My take on managing Change.
Since 2020, I’ve had the pleasure of being a guest lecturer on Change Management in the Executive MBA for Innovation Management at EPFL, Lausanne. My course is all about rolling up our sleeves and getting hands-on—there’s a lot less theory, and a lot more practical problem-solving. Honestly, I learn just as much as the participants each time. Every year, through conversations and team exercises, I gain nearly forty fresh perspectives on change; five years in, you can imagine how much it adds up!
My take on “Change in a Nutshell”…
It depends on your context.
Who you are as an organisation, where you come from, and the journey that brought you here all shape how change should happen. The best advice I can give? Be radically honest with yourself about your setup, history, politics, and motivations. If you’re not, any fancy change plan will be like putting the wrong fuel in your engine—it might go for a while, but eventually, it sputters out.
People come first.
Psychological safety, motivation, group dynamics, and alignment matter—a lot. The magic happens when these connect; that’s where authentic, lasting change takes root.
It is a journey.
Clear direction, meaningful milestones, and space for rest all make the process manageable. Make sure everyone knows where you’re heading and why—otherwise, it’s easy to get lost along the way.
There’s no one-size-fits-all message.
You won’t convince everyone, and not everyone will come along, but if you build your narrative around urgency, shared goals, tangible benefits, and clear progress—and tailor it for each audience—there’s a much better chance people will sign up. Age, nationality, role, background—everyone sees the world their own way, and the better you connect, the further you’ll go together.
Above all, guiding people through change shouldn’t be an afterthought or something you tack on at the end. If it’s not woven into the fabric of your transformation, the odds of real success drop—sometimes dramatically.
Image Source:
Mediacom EPFL - Eigenes Werk / CC BY-SA 4.0
Vue aérienne (2017) de l'École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL); l'EPFL forme avec l'Université de Lausanne (hors de la photo) un vaste campus à proximité du lac Léman.