Ep 107 - Leading Through Change with Paula Brockwell

Career & Leadership Real Talk

In this episode, we tackle one of the biggest challenges leaders face: implementing culture change without losing your team (or your sanity) along the way. If you've ever been tasked with driving change or found yourself wondering why culture initiatives seem to fizzle out, this conversation is a must-listen.

Our guest expert Paula Brockwell, an occupational psychologist who specialises in shaping productive workplace cultures, reveals why most organisations drastically underestimate what it takes to make change stick - and more importantly, what you can do about it.

Key points from this episode

• The truth about how long real culture change takes (hint: it's not 6 months)
• Why being the "sunshine and rainbows" leader during change can actually backfire
• A practical framework for diagnosing and addressing resistance in your team
• How to maintain credibility when you don't have all the answers
• The most common mistake leaders make when communicating change

00:00 Introduction and Guest Background

02:00 Understanding Culture Change Timelines

• Realistic expectations for implementation
• Why quick fixes don't work
• The importance of systematic change

07:00 Leadership Responsibilities During Change

• Making change feel real and practical for teams
• Having crucial conversations about the 'why'
• Managing when you don't have all the answers

14:00 The Four Blocks to Change

• Not seeing the reason for change
• Thinking others need to change (not me)
• Lacking confidence
• Missing opportunities to implement change

19:00 Creating Safe Spaces for Learning

• Allowing mistakes and recovery
• Building momentum gradually
• Supporting team members through transition

23:00 Final Advice and Leadership Support

• Finding your leadership tribe
• Breaking echo chambers
• Maintaining authentic communication

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Connect with Paula:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulabrockwell/

www.theexproject.com

https://www.youtube.com/@spark-culture-change

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Mentioned in this episode:

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