The Problem with Change - Ways to Leverage the Nature of Human Performance

·26 min·2 clips

Ashley Goodall explains why employees say constant change feels like 'living life in the blender'.

Host Kevin Crane introduces Ashley Goodall, a leadership expert and former executive at Cisco and Deloitte, who is returning to the show to discuss his new book, 'The Problem with Change and the Essential Nature of Human Performance'. Goodall begins by explaining his research methodology: he asked dozens of employees globally to describe their experience of change at work without labeling it good or bad. The consistent response was that change is exhausting, disorienting, upsetting, and makes their jobs harder. He frames this as 'life in the blender', a state of perpetual churn from overlapping initiatives like reorgs, new strategies, and policy changes, compounded by personal life changes. Goodall then explores the social science behind why this is so detrimental, identifying five key costs: uncertainty, lack of control, severed sense of belonging, disruption of ritual and place, and a loss of meaning or understanding. He connects this to phenomena like 'quiet quitting', which he sees as a reaction to excessive change. The conversation shifts to solutions, with Goodall advocating for HR to become expert listeners and mediators, as employees often sugarcoat feedback for leaders. The host, Kevin Crane, interjects with a related concern from his other podcast, questioning the common narrative around AI and automation reskilling workers, noting a lack of real-world examples. Goodall responds by emphasizing the unique value of human interaction—creativity, humor, fellowship—which organizations must protect. When asked how leaders can balance change and stability, Goodall rejects the idea of a simple spreadsheet or metric, stating that leadership inherently involves weighing these complex factors. He advises leaders to acknowledge the need for stability, change more slowly when possible, and allow breathing spaces for teams to rebuild understanding. In the closing segment, when asked about preparing for the world in five years, Goodall humorously admits he has no idea, stressing that more attention should be paid to current workplace issues like the impact of constant change. The episode concludes with promotional information for Goodall's book and website.

As heard by us

A clear look at why truth stalls in organizations and how HR can hear it sooner.

Change often fails first as a listening problem. In this Everyday MBA episode, Ashley Goodall explains why senior leaders can lose sight of what is actually happening inside an organization: the higher the power gradient, the more likely people are to soften bad news.

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You want to know why change gets blurry before it reaches the people making decisions.

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