Are You Using the Right Tools for Your Change?

Introduction: In my book Flying Blind, I warn that using the wrong business model is the first blind spot that can derail your change efforts. As part of The Autumnal Man Project, I’m here to guide you, a male middle manager over 45, to reflect boldly and choose tools that spark lasting purpose in your organisation.

You’ve poured years into your career, building something solid. But when you seek to change that organisation are you using a sledgehammer to carve wood? That’s what happens when you apply a factory-style model to a service organisation. In Flying Blind, I show how 70% of global GDP comes from services—consultancies, government agencies, telecoms—yet many leaders use manufacturing-based models that destroy value.

Picture a consultancy. Its value lies in solving client problems, not churning out products. I talk about the Value Shop model—cyclical, relationship-driven, focused on diagnosis and solutions. Or take a telecom, a Value Network connecting customers. Each needs a change approach that matches its purpose. Push efficiency in a consultancy, and you’ll rush relationships, losing trust.

I urge you to pause: does your change plan your organisation's value creation model? Look at Treacy and Wiersema’s value disciplines—operational excellence, product excellence, or customer intimacy. Pick one and align your metrics. A telecom chasing product excellence should focus on network reliability, not call centre speed. Get this wrong, and you’re among the 70% of change programs that fail.

Take a moment to map your business model against your change strategy. Are you forcing a square peg into a round hole? Ask your team—they see the daily grind. By aligning your efforts with your organisation’s purpose, you craft a legacy of sustainable ROI. Join The Autumnal Man Project and dare to reflect on what matters most.