Jonathan Alter's Checklist for Change
Jonathan Alter’s do’s and don’ts
This article is for subscribers only.
Anyone who has ever tried to change something knows about committee hell. That’s when people in a meeting talk in circles for an hour or three and feel they’ve accomplished something when they manage to schedule the next meeting.
Occasionally, a charismatic leader can bust through the bull and make things happen by force of will. More often, an effective leader—in any sector—develops a strategy, analyzes the culture of his organization, handles the ever-present politics—then identifies other committed “change-makers” willing to help. That means creating ad hoc teams. If the project is humming, these become teams of teams.