and take your business into the global economy like a pro.
·Increase your productivity – both personal and in your workplace.
Ready to dive into a vast sea of critical business information?
Learn and apply the latest business trends, ideas and concepts. Subscribe to BusinessSummaries
[4]
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Subscribing is totally risk-free. Not only do we guarantee a safe and secure payment process, we
also over an unconditional 100% Money-Back Guarantee for the entire duration of your subscripti
Hurry, don't miss this ridiculously low subscription price!
You can place your order online through 2CheckOut or PayPal:
2Checkout
http://tinyurl.com/ysjkom
PayPal
Http://www.bizsum.com/spring.php
Would you rather order by phone?
Interested in multiple user licenses or the BusinessSummaries Corporate Edition?
Take advantage of this by calling our numbers at 1-877-358-4208 or 1-888-5-SUMMARY.
Please look for Ms. Ashley Raine.
You may also send an e-mail to [email protected], leave your name and number and we will call
you!
Once again, I would like to remind you that this is a limited offer from today through the
end of April. Act now!
[5]
ABOUT BUSINESSSUMMARIES LITE. BusinessSummaries Lite is a free book summary service of
BusinessSummaries.Com. Subscribers to BusinessSummaries Lite receive a lifetime membership where they receive a 1-2
page book summary every month. For more comprehensive, 8-12 page book summaries every week, and access to an
archive with over 400 business books, check out http://www.bizsum.com/offer01.htm.
