About Change Designs
ABOUT CD
 

Contact Ruth Tearle at +27-21 712 2154 or email ruth@changedesigns.co.za

 
About Ruth Tearle
   

 

articles

Articles are grouped into the following categories:

  • Strategic Trends

  • The Strategic Planning function

  • Strategy Formulation

  • Strategy Implementation

  • Change Management

  • Managing Mergers and Takeovers

  • Leadership 

  • Creativity and innovation

  • Coping with retrenchment

strategic trends

the strategic planning function

How do you clarify the role of your strategic planning department within your organization? Use the questionnaire provided to interview the key stakeholders in your company, and get the direction you need.

Most strategy and transformation processes begin with the creation of a common vision and values. This article explains vision and values in simple practical terms.

strategy formulation

How do you go about planning for a successful strategy workshop? Many organisations choose to have a pre-planning workshop to clarify their expectations and requirements. By answering the questions contained in this article, you will be well on your way to designing an excellent strategy process for your organization.

How do you select delegates for your strategic planning workshop? Use this article to guide your thinking.

  • strategic planning for fun and profit.

    In this series of articles, Dr Terry van der Werff explains simply and clearly everything you need to know to do strategic planning inside your own organisation. His articles include topics such as:

    • What strategic planning is and is not

    • Organizing the strategic planning process

    • Who does it and how. How long it takes. End products

    • Drafting and refining the plan.

    • Centrality of values, vision, mission & strategy

    • Doing a SLOT situational analysis (strengths, limitations, opportunities, threats)

    • Setting the strategic objectives (SO) which define the future state of the organization

    • Developing strategic action plans (SAP’s) to lead to the achievement of these SO’s

    • Communicating the completed plan to the organization.

    • Implementing and monitoring the plan

    • Reviewing progress and revising the plan.

a strategy for managing during a recession

How are you feeling about the current global recession? Do recessions fill you with gloom? Or do you find recessions exciting and stimulating? Recessions provides us with the luxury of time to organize and build our businesses for the next boom period. This article shows you how to use this time wisely.

how to Evaluate your strategic plan

This article provides criteria against which you can evaluate your strategic plan.

management models - what they can and cannot do.

In this article, Dagmar Recklies discussed the limitations and benefits of management models. Are they buzzwords or useful tools?

strategy implementation

How to use your vision 

What do you do after you've developed your vision? This is a "must read" article for anyone who has just developed a strategic plan or vision.

How to MAKE YOUR VISION LIVE

how to use corporate values

How to Evaluate project team plans aimed at achieving your vision.

IMPLEMENTING YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN.

Why do the most brilliant strategies fail? 
What is the role of the leader in implementing strategy?

Read these two articles to find out how to implement your strategy successfully. 

strategic and emotional alignment

Why do most strategies fail to be implemented? In this article Kim MacIlwaine discusses the importance of strategic and emotional alignment.

knowledge management - a total value added process.

In this article, Paddy Norton describes the principles and benefits of a knowledge management process.

the balanced scorecard 101

In this article, Rowan Dent explains the essence of the Balanced Score Card in a simple practical way.

change management

the role of a change master

This articles highlights the different roles played by successful change agents.

how to know what type of change process you need.

This article helps you to analyse what type of change process will solve your problem.

lessons from change

Cheryl Rae shares the lessons she learnt as an internal strategy and change consultant. A practical, real article. Well worth reading.

managing mergers and takeovers

Stages of a merger

This article describes the typical problems you can expect during each stage of your merger. Appropriate solutions are discussed. 

How to protect and nurture yourself during a merger.

This article describes how you can protect your self and your emotions during a merger. 

MANAGING ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE: A CRITICAL ELEMENT TO UNLOCKING VALUE IN MERGERS.

There is more to mergers than the right financial deal. The managing of organisational cultures is critical to unlocking value in mergers. Andre´ Bezuidenhout explains how to measure different factors influencing organisational culture in a merger. This article was published in Business Day on 18th October 2000.

implementing a takeover

Nigel Sunley was involved in a takeover of a medium sized FMGC operation. He shares what he learnt about takeovers in his article implementing a takeover. He also provides a useful case study on how takeovers actually work in real life.

the effect of culture on mergers

In this article, Faiez Kirsten explains why understanding culture is critical to the successful implementation of a merger.

leadership 

collective intelligence

In this article, Bernu Henning provides a simple, practical explanation of the 4 Q's in management: Intellectual intelligence, Emotional intelligence, Physical intelligence and spiritual intelligence. A must read for all leaders. 

doing it differently

In this real life case study, Paddy Norton describes leading a transformation process in an engineering company A practical, useful case study for those interested in 'real world' change management, or leadership.

the seven rules for leading in tough times

Dr Terry van der Werff shares 7 rules for leading organisations in tough times. An insightful and practical article.

stories to ring the changes.

Dorian Haarhof describes the role of story telling in organisational change.

nuturing leaders

Dr Terry van der Werff explains the roles played by leaders during change.

The Leadership lessons of Field Marshal Montgomery.

What is the role of leadership in times of crisis? Jacoline Loewen highlights the lessons we can learn from Field Marshal Montgomery - a leader who valued the trust and respect of his people.

why an alternative approach to leadership development is needed.

using employee surveys as a change tool

In this practical article, Philip van Zyl explains how to create and run your own on-line employee survey.

the role of an executive coach in implementing strategy.

Lauron Buys and Belinda Davies discuss the role of an executive coach in successfully implementing strategic plans.

the art of feedback

In this article, Steve Banhegy and Andre Croucamp show how to use feedback as a tool for performance improvement and leadership.

THE CHEESE AND THE CHRISTMAS PARTY.

In this delightful story, Steve Banhegy explains how things can go wrong when managing people, and how forgetting the small details of people management can cause major problems in the future.

coaching

In this article, Shahida Ahmad explains what to expect from Coaching.

creativity and innovation

The Waters of Tomorrow

In this inspiring article, Dorian describes how writing enriches and changes our private and professional lives.

Gameplaying in corporates

Would your attitudes and behaviours towards your key relationships change, if you understood the underlying game. Read Steve Benhegi's fascinating article on game playing in corporates.

 

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