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THE IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE ON
EMPLOYEE WELLBEING IN AMERICAN WORKPLACES
THE CHANGE LAB 2019
WORKPLACE SURVEY
thechangelabA michellemcquaid PROGRAM
2thechangeLab
CONTENTS
Letter From David Cooperrider .......................................................................................... 3
About This Study ............................................................................................................... 6
US Workplace Change Snapshot ...................................................................................... 8
US Workplace Wellbeing Snapshot .................................................................................... 10
Why Measure The Impact Of Organizational Change On Wellbeing? .................................. 12
What Did We Learn About Successfully Creating Change
While Supporting People’s Wellbeing? ............................................................................... 20
How Can You Improve Change & Wellbeing In Your Workplace ......................................... 32
Where Might You Start? ..................................................................................................... 43
About The Researchers ..................................................................................................... 46
For More ............................................................................................................................ 49
References ........................................................................................................................ 51
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FROM DAVID COOPERRIDER
HOW THE NEW CHANGE LEADERSHIP MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT PATHWAY TO EMPLOYEE WELLBEING
This report issued by The Change Lab’s 2019 Workplace Survey -- The Impact of Organizational Change
on Employee Wellbeing in American Workplaces—presents the most comprehensive empirical analysis to-
date on trends in organizational change, its success factors, and how change management relates to employee
wellbeing. While focused on the American workplace, this pathbreaking edition of the Change Lab’s work sets
the stage for a worldwide series of empirical surveys that will be of keen interest to CEO’s, change leaders,
Organization Development and HR specialists, policy makers, business unit managers, and MBA programs
globally. With the recent scientific growth and refinement of human wellbeing measures, it’s now possible to
create the kind of evidence-based interventions that consistently and lastingly enable collaborative advances
in individual, group, organizational and societal wellbeing (see, for example, The 2019 Global Happiness and
Wellbeing Policy Report.)
The past few years have unsettled business leaders everywhere. The literature on industry dynamism traces, for
example, how the more volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous the world is, the more and faster things change.
Successfully navigating change often spells the difference between industry leading innovation - or bankruptcy.
I recently interviewed Paul Polman of Unilever, tracing his ten-year record of CEO leadership starting in 2009. It
was a ten-year transformative journey, that saw the market cap of the company, in a sluggish consumer goods
industry, rise nearly 300%. It represented a gain of between $90 to $100 billion in company value. Under his
leadership, Unilever set an ambitious vision to fully decouple business growth from its overall environmental
footprint and increase the company’s positive social impact through the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. As
leader of a company that makes and sells products from 400 brands that are used by a remarkable one in every
three people on the planet, Polman knew that his company had a responsibility and an opportunity to drive
systemic change through partnerships with other businesses, NGOs and governments.
Using the lens of the 17 global sustainable development goals, Unilever learned to turn waste to wealth, helped
eradicate poverty for millions through job growth, created a company based on gender equity, ended quarterly
reporting in favor of long-term “built to last” kind of growth, improved the health and wellbeing of more than
one billion people and enhanced the livelihoods of millions of people in the communities where it operated.
Unilever accomplished this through providing access to skills and training for smallholder farmers, for example,
protecting and promoting human rights across its value chain, or rolling out handwashing behavior change
programs to help more children reach the age of 5. All of these initiatives have earned Polman the Oslo Business
for Peace Award (2015), the UN Change Champion of the Earth Award (2015) and a growing list of many other
recognitions. Today Polman is the Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, as well as Vice Chair
of the United Nations Global Compact representing some 12,000 of the world’s most successful companies
“doing good and doing well.”
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Why am I highlighting this? Because it’s a remarkable case that provides the counterintuitive
recognition that relentless organizational change—constant, demanding, and pervasive—can be
a vehicle for enabling, advancing, and galvanizing employee wellbeing. And I did not realize the
importance of this until I read and re-read this precious report.
What this report shows is that it’s not the amount of change that employees experience, but
it is the leadership approach that spells the difference between languishing or flourishing in
change; and that instead of fear, depletion, and stress, human beings can—and often do—
thrive in transition.
In other words, worker wellbeing, leadership approaches to change implementation, and the success of
organizational change efforts are intricately fused. While there are mountains of data sets showing how
higher levels of wellbeing actually raise productivity, satisfaction, and stock performance — and there
is a growing evidence base documenting this being a causal effect — this is the first survey that shows
how, in our world of relentless change, good change leadership may be the most important driver of a
virtuous cycle to set in motion greater employee wellbeing, which in turn can raise the success rates of
change implementation, in an upward P.E.R.M.A.H spiral of (1) Positive emotions (hope, inspiration, joy);
(2) Engagement; (3) Relationships; (4) Meaning; (5); Accomplishment; and (6) Health.
Meanwhile, consider the normal narrative of organizational change. What we hear are stories
of burnout, stress and resistance to change. What we hear about are change failure rates in the
neighborhood of 70%, and many pointing to resistance and breakdown. This report — based on
more than 1,000 people representative of the current US working population at all role levels, across
all industries, and in all states, shows such things as:
• People don’t resist change, but they resist being changed;
• We need an evolutionary leap forward in our ability to successfully manage change;
• The kinds of changes that are based on strengths and the newer “inquire-and-invite”
approaches instead of the industrial age “tell-and-control” leads to significant differences. For
example, people who worked for leaders who implemented changes by inquiring-and-inviting
were more likely to be consistently thriving or living well despite struggles, than people who
worked for leaders who used “inquire-and-control” or “tell-and-invite” approaches.
• That rates of change success can move towards a 9:1 positive success rates—and that it’s
time to aim higher beyond ordinary change expectations.
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Finally, and following a comprehensive set of data visualizations and compelling statistics, you will need to
make sure to read the section on “What Did We Learn About Successfully Creating Change Whilst Supporting
People’s Wellbeing?” What I found most important was the power of organizational purpose. What the data
validates is why high purpose-driven corporations on the move—such as the Unilever example above—not
only succeed in the midst of relentless change after change, but also at the exact same time, create conditions
for advances in employee wellbeing and thriving in and through transition. Purpose is about contributing to
something greater beyond self. It’s about creating thicker value. And it is one of the great seeds planted by this
report for future research.
Could it be that building a better world “out there” may be one of the most potent forces on the planet — for
generating, on the inside of the firm, the most resilient, engaged, and innovation-inspired enterprise every leader
wants? That’s just one example of the kind of doorway this research opens.
Change is changing. This report is big news for the change industry, and for every organization that cares about
the virtuous circle between change methods, employee wellbeing, and positive change success.
David L. Cooperrider
Char and Chuck Fowler Professorship for Business as an Agent of World Benefit
Case Western Reserve University
Honorary Chair, the David L. Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry
Stiller School of Business, Champlain College
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ABOUT THIS STUDY
We once asked Professors Martin Seligman (one of the world’s leading wellbeing
researchers) and David Cooperrider (one of the world’s leading organizational change
researchers): Given the dynamic, complex, and unpredictable nature of many workplaces,
what’s the best way to improve people’s wellbeing? They answered: “Measure it.”
The Change Lab 2019 Workplace Survey sets out to do just that using the PERMAH
Workplace Measure (www.permahsurvey.com) developed by Dr. Peggy Kern from
the University of Melbourne, and The Flourishing Leadership Institute’s insights about the
potential drivers and inhibitors of organizational change.
An independently gathered sample of 1,026 people representative of the United States
workforce completed the survey during February 2019, and included:
GENDER
Men Women
480 546
AGE GROUPS
25 – 34 years 35 – 44 years 45 – 54 years 55 – 65 years
259 287 253 227
COMPANY SIZE
1 2-5 6-15 16-50 51-100 101-150 151-200 200+
20 40 51 101 133 76 52 552
TEAM SIZE
1-3 team members 223 11-15 team members 107
4-6 team members 283 16-20 team members 76
7-10 team members 199 More than 20 team members 137
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JOB DESCRIPTION
Owner 74 Technical Expert 81
C-suite 36 Coordinator 13
Director 73 Administrative 86
Manager 224 Customer service 146
Professional 254 Contractor 38
TIME IN ROLE
1 day – 1 year 1-2 years 3-5 years 6-9 years 10 years+
96 138 265 183 343
TIME AT ORGANIZATION
1 day - 1 year 1-2 years 3-5 years 6-9 years 10 years+
87 125 232 188 393
If you’d like more information about the report or additional findings by gender, age, location,
job role, or industry, please contact [email protected].
8
THE CHANGE LAB 2019 WORKPLACE CHANGE SNAPSHOT
THE CURRENT STATE OF WORKPLACE CHANGE IN AMERICA
• Men were more likely to report being part of successful change experiences than women.
• Most industries experienced reasonably high levels of change success. However, education,
government, and hospitality and tourism reported the lowest levels of successful change.
• Levels of change success were not impacted by team size or company size.
• Owners, c-suite executives, directors and managers were the most likely people to report successful
organizational change experiences. Coordinators, customer service workers, and administrators
tended to report change as being less successful.
• Levels of change success were not impacted by the amount of time people had spent in their job
role or at the organization.
Very successful
Somewhat successful
A little successful
It’s too early to tell
Mostly unsuccessful
Very unsuccessful
25%
35%
23%
5% 7%
5%
9
FACTORS THAT APPEAR TO SUPPORT SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES
INDIVIDUALS TEAMS ORGANIZATIONS
Workers who had jobs where they could use their strengths and talents to have a positive impact had more successful change experiences.
Teams where people had higher levels of autonomy and were willingly committed to change, rather than begrudgingly complying, experienced greater change success.
Leaders who used autonomy-supportive approaches to implementing change delivered the most successful change outcomes.
Greater change success was reported by workers who found themselves in conversations where diverse perspectives were intentionally invited in.
Teams who had intentional and meaningful conversations about the work people were doing, when they were at their best, and their hopes for the future, reported higher levels of change success.
Organizations who were focused on building on their strengths, rather than fixing their weaknesses, experienced more change success.
Workers who were consistently thriving experienced more change success.
Greater change success was reported by teams where people felt safe to bring up problems, be honest about mistakes, and share ideas.
Greater change success was reported by people who thought their organization had a clearly articulated purpose beyond paychecks and profits.
Workers who had higher levels of confidence and motivation to manage or improve their wellbeing had more successful change experiences.
Change success was predicted by workers experiencing higher levels of positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment, and health at work.
10
THE CHANGE LAB 2019 WORKPLACE CHANGE SNAPSHOT
CURRENT STATE OF WORKPLACE WELLBEING IN AMERICA
• Men were more likely to report that they were consistently thriving, whereas women were more likely
to report that they were living well despite struggles, or not feeling bad but just getting by.
• There were no real age differences in people’s wellbeing results.
• Levels of wellbeing were not impacted by team size or company size.
• Owners, c-suite executives, and directors were more likely to be consistently thriving than people in
other professions. Interestingly, they were also the most likely to report that they were really struggling.
People in non-managerial positions were more likely to be living well despite struggles or not feeling
bad but just getting by.
• Levels of wellbeing were not impacted by the amount of time people had spent in their job role or at
the organization.
Really Struggling
Living Well, Despite Struggles
Not Feeling Bad, But Just
Getting By
Consistently Thriving
n = 1025
9%
47%24%
20%
11
FACTORS THAT APPEAR TO SUPPORT WORKER WELLBEING
INDIVIDUALS TEAMS ORGANIZATIONS
Workers who had higher levels of confidence and motivation to manage or improve their wellbeing were more likely to be consistently thriving or living well despite struggles.
Teams where members were consistently thriving provided a sense of safety and mutual support.
Leaders who used autonomy-supportive approaches to implementing change were more likely to have resilient workers.
Levels of positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment, and health all had a significant effect on workers’ wellbeing.
Teams where members were living well despite struggles were differentiated by their higher levels of meaning.
Organizations who were focused on building on their strengths, rather than fixing their weaknesses, were more likely to have workers who were consistently thriving or living well despite struggles.
Workers who had more autonomy and were able to choose how they went about their work were more likely to be consistently thriving.
Teams who had intentional and meaningful conversations about the work people were doing, when they were at their best, and their hopes for the future, had a positive impact on people’s wellbeing.
Organizations who had a clearly articulated purpose beyond paychecks and profits positively impacted their workers’ wellbeing.
Workers who felt their job allowed them to use their strengths and talents to have a positive impact had higher levels of wellbeing.
Teams where people felt safe to bring up problems, be honest about mistakes and share ideas were more likely to have people who were consistently thriving.
12
WHY MEASURE THE IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE ON WELLBEING?
As the increasingly dynamic, demanding, and unpredictable nature of modern workplaces continues
to grow, many organizations are finding that their ability to adapt to change has been surpassed by the
rate at which the world around them is changing.1 Unfortunately, too many leaders remain stuck in the
1911 principles of scientific management designed to improve efficiencies by trying to command and
control workers as though they were machines.2 Useful for gaining people’s compliance when straight-
forward technical problems need to be solved, but generally inadequate for securing commitment when
complex adaptive challenges are faced, leaders need an evolutionary leap forward in their ability to
manage change.3
EVOLVING LEADERSHIP APPROACHES TO CHANGE IMPLEMENTATION
In environments with high levels of change and complexity, it is time to leave behind the traditional
command-and-control leadership model, where leaders relied on the counsel of a trusted inner circle
of experts to give them the answers for everyone else to follow. Instead, leaders need to be able to
embrace the newer invite-and-inquire leadership model. Rather than trying to have all the answers, this
model focuses leadership efforts on inviting many people from inside and outside their organization
to provide the answers by inquiring and asking the right the questions, and inspiring individual and
collective responsibility for the actions that will be taken.4 As leading organizational change researcher
Harrison Owen notes: “When individuals clearly identify what they truly care about (have passion for),
and take personal responsibility for what is happening, things start to move.”5
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13
A PARADIGM FOR LEADING INTO THE FUTURE
(The Flourishing Leadership Institute, 2019)
If this sounds like an impossible task for leaders, the good news is that the data we gathered from
American workplaces suggested that this shift in leadership models is already well underway, with 34%
of respondents telling us that over the past three months, their leaders had sought their input and then
encouraged workers to self-organize and find ways to make the best ideas happen.
How We
Engage
Questions (Spirit of Inquiry)
Answers (Spirit of Advocacy)
Many (System)
Few (Individuals)
In environments with low levels of change and complexity, a few individuals have needed answers.
In environments with high levels of change and complexity, the whole system needs the right questions.
Who We Engage
Old Model of Leadership
(Command & Control)
New Model of Leadership
(Invite & Inquire)
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TOTAL SAMPLE: LEADERSHIP APPROACH TO CHANGE IMPLEMENTATION
Invite & Inquire
Invite & Control
Tell & Inquire
Tell & Control
Rather than self-organized chaos breaking out as some may fear, the data gathered shows that the invite-
and-inquire model was significantly more likely to deliver successful organizational change, with 37% of the
successful changes reported relying on this approach for implementing change. It is also worth noting that
leaders who preferred to tell their workers what was expected, but then gave people the autonomy to get on
with the actions required, were also able to successfully implement changes. In contrast, however, leaders who
were willing to ask for workers’ input, but then used promise of rewards or threats of punishment to control
people’s behaviors were the least likely to be successful in their change endeavors.
SUCCESSFUL CHANGES: LEADERSHIP APPROACH TO CHANGE IMPLEMENTATION
33%
14% 32%
21%
Invite & Inquire
Invite & Control
Tell & Inquire
Tell & Control
37%
13%
32%
18%
15
Living Well, Despite Struggles
Really Struggling
Consistently
Thriving
Not Feeling Bad, Just Getting By
THE IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE ON PEOPLE’S WELLBEING
As a growing body of studies have uncovered the impact workers’ levels of wellbeing has on
performance,6 productivity,7 and satisfaction,8 it’s not surprising that leaders have become concerned
about the toll organizational change may be taking. In fact, an independently gathered 2017 survey
by the American Psychological Association of 1,512 American workers, found that those who had
experienced recent or current changes in their organization were more than twice as likely to report
chronic work stress than employees with no recent, current or anticipated changes (55% vs. 22%).9
To better understand the impact of organizational change on workers’ wellbeing, we drew on the
research of two of the authors, Dr. Peggy Kern and Michelle McQuaid from Melbourne University, whose
previous studies10 have found that people’s levels of wellbeing are best measured on two related but
distinct continua: high or low levels of thriving (i.e. feeling good and functioning effectively) and high or
low levels of struggle (i.e. physical, psychological, social, financial, or any other struggle).
High Thriving
Low Struggle
High Struggle
Low Thriving
Source: Kern & McQuaid, 2018
In an independently gathered 2018 survey of 1,002 Australian workers, they found that the profiles of
people who were living well despite struggles more closely resembled those who were consistently
thriving, than the not feeling bad but just getting by or the really struggling groups.11 The same pattern
appeared in this sample, with people who were consistently thriving and those who were living well
despite struggles both more likely to report that they were performing well and significantly more likely to
report higher levels of job satisfaction.
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16
STATE OF WELLBEING: AVERAGE INDIVIDUAL OUTCOMES
As a result, when it comes to improving or maintaining people’s wellbeing in workplaces, Kern and
McQuaid have suggested that our goal should not be to just have more people who are consistently
thriving in our workplaces, but to respect and value the resilience that people who are living well despite
struggles bring to our organizations.
So how do workers’ experiences of organizational change impact their wellbeing?
Despite leaders’ concerns that the amount of organizational change people are experiencing may be
undermining their resilience and wellbeing, the data suggested that it was the leadership approach to
implementing change, and how successful the changes were, that had the biggest impact on most
people’s wellbeing.
For example, while people who reported a greater degree of team change were more likely to be really
struggling, the amount of individual or organizational change people had experienced made no statistically
significant difference to their wellbeing.
5.76
7.12
8.18.65
5.65
7.23
8.66 8.63
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
I was satisfied with my job I performed well in the organization
Really Struggling
Living Well, Despite Struggles
Not Feeling Bad, But Just Getting By
Consistently Thriving
17
STATE OF WELLBEING: AVERAGE AMOUNT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
In contrast, higher levels of change success did positively predict the chances that people were
consistently thriving or living well despite struggles. People reporting lower levels of change success
were more likely to be not feeling bad but just getting by, but change success did not predict the
likelihood of people really struggling.
STATE OF WELLBEING: AVERAGE SUCCESS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
6.91 6.836.5
6.82
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
My organization experienced a lot of change
7.50 7.40
5.60
8.08
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
I would describe the changes being made in my organization as successful.
Really Struggling
Living Well, Despite Struggles
Not Feeling Bad, But Just Getting By
Consistently Thriving
Really Struggling
Living Well, Despite Struggles
Not Feeling Bad, But Just Getting By
Consistently Thriving
18
In addition, people working for leaders who implemented changes by inviting-and-inquiring were
significantly more likely to be consistently thriving or living well despite struggles than people working for
leaders who used inquire-and-control or tell-and-invite approaches. Interestingly, while people working for
leaders who used a tell-and-control approach were able to consistently thrive, they were also more likely
to be not feeling bad but just getting by, and the least likely to be living well despite struggles, suggesting
that this approach works for some people but undermines the resilience of others.
STATE OF WELLBEING: LEADERSHIP APPROACH TO CHANGE IMPLEMENTATION
3.80
4.90
15.10
10.70
60.60
47.90
42.00
31.30
13.30
29.60
24.70
35.50
22.30
17.60
18.20
22.40
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Invite & Inquire
Invite & Control
Tell & Inquire
Tell & Control
Really Struggling
Living Well, Despite Struggles
Not Feeling Bad, But Just Getting By
Consistently Thriving
19
Thus, if we are to create an evolutionary leap forward in the way we manage change in
workplaces, we need to understand that workers’ wellbeing, leadership approaches to
change implementation, and the success of organizational change endeavors are intricately
fused together in a virtuous cycle.
Of course, we are not claiming that these elements alone determine how successful
change will be, or what people’s levels of wellbeing will be. Rather, the data seems to
suggest that there is a reinforcing relationship that should be reflected and incorporated into
organizational change and organizational wellbeing strategies, execution, and measurement.
To assist leaders and their team, the rest of this report offers practical insights from the
most successful experiences of organizational change in our sample, to evidence-based
recommendations for how leaders can apply a more invite-and-inquire approach to
organizational change in workplaces.
It is our heartfelt hope that the Change Lab 2019 Workplace Report helps your people and
organization to thrive.
WORKERWELLBEING
SUCCESSFULCHANGE
LEADERSHIP APPROACH
LEADERSHIP APPROACH
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WHAT DID WE LEARN ABOUT SUCCESSFULLY CREATING CHANGE WHILE SUPPORTING PEOPLE’S WELLBEING?
Driven by organizational purpose - A clearly articulated and understood organizational purpose, beyond just paychecks and profits, is a strong predictor of change success and people’s levels of wellbeing.
Concentrated on strengths - Organizations who focus on building on their strengths rather than fixing their weaknesses, have a significantly greater chance of creating successful changes and having employees who are consistently thriving or living well despite struggles.
Led by inclusive and meaningful conversations - Intentional and meaningful conversations where diverse perspectives about the work being done and people’s hopes for the future are invited in, make it significantly more likely that change will be successful and that workers will have higher levels of wellbeing
Powered by opportunities for purposeful self-organization - People who are encouraged by their leaders to use their strengths and talents to make the best change ideas happen, in ways that have a positive impact on others, are significantly more likely to successfully create these changes and to have higher levels of wellbeing.
Sustained by people’s willing commitment - When people willingly commit to implementing the changes their organization wants, the change is significantly more successful, and workers are more likely to be consistently thriving or living well despite struggles.
21
DRIVEN BY ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSE
Researchers have found that organizations whose leaders embrace a higher, society-bettering purpose,
outperform the market and their peers by an average of 6:1, and experience a growth rate three times
higher than their competitors.12 For example, Unilever brands with clearly communicated societal
purposes – like Dove and Ben & Jerrys – are growing 30% faster than the rest of the company’s
portfolio, and in 2015, delivered nearly half of the organization’s total growth.13
Our data also found that having a clearly articulated and understood purpose beyond just paychecks
and profits was strongly predictive of how successful organizational changes were. The truth is,
purpose is the reason we do or create things that are useful and that contribute to others or the world
around us. As a result, researchers have suggested that having a clear purpose that is understood
across an organization is one of the most compelling motivators of workers’ behaviors and attitudes,
pulls them through difficulties, keeps them focused, and lessens organizational friction.14
SUCCESS OF CHANGE: AVERAGE CLARITY OF ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSE
Very successful
Somewhat successful
A little successful
It’s too early to tell
Mostly unsuccessful
Very unsuccessful
8.68
7.73
6.17
4.72
3.66
6.08
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
22
Our data also found that people who scored higher on organizational purpose were significantly more
likely to report that they were consistently thriving or living well despite struggles, and less likely to report
that they were not feeling bad but just getting by or really struggling. Our findings are not surprising,
given that a growing body of evidence gathered by researchers around the world suggests that when
people feel their work has purpose, they are likely to be happier, more motivated, more committed, and
more satisfied in their work, which enables them to perform better and improves their wellbeing.15
STATE OF WELLBEING: AVERAGE CLARITY OF ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSE
Really Struggling
Living Well, Despite Struggles
Not Feeling Bad, But Just Getting By
Consistently Thriving
6.15
7.57
5.74
8.15
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
23
CONCENTRATED ON STRENGTHS
Studies have found that our brains are wired with a negativity bias, and the urge to fix what we see
isn’t working, to ensure our survival. This means that when we try to solve problems, we generally see
the world - consciously or unconsciously - through a deficit lens of what is wrong, broken or missing.16
Unfortunately, while this can teach us a lot about failure, it doesn’t necessarily bring us any closer to
understanding what enables excellence and how we can make this happen. For example, exit
interviews with employees tell us nothing about why others stay.17
Rather, excellence has its own pattern. It is idiosyncratic and appears in the moments when we are
drawing on our strengths - the things we are good at and enjoy doing - and finding ways to build upon
them so we can more consistently perform at our very best.18 As a result, our data found that
organizations who were focused on building on their strengths experienced significantly greater
change success than those who tried to fix their weaknesses. Despite this experience, when asked
which approach they would recommend their organizations take in the future, 40% of participants still
suggested that fixing their organizations weaknesses would deliver greater levels of change success.
SUCCESS OF CHANGE: FOCUS OF CHANGE BEING MADE
Building on Strengths Fixing Weaknesses
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
51.93 48.07A little successful
34.67 65.33Mostly unsuccessful
48.18 24.93Somewhat successful
30.00 70.00Very unsuccessful
65.90 34.10Very successful
24
Our data also found that organizations who focused on building their strengths were more likely to
have workers who were consistently thriving or living well despite struggles, and less likely to have
workers who were not feeling bad but just getting by or really struggling. Given that more than a
decade of studies have found that when people have an opportunity to build on strengths they
are up to 18 times more likely to be thriving,19 these findings were also not surprising.
STATE OF WELLBEING: FOCUS OF CHANGE BEING MADE
3.7 54.5 18.0 23.8
16.2 36.3 31.7 15.7
Building on our strengths
Fixing our weaknesses
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Really Struggling
Living Well, Despite Struggles
Not Feeling Bad, But Just Getting By
Consistently Thriving
25
LED BY INCLUSIVE AND MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS
Change is created by the words we use, the conversations we share, and the knowledge that we
generate through our interactions with each other. After all, it is through our conversations that we can
notice the larger patterns taking shape around us and enable meaning to be found.20
Researchers have also found that when diverse perspectives are intentionally invited into
conversations, teams generally perform better because their differences force people to stretch out
of their comfort zones and consider perspectives and ideas they may not have thought about or
even agree with. For example, in one study, bringing in just one “outsider” to a largely homogenous
team actually doubled the team’s chances of solving a challenging problem. This happened precisely
because the relationship produced friction. The work may feel harder when diverse teams converge,
but the outcomes are often significantly better.21
Our data also found that when workers were part of more intentional and meaningful conversations
about the work they were doing, when they were at their best, and their hopes for the future, they were
significantly more likely to report that their organizational change was successful. In addition, when they
found themselves in conversations where diverse perspectives were intentionally invited in, they were
also significantly more likely to report that their organizational change was successful.
SUCCESS OF CHANGE: AVERAGE FOR MEANINGFUL & DIVERSE CONVERSATIONS
Diverse Conversations Meaningful Conversations
4.30 4.16
5.47 5.08
5.68 5.96
7.11 7.46
8.04 8.37
Very unsuccessful
Mostly unsuccessful
A little successful
Somewhat successful
Very successful
26
Our data also found that people who were part of more intentional and meaningful conversations
about the work they were doing, when they were at their best, and their hopes for the future, were also
significantly more likely to be consistently thriving or living well despite struggles, and less likely to be
not feeling bad but just getting by or really struggling.
Additionally, people who found themselves in more conversations where diverse perspectives were
intentionally invited in, were also significantly more likely to be consistently thriving or living well despite
struggles, and less likely to be not feeling bad but just getting by. However, for people who were really
struggling, being part of these diverse conversations made no significant difference to their wellbeing,
perhaps because they lack the confidence or motivation to safely navigate these conversations.
STATE OF WELLBEING: AVERAGE FOR MEANINGFUL & DIVERSE CONVERSATIONS
Really Struggling
Living Well, Despite Struggles
Not Feeling Bad, But Just Getting By
Consistently Thriving
7.46
5.61
6.936.49
7.96
5.70
7.30
5.78
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Diverse Conversations Meaningful Conversations
27
POWERED BY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PURPOSEFUL SELF-ORGANIZATION
By replacing rules and procedures designed to control with visions and values that encourage lively,
independent action so that both organizations and workers can benefit, self-organization enables order
to emerge out of chaotic change experiences. In fact, researchers have found that transformational
change is most likely to occur when organizations create enough meaningful disruption to evoke self-
organizing processes, by increasing the richness of social networks so that like-minded and motivated
people find each other and are encouraged to use their strengths and talents to make something that is
widely desired, happen.22
We saw earlier how the invite-and-inquire leadership approach positively impacted the likelihood of
change success, and how even the tell-and-invite approach could deliver successful outcomes. Our
data also found that when workers were able to use their strengths and talents to have a positive impact
on others, they also tended to report higher levels of change success.
SUCCESS OF CHANGE: AVERAGE FOR PURPOSEFUL WORK
A necessity to make a living
How I develop skills and experience my career
Where I use my strengths and talents to make a positive difference
68.0 14.0 18.0
54.7 14.7 30.7
50.0 22.0 28.0
26.7 22.2 51.1
35.4 10.3 54.4
Very unsuccessful
Mostly unsuccessful
A little successful
Somewhat successful
Very successful
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
28
We also saw earlier how the invite-and-inquire leadership approach positively impacted workers’
wellbeing. Our data also found that workers who were able to use their strengths and talents to have
a positive impact on others were also significantly more likely to be consistently thriving or living well
despite struggles, and far less likely to be not feeling bad but just getting by or really struggling.
STATE OF WELLBEING: AVERAGE FOR PURPOSEFUL WORK
A necessity to make a living
How I develop skills and experience my career
Where I use my strengths and talents to make a positive difference
72.5
31.6
57.8
22.0
18.7
13.3
23.0
23.0
8.8
55.1
19.3
55.0
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Really struggling
Living welldespite struggles
Not feeling bad, but just getting by
Consistently thriving
29
SUSTAINED BY PEOPLE’S WILLING COMMITMENT
In our experience, while more deficit-based, command-and-control change leadership approaches can
be effective in securing short-term compliance, they rarely result in long-term commitments to the desired
behaviors. Why might this be the case? More than 30 years of studies led by Professors Richard Ryan
and Edward Deci on the biological, social, and cultural conditions that shape people’s motivation, energy,
and willingness to act, suggest this requires opportunities to satisfy our psychological needs for autonomy,
competence, and relatedness. They call this self-determination theory.23
Our data also found that when workers’ psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness
were met, they were more likely to willingly commit to the changes being undertaken in their organization.
In addition, the more willingly committed workers felt people in their organization were towards change, the
more significantly successful the changes were likely to be.
CHANGE WILLINGNESS: AVERAGE FOR SELF-DETERMINATION
Begrudgingly comply Willingly commit
6.0
7.6
6.2
7.4
8.47.8
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
Autonomy Competence Relatedness
30
CHANGE SUCCESS: CHANGE WILLINGNESS
Begrudgingly comply Willingly commit
74.7. 25.3.Mostly unsuccessful
Somewhat successful 23.8 76.2
A little successful 43.8 56.2
24.5.5Very successful 75.5
74.0 26.0Very unsuccessful
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Studies have also found that when workers’ needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are met,
they move towards integrity, wellness and flourishing.24 Our data echoed these findings, with workers who
rated higher on autonomy, competence, and relatedness more likely to be consistently thriving or living
well despite struggles, and less likely to be not feeling bad but just getting by or really struggling.
31
STATE OF WELLBEING: AVERAGE FOR SELF-DETERMINATION
Really Struggling
Living Well, Despite Struggles
Not Feeling Bad, But Just Getting By
Consistently Thriving
4.4 54.3 17.4 23.9
17.0 33.7 35.0 14.3
Willingly commit
Begrudgingly comply
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Our data also found that workers who felt people in their organization were more willingly committing to change
were more likely to be consistently thriving or living well despite struggles, and less likely to be not feeling bad
but just getting by or really struggling than workers who felt people were begrudgingly complying.
STATE OF WELLBEING: CHANGE WILLINGNESS
Really Struggling
Living Well, Despite Struggles
Not Feeling Bad, But Just Getting By
Consistently Thriving
7.84
5.45
7.37
6.25
8.62
7.06
8.65
7.14
8.33
5.60
7.77
6.30
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Autonomy Competence Relatedness
32thechangeLab
HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE CHANGE & WELLBEING IN YOUR WORKPLACE
Evolving the narrative about organizational change – While
constant change is the new normal for most organizations, the good
news is that it is possible not just to survive, but to thrive individually
and collectively when we learn how to create change successfully.
Building a common language and shared evidence-based
toolbox to support the diversity of wellbeing – Everyone’s
wellbeing is comprised of experiences of thriving and of struggle.
The key is helping people to discover the evidence-based, practical,
everyday actions they can take to function at their best individually, in
their teams, and across their organization.
Designing purpose-fuelled, strengths-focused questions
– Every action we take is preceded by a question. So in a world
where machines are becoming increasingly intelligent, the challenge
for leaders is not knowing what to do, but having the ability to ask
purpose-fuelled, strengths-focused questions that surface the shared
intelligence and hopes only humans can provide.
Creating safe spaces for meaningful and inclusive
conversations – Change is created through the conversations we
share and the knowledge we generate through our interactions.
When diverse stakeholders from inside and outside an organization
have the opportunity to talk and be heard in ways that feel
psychologically safe, inclusive, and meaningful, then both collective
initiative and wellbeing are ignited.
Inviting people to take ownership and action – When people
believe in what they’re doing, they’re internally motivated, naturally
creative, and want to contribute in ways that align with their strengths
and their talents, so they can make a positive difference for others.
This enables order to emerge, as change unlocks newer and better
ways of working together that are more in harmony with people’s
needs and the organization’s requirements. It also supports people’s
psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
33
EVOLVING THE NARRATIVE ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
The stories we tell about our past, our present and our future enable us to make sense of the world
around us, and consequently shape the way we think, feel and act. Unfortunately, our stories about
creating change in many workplaces have become stuck in narratives that focus primarily on the
overwhelming amount of change we’re experiencing, how difficult it is to create change, and how most
organizational change efforts fail.25 And while these stories persist because there are elements of truth in
them, our brain’s negativity bias has a tendency to strip our stories of the examples where change has
energized us, opened us up to new opportunities, and connected us so we can discover what we’re truly
capable of achieving.
Despite our long-held Newtonian beliefs that we live in a clockwork world where change and disturbances
signal trouble, since the 1960s, the research of biologists, cosmologists, physicists, sociologists,
psychologists, economists, and others has found that change and the disruption it brings is what enables
us to let go of our current form, so that we can develop new capacities that make us more resourceful,
adaptive and resilient.26 We are wired to be resilient enough to dance between stability and change in
order to grow.27
For example, in this study alone we found that:
• It was not the amount of change that people struggled with, but the types of leadership
approaches used (i.e., invite-and-inquire versus command-and-control), and the amount of
successful change workers experienced that shaped their resilience and wellbeing.
• While change can be challenging, when it is meaningful, strengths-focused, and allows people
to self-organize around their strengths and talents to take action, workers are highly likely to
consistently thrive or live well despite struggles during organizational
change experiences.
• The oft-reported statistic that 70% of change projects fail is not always accurate, with 83% of
participants reporting that the change implemented over the last three months in their organization
had been successful on some level.
In order to build a more intelligent and effective narrative about change in your organization, we suggest
asking:
• When have we been at our best in the past when it comes to creating successful changes?
• What might be possible if we built on these strengths to create the future we most want and that
the world needs?
• How can we move towards our future while honoring what we’ve learned from our past?
The stories that surface need to be told over and over again so they become part of your organization’s
folklore and can shape the way your workers think, feel, and act as they navigate organizational change.
34
BUILDING A COMMON LANGUAGE AND SHARED EVIDENCE-BASED TOOLBOX TO SUPPORT THE DIVERSITY OF WELLBEING
Building a common language and body of knowledge about wellbeing is an essential ingredient
in helping workers thrive.28 As people learn the language of wellbeing, it helps them to have more
wellbeing-related conversations that cascade throughout your organization, and to unearth more
aspirational and intentional approaches to improve their wellbeing individually and collectively.
A key insight reinforced from our data is the benefit of helping people understand that wellbeing
comprises their ability to thrive and their ability to manage struggle. Helping workers normalize and
embrace struggle could remove a lot of the stigma and fear of repercussions currently found in
organizations for anyone who doesn’t have high levels of wellbeing. It may also help people talk more
openly and honestly about their experiences of navigating organizational change.
We have found Professor Martin Seligman’s theory of wellbeing a useful, easy way to create a shared
evidence-based toolbox that supports people’s diverse wellbeing needs and measure how they are
doing. Seligman suggests that wellbeing arises from five variables:
• Positive emotions: experiencing positive feelings such as joy, calm, and happiness.
• Engagement: being interested and involved in life.
• Relationships: feeling loved, valued, and connected with other people.
• Meaning: having a sense of direction, feeling that our lives are valuable and worthwhile, and
connecting to something bigger than ourselves.
• Accomplishment: the belief and ability to do things that matter most to us, achieving goals,
and having a sense of mastery.29
We (and many other researchers, including the World Health Organization30) believe that physical
health is also a key part of wellbeing. So, we find it helpful to add H for health to this model, making it
“PERMAH.”
Seligman has previously explained that in order to flourish, people need to cultivate each of these
pillars of wellbeing. Our data supported this, with workers who rated themselves higher on any of the
PERMAH variables more likely to be consistently thriving or living well despite struggles, and less likely
to be not feeling bad but just getting by or really struggling.
35
STATE OF WELLBEING: AVERAGE INDIVIDUAL PERMAH VARIABLES
Just to be clear though; when it comes to wellbeing in workplaces, the goal should not be for anyone
to consistently report a perfect wellbeing score. For a start, wellbeing looks different for each of us (an
introvert who scores 6 out of 10 for their relationships could be thriving, while an extrovert with the
same score could be struggling). And workers’ wellbeing scores should ebb and flow based on what’s
happening around them and the choices they’re making.
Instead, we recommend your organization’s goal should be to build workers’ levels of confidence and
motivation to manage and improve their wellbeing over time. For example, our data found that workers
who rated themselves higher on their ability to manage their wellbeing and their motivation to improve
their wellbeing were more likely to be consistently thriving or living well despite struggles, and less likely
to be not feeling bad but just getting by or really struggling.
Really Struggling
Living Well, Despite Struggles
Not Feeling Bad, But Just Getting By
Consistently Thriving
8.538.538.538.538.53
5.615.615.615.615.61
7.807.807.807.807.80
6.146.146.146.146.14
8.408.408.408.408.40
6.186.186.186.186.18
7.867.867.867.867.86
6.476.476.476.476.47
8.528.528.528.528.52
6.986.986.986.986.98
8.308.308.308.308.30
7.287.287.287.287.28
8.628.628.628.628.62
6.696.696.696.696.69
8.268.268.268.268.26
6.826.826.826.826.82
8.458.458.458.458.45
6.376.376.376.376.37
7.997.997.997.997.99
6.686.686.686.686.68
8.118.118.118.118.11
5.715.715.715.715.71
7.507.507.507.507.50
5.915.915.915.915.91
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Positive emotions Engagement Relationships Meaning Accomplishment Health
36
STATE OF WELLBEING: AVERAGE CONFIDENCE & MOTIVATION
Really Struggling
Living Well, Despite Struggles
Not Feeling Bad, But Just Getting By
Consistently Thriving
8.49
6.39
8.10
6.20
8.20
6.04
7.84
6.21
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Wellbeing Confidence Wellbeing Motivation
37
DESIGNING PURPOSE-FUELLED, STRENGTHS-FOCUSED QUESTIONS
Every action we take is preceded by a question.31 Think about how you came to be reading this report. You’ve
asked yourself questions like: Will this be useful to me? What will I learn? How can I apply this in my workplace?
And your answers have led to you opening this report.
This means that the moment inquiry begins, change starts to occur. Coaches and psychologists have long
recognized this pattern and have noted the profound ability of how a question is designed to spark and direct
people’s attention, perception, hope, energy, and effort toward growth and action.32 For example, for years, British
Airways asked questions about “lost baggage” and how to fix this problem; it wasn’t until they began asking
questions about “exceptional arrival experiences” that they made significant progress towards a solution.33
We saw earlier the impact prioritizing purpose and focusing on strengths can have for creating successful
organizational changes and supporting workers’ wellbeing. With this in mind, Jon Berghoff and Scot Lowry -
two of the authors of this report - recommend leaders ask people the following six questions to gain a better
understanding of what may need changing:
WHY - Why are we here? What is our purpose?
Encourage people to reflect on why being part of this conversation is important for them, their team, and
your organization, so the opportunity for change becomes meaningful.
THE PAST - What has worked well in the past?
High point stories and moments of excellence; what happens is we begin to understand the individual and
collective strengths we have to build upon.
THE PRESENT - What do we value most individually and collectively and don’t want to lose?
Continuity questions ask what is important to nurture, protect, or preserve as we create change.They
provide stability.
THE FUTURE - What might be possible as you look ahead?
Future oriented questions invite people to explore their hopes and aspirations for the future.
DESIGN THE SOLUTION - How might we make our hopes a reality?
Design questions allow us to co-create pathways forward.
WHAT NOW & NEXT? - What do we care about enough to take responsibility for as we move forward?
Invite people to self-organize and act on the ideas we are committed enough to follow through on.
Instead of fueling a downward spiral of fear, blame, and shame that can often be sparked by organizational inquiries,
asking purpose-fuelled, strengths-focused questions such as these creates an upward spiral of confidence, curiosity,
and hope, that is grounded in the reality of the strengths an organization has to build upon. They open the way to
discover where there is real appetite for change, even when the starting place may be: “Given all that has happened,
what is possible now?” And they focus people on opportunities for something better and more meaningful, providing
a bridge from chaos to creativity that mobilizes people’s commitment and energy to act.34
38
CREATING SAFE SPACES FOR MEANINGFUL AND INCLUSIVE CONVERSATIONS
By inviting diverse groups of people who care, from inside and outside an organization into
psychologically safe spaces where they can talk openly and honestly, something profound
happens. It opens people’s minds. It surfaces and amplifies new information and insights. It
creates genuine connections. And it changes people’s behaviors as they shift from thinking
of “I,” to wanting to be part of “we,” allowing a shared identity and sense of community to
emerge.35
While this process sounds straightforward, true conversation across diverse groups of
people is inherently messy. It involves differences, confusions, conflicts, and hopes that
generate paradox and creative destruction.
However, when these conversations come from a place of caring, a willingness to learn
together, and the desire to make a meaningful difference for others, the sense of vulnerability
that arises allows people to feel safe and affirmed with each other, as they stretch out
of their comfort zones and consider perspectives and ideas they may not have thought
about or even agree with.36 Consequently, as we saw in our data, when people are part of
meaningful and inclusive conversations the results they achieve are generally much better.
These behaviors build psychologically safe spaces for our conversations, which Professor
Amy Edmondson at Harvard University has found to be a huge factor in teaming
successfully with others. It encourages speaking up, because: concern is alleviated about
others’ reactions; energy isn’t wasted on fear-based behaviors, so clarity of thought is
improved; productive conflict is supported; mistakes are readily discussed, enabling failures
to be mitigated; more novel ideas are shared, promoting innovation; instead of focusing on
self-protection, people are focused on achieving motivating goals; and a climate is created
that increases accountability.37
For example, our data found that the presence of psychological safety significantly predicted
the success of organizational change efforts.
39
CHANGE SUCCESS: AVERAGE LEVEL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY IN TEAM
Very Successful
Somewhat Successful
A Little Successful
Mostly Unsuccessful
Very Unsuccessful
8.47.7
6.2
4.9 4.9
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
In addition, our data also found that people who felt their team was a safe place to bring up problems,
be honest about mistakes, and share ideas were more likely to be consistently thriving or living well
despite struggles, and less likely to be not feeling bad but just getting by or really struggling.
40
STATE OF WELLBEING: AVERAGE LEVEL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY IN TEAM
Really Struggling
Living Well, Despite Struggles
Not Feeling Bad, But Just Getting By
Consistently Thriving
6.2
7.5
5.7
8.3
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
41
We’ve found the following principles helpful for creating safe spaces for meaningful and inclusive
conversations:
• EVERY VOICE COUNTS – Regardless of job title, experience, or connections, everyone has
insights that are worthy of being heard, so create ways for every voice to be heard as you invite-
and-inquire. Approaches like appreciative inquiry (see more below) can be an easy and effective
way to make this happen.
• SIT IN CURIOSITY, NOT JUDGMENT – Few people - if any - come to these conversations with the
intention of being difficult, disruptive, or disappointing. Rather, they come trying to do the best they
can with what they have in this moment. If someone is struggling to show up the way you need, don’t blame them, shame them, moan about them, or get stuck on the hump of politeness with them. Instead, the respectful and kind thing to do is ask them what’s happening and how can you
help them.
• WE’RE ALL LEARNING – We are each wired to be perfectly imperfect. Consequently, none of
us is getting it right all the time, and none of us have it all figured out - and that’s okay. The
opportunity in any conversation is for us to learn and grow together.
• CHANGE CAN BE MESSY – There’s nothing wrong with feeling uncomfortable as we try to figure out new ways of working together. This is just our body’s way of saying, “we don’t have the right answer yet.” Be honest about these feelings, and be compassionate with yourself and
each other as you navigate your way through them.
• BEHIND EVERY CYNIC IS AN UNEXPRESSED HOPE – Rather than digging in and defending ideas when others disagree, this is a cue to start asking more questions about their best experiences around the change trying to be created, what they think success would look like, and how they think these hopes can be realized. Listen carefully. Probe more deeply if needed (i.e., “Tell me more about that idea”). Co-design potential ways forward. Find small ways to pilot
or test your ideas together and be willing to learn from these experiences.
42
INVITING PEOPLE TO TAKE OWNERSHIP AND ACTION
Although leaders often fear that providing people with the freedom for autonomy will result in
impulsiveness, defiance, or rebellion as they rush toward independence, researchers have found that
autonomy is actually guided on people’s connections with others. Thus, rather than autonomy leading
people into a descent of destructive disorder, it has been found to be the nutrient that supports self-
organization and enables order, learning, and growth to emerge in organizations.38
When people believe in what they’re doing, they’re internally motivated, they’re naturally creative, they
want to contribute, and they want to belong and feel part of a community. As a result, self-organization
takes place around the actions people are passionate about and willing to take responsibility for in
order to be of service to others.39
Change researcher Ralph Stacey notes, however, that: “Left to self-organize in what looks like a mess
with no apparent order, agents interacting in a system can produce not anarchy, but creative new
outcomes that none of them ever dreamed of. The price is an inability to know the final destination or to
be in control of the journey.”40
As uncomfortable as this uncertainty may be for leaders, we saw earlier in the data that those who
embrace an invite-and-inquire approach are significantly more likely to deliver successful organizational
change and to have a positive impact on their people’s wellbeing.
To help leaders harness the opportunities for effective self-organization, we suggest:
• INVITE PEOPLE TO TAKE ACTION – Allow action steps, commitments and decisions that arise out of well-designed conversations, to be self-generated. Commitments to move forward are generated by those who will be executing the necessary changes, not necessarily determined
and distributed hierarchically.
• ENCOURAGE ACCOUNTABILITY – Ensure action steps are publicly committed. The act of publicly sharing and declaring our commitments creates an additional source of accountability
that reinforces the sense of ownership.
• SUPPORT CONTINUOUS LEARNING – reconvene critical stakeholders for continuous learning cycles. Continuous learning cycles are facilitated conversations where we reflect on experience, conceptualize or make meaning of the reflections, and iterate on our next action plans. This process brings the iterative, improvisational nature into organizational change that is proven to
unlock faster learning and greater innovation.
43thechangeLab
WHERE MIGHT YOU START?
We understand this can be a lot to take in if your organization is currently stuck in legacy
leadership approaches. While you could start with any one of these recommendations and
begin improving the success of your change investments and people’s wellbeing, there is no
doubt they are more likely to deliver the outcomes you want when they are fused together.
So, how can you quickly, easily, affordably, and effectively take an evolutionary leap in your
organization’s ability to create change successfully while supporting – and even improving -
your people’s wellbeing?
Appreciative inquiry is a generative process that enables surprising configurations and
connections of people’s hopes and strengths and ignites self-organization to deliver agreed
actions with speed, dexterity, and collaboration rarely seen in most systems. It has the
capacity to meet each of the recommendations that emerged from the data in this survey
and has already been doing so for decades in all types of organizations around the world.
What makes this possible?Appreciative inquiry (AI) is a strengths-focused, generative approach to creating
systemic change that has been used by workplaces around the world to:
Researchers have suggested that
75%of change efforts in
workplaces fail.
An independent review found that
90%of appreciative inquiry change approaches in workplaces succeed.
Why does it work?
Strengths focused They discover the stories of what’s working well and the shared hopes for what might be possible if these strengths were built
upon to realize a higher purpose.
Diverse connections They bring voices together from across
the system and connect them in surprising, inspiring, genuine conversations
that fuel trust, build psychological safety, and ignite collaboration.
Generative actions They invite people to design, prototype, and self-organize around the changes
they want to create so they can continue learning, growing, and thriving together as
they work towards their desired results.
Heighten creativityHunter Douglas Window Fashions enhanced creativity, fostered co-operation, and increased commitment, leading to reduced employee turnover by 52.2%, reduced returned goods by 55%, and a 37.1% improvement in profitability over five years.
Boost engagement Nutrimental Foods invited employees to help transform the organization’s strategy, and within one year they had increased productivity by 23%, decreased absenteeism by 300%, increased sales by 27%, and grown profitability by 200%.
Strengthen relationshipsThe US dairy industry turned competitors and enemies into willing collaborators for ten joint projects to reduce its carbon footprint by 11%, and increase the order of farm business value by US$238 million within two years.
Increase revenuesMining corporation Fairmont Santrol established a sustainability focus across the organization to develop new products and “green design” business opportunities, which delivered a 40% growth in annual earnings.
Reduce costsJohn Deere decreased apathy and improved trust across teams to significantly reduce production cycle times, which delivered more than $3 million in immediate savings.
Improve profitabilityEmployee driven improvements at Roadway Express translated into an additional $17 million in revenue and $7 million in annual profit, increasing shares from $14 to $40 in just two years for the couriers.
Enhance sustainabilityThe state of Massachusetts brought organizations, government departments, and citizens together to create state-wide energy improvements that have resulted in nearly $9 billion worth of benefits for residents and businesses.
Source: McQuaid, M. & Cooperrider, D. (2018). Your change blueprint: How to design and deliver an AI Summit. Michelle McQuaid Pty Ltd: Melbourne, Australia.
To learn more about appreciative inquiry visit www.appreciativeinquiry.champlain.edu, or www.lead2flourish.com/changereport.
thechangelab
“When you want to build a ship, do not begin by gathering wood, cutting boards, and
distributing work, but rather awaken within men the desire for the vast and endless sea.”
- ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY
46thechangeLab
ABOUT THE RESEARCHERS
THE CHANGE LAB RESEARCH TEAM
MICHELLE MCQUAID
Michelle is a best-selling author, workplace wellbeing teacher,
and playful change activator. With more than a decade of senior
leadership experience in large organizations around the world,
she’s passionate about translating cutting-edge research from
positive psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies that
help people and workplaces thrive. A senior fellow at Melbourne
University’s Graduate School of Education, she holds a Masters in
Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania
and recently submitted her Ph.D. in Appreciative Inquiry under the
supervision of Professor David Cooperrider. The host of the top-rated
Making Positive Psychology Work podcast, each week Michelle
interviews the world’s leading researchers to gather the latest
evidence and practices on human and systemic flourishing.
DR. PEGGY KERN
Peggy is a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne’s Centre
for Positive Psychology within the Melbourne Graduate School of
Education. Originally trained in social, personality, and developmental
psychology, Peggy received her Masters and Ph.D. in social/
personality psychology from the University of California, Riverside,
and postdoctoral training from the University of Pennsylvania. Her
research examines the question of who flourishes in life (physically,
mentally, and socially), and she is the world’s leading researcher on
the subject of measuring wellbeing using the PERMAH pillars.
47thechangeLab
ROWAN JACQUES-HAMILTON
Rowan has a special interest in data analytics, and has several years
experience analysing wellbeing data. Rowan completed a Bachelor of Science
with Honours in evolutionary & behavioural science at Monash University,
and subsequently completed a Graduate Diploma in Psychology and a
Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology at The University of Melbourne. He
also works at the Centre for Positive Psychology in the Melbourne Graduate
School of Education at The University of Melbourne.
For more visit www.thechangelabs.com.
MICHELLE ETHEVE
Michelle Etheve is a specialist in enabling people to create purposeful,
strengths-based change who is recognized for delivering truly innovative
human-centered change experiences that engage, inspire, and enable
people and teams to craft a future they can thrive in. She has designed and
facilitated these experiences, change summits, leadership challenges, coach
development programs, and wellbeing design experiences in corporate,
education, government and community settings both internationally and
in Australia. With a Masters of Science in Coaching Psychology from The
University of Sydney, postgraduate studies in Positive Psychology and
Education, and experience utilizing Appreciative Inquiry and Human-Centered
Design, Michelle is able to draw from and blend a variety of perspectives of
the human experience to truly help people develop themselves, the teams
they lead and thrive in change.
48thechangeLab
THE FLOURISHING LEADERSHIP TEAMJON BERGHOFF
FLI’s CEO, Jon Berghoff, is known for bringing out the “group genius” in high stakes,
complex environments, with speed, ease, and playfulness. FLI’s work - grounded in
Appreciative Inquiry, enhanced with experiential design and facilitation principles - is
leveraged today by BMW, Facebook, NASA, TEDx, Fairmont Santrol, Clarke, Vitamix,
Steris, Habitat for Humanity, and hundreds of organizations globally. Jon is the creator and
lead trainer of the LEAF Certification, an approach to teaching leaders and consultants the
practices of design and facilitation, for accelerating the growth of intellectual, social and
communal capital across human systems. The global, self-organized LEAF Community
has been recognized as a model learning organization, with members convening weekly
for shared peer to peer learning, storytelling, and collectively designing the practices being
called upon by leaders of the future. Jon holds an Executive MBA in Leading Change, from
the Weatherhead School of Management, at Case Western Reserve University, where he
also serves as an Executive Education instructor.
PROFESSOR DAVID COOPERRIDER
David L. Cooperrider, PhD, is a Distinguished University Professor and holds the
Fairmount Santrol - David L. Cooperrider Professorship in Appreciative Inquiry at the
Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, where he
is the faculty Founder and Director of the Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of
World Benefit. David is also the Honorary Chairman of Champlain College’s David L.
Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry at the Robert P. Stiller School of Business.
In 2017, David received “The Lifetime Achievement Award”-the highest honor in his field
of Organization Development. David has published 25 books and authored over 100
articles and book chapters. He has served as editor of both the Journal of Corporate
Citizenship with Ron Fry and the current academic research 4-volume series on
Advances for Appreciative Inquiry, with Michel Avital. In 2010 David was honored with
the Peter F. Drucker Distinguished Fellow award.
SCOT LOWRY
FLI’s COO and a Co-Founder. He is also President of PromiseONE, an investment
group that specializes in helping high purpose companies develop leadership, culture
and maximize impact. Through PromiseONE, Scot has owned and operated seven
companies, including FLI. Prior to FLI, Scot used much of what FLI teaches as the
“LEAF Method” while CEO of Fathom, a digital marketing company, to grow revenue
over 450%, expand from 30 to 140 people, develop the leadership team, earn multiple
awards for growth and workplace culture and become one of the first three “B Corps”
in Ohio. He teaches entrepreneurship at The Weatherhead School of Management at
Case Western Reserve University, where he received his MBA and met Jon Berghoff and
studied with David Cooperrider, relationships that led to the founding of FLI.
49thechangeLab
FOR MORE...
YOUR CHANGE BLUEPRINT
Your evidence-based, step-by-step review of how
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) Summits can be used to bring
together hundreds of people to simultaneously change the
way people think, feel and act to create positive changes.
Featuring case studies from around the world, this book
includes detailed examples of how to successfully design
and deliver an AI Summit.
APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY CARDS
These beautifully designed cards, based on the work of
Professor David Cooperrider, help you to ask purpose-
fuelled, strength-focused questions that look for the true,
the good, and the possible in our lives, our workplaces, our
schools and in our larger communities. These resources
have been designed to help you create appreciative inquiry
coaching conversations, workshops, and summits.
AI SUMMIT TOOLBOX
Do you want to help a team, an organization, a school, or
a community create positive changes that enable people to
flourish? This online toolbox gives you how-to videos, a step-
by-step guide, best practice examples, and steal-it-with-
pride checklists to help you design and deliver a one-day AI
Summit using the latest research in appreciative inquiry.
FREE Webinar: The Future of Leadership Register at lead2flourish.com/changereport
FREE Webinar: The Future of Leadership Register at lead2flourish.com/changereport
51thechangeLab
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