Failed change means lost opportunity, competitive vulnerability, poor revenues and valued employee turnover. But, it's real impact is increased cynicism and fear which promotes hostile and toxic cultures where change resistance is the norm.

So, why is this important now?

• Change Management’s track record isn’t getting any better and isn’t likely to, if we don’t do different things
• Change failure rates continue above 60%
• Surveyed executives still say people are the main reason for failed change
• Technology is delivering faster, opportunity-rich, yet still often underutilized, solutions
• Many leaders say their current business models are misaligned with emergent realities, unforeseen challenges, and changing priorities
• Many also confess they don’t know how to go about fixing what’s no longer delivering sustainable competitive advantage

Today, Change Management is even more challenging. Unfortunately, any consensus on the causes and solutions of failed change remain elusive. Yet, some organizations do manage successful transformation. This is what motivated us to ask:

What are the meaningful differences between those that thrive on change and those that just survive?

After analyzing over 6000 business leader comments from 80 countries, there are clearly those leaders who understand this condition and those who do not. They realize that working relationships are increasingly stressed in the drive for ever-faster responses to competitive threats and opportunities. Unfortunately, too many are still trying to do things differently rather than doing different things.

This summary of Focusing Change to Win gives a taste of this change manual for leaders which distills the collective wisdom of over one thousand business leaders and consultants with ten thousand years of Change Management experience. It outlines how the questionnaires and action points can be used to increase the chances of change success.

Over the next few months through our email blast and through tbointl.com, we will be sharing lessons and tips from the book. Future articles will address findings and tools relevant to most change projects.  Topics covered will include managing resistance, measuring change, gaining competitive advantage, and communicating change.  To get a head start, you can find the complete executive summary and other materials at focusingchangetowin.com.