Leading with NLP

168 Leading with NLP

changing them radically. In the diagram, most first order
change is in sector 1 – narrow and shallow. Most second
order change will fall in sector 4 – wide and deep.

Organizational change

Change can be slow or sudden. I heard of a large food
manufacturing company that needed to change consider-
ably to meet new market conditions. It had a long history
and was proud of its traditions. A new Australian CEO was
appointed to shake up the company, and he chose an un-
conventional and very effective approach. He moved the
entire company headquarters to a new building far away
from the old one. Everyone wondered what he would do
with the old corporate headquarters, which had been built
by the founder of the firm many years ago. He actually dy-
namited it, videotaped the explosion and sent everyone in
the organization a copy of the tape.
This man certainly made his point, but change does
not have to be so explosive. Mostly it has to be gradual
but guided. Businesses are easy to change if you have the
authority, but it may not be so easy to keep the changes
in place. Even our Australian CEO will have to be careful

Shallow

Deep

Narrow Wide

1

3

2

4