Leaving Change Management in 'PowerPoint'
The slides are ready — the team is not. In today’s business world, change is not just inevitable — it’s constant. Yet many organisations still begin and end their transformation efforts with a PowerPoint presentation. The slides communicate the vision, but where are people in that vision?
PERSPECTIVE
6/29/20251 min read
Leaving Change Management in 'PowerPoint'
The slides are ready — the team is not.
In today’s business world, change is not just inevitable — it’s constant. Yet many organisations still begin and end their transformation efforts with a PowerPoint presentation. The slides communicate the vision, but where are people in that vision?
Real transformation doesn't start in strategy decks — it starts in people's minds and behaviours.
It’s Not the Slides That Need Changing — It’s the Behaviours.
Corporate change projects often kick off with presentations, colourful diagrams, transformation maps, and bold promises. But the real test begins the moment those slides are closed:
Is the team truly ready for this transformation?
Was the change merely communicated, or truly embraced?
How are feedback, resistance, and adaptation being managed?
And most importantly… can the vision in those slides actually be translated into action?
Change Must Be a Practice, Not Just a Project
When change is treated as a “project”, it comes with an end date. But real transformation must be woven into the organisation’s culture. New systems, new processes, new goals — they only become sustainable when people internalise them.
Three core elements make all the difference:
Behavioural Alignment
Carving out a new path starts by challenging old habits. The question should evolve from “Why do we do it this way?” to “How can we do it better?”Engagement and Ownership
Change shouldn't be imposed top-down. A participatory approach is essential. If people aren’t part of the process, resistance is inevitable.Process Focus — Build Systems, Not Just Slides
The pathways drawn in PowerPoint can easily lead to dead ends in reality. Change must be more than a narrative — it needs to be a living, breathing system.
The Bottom Line?
-It’s time to close the slides — and start talking about behaviours.
-Teams that transform not only strategies but also cultures, are the ones that thrive.
-Because lasting success doesn’t live in a deck — it lives in the way people think and act.