Kotter's 8-step change mode is an excellent method for implementing changes. The 8 steps are: 

1. ​​Create a Sense of Urgency 
2. Form a Powerful Coalition 
3. Create a Vision for Change
4. Communicate the Vision 
5. Remove Obstacles 
6. Create Short-Term Wins 
7. Build the Change
8. Anchor the Changes in Corporate Culture. 

Many articles talk about this in detail. We will not elaborate on it here. 

After a project is successfully completed, we often need a closing communcation. The followign is an framework to draft the message. 

​When dealing with technological innovations, we can think about the following framework: First, It is not limited to using new technologies to realize current scenarios and functions but to focus on developing new processes and applications, that is, to do what we can't do now. In this way, greater opportunities can often be found. Such changes also have a long-term impacts. Second, we need to focus on solving people's actual needs.

Let's look at a few examples. 

​Cars replace carriages. Cars drive faster than carriages and cause the need for new energy gasoline. Automobiles have created prosperity in the oil industry. Cars have also promoted highway construction. Low-cost maintenance of vehicles also makes it possible for everyone to own a car. Of course, people's need for others to provide transportation services has remained, so coachmen have become taxi and freight drivers. This is the need of people who are inconvenienced by technological change.

The Internet replaces offline services. The Internet has created new low-cost e-commerce and industries such as electronic payment and express delivery. Internet e-commerce has also made targeted marketing more needed by people.

Mobile phone. Mobile phones replace cameras and palm treasures and create new mobile application services industries such as mobile games and navigation.

​When it comes to influencing others, it's important to recognize that the person we are communicating with is more concerned about the usefulness of our words rather than simply what we say. Their focus lies in whether we are considering their needs and interests rather than expecting perfection in our proposed plans.

Therefore, influencing others should start with attentive listening and understanding. Listening can be broken down into four levels: curiosity, understanding, empathy, evaluation, and suggestion. Curiosity involves displaying a genuine interest in the other person's perspective. Understanding entails grasping the reasoning and judgment behind their thoughts. Likewise, empathy allows us to connect with and resonate with their emotions. Lastly, evaluation and suggestions enable us to fully comprehend their challenges and propose appropriate solutions.

These four levels of listening are interconnected and should be executed progressively, one step at a time. Curiosity is vital as it lays the foundation for fully understanding the other person's point of view. Without understanding, we cannot accurately grasp their emotions and logic. Empathy is essential for gaining their recognition, and offering suggestions without their approval beforehand can lead to their arrogance and unwarranted interference.​

By following these listening steps in a sequential manner, we can foster effective communication and successfully influence others.

​When conducting a meeting, it is important to start with a meeting plan. Consider the invitees, duration, and agenda of the meeting. Determine the repetition frequency if the meeting is expected to occur multiple times. Once the session is arranged, the next step is to host it.

When hosting a meeting, there are several key considerations. First and foremost is the clear communication of meeting objectives. This set up the foundation for a successful meeting. Then, as the host, we have to guide the discussion toward achieving the goals. If there are any distractions, use the "steer don't follow" framework [1] , which means taking control of the discussion by steering the conversation toward what we'd like the discuss and avoid being misled by others' logic. For example, if anyone asks a question or details we are unprepared to answer, we can say, "That's a good question. We can take that offline to discuss." Another important goal of a meeting is to foster open communication and consensus among attendees. The host should ensure that everyone has the opportunity to speak, especially introverted participants who may require special attention.
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Taking meeting minutes is crucial. While only some details need to be recorded, the minutes should include the main discussion topics, key conclusions or decisions, and the action plan that follows the discussion. Specify the responsible individuals, deadlines, and relevant personnel when documenting the action plan. Also, record the main discussion points when immediate results are not obtained. After the meeting, it is crucial to promptly send the minutes to all attendees and copy those who need to be informed but have yet to attend. Ideally, the minutes should be sent within one to two hours or on the same day for maximum effectiveness.

Furthermore, meetings provide an opportunity for communication, so the host needs to maintain an open attitude and be receptive to new viewpoints and discussion topics.

Global perspective: a mindset to see beyond the immediate tasks at hand and understand the larger context in which things operate. By recognizing the relationships between tasks and aligning them with overarching goals, one can make better-informed decisions and drive success. In this blog, we will explore the significance of a global perspective and how it can be cultivated through systematic thinking.

When we become too focused on the minutiae of our daily activities, we risk losing sight of the bigger picture. While attention to detail is crucial, it should not overshadow the need for a comprehensive understanding of the broader scope. A global perspective refers to the ability to see the relationships between a series of tasks and connect them to the ultimate goals. Often, we lose sight of the bigger picture because we are too focused on doing the current tasks well, and we may not be doing the right things. Getting caught up in the details can lead to a biased understanding of the overall outcome.

Let's use project management as an example. In project management, having a global perspective means recognizing every detail of the project, including the project scope, relevant stakeholders and their relationships, project tasks, execution processes, risks and controls, communication, and reporting. All these project details should be within the grasp of a global perspective, while also understanding the relationships and impacts between these details. Therefore, having a global perspective is an ability and insight to dynamically control and manage multiple aspects of affairs.

Thinking with a global perspective is also a systematic approach. It involves a systematic summary and analysis of our understanding of the entire matter.

​As we all know, introducing change within a company can be a challenging and risky undertaking. It requires significant investments and careful planning. That's why it's crucial for us to approach change management with caution. Today, I would like to share with you a thinking framework that can help us evaluate our change management efforts effectively. The thinking framework comprises three key components: comprehensive goal-oriented analysis, negative thinking, and related analysis. Let's take a closer look at each of them.

Let's illustrate the application of this thinking framework through an example of establishing Human Capital Planning. Suppose Company A has noticed issues within one of its departments, such as a surplus of employees, low efficiency, and a lack of innovation. In order to reduce costs and improve efficiency, the management of Company A has proposed the implementation of quantitative management of human resources. Now, let's analyze and evaluate the feasibility of this proposal using the thinking framework mentioned earlier.

​Goal-Oriented Analysis Firstly, we need to conduct a comprehensive goal-oriented analysis. Prior to proposing this suggestion, the management of Company A should clearly define the objectives they aim to achieve through the establishment of quantitative management of human resources. They may aim to improve work efficiency, optimize the allocation of human resources, and foster innovation to address the issues within the subordinate department. By establishing these goals, they can better measure the success of the change and provide clear guidance for the implementation process.

• Goal: reduce costs and increase efficiency
  • Analysis: Quantitative work and manpower can find redundancy, so as to allocate human resources more reasonably.
  • Analysis: For ordinary employees, this method is feasible, such as contract workers and low-tech jobs, because the work is procedural and easy to quantify and manage. However, this method is not applicable to talented employees and creative work, because "good employees, it's not that I didn't tell him how to do it, but that he told us how to do it." Excessive quantification has an impact on the company's culture.
  • Analysis: Quantitative work will increase the management pressure (overhead), and if it is not done well, it will also increase the cost.
• Goal: Improve creativity
  • Analysis: Creativity requires space for free thinking, which varies from person to person. It is difficult to quantify, and allocating work at full capacity will reduce freedom and creativity. Instead of quantifying, it is better to develop intelligent processing methods and automation.

We can see that the thinking of goal analysis will carefully evaluate the meaning of change, that is, what to change, when to change, how much to change, whether to break the existing balance, and what is the scope and time of impact. In this process, our analysis is how to achieve the goal.


Negative Thinking Next, we need to engage in negative thinking. In other words, we need to consider the risks and issues that this proposal may face. For instance, establishing quantitative management of human resources may require significant investments of time, manpower, and technological resources. Additionally, employees may exhibit skepticism or resistance toward this change. We need to carefully consider these potential challenges and devise strategies to address them, ensuring a smooth implementation of the change. Negative thinking is to use Devil Advocate to challenge suggestions. Let me give a few examples:

• Can't the goal be achieved without quantification?
• Is there any manpower available at present? If so, what is the cause?
• Is the root cause of the problem the lack of quantification?
• ‘Is there any other way?
• What should I do if the quantification is inaccurate or the Manager does not cooperate?
• Do the people we suggest change biased? We know a common saying: then a person with a hammer in his hand will see that everything is a nail. If you don't choose the right one, whether it is subjective will, the ability to do things, and the foundation of interpersonal relationships will limit the consideration and scope of change. Therefore, it was wrong from the beginning.
• the proposal a customer demand or the wishful thinking of the management team?

Related Analysis Lastly, we need to conduct a related analysis, considering the potential impacts that this proposal may have on other aspects of the organization. Establishing quantitative management of human resources may require process redesign, team structure adjustments, and the provision of training support. We need to assess the effects of these changes on other departments, teams, and individuals, and develop communication and change management strategies to ensure the smooth progress of the transformation.
Analysis Finally, we need to conduct relevant analysis to consider the possible impact of this proposal on other aspects of the organization, that is, to put things in the ecological environment to analyze the secondary and multi-level impacts. Establishing quantitative management of human resources may require redesigning the process, adjusting the team structure and providing training support. We need to evaluate the impact of these changes on other departments, teams and individuals, and develop communication and change management strategies to ensure the smooth progress of change. Are you ready? In order to reduce Cobra I snakes, Indian colonists once funded the Cobra Issue. As a result, due to the rich income, some people actually raise snakes and earn commissions. After the colonists found out, they no longer paid. As a result, the snake herders let go of the snake in their hands, and things were even worse. In the Big Little Farm, the owner of the young couple raised cattle and sheep and wanted to fertilize the land with the dung of cattle and sheep, which attracted many flies. According to our question:

• Quantitative work will change people's attitude towards work. The more quantifiable the work, the more popular it is. On the contrary, no one will want to do the work that is not easy to quantify.
• Does the quantitative work need to be done? Why not outsourcing?
• Will the quantitative work in management affect the practical work? Will people make unimportant quantification and cause practical effects that cannot be taken?

Through this example, we can see how to use the thinking framework to analyze the feasibility of establishing human resources management. Through comprehensive goal-oriented analysis, we can clarify the objectives and expected outcomes of the change. Negative thinking helps us identify potential challenges and risks and develop corresponding solutions. Related analysis enables us to consider the impacts of the change on other aspects and develop appropriate change management strategies.

Thank you for your attention. I encourage everyone to apply this thinking framework when implementing changes to ensure the success of the transformation and the continuous improvement of the organization.