20 Over 20, With Danyele Harris-Thompson

In this episode of the Change Management Review™ Podcast, Brian Gorman interviews Danyele Harris-Thompson – Change Management and Transformation Services Sr. Leader, AEMEA, at Kao Corporation.

She is an experienced external and internal change strategist, successfully developing and delivering people readiness plans across various industries and sectors, including consumer goods, food processing, healthcare, energy, multimedia entertainment, sports performance, government, finance, and manufacturing.

As the Sr. Change Leader at Kao, she ensures the delivery of people-centered change management solutions to support the implementation and adoption of enterprise-wide solutions and provides thought leadership and strategic oversight of the global change management approach, methodology, and processes.

This podcast highlights some of the 20 lessons that Danyele has learned over 20 years as an external change management consultant; her humor, examples, and insights provide fodder for thought to even the most experienced practitioner.

You can read all of her lessons in her 20 Over 20 article on the Change Management Review website.

Tune in and get Danyele’s answers to questions like:

1. Your lessons fall into three categories: practical, relationship, and fun. Let’s start with the first practical lesson in your article, “Know your statement of work.” Tell us a little about this lesson for you.
2. “Recognize that not all clients are happy you are there.”
3. Without naming names, could you give us a mini case where the “recognize that not all clients are happy you are there” came up for you?
4. “Know the client organization’s politics” to play well with others.”
5. For a little fun, “Bring food.”
6. This one I think is really important whether you are internal or external. “Protect your team.”
7. Could you give us an example of where “protect your team” became important for you and your team members?
8. What you do at the start of a project is incredibly rare, and yet it is so valuable. As team members we want to grow and we have areas of interest, yet most team leads assign the same tasks over to the same people every engagement.
9. “Don’t be afraid to get personal.”
10. “Be prepared to define change management over and over again.”
11. Here’s another fun one, “Have some fun.”
12. Number 18 on your list, “Stay above the fray.”
13. “Roll up your sleeves when needed.”
14. One last question. Your article covers lessons over 20 years. Is there a 21st?