Q & A with Author Jennifer Bryan
Q & A with Author Jennifer Bryan
We caught up TEDx speaker, published author, and Managing Director of Leading Change of ABChange Consultancy Jennifer Bryan, who is here to tell us all about her new book Leading People in Change: A Practical Guide.
Jennifer Bryan is a practicing Change Consultant and published author, who has worked with over 30 different organisations across multiple industries. She is also a Non Executive Board Member of the ACMP (Association of Change Management Professionals) UK Chapter. She believes in helping people – in whatever capacity she can – by making sure people are thought of first, last and throughout change projects and programmes. She has created a unique leading change framework, the ABChange Model, which is shared in the book, “Leading People in Change: A Practical Guide,” along with multiple case studies when it has been used.
The Model is underpinned by accepted theories in leadership and change. It then builds upon them a framework which enables managers to create their own strategies and action plans, effecting specific change within their organisations.
As well as this book, Jennifer is author to the articles Successfully Managing Change in the Workplace in Corporate Real Estate Journal vol. 8.1, Journey of Leadership in the Workplace in iCroner (September 2014) and Lead Behaviour in Coaching at Work (July 2012).
Tell me a bit about who you are
I am a TEDx speaker, published author and Managing Director of Leading Change of ABChange Consultancy, which is my own company. Before I got into business, I was a professional dancer, predominately ballet and I still love to dance. I live in London with my husband and two children, although my eldest has just gone off to University. I specialize in helping people and organisations in leading change and have had the privilege of working with over 40 different companies, such as Microsoft, Technicolor Creative Studios, CBRE, KPMG, Gartner and Mott MacDonald to name a few. I am Vice President of the Association of Change Management Professionals in the UK and volunteer at the local foodbank.
Why did you want to write a book?
When I was studying for my Masters degree, I was coaching a lot of Senior Civil Servants and many of them would come to me and say, “Yeah, Jennifer, I know all about Kotter, but what the heck do I do with this thing on my desk?” I knew then I wanted to answer that question. The result of my dissertation research was the ABChange model, and I knew then, I wanted to write a book about it so that I could share the model with everyone that struggles with leading change.
When did you take a step to start writing?
Beyond academic papers, I started writing articles after I finished my Masters, with the first one being published in 2012. When that went well, I knew I had the bug and would write articles from time to time, fitting it around work and raising a young family.
How long did it take you to complete your book from the first idea to release?
When I decided to write a book on the ABChange model, I wanted to share a number of different case studies that would show the good, the bad and the ugly. For some reason, I decided I needed 24 case studies. I started a spreadsheet to keep track and wrote the case studies as they happened. It took 10 years to collate 24 case studies, but once that was done, it only took me 3 months to write a first draft that I then shared with some trusted colleagues for feedback. I made some tweaks, then sent it to publishers and it was published a year later.
How did you plan the structure of your book?
I am an avid reader of non-fiction and fiction books. So between experience and my previous blog and article writings, I planned the table of contents to create the structure. I did change it a couple of times, but I would always do that by talking through the table of contents.
What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write
a book?
My first piece of advice would be to write for yourself – because there is an internal drive to do so. Don’t write seeking necessarily money or fame because the chances of that happening are small. It is much more about you having something to say and you want to share that with the world. That is why you should write.
Can you give me a hint about any further books you’re planning to write?
I am in the process of writing another book on leading change, but this one is more about my holistic approach to change, which includes the ABChange model, but that is not the end all be all in this book. The last book was sharing the model and how it has been used, but this is more about how leaders can prepare their people/teams and organisations for the future, as the world continues to be in constant state of change.
Are you happy with how the book turned out?
I am very proud of my book. It was a major step for me and I am thrilled to be in a position where I can share what I have learned with the world. It was well worth it and I am looking forward to finishing the next book.
Publisher – Hero
Pages – 160
Release Date – 27th January 2021
ISBN 13 – 978-1800316881
Format – ebook, paperback
In a world defined by dramatic technological and economic shifts, business organizations large and small are finding themselves having to adapt and transform at an unprecedented pace. While these demands have led to numerous theories of change management – often with over-complicated methodologies and purely technology-focused approaches – the fact remains that change is primarily about people.
Aimed at the ordinary line manager just as much as the director of a large company, this book is a short, simple account of practical steps to lead people through change successfully, with quick and easy chapters and pertinent case studies. Drawing on the author’s own tried-and-tested ABChange Model, Leading People in Change: A Practical Guide will help you to find the change strategy that is right for your business.
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