“The biggest wall that we have to climb is often the one we build in our own heads.”
Sam Sooialo
The whole concept that ‘most changes fail’ is actually found in the eye of the beholder. The reality is that hearing whether or not the ‘change’ has worked very much depends on who you talk to.
Change Management Concepts are often based on two theories. Theory E involves changes led by ‘Economics’ and Theory O focuses on the capabilities of the ‘Organisation’. As far as Sam Sooialo is concerned, successful Change Management requires a blend of both and begins with a strategy – a high-level road map highlighting exactly what strategic projects need to be worked on.
Sam is the owner and Director of Profit & Values, a company which specialises in bridging the gap between Operations and HR by offering Executive Coaching, Business Change and Cultural Transformation. He is also a Non-Executive Director on three Boards for Not for Profit Organisations. Sam has always enjoyed doing new things and having new experiences and has lived his life as someone who doesn’t just talk about change but in fact, lives and breathes it.
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Growing up in the Pacific Island of Samoa, living in a grass hut and running around with no shoes on, Sam experienced his first taste of change at 10 years old when his family relocated to New Zealand. One of the major hurdles he and his brothers found themselves enduring was being surrounded by racism, as they were the family who had arrived in a new school unable to speak English.
He successfully moved on from this experience and enjoyed a career with roles which include IT Consultancy, Director of Operations for Roland Digital Group based in the UK and Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Director for Long Service Corporation at New South Wales Treasury.
It is important to note here that a life of change for Sam has not just evolved around his professional life.
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In 2016/2017 Sam, his wife and children set off around Australia for 12 months in a 4X4 caravan with the intention of getting back to the simplicity he had enjoyed during his childhood. You will need to listen to this week’s episode to hear the details of that adventure, as well as the long-term impact it has had on the whole family.
Sam believes that “when people approach change in this day and age, perhaps they have forgotten their past struggles and many of the things that they have had to overcome and change, [especially] at work“. He has dedicated his career to help people come to the realisation that it is okay to be uncomfortable and have a little bit of doubt. Sam reminds people to draw on their experiences, story and history, of changes they have already accomplished, to assist them on their journey.
It is imperative to remember that the process of executing change is not perfect but, in an ever-changing environment, we all have to adjust and reframe how we view the world.
During our conversation Sam talks about the importance of understanding why the desired change is important and highlights some of the fundamentals which are involved with successful implementation:
- Mindset
- Resilience
- Relationships
- 80-20 Rule
- Addressing Bias
- Environment
Join us as we uncover how to deliver these key points and Lead in a World of Change as well as exactly how you go about addressing the gap between the two stakeholders within Change Management – the business owner and the people who deliver the service.