Episode 3 | Everyone says people come first in transformation. So why don’t they?

Your transformation plan has KPIs, milestones and a budget for tech. It almost certainly has nothing on how your people feel about any of it. Your board says culture is blocking the programme. Your teams say they're exhausted, yet nobody looks overworked. And the new AI tooling has half the room excited and the other half quietly fearing for their jobs. Jane Bates has spent 35 years leading people change, starting with 18 years at Tesco before senior roles at Bupa and Co-op. She now runs The Koru Collective, is a non-executive director at LSSL and sits on the Sullivan & Stanley transformation advisory board. Jane gives Andy Haley a practical answer to why so many transformation programmes stall on people. You'll hear how to read the emotional state of an organisation before change starts, and why leaders need to examine their own beliefs first. You'll also hear how to bring sceptics and early adopters together around AI adoption. Andy and Jane cover cultural resistance, psychological safety, change fatigue and the human side of technology change. This one is for transformation directors and change leaders who own delivery and suspect the plan is missing something. If you want a technical guide to tooling, look elsewhere. Key Takeaways Exec boards that blame culture are often holding the belief that is doing the damage. Jane names the phrases in leadership communications that give it away. "Everyone's tired but nobody's busy" usually signals emotional exhaustion. People working out of obligation burn energy performing the version of themselves they think is expected. Technologists now have to handle fear and opportunity in the same room. Jane's story of the best cashier in the store shows why the kit is the easy part. Staying silent about the jobs AI will replace is, in Jane's words, "utter nonsense." Pair your early adopters with the colleagues who are more concerned. Chapter Markers 00:00 Why the human side of change matters more now 00:59 Introducing Jane Bates 01:38 From 18 years at Tesco to The Koru Collective 02:48 Is people change finally on the leadership agenda 04:10 Self-awareness: the piece change plans miss 06:10 How COVID and new technology collided at work 08:33 Technologists who now have to lead people change 09:25 Fear and opportunity in the same room 12:01 Research: 30% cite cultural resistance as a blocker 12:37 Stakeholder analysis, co-creation and change weariness 15:47 Leaders, check your own belief cycle first 16:55 Spotting emotional exhaustion in your teams 17:47 Motivational states and listening posts 21:01 Why the value isn't trapped in the tech 21:34 How AI is landing with people 24:32 What Jane is most excited about Useful Links & Resources Jane Bates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-bates1971/ Andy Haley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-haley-a1691a/ The Koru Collective: Jane's advisory and coaching practice https://www.koru-collective.co.uk/ Sullivan & Stanley: https://sullivanandstanley.com Our podcast featured on https://www.playpodcast.net/ | https://www.bestpodcasts.co.uk/podcast/the-7-percent/  Has a change programme ever stalled because leaders assumed people would just get on with it? Tell us in the comments. We'd also like to hear how your organisation is handling the people side of AI adoption. If cultural resistance is holding back your transformation programme, book a conversation with Andy and the Sullivan & Stanley team at sullivanandstanley.com. #The7Percent #Transformation #ChangeManagement #PeopleAndCulture #AIAdoption Send us a message