Slides from Feb. 18, 2015 Rebels at Work/O'Reilly Media Webcast.

1. Rebels with a Cause:
Creating Positive Change at Work
Feb. 18, 2015
@RebelsAtWork

2. Our stories, our rebel calling

3. Why is change so hard?

5. Why is being a change instigator so hard?
POLL #1
My biggest challenge in creating change is: (choose one)
1. Afraid I might hurt my reputation/career
2. My boss is resistant to most new ideas
3. Unclear how decisions really get made
4. My ideas go against the culture of my organization
5. I hate dealing with conflict and controversy
6. Working through approval processes makes me crazy

6. What are you up against?
POLL #2
The top reason my organization resists change: (choose
one)
1. Execs will never agree to it
2. Not enough resources/too expensive budget
3. Like the way things are
4. Working through approval process exhausting
5. We’ve tried that before and it didn’t work

7. Mindset Skills Self-care
BONUS: Managing rebels

8. You have more power than you realize.MINDSET

9. Bad Rebel Good Rebel
Complain Create
Me-focused Mission focused
Pessimist Optimist
Problems Possibilities
Anger Passion
Alienate people Attract support
Assertions Questions
Pinpoint fingers Pinpoint causes
Lecture Listen
Worry that Wonder if
Obsessed Reluctant
@Rebels at Work

10. What assumptions might
be getting in your way?

11. WHAT IS THE THINKING STYLE?
Self-esteem from Validated thinking Goals achieved Celebrated ideas
Known for Minimizing risk Getting things done Coming up with new
approaches
Needs Information, data to
understand meaning of
things
Rules, structure to guide
processes and organize
things
Options, flexibility to
imagine new outcomes
Driven to Know Organize Change
Life appears Rational Ordered Emergent
Lives Cautiously Practically Spontaneously
World view Measured Practical Big picture
Looks for Meaning Usefulness Opportunities
Believes in Truth Harmony Hope
Works best with Data Processes Ideas
Guided by Rationality Practicality Intuition
Past Thinking Present Thinking Future Thinking
To get a free, personalized analysis of your thinking style:
http://www.mindtimemaps.com/start/corporaterebels/
Source: MindTime

12. Don’t go it alone. Find your rebel wild pack.
The 10%
Superpower

13. Work out loud
Ask for help
Informal influencers

14. Questions

15. SKILLS

16. Understand the
organizational
landscape
• What is most valued?
• How are decisions made?
• What are the business cycles?
• Who influences what and whom?
• What’s getting talked about?

17. Earn credibility and trust
Find trusted advisors
Think about right steps

18. Make friends with BBB’s
Bureaucratic Black Belts
Masters of the organization’s rules
and culture.
They can help or kill your idea.
Manage your outbox. Who are 3 BBB’s you should have lunch with?

19. 6 reasons bosses say NO
1. It’s just not that important
2. I can’t understand what the “it” is
3. Bad timing
4. Uncertainty makes me nervous
5. I don’t like the idea and can’t tell you
6. I love the way things are

20. That’s interesting.
Tell me more.
Key in on what’s at stake. Show how the idea relates to what people
want.
Paint a picture of what could be. Make the status quo unappealing.
Show the idea can work. People support ideas they think can work.
Be positive and pithy. Keep it short!
Frame your ideas, communicate value vs. “how”
What do people in your organization really want? Is it stated or unstated?

21. Connect to what’s understood
It’s a new magazine that combines
the best of Rolling Stone and
Harvard Business Review….
It’s an executive car service with
wings…
It’s the love child of Sharepoint and
Facebook…
Framing your idea

22. How will things be different
when the dream comes true?
Paint a picture of the future..

23. Prove it can work. Earn more trust.
• What’s needed to realize the
dream?
• What might impede progress?
• What preparation is needed?
• How will you evaluate progress?
• What can team stop doing or do less
of?

24. There can be no change without conflict.
Invite conversation + listen
What’s the real issue?
Ask for alternative solutions
Master the meeting
Strategically address bullies

25. Overcoming obstacles
• Be open to other thinking
• Keep connecting to values
• Take small steps to prove value
• Turn to wisdom of rebel pack

26. Questions

27. Gratitude: what is going well.
Write down 3 things each week, share
with team.
Penalty boxes: If you end up in
penalty box for pushing boundaries for
positive intent, know you’ll recover.
Use the time to observe.
Friendships: outside of work
friends = priceless to sanity, well being.
Get outside: all adventures are
easier when you you’re healthy, fit,
rested.
SELF-CARE

28. Should you keep going?
• Rate importance
• Is the energy waning?
• Is it performance objective
worthy?
• How much are your colleagues
willing to help?
• Are you becoming not yourself?

29. If you’re thrown under the bus…
Beware your anger
Go under radar
Think of it like a divorce
Avoid failure language
Find a new boss
Perspective: work – life
Should you quit?

30. Know when to quit

32. POLL #3
What’s the best use of our remaining time?
1. Open up for Q&A
1. Share advice for when you’re the boss of rebels (or project lead
with rebels on the team))
3. Do another Webcast about leading rebels

33. When you’re leading rebels

34. Make it safe

35. Most goals and visions feel like this.
Hard to connect new ideas to fuzziness.
Hard to evaluate decisions.
Hard to know if you’re making progress.
Easy to get lost.
Easy for rebels to get in trouble.
Be clear about expectations

36. Create new organizational habits

37. It’s a shame. He has
some interesting ideas
but doesn’t know how
to fit in..
She has great potential but
she needs to learn how to
be more corporate.
Value, hire for differences

38. Teach how to
navigate organizational
politics and processes
(Especially the invisible)

39. A Handbook for Leading
Change from Within
Lois Kelly & Carmen Medina
REBELS
AT WORK
“Rebels at Work is the essential guide to rocking the boat. From the trenches,
Lois Kelly and Carmen Medina outline how to gain credibilit y, pitch ideas,
navigate politics, manage confl ict, and maintain sanit y.”
—Adam Grant, W harton professor and
New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take
www.rebelsatwork.com
@RebelsAtWork
www.facebook.com/RebelsatWork
lois@rebelsatwork.com
@LoisKelly
carmen@rebelsatwork.com
@Milouness

40. What was most helpful?
What areas do you want to learn more about?
Let us know! @RebelsAtWork