From Tech Stacks to Mindsets: The Psychology of Transformation
Host Daniel Jones reconnects with former business partner Dan Young to discuss the critical human element often missing in digital transformations. Reflecting on their journey from Cloud Native consulting to organizational psychology, they explore why technical mandates fail and how professional identity impacts the adoption of AI. The conversation covers practical strategies like Liberating Structures, invitation-based change, and the power of listening to navigate complex power dynamics and build effective, resilient teams.
Episode Transcript
Daniel Jones (00:00) You are listening to the Waves of Innovation podcast. am DJ, your host, and I am going to be talking to Dan Young, my ex-colleague and old friend. We used to run a cloud native transformation consultancy together. Dan taught me loads of things about helping people adopt new tech...
Episode Highlights
- •Tech transformation failures are usually psychological, not technological issues.
- •Resistance to AI often stems from threats to professional identity.
- •Invitation-based change ensures participants are genuinely engaged and committed.
- •Liberating Structures disrupt hierarchy to amplify quiet voices.
- •The 'Make It Fail' exercise reveals hidden organizational weaknesses.
- •Vulnerable leadership breaks the 'Iron Triangle' of certainty constraints.
- •Simple listening exercises can repair toxic team dynamics effectively.
