People don’t resist change because they’re stubborn or negative. They resist because their internal architecture is overloaded. Every person has a limited capacity for: processing new information making sense of ambiguity holding competing priorities managing uncertainty learning new routines When that capacity is full, even small changes feel threatening. This isn’t emotional weakness. It’s structural….
How structural integrity, not intensity, determines an organisation’s ability to change In many organisations, calm is misunderstood. Leaders often assume that a calm organisation is: not pushing hard enough not ambitious enough not moving fast enough not “hungry” for improvement Meanwhile, busy organisations — full calendars, constant meetings, frantic activity — are celebrated as high‑performing….
How constant activity erodes the very conditions required for adaptation — with real‑world examples Many leaders assume that a busy organisation is a productive one. Full calendars, constant meetings, rapid task‑switching, and overflowing inboxes are often interpreted as signs of momentum and commitment. But the truth is far more uncomfortable: Busy organisations are often the…
A practical guide for leaders who want to understand whether their system is truly ready for change Most organisations assume they are “ready for change” because people seem supportive, the strategy looks clear, or the project plan is well‑structured. But real readiness has very little to do with enthusiasm or communication. Readiness is structural. It’s…
Every organisation wants to be “ready for change.” Every leader wants teams who can adapt quickly, stay focused under pressure, and maintain momentum when conditions shift. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Most organisations treat change readiness as a behavioural or motivational issue, when in reality it is a structural one. This misunderstanding is the single…
Understanding why people who’ve survived big changes can still struggle with new ones One of the most common surprises leaders encounter when using IRVEY¹ is this: Someone with a low Change Fitness score may have successfully navigated enormous, difficult changes in their past. At first glance, this seems contradictory. If a person has rebuilt their…
The deeper architecture behind motivation, agency, trust, and readiness Every leader has seen it: two people face the same change, the same pressure, the same uncertainty — and respond in completely different ways. One adapts quickly, stays balanced, and moves forward with clarity. The other hesitates, becomes overwhelmed, or resists. It’s easy to assume this…
Understanding Fragility, Entropy, and the Engine of Adaptive Intelligence Every organisation wants to stay sharp, aligned, and capable — especially in environments where complexity is rising and conditions change faster than teams can adapt. Yet even strong organisations experience something subtle but powerful over time: drift. Drift is the slow, often invisible slide away from…
If functional information is what does work in a human system, then dysfunctional information is what prevents work from being done. It doesn’t just sit there quietly. It has structural effects — predictable ones — that shape capability, behaviour, and the future a system can reach. Most leaders never see this. They focus on behaviour,…
Most leaders don’t fail because they lack intelligence, experience, or commitment. They fail because they are overwhelmed by noise — the emotional, cultural, and organisational clutter that obscures what is actually happening in the system. Noise is not just distraction. Noise is distortion. It is the accumulation of inherited assumptions, habitual interpretations, unexamined beliefs, and…