Episode 57: Structural Readiness and Real Change with Kirk Harper
Kirk Harper is a longtime continuous improvement practitioner, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and the author of The Book on Successful Transformation: Structural Readiness and the Governance of Integrity Under Pressure. More importantly, he has seen quite a few “big transformations” that looked great in a slide deck but fell apart in real life. On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, Kirk joins host Dan Swartwout to talk about what really determines whether change will stick.
Kirk believes that most transformations do not fail because of the tools. They fail because people do not feel safe being honest when things are going wrong. Want to know something real about the culture of your organization? Plant a little “bad news” that might not be entirely accurate and see how it travels up the chain of command like a game of telephone. Does the story sound a lot better by the time it reaches the top? Then your organization is not ready for change. To assess readiness, Kirk explains how his iTransform method can help you decide whether your organization should stop, stabilize, or proceed with change.
Kirk also explains what real organizational transformation feels like. When the people closest to the work feel a sense of ownership, the room sounds different. The hallway sounds different. Even the morning walk to the shop floor feels different. By the time Dan and Kirk reach the end of their conversation, you may find yourself asking a new question: not “What tools should we use?” but “What would it take for my organization to feel like that?”
In this episode, you will hear about:
0:38 - Introducing Kirk Harper
2:44 - The organization underneath the tools and methods
4:15 - Testing an organization’s readiness for change
6:41 - Psychological safety
7:38 - The concept of Structural Readiness
11:04 - The governance of integrity under pressure
11:57 - Reverting back to safety
13:07 - The iTransform gate
18:28 - Being told “Do Not Proceed” or “Stabilize”
19:54 - The 90-day alignment period before implementing change
22:06 - A structurally unsafe transformation attempt
26:21 - The ASCEND transformation methodology
30:08 - Warning signs that a system isn’t safe for change
31:06 - Practical steps leaders can take right now
33:03 - Neurosync Technologies
Additional Resources:
Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook
Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram
Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn
Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Course
More Resources on Change Management:
Episode 42: Change Management That Actually Works with Kim Scibelli
Episode 30: Managing Changes with Dr. Larry Inks
Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam:
Host • MoreSteam
Dan Swartwout is the host of Quality Time with MoreSteam. A lifelong Central Ohio resident, Dan is a double Buckeye. He earned both a BA and a law degree from The Ohio State University. Before joining MoreSteam, Dan had a long career as a host, comedian, and master of ceremonies. For 17 years, Dan was the studio audience host for the Ohio Lottery game show Cash Explosion. Dan was also the host of CBuzz, which was a collaboration between the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, WWCD 92.9, and the Columbus Dispatch. On CBuzz, Dan interviewed some of the most prominent entrepreneurs in Central Ohio. From 2002-2020, Dan toured the country as a standup comedian. Tracks from his comedy CD have been played over 5,000 times on Sirius/XM satellite radio. Now, Dan brings his experience and enthusiasm to Quality Time with MoreSteam -- it's business and fun, together.
Founder • Neurosync Technologies Limited
Kirk Harper is a veteran continuous improvement practitioner, certified Six Sigma Black Belt, and author of The Book on Successful Transformation: Structural Readiness and the Governance of Integrity Under Pressure. He has worked for more than 30 years in industries such as automotive, defense, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products. In those roles, he has seen many ‘big transformations’ that looked great in meetings but fell apart once the pressure showed up. Kirk helps organizations create an environment where change and progress actually last.
